Theatre is one of the integral component of the Indian culture. The rich culture of India has further gained that articulate dimension amidst the artistry of Indian theater and drama. Theater in India is as old as the culture of India and quite ideally therefore the deep-rooted relation between Indian tradition and Indian drama has given birth to a number of eminent personalities in Indian theater. India therefore boasts its glorious association with all the well known theater personalities who has further reshaped and redefined the age old ethnicity of India in the most coherent way.
The origin of the Indian theatre or rather folk theatre and dramatics can be traced to religious ritualism of the Vedic Aryans. This folk theatre of the misty past was mixed with dance, ritualism, plus a depiction of events from daily life. It was the last element which made it the origin of the classical theatre of later times. Many historians, notably D.D. Kosambi, Debiprasad Chattopadhyaya, Adya Rangacharaya, etc. have referred to the prevalence of ritualism amongst Aryan tribes in which some members of the tribe acted as if they were wild animals and some others were the hunters.
The history of ancient Indian theatre dates back to the Vedic age. Theatre in its rudiment form in ancient India was very popular with the Vedic people. It is believed that the theatrical culture in India originated in the times of Rig Veda. Themes regarding wild animals and hunters played the most pivotal role in the ancient Indian theatres. However, the ingredients for theatre were there already in India steeped in folklores, myths, tradition and legends written in umpteen languages as India is always the land of stories. However, the main idea and storyline of the ancient Indian theatres used to be the depiction of events of everyday life, dance and food. Ritualism made a great impact in the presentation of ancient Indian theatre and indeed paved the way of a rather classical presentation of Indian theatre.
The copious saga of Indian drama holds the fact that it is in the ancient age of the Vedic era the contour of Indian drama was delineated for the very first time. One of the eminent personality in Indian theater of the ancient age was "Bharat Muni". He was the author of the "Natya Shastra" which is still reckoned as the well accepted doctrine on Indian drama. In Natya Shastra for the very first time "Bharat Muni" prefaced the term "Roopaka" - the interpretation and depiction of the realisms of life in a rather subtle way. That was just the beginning of the concept of Indian drama which later witnessed a lot of alteration and modification in accord to the demand of Indin society. No matter show much it has been altered yet the richness of Indian theater that was prevalent even in that era of the ancient age. The beginning of theater in ancient India has been graded as the result of the religious ritualism of the Vedic Era and the personalities in Indian Theatre like the "Bharata", "Ashwaghosha" and "Kalidasa" carried Indian theater to the next level of maturity.
¤ Bharata
Bharata Muni was an age old Indian writer and was one of the towering personalities in Indian theater. His creation "Natya Shastra" which is stil regarded as the proniciple of Indian drama has actually redefined the very artistry of Indian art form during that era. In the thirty six chapters of his encyclopaedic works Bharata classified Sanskrit theatrical forms while adding a novel meaning to the terms like "Natya" and "Roopaka". Bharata is considred as the father of Indian theatrical art forms and was the first to structure a particular system of thought in Indian theater.
Bharatamuni goes on to tell us that the original Natyashastra of Brahma was too unwieldy and obscure to be of any practical use. Hence, Bharatamuni, himself took up the task of making Natyashastra simple, intelligible and interesting. Bharatamuni also specifies where and how a play is to be performed. In ancient India plays were generally performed either in temple-yard or within palace precincts. During public performances, plays were generally performed in the open. For such public performances, Bharatamuni has advocated the construction of a mandapa. According to the Natyashastra in the construction of a mandapa, pillars must be set up in four corners. With the help of these pillars a platform is built of wooden planks. The area of the mandapa is divided into two parts. The front part, which is the back stage is called the r angashrishu. Behind the ranga-shirsha is what was called the nepathya-griha, where the characters dress up before entering the stage.
Bharatamuni has also specified that every play should have a Sutradhara which literally means 'holder of a string'. The Sutradhara was like the producer-director of today. Every play had to begin with an innovation of God. This invocation was called the poorvaranga. Even today, plays in Indian languages begin with a devotional song called Naandi. The Ramayana and the Mahabharata can be called the first recognized plays that originated in India.
¤ Kaslidasa
The method which was introduced by Bharata Muni in regard to Indian drama and theater was further nurtured by Kalidasa who was indeed one of the great personalities in Indian theater. The eminent Sanskrit poet was an ardent worshipper of Shiva and quite ideally therefore most of his writings, plays, dramas and poetrys reflect that deep fervor of Hindu mythology and philosophy. In the ancient age Indian theater was mainly laced with the heroic deeds of the celestial characters and Gods and Goddesses and Kalidasa ideally echoed this very concept amidst his literary works. Malavikagnimitram, AbhijananShakuntalam, Kumarsambhavam and Vikramorvasiyam are some of his well accepted plays which for the first time added that fanciful beauty, humor and poetic dimension to Indian theater. It is in the hands of Kalidasa the "Nine Rasas" of life gained an eloquent utterance which further aided Indian theater to stand apart with pride even in that ancient era.
Kalidasa was the court playwright at the Gupta court. He lived at Ujjaini, the capital of the Guptas and was for some days the Gupta ambassador at the court of the Vakatakas at Amaravati where he wrote the play Meghadutam.
¤ Ashwaghosha
Not only as a great Sanskrit poet Ashwaghosha was also a renowned philosopher who for the first time blended the charming essence of Buddhist philosophy in the Indian theater in his own stylized way. Ashwaghosh`s three classic works "The Buddha Charita", "Soundarananda" and the "Shariputra" are not only the examples of his creativity, scientific and rational approach and his interpreting mind but these works also helped in redefining the cultural artistry of Indian drama.
