The folk popular genre share two important features that distinguish them from other genres:
- Whatever their origin they depend for patronage on the masses.
- They are given more to entertainment & profane rather than sacred purpose .
The folk theatre persisted as popular entertainment for less sophisticated audience to which the Sanskrit theatre did not cater. Each region has its own particular variety. The forms are essentially alike but are known under different names in different regions. Such is the case with nautanki, khayal, manch, & bhagat all of which are variants of svang. The latter is a North Indian Theatre form which places primary importance on singing. Khayal of Rajasthan is a combination of song, dance & drama & is thought to have originated in the early eighteenth century. Manch literally meaning "stage" is native to Madhya Pradesh region. It probably originated in 17th century . Song & music are predominant & is played in open air with minimum theatrical accessories. The stage is unique in its height which may be as much as 12 feet. There are two other important regional genres which share the basic form with those discussed above . They are Jatra & Bhavai. Bhavai is Gujrati folk theatre, which dates back to the 14th century. It , consists of a series of play lets of varying lengths & on a variety of themes, which are performed through acting , dancing & singing. Jatra has its home in Bengal but is also performed in Bihar & Orissa. It is an open-air performance in which the main musical instrument is the khol, a deep-toned drum more suitable for open-air performances. It has been described as "sacred opera". Traditionally all roles are played by male actors . recently some women actresses have been included in jatra troupes.
Tamasha is the principal form of folk
theatre of Maharashtra. It emerged in the 16th century. It served as "bawdy
lascivious diversion" for both Moghul army & Marathas. The bawdy strain
still remains today but has modified to suit the wholesome family tastes of
the middle & upper middle class. Modern Tamasha troupes are of two varieties
: song-dance troupe & folk- drama troupe. The philosophical & aesthetic
scheme of tamasha incorporates three basic elements: the entertainment tradition,
the more serious propagandist tradition& the devotional tradition.
Three other forms of folk theatre prevalent in South India are Burrakatha, Cavittu Natakam& Veethi Nataka . Burrakatha, is a form from Andhra Pradesh. "Katha" means story & burra is a long-necked , pumpkin headed, stringed instrument used by the leader to accompany his singing & dancing. Cavittu Natakam is Christian dance drama which dates from the later half of the 16th century. It is performed by certain companies of central Kerala. The name literally means "foot stamp drama", a refrence to the vigorous, strong , high arching steps that pound the traditional wooden platform stage when male characters dance. Veethi Nataka which means "street drama" is very popular form of Andhara Pradesh. It is an open air show . It originated in 12th century & in course of time was influenced by the Vira Savite. Stories from Siva legend & Puranic Tales make up for the content.
Today these forms continue to attract large audiences in some locations, especially in small towns. Modern theatre has been drawing from these age old forms.
