Maarg Manthan · Topic 6.1

History of Theatre in India

Art & Culture › Theatre, Cinema & Puppetry · Topic 6.1

Theatre in India has a history of over two thousand years, running from Vedic dialogue hymns and the Natya Shastra of Bharata Muni (about 200 BCE to 200 CE) to classical Sanskrit drama, medieval folk theatre, colonial-era Parsi and Bengali stages, and the modern theatre of the National School of Drama (founded 1959). Three streams exist side by side: classical Sanskrit theatre, traditional folk theatre such as Ram Lila, Yakshagana and Jatra, and modern urban theatre. Key names include Bhasa, Kalidasa, Bhavabhuti, Girish Karnad, Habib Tanvir, Badal Sircar and Vijay Tendulkar. Kutiyattam of Kerala is the only surviving form of Sanskrit theatre and was listed by UNESCO in 2008.

5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Art & Culture · Theatre, Cinema & Puppetry

At a Glance

Earliest theory Natya Shastra
Classical phase Sanskrit drama, Bhasa to Bhavabhuti
Colonial stage Parsi and Bengali theatre
Left theatre IPTA, 1943
Training body National School of Drama, 1959
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Art and Culture: Theatre, Cinema & Puppetry

Where Does It Fit?

This is the first topic of the macro on theatre, cinema and puppetry. It gives the timeline that the following topics on Sanskrit drama, folk theatre, regional and modern theatre expand. Previous topic: Modern Dances. Next topic: Mudrarakshasa of Vishakhadatta Living form…">Classical Sanskrit Theatre (Natyashastra, Kalidasa’s plays).

How Did Indian Theatre Develop Through the Ages?

Period	Developments	Key names and works
Vedic and epic age	Dialogue hymns of the Rigveda such as the Yama-Yami and Pururavas-Urvashi hymns are seen as seeds of drama. Epic reciters (sutas and kushilavas) performed	Rigveda samvada suktas. Patanjali’s Mahabhashya mentions Kamsavadha and Balibandha plays
Classical period (2nd century BCE to 10th century CE)	Codified Sanskrit theatre with playhouses (natyagriha) and troupes under royal patronage	Bharata Muni, Bhasa, Ashvaghosha, Shudraka, Kalidasa, Vishakhadatta, Harsha, Bhavabhuti
Early medieval	Sanskrit theatre declined as the language lost popular reach, but the Kutiyattam of Kerala kept it alive in temples	Kulashekhara Varman, Chakyar and Nangiar communities in Kerala
Medieval and Bhakti period	Regional-language folk theatre grew around religious stories	Ankiya Nat of Sankardev in Assam, Ras Lila, Ram Lila, Yakshagana, Jatra, Tamasha, Bhavai
Colonial period (18th to 19th century)	British-style proscenium theatres in Calcutta and Bombay. Parsi theatre from the 1850s. Indian-language modern drama began	Calcutta Theatre (1775), Herasim Lebedeff’s Bengali theatre (1795), Nil Darpan (1860)
Nationalist stage	Plays used against colonial rule. The Dramatic Performances Act of 1876 was passed to curb them	Dinabandhu Mitra, Girish Ghosh, Bhartendu Harishchandra, Agha Hashar Kashmiri
Post-1940s	People’s theatre, new playwrights, state institutions and the roots movement	IPTA (1943), Prithvi Theatre (1944), NSD (1959), Sangeet Natak Akademi (1952)

What Are the Three Streams of Indian Theatre?

Stream	Language and style	Examples
Classical Sanskrit	Written drama in Sanskrit and Prakrit, rules from Natya Shastra, ideal of rasa	Abhijnanashakuntalam, Mrichchhakatika, Kutiyattam
Traditional folk	Regional languages, oral, music and dance, open-air	Ram Lila, Yakshagana, Nautanki, Bhavai, Tamasha, Jatra, Therukoothu
Modern urban	Written scripts, proscenium stage, directors and national institutions	Tughlaq, Ghashiram Kotwal, Andha Yug, Charandas Chor

What Else Should You Remember?

Natyagriha: the Natya Shastra describes three types of playhouse by shape (vikrishta, chaturasra and tryasra) and three by size (jyeshtha, madhyama and kanishtha)
Playwrights: Bhasa (13 plays found at Trivandrum in 1912), Kalidasa, Shudraka, Bhavabhuti, Harsha and Vishakhadatta are the main classical names
Sanskrit and Prakrit: in Sanskrit plays kings and Brahmins speak Sanskrit while women and commoners speak Prakrit
Features of classical plays: a sutradhara opens, a vidushaka provides comic relief, plays end happily and have no tragedy in the Western sense
Kutiyattam: recognised by UNESCO as a Masterpiece in 2001 and inscribed on the Intangible Heritage list in 2008; performed by the Chakyar and Nangiar communities
Parsi theatre: began in Bombay in the 1850s with the Parsi Natak Mandali and used Gujarati, Urdu and Hindi, with songs, sets and melodrama; Agha Hashar Kashmiri is called the Shakespeare of India
Bengal: Nil Darpan by Dinabandhu Mitra (1860) exposed indigo planters; the National Theatre (1872) at Calcutta started the first public stage in Bengali
Censorship: the Dramatic Performances Act, 1876 gave the government power to ban plays that were seen as seditious
IPTA: Indian People’s Theatre Association was formed in 1943 with leaders like Balraj Sahni, Prithviraj Kapoor, Utpal Dutt and Habib Tanvir joining its ranks
Institutions: the National School of Drama began in 1959 in New Delhi under the Sangeet Natak Akademi and became an autonomous body in 1975
Link to rasa: classical aesthetics rest on rasa, as in Rasa and Bhava Theory

Why Does It Matter for the Exam?