Theater in ancient India was thus an elegant and religious form of expression. Although started as a crude narrative art form, theater in ancient India gradually incorporated song, mime, dance and natya coupled with the artistic gifts from the great personalities in Indian theater to illustrate the elegiac diction into Indian Natya.
The origin of the Indian theatre or rather folk theatre and dramatics can be traced to religious ritualism of the Vedic Aryans. This folk theatre of the misty past was mixed with dance, ritualism, plus a depiction of events from daily life. It was the last element which made it the origin of the classical theatre of later times. Many historians, notably D.D. Kosambi, Debiprasad Chattopadhyaya, Adya Rangacharaya, etc. have referred to the prevalence of ritualism amongst Aryan tribes in which some members of the tribe acted as if they were wild animals and some others were the hunters.
The history of ancient Indian theatre dates back to the Vedic age. Theatre in its rudiment form in ancient India was very popular with the Vedic people. It is believed that the theatrical culture in India originated in the times of Rig Veda. Themes regarding wild animals and hunters played the most pivotal role in the ancient Indian theatres. However, the ingredients for theatre were there already in India steeped in folklores, myths, tradition and legends written in umpteen languages as India is always the land of stories. However, the main idea and storyline of the ancient Indian theatres used to be the depiction of events of everyday life, dance and food. Ritualism made a great impact in the presentation of ancient Indian theatre and indeed paved the way of a rather classical presentation of Indian theatre.
The copious saga of Indian drama holds the fact that it is in the ancient age of the Vedic era the contour of Indian drama was delineated for the very first time. One of the eminent personality in Indian theater of the ancient age was "Bharat Muni". He was the author of the "Natya Shastra" which is still reckoned as the well accepted doctrine on Indian drama. In Natya Shastra for the very first time "Bharat Muni" prefaced the term "Roopaka" - the interpretation and depiction of the realisms of life in a rather subtle way. That was just the beginning of the concept of Indian drama which later witnessed a lot of alteration and modification in accord to the demand of Indin society. No matter show much it has been altered yet the richness of Indian theater that was prevalent even in that era of the ancient age. The beginning of theater in ancient India has been graded as the result of the religious ritualism of the Vedic Era and the personalities in Indian Theatre like the "Bharata", "Ashwaghosha" and "Kalidasa" carried Indian theater to the next level of maturity.
¤ Bharata
Bharata Muni was an age old Indian writer and was one of the towering personalities in Indian theater. His creation "Natya Shastra" which is stil regarded as the proniciple of Indian drama has actually redefined the very artistry of Indian art form during that era. In the thirty six chapters of his encyclopaedic works Bharata classified Sanskrit theatrical forms while adding a novel meaning to the terms like "Natya" and "Roopaka". Bharata is considred as the father of Indian theatrical art forms and was the first to structure a particular system of thought in Indian theater.
Bharatamuni goes on to tell us that the original Natyashastra of Brahma was too unwieldy and obscure to be of any practical use. Hence, Bharatamuni, himself took up the task of making Natyashastra simple, intelligible and interesting. Bharatamuni also specifies where and how a play is to be performed. In ancient India plays were generally performed either in temple-yard or within palace precincts. During public performances, plays were generally performed in the open. For such public performances, Bharatamuni has advocated the construction of a mandapa. According to the Natyashastra in the construction of a mandapa, pillars must be set up in four corners. With the help of these pillars a platform is built of wooden planks. The area of the mandapa is divided into two parts. The front part, which is the back stage is called the r angashrishu. Behind the ranga-shirsha is what was called the nepathya-griha, where the characters dress up before entering the stage.
Bharatamuni has also specified that every play should have a Sutradhara which literally means 'holder of a string'. The Sutradhara was like the producer-director of today. Every play had to begin with an innovation of God. This invocation was called the poorvaranga. Even today, plays in Indian languages begin with a devotional song called Naandi. The Ramayana and the Mahabharata can be called the first recognized plays that originated in India.
¤ Kaslidasa
The method which was introduced by Bharata Muni in regard to Indian drama and theater was further nurtured by Kalidasa who was indeed one of the great personalities in Indian theater. The eminent Sanskrit poet was an ardent worshipper of Shiva and quite ideally therefore most of his writings, plays, dramas and poetrys reflect that deep fervor of Hindu mythology and philosophy. In the ancient age Indian theater was mainly laced with the heroic deeds of the celestial characters and Gods and Goddesses and Kalidasa ideally echoed this very concept amidst his literary works. Malavikagnimitram, AbhijananShakuntalam, Kumarsambhavam and Vikramorvasiyam are some of his well accepted plays which for the first time added that fanciful beauty, humor and poetic dimension to Indian theater. It is in the hands of Kalidasa the "Nine Rasas" of life gained an eloquent utterance which further aided Indian theater to stand apart with pride even in that ancient era.
Kalidasa was the court playwright at the Gupta court. He lived at Ujjaini, the capital of the Guptas and was for some days the Gupta ambassador at the court of the Vakatakas at Amaravati where he wrote the play Meghadutam.
¤ Ashwaghosha
Not only as a great Sanskrit poet Ashwaghosha was also a renowned philosopher who for the first time blended the charming essence of Buddhist philosophy in the Indian theater in his own stylized way. Ashwaghosh`s three classic works "The Buddha Charita", "Soundarananda" and the "Shariputra" are not only the examples of his creativity, scientific and rational approach and his interpreting mind but these works also helped in redefining the cultural artistry of Indian drama.
Theater in ancient India was thus an elegant and religious form of expression. Although started as a crude narrative art form, theater in ancient India gradually incorporated song, mime, dance and natya coupled with the artistic gifts from the great personalities in Indian theater to illustrate the elegiac diction into Indian Natya.
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