Folk Theatre is a mix of elements from music, dance, epic and ballad recitation, graphic arts, religion, and festival culture that originated in India. Folk theatre, which has its origins in indigenous culture, is ingrained in the local identity and social values. It has long served Indian civilization as indigenous methods of interpersonal, inter-group, and inter-village communication, in addition to delivering public pleasure. Here we will discuss the Folk Theatre tradition in India, which will be helpful for UPSC IAS Exam preparation.

Folk Theatre

• India has a long legacy of folk theatre in many areas of the country.
• Traditional folk theatre portrays numerous aspects of local culture, such as social conventions, beliefs, and practices.
• Folk theatre had rural roots, and the rustic flavor was reflected in the dramatic technique involved, whereas Sanskrit theatre was more urban-oriented and sophisticated in its interpretation of the play.
• The majority of the still-existing folk theatre has devotional themes and dates from the 15th to 16th century AD.
• With time, however, it began to incorporate love ballads and stories of local heroes and therefore took on more secular tones.
• Folk theatre became a prominent technique of disseminating societal wisdom rather than simply social enjoyment in the post-independence period.

Categories of Folk Theatre

Indian Folk theatre can be categorized into three types:

• Ritual Theatre
• Theatre of Entertainment
• South Indian Theatre

Ritual Theatre

Folk theatre became a popular manner of transmitting faith to God during the Bhakti movement, both for the performer and the audience. The following are some well-known examples of this type of theatre:

Ankia Naat

• It is an Assamese traditional one-act drama, founded in the 15th-16th century AD by the legendary Vaishnava Saint Sankaradeva and his disciple Madhavdev.
• It is staged in the manner of an opera and covers events from Lord Krishna's life.
• The Sutradhar, or narrator, is accompanied by Gayan-Bayan Mandali, a group of musicians who play the 'khol' and cymbals.
• The usage of masks to represent particular expressions is one of the distinguishing traits of this kind of theatre.
• The plays are written in Brajavali, an Assamese-Maithili hybrid language.

Kala

• Kala is an ancient Vaishanvite folk theatre.
• It is primarily concerned with Vishnu's lives and incarnations.
• Dashavatar Kala, Gopal Kala, and Gaulan Kala are some of the most well-known Kala branches.

Ramlila

• Ramlila is a well-known folk theatre in the Uttar Pradesh area.
• It is a performance of the Ramayana that includes music, dances, and conversations that take place in the days leading up to Dussehra.
• It is usually performed by male performers who also play the part of Sita.
• The Ramlila festivities were declared by UNESCO as one of the "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity" in 2008.

Raslila

Raslila is a dance play dramatization of Krishna and Radha's teenage love tales, prevalent mostly in Gujarat and some regions of North India.

Bhuta Aradhana

• Bhuta, which means spirit, is a traditional Karnataka coastal practice of honoring the departed ancestors.
• Kola, which is a ceremonial theatre, is the most common form of Bhuta worship.

Ramman

• It is a ritualistic theatre in Uttarakhand's Garhwal area, devoted to the local god Bhumiyal Devta.
• It is on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
• The people of Bhandari caste wear a religious mask that represents Narasimha (half-man and half-lion).
• Various songs are sung and dances are performed. Lord Rama's stories are also told.

Theatres of Entertainment of North, West and Eastern Part of India

In terms of storytelling and story-telling, this type of theatre was more secular. They primarily served as a source of entertainment for the rural people, focusing on stories of love, heroism, and socio-cultural customs.

Bhavai

• Bhavai is a prominent form of Rajasthani folk theatre.
• This style makes considerable use of dance to tell the story of a series of short plays.
• The play's basic subject is romantic, and the actors balance a number of clay pots or metal pitchers.
• The performance is complemented by semi-classical music performed in a unique folk manner using instruments such as the Jhanjhar and the dholak.
• In the Bhavai theatre, the sutradhar is known as Nayaka.

