“The novel is a more of a whisper, But Theatre is a shout” – R. Holman


The curtain opens, everything is set on the stage, everyone is ready and excited to enact their part, but no one is there to see them. Yes, theatre is a dying art in India. 

I am not an actor but during my school days I met with a strange and powerful character that introduced me to this world, he was our Bengali teacher rather I should say a teacher by profession but an artist from his heart. He shared his experience with us, his journey from the stage to this classroom, how this world did not give him the chance to succeed on the stage. He did many plays during his life, but as days went by, he realized how difficult it was to survive there and one day he finally had to leave. His heart still rings for that place, but he had to accept the reality.

Indian theatre spread its wings from playwrights like Kalidas who used it to show epics, battles, and folklore. It was a form of art that people had never seen before. The traditional period of Indian theatre introduced regional languages and improvisation. The plays were presented verbally rather than using written scripts. In this period, traditions and stories were passed down orally, and the theatre reflected this idea. Narrative recitation and singing were also included in the drama of the traditional period. The modern period, on the other hand, is marked by the influence of Western theatre. 

 

 But why is this beautiful form of art dying in our country? There are many reasons to explain those seats in the theatre. Convenience plays a major role as to why people are having different reactions towards movies and plays. We are a generation of online platforms like Netflix, where an Oscar-winning movie can be seen chilling in our bedroom whereas a play has to evoke the motivation within you to step out and watch it.

The loss in terms of culture is irreversible. The truth is that talent goes where the money is, ultimately that’s what it all boils down to. Artists like everybody else have families to provide for, and with theatre, in this situation, it is now not surprising that all artists are running to either television or cinema. It is sad that in these times people would have seen movie remakes of great theatre plays but would have not ever seen the original play.

Moreover, I think theatre artists are also facing social issues which prevent them from taking up theatre as a professional career and this is quite understandable. Once in an article, I read an artist saying that on average they roughly earn around six thousand rupees from a show. Now imagine having a group of around 12-15 people or even more, how can they sustain their livelihood from such a small income.

People who are still into this are mainly due to their love and passion for theatre. For them acting is like a parasite living in their blood. The moment they are on the stage they are lost; they are lost in a world where every dialogue is delivered with a perfect feel and all blocks are placed into perfection. They relive every character that they perform. They take certain experiences from their life and incorporate them into their act.

Theatre; it’s in front of you. It makes you feel as if you are a part of it. It’s spontaneous and direct. You can feel every essence of it just being the audience. It is a raw art form. From glimmering lights to the loud voices of the actor everything hits you in a way that you find yourself lost in between those people. If a person falls in love with the stage there is no turning back. It does not depend on whether you are on it or not.

Having said all this, the need of the hour is to make people understand the importance of theatres and drama. A theatre is a form of art where one uses its body, voice, or objects to communicate artistic expression. Theatre is something that brings people together. The purpose of theatre is to provide joy to people. It creates a sense of collectiveness among people and improves life skills. 

In the present day world how many of us can express our deeper emotions? Our daily life runs around a systematic way, running down streets, working out assignments, and all these make us insensible towards our emotions. Watching a nice play or being a part of it will give us an occasion to feel those unreleased emotions. We cry upon the death of an innocent character; we get angry seeing injustice. On the contrary, we laugh at the stupidities of others. The net result is we find ourselves deeply connected to the actors and experience all those emotions.

Moreover, people have always used theatre as a way to spread awareness among the mass. Various forms of theatre have a different impact on the mass but the common thing among them is, they try to impact society positively. Nukkad Natak is a form of art slightly different from traditional theatre. These are performed on streets in front of the open public. They generally aim at social issues and use this art form to create awareness among the people. It is in human nature to appreciate something different from ordinary and naturally, these efforts are shared among groups. 

Theatre and other art forms teach people to express themselves. It must not be allowed to die down. It must be nurtured especially among young people. As long as that urge survives, various forms are unlikely to die, though some may go dormant they will live among the society. Theatre on its own has lots of things to offer, we need to take it, feel it and understand it. I consider myself to be lucky to experience the essence of the stage. Theatre has always brought joy to me and I am very much willing to provide joy to many more people like me.