- Source: Bengali theatre
Bengali theatre primarily refers to theatre performed in the Bengali language. Bengali theatre is produced mainly in West Bengal, and in Bangladesh. The term may also refer to some Hindi theatres which are accepted by the Bengali people.
Bengali theatre has its origins in British rule. It began as private entertainment in the early 19th century. In the pre-independence period, Bengali theatres played a pivotal role in manifesting dislike of the British Raj. After the independence of India in 1947, leftist movements in West Bengal used theatre as a tool for social awareness. This added some unique characteristics to the art form that still have strong effects. These groups differentiate themselves ideologically from commercial Bengali theatre.
Types
The many theatres in West Bengal can be broadly divided into Kolkata-based theatres and rural theatres. Outside Bengali-speaking areas, the term "Bengali theatre" primarily refers to Kolkata-based groups, as the rural theatres are less well-known. The two types are similar in form and content, but the Kolkata-based theatres are better funded and staffed. This is mainly due to the influx of expertise from rural areas to Kolkata in search of a larger audience.
There are also Bengali folk theatres. There are many dialects of Bengali spoken in West Bengal and Bangladesh. The larger Bengali theatres use the dialect spoken in Kolkata, Bengali folk theatres have performances in some of the other Bengali dialects.
There is another category of Bengali theatre called Jatra, which is run commercially in rural West Bengal and Bangladesh. This traditional Bengali theatre form is mostly performed by travelling troupes. The most prominent characteristics of Jatra are melodramatic contents and presentation, exaggerated expressions and movements, and an extensive use of traditional musical instruments. Jatra originally explored subjects concerning the tales of Radha-Krishna. But at present, it has been modernized to feature crisis through stories. Many popular Bengali film artists participate in Jatra.
Hindi theatres which are accepted by the Bengali people include the productions of Rangakarmee (established 1976) directed by Usha Ganguly, and productions by Padatik (established 1972) under Shyamanand Jalan, who started with Anamika in 1955.
Following the independence of Pakistan in 1947, religion-based nationalism was strong and affected the theatre in eastern Bengal. In East Pakistan (modern-day Bangladesh), playwrights emerged such as Ibrahim Khan (1894–1978), Ibrahim Khalil (b. 1916), Akbar ad-Din (1895–1978) and others. These playwrights would create plays related to the Islamic history of the subcontinent and Middle East, glorifying past Muslim rulers as well as the history of the Pakistan Movement.
Natyaguru Nurul Momen was the pioneer by breaking away from these dramas glorifying Islam & moved to Bengali Nationalism. He believed that, Bengalis are Bengalis first, then next comes his religion. He was the trailblazer & doyen of Bengali theatre's progressiveness & secular tradition. Natyaguru Nurul Momen's maiden play "Rupantor" and 2nd play Nemesis (Momen play) ushered in the Bengali nationalism in Bengali theatre; which imbibed Bengali nationalism in the theatrical & cultural fields and eventually, that led to the independence of Bangladesh.
Music
The late 19th- and early 20th-century theatres had their own Bengali music. This form was pioneered by Girish Chandra Ghosh; the era of Bengali theatre before him laid the groundwork, and after his death Bengali theatre music became more experimental. During the era of Girish Chandra, all stage-plays included some form of traditional Bengali music, and dancer-singers who performed before and between the acts. Mythological plays would have Kirtan-anga songs, epics would include indigenous styles such as khyāmtā, and comedies and farcical plays often included tappā songs by Nidhu Babu.
Notable people: West Bengal
Ajitesh Bandopadhyay
Asit Bandopadhyay
Sisir Bhaduri
Ardhendu Sekhar Mustafi
Bijon Bhattacharya
Kshirode Prasad Vidyavinode
Mohit Chattopadhyay
Utpal Dutt
Michael Madhusudan Dutta
Girish Chandra Ghosh
Debshankar Haldar
Dinabandhu Mitra
Manoj Mitra
Sambhu Mitra
Tripti Mitra
Shobha Sen
Soumitra Chattopadhyay
Dwijendralal Ray
Badal Sarkar
Rudraprasad Sengupta
Jyotirindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Ramaprasad Banik
Kaushik Sen
Bratya Basu
Goutam Halder
Arun Mukherjee
Anirban Bhattacharya
Debesh Chattopadhyay
Notable people: Bangladesh
Abdullah Al Mamun
Abdul Kader
Abul Hayat
Abul Khair
Abdullah Hel Mahmud
Afsana Mimi
Ahmed Rubel
Aly Zaker
Asaduzzaman Noor
ATM Shamsuzzaman
Azizul Hakim
Bijori Barkatullah
Ejajul Islam
Enamul Haque
Ferdousi Mazumder
Faiz Zahir
Golam Mustafa
Hridi Haque
Humayun Faridi
Jayanta Chattopadhyay
Khairul Alam Sabuj
KS Firoz
Laila Hasan
Litu Anam
Lucky Enam
Lutfun Nahar Lata
Malay Bhowmick
Mamunur Rashid
Masud Ali Khan
Momtazuddin Ahmed
Munier Choudhury
Nasiruddin Yousuff
Nazma Anwar
Nazmul Huda Bachchu
Natyaguru Nurul Momen
Sara Zaker
Saleh Ahmed
Shabnam
Shahiduzzaman Selim
Shamima Nazneen
Shanta Islam
Sikandar Abu Zafar
Selim Al Deen
Subhash Dutta
Suborna Mustafa
Tamalika Karmakar
Wahida Mollick Jolly
Notable theatre groups: West Bengal
Bohurupee Kolkata, India
Bratyajon West Bengal, India
Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA) and its branches
Nandikar Kolkata, India
Chetana Kolkata, India
Swapnasandhani Kolkata, India
Sansriti Kolkata, India
Bengal Repertory
Sahil Nandi
References
Further reading
Bengali stage, 1795-1873, by Brajendra Nath Banerjee. Published by Ranjan Pub. House, 1943.
Bengali theatre, by Kironmoy Raha. Published by National Book Trust, India, 1978.
The story of the Calcutta theatres, 1753-1980, by Sushil Kumar Mukherjee. Published by K.P. Bagchi, 1982.
The Bengali Drama: Its Origin and Development, by P. Guha-Thakurta. Published by Routledge, 2001. ISBN 0-415-24504-4. Excerpts