Daskathia

• Daskathia is a prominent type of Odisha folk theatre.
• There are two narrators in this form: Gayaka, the principal vocalist, and Palia, the co-narrator.
• The story is complemented by dramatic music performed on the Kathia, a wooden musical instrument.
• Lord Shiva is the central figure in the story.
• The Chhaiti Ghoda, which utilizes two musical instruments – dhol and mohuri – and three narrators, is a close version of this style.

Garodas

• This is a prominent art form among Gujarat's 'Garoda' brahmin group.
• It tells stories of passion and bravery via painted drawings.

Jatra

• Eastern India's Jatra is a popular folk theatre. It is usually an open-air performance that Vaishnava Saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu started.
• He used the medium of Jatra to spread Lord Krishna's teachings throughout his journeys through rural Bengal.
• Later on, variations such as Rama Jatra, Shiv Jatra, and Chandi Jatra arose, which tell stories based on Puranic traditions.
• Jatra was utilized to tell stories with secular, historical, and even patriotic themes in modern times.
• Sahi Jatra, a famous kind of street theatre in Odisha, is very popular.

Kariyila

• It is another type of open-air theatre that is popular in Himachal Pradesh's foothills.
• The show, which is usually held at village fairs and festivals, lasts all night and consists of a succession of short plays and sketches.

Maach

• Maach is the folk theatre of Madhya Pradesh's Malwa area.
• It was based on mythical subjects like the Mahabharata and Ramayana at first. Later on, it added romantic folk stories to its repertory.
• The conversations, which are conveyed in the form of couplets known as Rangat Dohas, are a distinctive aspect of this style.

Swang

• Swangs are a popular form of entertainment in the Punjab and Haryana region.
• They are mostly musical plays that are performed in verses and accompanied by the ektara, harmonium, sarangi, dholak, and khartal music.
• It also includes conversation as well as impersonation.

Nautanki

• Nautanki, a branch of Swang, is the most popular form of theatre in North India, and it is mentioned in Abul Fazl's Ain-i-Akbari.
• The plays are told through dance and song and are based on historical, social, and traditional tales.
• The dialogue is given in a poetic style, with the rhythms of a Nagada drum accompanying it.
• Later on, two Nautanki schools centered on Kanpur and Lucknow acquired prominence.

Ojapali

• Ojapali is a unique Assamese tale theatrical genre linked with the Manasha or Serpent Goddess festival.
• The story is divided into three unique parts: Baniya Khanda, Bhatiyali Khanda, and Deva Khanda.
• The main narrator is Oja, while the choir members are Palis.

Powada

• When Shivaji killed his adversary Afzal Khan, a play was created praising Shivaji's valour, which became known as Powada.
• They are operatic ballads performed by Gondhalis and Shahirs, folk musicians who tell stories of bravery.
• It is most popular in the Maharashtra area.

Tamasha

• Tamasha is a type of Maharashtra folk theatre that is recognized for its hilarity and sensual elements.
• Tamasha is distinguished by the inclusion of female performers.
• Lavani songs are usually played during Tamasha performances.

Villu Pattu

• The term 'Villu Pattu' translates to 'bow-song.'
• It is a type of musical theatre popular in Deccan.
• Ramayana stories are told using bow-shaped instruments.

Bhand Pather

• It is a Jammu and Kashmir folk theatre, that includes modern societal satire as well as legendary tales.
• Despite the fact that it is performed by Muslims, it has a secular attitude.
• There is music, dancing, and drama in it.

Bhaona

• It is an Assamese folk theatre, particularly on Majuli Island.
• The goal is to use entertainment and drama to promote religious and moral teachings to people.
• Ankia Naat is presented, and Vaishnavite elements are prevalent.
• The drama is narrated by Sutradhar (Narrator), who also sings verses from sacred books. It also includes songs and music.
• Sankardeva constructed this folk theatre in the early 16th century.

