Marathi theatre is theatre in the Marathi language, mostly originating or based in the state of Maharashtra in India, and elsewhere with Marathi people diaspora. Starting in the middle of the 19th century, it flourished in the 1950s and 1960s. Today, it continues to have a marked presence in the State of Maharashtra with a loyal audience base, when most theatre in other parts of India have had tough time facing the onslaught of cinema and television. Its repertoire ranges from musicals, humorous social plays, , historical plays like 'Vedat Marathe Veer Daudale Saat'["लोककला जिवंत ठेवणारी लेखणी विसावली", ‘दै. लोकमत- पुणे’, दि. १४-नोव्हेंबर-२०२१] by Bashir Momin Kavathekar,[“अवलि या लोकसाहित्यीक”, "दै. सकाळ”, पुणे, 21-Nov-2021] to experimental plays and serious drama of the 1970s onwards, by Vijay Tendulkar, P. L. Deshpande, Mahesh Elkunchwar and Satish Alekar, which have influenced theatre throughout India.[Rubin, p. 196]
History
Ancient and medieval period
The region of Maharashtra, has had long theatrical tradition, one of the early references is found in the cave inscriptions at
Nashik by Gautami Balashri, the mother of 1st-century
Satavahana ruler, Gautamiputra Satakarni. The inscription mention him organizing Utsava and Samaja forms of theatrical entertainment for his subjects.
[Varadpande, p. 163]
There are sources mentioning plays from 17th-century like Lakshmaikalyanam, and Ganga-Kaveri Samvad, in the Marathi-language staged for the Bhosale ruler of Tanjore in present-day Tamil Nadu state. However, these were plays performed in the royal court.
British colonial period (1818-1947)
The first public performance of a stage play in Marathi was
Sita Swayamvar (Marriage of
Sita) by
Vishnudas Bhave, based on a popular episode of the epic
Ramayana. Staged in 1843 in
Sangli, with ruler of the
princely state of
Sangli in audience, it was an experimental play, based on folk theatre form called
Yakshagana from the neighbouring
Karnataka region. After the success of his play, he staged many more plays about other episodes of Ramayana. His plays were largely influenced by the Shakespearean and
Parsi theatre theatres. Bhave went on to form a travelling theatre troupe.
[Datta, p. 1087] The coming decades saw notable plays like
Jhansichya Raniche Naatak (1870),
Sawai Madhavravancha Mrutyu (1871),
AfjhalKhanachya Mrutyuche Naatak (1871) and
Malharrav Maharaj (1875). However, Marathi stage took a distinct theatre form with the musical
Shakuntal by Annasaheb Kirloskar in 1880, based on a classical work, Abhijnanasakuntalam by
Kalidasa.The success of his theatre company,
Kirloskar Natya Mandali paved way for commercial repertories in Marathi theatre, and subsequently the formation of
Natak Companies.
The early period of Marathi theatre was dominated by playwrights like Kolhatkar, Krushnaji Prabhakar Khadilkar, Govind Ballal Deval, Ram Ganesh Gadkari and Annasaheb Kirloskar who enriched the Marathi theatre for about half a century with excellent musical plays known as Sangeet Natak. The genre of music used in such plays is known as Natya Sangeet. It is during this era of the Marathi theatre that great singer-actors like Bal Gandharva, Keshavrao Bhole, Bhaurao Kolhatkar and Deenanath Mangeshkar thrived.
Post-independence period
In the second half of the 20th century, some theatre practitioners have incorporated the traditional forms like tamasha and dashavatar into their plays. In the 1970s, the tamasha form was employed as narrative device and style in several notable plays like
Ghashiram Kotwal by
Vijay Tendulkar,
Vijaya Mehta's Marathi adaptations of
Bertolt Brecht's
The Good Woman of Setzuan as
Devajine Karuna Keli (1972) and
Caucasian Chalk Circle as
Ajab Nyaya Vartulacha (1974), Bashir Momin Kavathekar's historical "Bhangale Swapna Maharastra" (1976)
& "Vedat Marathe Veer Daudale Saat"(1977),
[“बहूआयामी साहित्यिक मोमीन कवठेकर: डॉ शेळके”, "दै. पुण्यनगरी”, पुणे, १३-नोव्ह-२०१०.]
P. L. Deshpande's
Teen paishacha Tamasha (1978), an adaptation of Brecht's
The Threepenny Opera.
Mehta also adapted and Ionesco with
Les Chaises.
[Dharwadker, p. 368][Dharwadker, p. 314] Varyavarchi Varat" the most famous and
comedy play written by "Pu.la.Deshpande" and also this play is still in theaters with new cast & crew . Although the characters created by Pu.La. were fictional many people still relate to them.
Marathi Rangabhoomi Din
5 November is Celebrated as "Marathi Rangabhoomi Din".
See also
-
List of Marathi theatre actors
-
Theatre in India
Bibliography
Notes
External links
