Various Indian Theatre

India is a land of beauty, arts, culture, tradition, folk music, dance, and theatres. This diverse land offers countless forms of entertainment. In Indian culture, theatres have been the most prominent sources of entertainment for the people for centuries. There are many types of Indian theatres, and Bhavai Gujrati and Jatra Bengal are the most important examples. 

Theatres attract people from India and culture lovers across the world. The Ministry of Arts and Culture recognises these unique theatre forms and promotes them in every corner of the world.

Theatre: A Composite Art Form

Theatre is a compound art form that combines a variety of abilities, arts, and crafts. A variety of craft products are created specifically for use in the theatre, dance, or live entertainment, including:

• Masks
• Make-up
• Head-dresses
• Costumes

Theatre

It’s a fantastic kind of storytelling in which one or more performers combine dance, acting, singing, talking, miming, and theatrical crafts like masks, make-up, and outfits to convey a narrative. 

Every region of India has its distinct style of folk theatre:

• Uttar Pradesh: It is common for Nautanki’s subjects to be drawn from romantic Persian literature
• Maharashtra: Tamasha is brimming with raw vitality and raunchy hilarity
• Gujarat: Bhavai
• Bengal: During the Puja (Dussehra) celebrations, the blood and thunder of Jatra melodramas are in high demand
• Karnataka: Yakshagana is a kind of dance drama that originated in India

Bhavai Gujrati

The history of Bhavai, a popular Gujarati folk theatre form, goes back seven centuries. The Bhavai Gujrati originated in the 14th century. It is an art form that carries feelings (Bhavai: bhav [bhava, emotion] + va [vahini, carrier]). The Bhavaiyya community, also known as Vyas or Nayak in different parts of Gujarat, has a historical claim to the Bhavai art and tradition.

Categorisation

Traditional veshas have four categories based on their fundamental theme:

• Historical events and characters: The core theme of the play consists of local history and its related protagonists. Juthan, Zanda Zulan, and Jasma Odan are some of the most well-known plays
• Religious themes: Ganpati, Raval, Kan Gopi, and Ardhnarishwar are religious themes and figures
• Social issues: The principal aspects of these veshas are social commentary and satire. Purabio, Vanzara, and Saraniyo are a few names that come to mind
• Hand skills: These veshas have to do with the talent of the hand and are purely dependent on individual performer skills

Performance of Bhavai

The boys and girls start performing in Bhavai from eight years of age. Soon after sunset, the preparations for the night’s performance begin. The troupe carries their clothes and make-up into the chanchar (camp). First, the troupe leader (nayak) uses red kumkum (vermilion) powder to create a trident, representing goddess Amba, on the wall that faces the east. Then, the troupe members light an earthen lamp and chant prayers, seeking the goddess’s blessings. 

After that, they start applying make-up, including a mud pack (Multani mitti) and kohl. The former whitens the skin. The latter is made from soot from an earthen lamp.The performers begin to dress up once they complete their make-up. Female characters wear ghaghra cholis and saris. They place bor in the parting of their hair and wear booti on their ears. They adorn their arms with bangli and their ankles with jhanjh. The men wear dhoti or Kathiawadi jamu. In the chanchar, the Nayak makes a circle with oil or water. After that, he sprinkles kumkum on the area to make it holy. The musicians then play the bhungal and other instruments to alert the audience. Bhavai uses a variety of instruments, including the bhungal, tabla, kansijoda, jhaanjh, sarangi, and harmonium. Bhungal is the only one of them that is unique to Bhavai.

Jatra Bengal

Jatra is a prominent folk theatre in India (Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha) and Bangladesh. It is a very vibrant form of music theatre. Various sources, including popular folklore, Hindu mythology, and current social events, inspire the skits.  It appeared to have its origins in bhakti-related dancing processions in temple courtyards in the 15th century. In the 18th century, it became more of a general trend. Performers used it to express political statements throughout the colonial period, especially in the early 20th century.

The Stage, Play, Music, and Acting

The stories concern Rama, Shiva, and Kali and focus on Hindu mythology. The Jatra stage also adapted historical romances in later years. The screenplays include verses and songs, and performers improvise dialogues on stage. A Jatra performance nowadays lasts roughly four hours. Songs continue to be a significant part of the skits. Singing is complex since the music combines classical ragas, semi-classical, and folk music.Jatra Bengal uses drums, flutes, violins, and cymbals. The stage is rectangular and open air. Initially, only men acted in Jatra, but now both men and women are working.

Conclusion

Those traditions that have survived the test of time are considered necessary in the Indian social system, as they have adapted over many centuries. Traditional art forms, such as theatre, without a doubt, reflect a civilisation’s ideals, values, emotions, and other vital characteristics. Theatre is an essential aspect of Indian society, as it represents cultural practices and values in various ways. Indian theatres like Bhavai (Gujarati) and Jatra (Bengal) will only serve to take Indian culture to newer heights.