Dashavatar

• Farmers in the Konkan area, particularly in Sindhudurg (Maharashtra) and North Goa, use it as a sort of theatre.
• It is to commemorate Lord Vishnu's ten incarnations.
• It is divided into two sections: 'poorva-ranga' (first portion) and 'uttararanga' (second part).
• The primary act is the second session, which is based on mythical legends.

Naqal or Bhand

• It is a performance-based on imitation and is based in Punjab (Naqal) and Uttar Pradesh (Bhand).
• The performer is also known as 'Behroopiya' or 'Naqalchi' (impersonator).
• To convey a social or political point, he employs humor, oddities, wit, and humor. Artists from the Muslim Bhand Community perform it.

Theatres of South India

• When Sanskrit classical theatre began to fade in popularity in North India in the 8th century AD, it grew in popularity in the southern portions of the country.
• South Indian theatrical traditions are distinguished by their emphasis on dance, as opposed to Northern India's concentration on music.
• The following are some of the most well-known South Indian theatres:

Yakshagana

• It is one of the earliest theatre traditions still practiced in Karnataka and portions of Kerala today.
• It was performed by a special community known as Jakkula Varu in the royal courts of the Vijayanagara dynasty.
• It was originally mostly a descriptive dance-drama performed by a single performer.
• Later versions incorporated more variables and evolved into a standard dance play. The Vaishnava Bhakti Movement had a big effect on it.

Burra Katha

• Burra Katha is a prominent Andhra Pradesh story-telling tradition.
• It gets its name from the percussion instrument Burra, which is utilized frequently during the show.
• A primary artist or storyteller leads the performance, with two co-artists providing the rhythm and chorus.

Pagati Veshaalu

• It is a prominent folk ritual in the Telangana area as well as Andhra Pradesh's Krishna district.
• It is largely a role-playing game centered on vesham (disguise), the main character, and several supporting characters.

Bayalata

• It is an open-air theatre practice of Karnataka that is performed during local god worship.
• The stories are centered on Radha-Krishna love.
• Bayalatas are classified into five types: Dasarat, Sannata, Doddata, Parijata, and Yakshagana.
• A single Sutradhar narrates Parijata and Yakshagana, while the other three forms are performed by a chorus of three to four people, aided by a Vidushaka.

Tal-Maddale

• Maddale is a type of drum, and Tal is a type of cymbal. In general, it is regarded as Yakshagana’s predecessor.
• The story is narrated by a Bhagavata with the help of a bunch of Arthadharis.
• The play is performed seated, with no costumes, dance, or acting.
• It is mostly carried out in Kerala and coastal Karnataka.

Theyyam

• Theyyams are performed in Kerala.
• It is comparable to a Karnataka ritual known as Bhuta Kola.
• It is an open-air play that takes place in front of local temples to honor the spirits of the ancestors as well as gods.
• Vaishnavism, Shaktism, and Shaivism are currently popular themes.
• The players are dressed in extravagant headgear and brightly colored clothes.
• It finds mention in Sangam Literature.

Krishna Attam

• It is a vibrant dance-drama tradition from Kerala that dates back to the mid-seventeenth century.
• It is an eight-day carnival based on the works of Krishna Geethi, featuring performances in temples on eight consecutive evenings telling Lord Krishna's life.

Kuruvanji

• Kuruvanji, which dates back roughly 300 years, is known for its traditional Tamil poetry and melodies.
• Thirukutarajappa Kaviyar composed the first Kuruvanji.
• The central topic is on a love-struck woman. Kuruvanji literally means "fortune-teller," and he foretells the heroine's fate.
• Bharatnatyam is the major dance form in Tamil Nadu, and it is done in a dance ballet style.

Conclusion

Folk theatre has been widely employed in India to spread critical social, political, and cultural topics through dramatic themes in order to raise public awareness. It overcomes all types of formal boundaries of human connection and appeals directly to the people as an indigenous form.