Timeline: order of Natya Shastra, Sanskrit drama, folk theatre, Parsi theatre, IPTA and NSD
Persons: Bhasa, Kalidasa, Shudraka, Dinabandhu Mitra, Agha Hashar Kashmiri
Acts and bodies: Dramatic Performances Act 1876, IPTA 1943, NSD 1959
UNESCO: Kutiyattam 2008
Common errors: treating Kutiyattam as folk theatre, or giving NSD a date before 1959

As an analytical point, Indian theatre kept changing by adopting new languages, venues and political purposes. The gap between classical and folk forms narrowed, and modern directors have often used folk techniques to renew the stage.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Timeline Chronology questions
Persons Playwrights and directors
Bodies IPTA, NSD

What Came Next?

The next topic is Classical Sanskrit Theatre (Natyashastra, Kalidasa’s plays). Next topic: Classical Sanskrit Theatre (Natyashastra, Kalidasa’s plays).

Key People and Terms

Natyagriha Playhouse
Sutradhara Stage manager and narrator
Vidushaka Jester
Samvada sukta Dialogue hymn
Proscenium Framed stage
Kutiyattam Sanskrit theatre of Kerala

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

Oldest theory: Natya Shastra.
Surviving Sanskrit theatre: Kutiyattam, UNESCO 2008.
Parsi theatre: 1850s, Bombay.
IPTA: 1943; NSD: 1959.
Censoring law: 1876.

Do Not Confuse With

Kutiyattam and Kathakali Sanskrit theatre versus dance drama
Parsi theatre and folk theatre Urban commercial versus village ritual
IPTA and NSD People’s movement versus state school

Memory Hook

Vedic hymn, Bharata rule, Kalidasa gem, folk fire, Parsi stage, IPTA voice, NSD school.

Mains Angle

Questions ask about theatre as a tool of social change. These points give a frame.

Social voice Reform and anti-colonial plays
Continuity Folk and classical forms
Support State institutions and festivals

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“Trace the evolution of theatre in India and assess its role in social and political change.”

How to Answer

Roots Vedic and Sanskrit stage.
Growth Folk and Parsi theatre.
Role Anti-colonial and people’s theatre.
Today NSD, festivals, new writing.

GS Relevance

Prelims: periods, texts, playwrights, institutions, theatre forms. GS Paper 1: Indian heritage and culture, salient aspects of art forms from ancient to modern times.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the history of theatre in India?

Theatre in India began with Vedic dialogue hymns and was codified in the Natya Shastra, followed by classical Sanskrit drama of Bhasa and Kalidasa. Medieval times saw regional folk theatre. The colonial era brought Parsi and Bengali stages, and the 20th century added IPTA, the National School of Drama and modern playwrights.

Which is the oldest text on Indian theatre?

The Natya Shastra, attributed to Bharata Muni and dated roughly between 200 BCE and 200 CE, is the oldest surviving text on Indian theatre. It describes the stage, actors, make-up, music, rasa and types of plays, and is the base of all classical performing arts.

What is Kutiyattam?

Kutiyattam is a form of Sanskrit theatre performed in the temples of Kerala by the Chakyar and Nangiar communities. It is the only surviving form of ancient Sanskrit drama, noted for slow acting and elaborate eye movements. UNESCO inscribed it on the Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2008.

What is the difference between classical and folk theatre in India?

Classical theatre is the written Sanskrit drama based on the Natya Shastra, with fixed rules and an ideal of rasa. Folk theatre is oral, in regional languages, mixes dance, music and ritual, and is performed in open spaces by communities, as in Ram Lila, Yakshagana and Jatra.

When was the National School of Drama established?

The National School of Drama was established in 1959 in New Delhi by the Sangeet Natak Akademi and became an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Culture in 1975. Ebrahim Alkazi was its director from 1962 to 1977 and shaped its training. It organises the Bharat Rang Mahotsav.

Why is the history of Indian theatre important for UPSC?

It matters because Prelims asks about texts, playwrights, UNESCO-listed forms and institutions like IPTA and NSD, and Mains asks how theatre served social and political change. It is the base for all other theatre topics in GS Paper 1.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 Kutiyattam is a form of Sanskrit theatre of Kerala.

True

UNESCO listed it in 2008.

2 The National School of Drama was established in 1943.

False

It was established in 1959. IPTA dates from 1943.

3 The Dramatic Performances Act of 1876 was meant to control political plays.