Year: 2014 | Month: December | Volume 3 | Issue 4
A brief history of Bengali Drama: Nineteenth and early Twentieth century
Abstract:
A popular culture developed in Calcutta in the nineteenth century with the amalgamation of folk culture and urban patronage under a stylistic unity. One of the important expressions of popular culture that developed in Calcutta was the dramatic performance done through the medium of jatra pala, theatres and folk plays. The form of jatra originated from the ritual of songs and dance which formed part of the religious festivals in villages. A leading proponent of jatra pala during the mid- nineteenth century in Calcutta was Gopal Uday (1817-1857). He introduced jatra pala in a new style. He formed his own troupe and rewritten ‘Vidya-Sundar’. During the nineteenth century and first half of the twentieth century, a number of bhadraloks set up jatra troupes, being influenced by the folk form of the art of jatra. There are evidences of the existence of women artists who used to act in jatra. In the first half of the twentieth century, Swadeshi Jatra became very much important. Jatras were performed not only for entertainment but also to make the people conscious of the British dominance over Indians. Swadeshi Jatra pala grew up and opened a novel chapter during the anti-partition movement in Bengal. Along with the Jatra, there was the prevalence of performance of stage-theatres in Calcutta. It was from the second half of the nineteenth century that the socio-economic conditions of Bengal and the essence of nationalism were reflected in the plays. The folk theatres also had important part in forming consciousness of the people against suppression, oppression and differentiations of the society. Apart from giving delight and entertainment to the people, the folk theatres became the platform for catering popular and non-formal education as well.
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