Marathi theatre

{{Short description|Indian theatre in the Marathi language}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}} {{Use Indian English|date=December 2025}} {{More citations needed|date=February 2016}} 240px|thumb|A Marathi theatrical group, Mumbai, 1870. '''Marathi theatre''' is theatre in the Marathi language, mostly originating or based in the state of Maharashtra in India, and elsewhere with Marathi 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, farces, historical plays like 'Vedat Marathe Veer Daudale Saat'<ref name="ReferenceA">"लोककला जिवंत ठेवणारी लेखणी विसावली", ‘दै. लोकमत- पुणे’, दि. १४-नोव्हेंबर-२०२१</ref> by Bashir Momin Kavathekar,<ref>“अवलि या लोकसाहित्यीक”, "दै. सकाळ”, पुणे, 21-Nov-2021</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news|title=Modern Marathi theatre had milestones, limitations.. |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Modern-Marathi-theatre-had-milestones-limitations-Expert/articleshow/8753808.cms |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130507082416/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-06-07/pune/29628840_1_marathi-theatre-caste-politics-satish-alekar |url-status=live |archive-date=7 May 2013 |newspaper=The Times of India |date=7 June 2011 }}</ref> In the post-independence era, Bengali theatre, and Marathi theatre have been at the forefront of innovations and significant dramaturgy in Indian theatre.<ref>Rubin, p. 196</ref><ref name="RubinPong2001">{{cite book|author1=Don Rubin|author2=Chua Soo Pong|author3=Ravi Chaturvedi|author4=Ramendu Majundar|author5= Minoru Tanokura|title=The World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre: Asia/Pacific|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=maGU4ziPQJQC&pg=PA156|year=2001|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-0-415-26087-9|page=155}}</ref>

==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.<ref name=va163>Varadpande, p. 163</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Peterson |first1=Indira Viswanathan |title=Multilingual Dramas at the Tanjavur Maratha Court and Literary Cultures in Early Modern South India |journal=The Medieval History Journal |date=30 September 2011 |volume=14 |issue=2 |pages=285–321 |doi=10.1177/097194581101400207|s2cid=162845441 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nias.res.in/event/nias-public-lecture-ganga-kaveri-samvad-multilingual-dance-dramas-and-cultural-pluralism|title=multilingual dance dramas in Tanjore courts|website=nias|access-date=31 May 2019|archive-date=23 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210623230733/https://www.nias.res.in/event/nias-public-lecture-ganga-kaveri-samvad-multilingual-dance-dramas-and-cultural-pluralism|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===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 theatres. Bhave went on to form a travelling theatre troupe.<ref name=Da1087>Datta, p. 1087</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Prominent Personalities: Vishnudas Bhave |url=http://sangli.gov.in/htmldocs/prominet_personalities1.htm |website=Sangli.gov.in |access-date=27 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314030303/http://sangli.gov.in/htmldocs/prominet_personalities1.htm |archive-date=14 March 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> 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''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.manase.org/en/maharashtra.php?mid=68&smid=21&id=489|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319053558/https://www.manase.org/en/maharashtra.php?mid=68&smid=21&id=489|url-status=dead|archive-date=19 March 2012|title=Marathi Theatre|date=19 March 2012|access-date=31 July 2017}}</ref>

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)<ref name="ReferenceA"/>& "Vedat Marathe Veer Daudale Saat"(1977),<ref>“बहूआयामी साहित्यिक मोमीन कवठेकर: डॉ शेळके”, "दै. पुण्यनगरी”, पुणे, १३-नोव्ह-२०१०.</ref> P. L. Deshpande's ''Teen paishacha Tamasha'' (1978), an adaptation of Brecht's ''The Threepenny Opera''.<ref name="RubinPong2001"/> Mehta also adapted and Ionesco with ''Chairs''.<ref>Dharwadker, p. 368</ref><ref>Dharwadker, p. 314</ref> 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".

==Bibliography== * {{cite book |title=Western influence on Marathi drama: a case study|author=Anand Patil|publisher=Rajahaṃsa|year=1993|isbn=81-85854-06-8 }} * {{cite book |title=Balgandharva and the Marathi theatre|author=Dnyaneshwar Nadkarni|publisher=Roopak Book |year= 1988}} * {{cite book |title=Playwright at the Centre: Marathi drama from 1843 to the present|author=Shanta Gokhale |author-link=Shanta Gokhale |author2=National School of Drama |publisher=Seagull Books|year=2000|isbn=81-7046-157-X }} * {{cite web |title=Mapping Marathi theatre |author=Shanta Gokhale|url=http://www.india-seminar.com/2008/588/588_shanta_gokhale.htm |year=2008 |publisher=India-seminar|access-date=27 February 2016 }}

==Notes== {{Reflist}}

==References== * {{cite book |title=McGraw-Hill encyclopedia of world drama (Vol. 3)|author=Stanley Hochman|publisher=VNR AG|year=1984|isbn=0-07-079169-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zo5os6d0rvMC&q=Marathi+theatre&pg=PA38|ref=Ho }} * {{cite book|author=Manohar Laxman Varadpande|title=History of Indian Theatre|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6ZrjC24PuDQC&pg=PA167|year=1992|publisher=Abhinav Publications|isbn=978-81-7017-278-9|ref=Va}} * {{cite book |title=The World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre: Asia|author= Don Rubin|publisher=Taylor & Francis|year= 1998|isbn=0-415-05933-X |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-MUiXjMUl34C&q=Marathi+theatre&pg=PA197 |ref=Ru }} * {{cite book |title=The Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature (Vol. 2)|author= Amaresh Datta|publisher=Sahitya Akademi|year= 2006|isbn=81-260-1194-7|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=zB4n3MVozbUC&q=Marathi+theatre&pg=PA1089 |ref=Da }} * {{cite book |title=The Columbia encyclopedia of Modern Drama, (Vol. 1)|author= Gabrielle H. Cody|author2=Evert Sprinchorn|publisher=Columbia University Press |year=2007|isbn=978-0-231-14422-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qYfH1tOwsHcC&q=Marathi+drama&pg=PA665 |ref=Co }} * {{cite book|author=Aparna Bhargava Dharwadker|title=Theatres of Independence: Drama, Theory, and Urban Performance in India Since 1947|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mLQaz-12Eo8C&pg=PA378|year=2009|publisher=University of Iowa Press|isbn=978-1-58729-642-0|ref=Dh}}

==External links== {{Commons category|Theatre of Maharashtra}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20120130071747/http://www.marathitheatre.com/history-marathi-theatre/ History of Marathi theatre] *[https://archive.today/20130216064827/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-29/news-interviews/36050911_1_marathi-theatre-prashant-damle-grants For grants, get a good grade]

Category:Marathi theatre Category:Theatre of India Category:Culture of Pune Category:Culture of Mumbai