Introduction

This chapter assesses the historical roots of Indian theatre and its rise in India from extant forms such as Vedic chants, puppet theatre, religious pageantry, festivals, etc. The genesis of folk theatres in India is linked to peculiar historical structure of syncretic Indian culture wherein both Aryan and Indigenous cultures played an important part in their gestation. Despite a lack of support of both political and religious authorities, folk theatres managed to survive due to their endurance system based on their inherent flexibility and adaptability borrowed from folk life. This flexibility shown by folk theatres made them adapt to and adopt historical changes and thus their survival was ensured through contestation, amalgamation and transference of vital elements from one spatial and temporal location to another. Folk theatres were successfully able to adjust themselves to the colonial culture which passed onto them many of its own attributes through intermediate forms such as Parsi theatres, which folk theatres refracted through their repertoire of myths, stories and an openness of interaction between an actor and the spectator. The chapter also includes investigation into impact of British colonialism in tandem with German Romantics’ enthusiastic eulogy of Indian classical culture in inculcating a sense of inferiority in Indian cultured classes towards folk performances. Further a transformation of North Indian folk theatres under influence of Reformatory movements such as Arya Samaj has been traced in the chapter. Nath yogis, tantra and Bhakti movement also affected North Indian folk theatres by providing them themes and basic structure of the tales which have been analyzed in detail.