History of Indian Theatre (Loka Ranga Panorama of Indian Folk Theatre)

This volume of the HISTORY Of INDIAN THEATRE presents most enchanting and colourful panorama of folk and traditional theatre flourishing in India since time immemorial.

Utilising various sources the author meticulously and systematically builds up the theatre history which spans over several centuries.

It is for the first time an elaborate account of dramatic rituals associated with the Bhuta or the Cult of Spirits is given here. This will enable the students of theatre understand the relationship of ritual and dramatic performance in its correct perspective. Various ritualistic theatre forms such as Teyyam are described and discussed.

The book also tells us how the technique of ballad singing was dramatized and finally evolved into full-fledged drama in the course of time. The history of narrative forms is traced from the Vedic times to the present.

With the emergence of Bhakti cult the epics were dramatizes. This gave rise to the Leela Theatre which dedicated itself to portraying the divine acts of incarnations such as Krishna and Rama. Various forms of Leela Theatre are described in the book.

Audiences turn to theatre for entertainment. A class of folk theatre arose in India whose main function was secular entertainment. Swang, Tamasha, Nautanki, Khyal entertained the people with dance, music and son, as well as with humour and pathos, love and war. Their enchanting story is narrated here.

Also you can read in the book several dramatic forms of South India.

This is a complete book which speaks of the rich dramatic culture of India which is unparalleled in the world.

About the Author

Known for his erudition and profound scholarship, M. L. Varadpande (b. 1936) is an eminent theatre historian of India.

His major works published by Abhinav Publications are Traditions of Indian Theatre, Ancient Indian and Indo-Greek Theatre, Religion and Theatre and Krishna Theatre in India.

His other well-known works on Indian theatre are Invitation to an Indian Theatre and The Critique of Indian Theatre (Ed.).

The Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, has published his book Shripad Krishna Kolhatkar in Marathi (out of print), Hindi (Second Edition) and Punjabi. It is now being translated into English.

His forthcoming works are The Mahabharata in Performance and Ankia Nat: Vaishnava Opera of Assam.

As a Research Fellow of the Indian Council of Historical Research he is working on the research project Temple Theatre In India.

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