Theatre of India

Sanskrit text on the performing arts

Koodiyattam (; IAST: kūṭiyāṭ���aṁ; ) is a traditional performing art form in the state of Kerala, India. It is a combination of ancient Sanskrit theatre with elements of Koothu, an ancient performing art from the Sangam era. It is officially recognised by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

thumb|This image is taken during 2018 World Famous Ramnagar Ramlila

right|thumb|Mudiyettu thumb|250px|right|kooli - a character who helps Kali appear as a comedian Mudiyettu is a traditional ritual theatre and folk dance drama from Kerala that enacts the mythological tale of a battle between the goddess Kali and the demon Darika. The ritual is a part of the Bhagavathi or Bhadrakali cult. The dance is performed in Bhadrakali temples, the temples of the Mother Goddess, between February and May after the harvesting season.

thumb|Krishna and [[Radha dancing the rasalila, a 19th-century painting, Rajasthan]] The Raslila (), also rendered the Rasalila or the Ras dance, is part of a traditional story described in Hindu texts such as the Bhagavata Purana and Gita Govinda, where Krishna dances with Radha and the gopis of Braj. Rasalila has also been a popular theme for other India classical dances including Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Manipuri Raas Leela, Kuchipudi, and Kathak.

theatre training institute

Malayalam poet (1705–1770)

puppet show

thumb|Dr. Devendra Sharma as Sultana Daku and Palak Joshi as Phoolkunwar in Sultana Daku Nautanki is one of the most popular folk performance forms of South Asia, particularly in northern India. Before the advent of Bollywood (the Hindi film industry), Nautanki was the biggest entertainment medium in the villages and towns of northern India. Nautanki's rich musical compositions and humorous, entertaining storylines hold a strong influence over rural people's imagination. Even after the spread of mass media (such as television, DVDs, and online streaming), a crowd of 10,000 to 15,000 can be see

thumb|Expression of Sringāra in BharatanatyamSringara (, ) is one of the nine rasas, usually translated as erotic love, romantic love, or as attraction or beauty. Rasa means "flavour", and the theory of rasa is the primary concept behind classical Indian arts including theatre, music, dance, poetry, and sculpture. Much of the content of traditional Indian arts revolves around the relationship between a man and a woman. The primary emotion thus generated is Sringara. The romantic relationship between lover and beloved is a metaphor for the relationship between the individual and the divine.

dramatic tradition of classical India

Akhyana was a traditional musical theatre as well as medieval genre of Gujarati poetry and Rajasthani poetry. It was primarily practiced in Gujarat and Rajasthan states of India.

Saang, also known as Swang (meaning "imitation") or Svang, is a popular folk dance–theatre form and a traditional style of storytelling in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh. Swang incorporates suitable theatrics and mimicry (or naqal) accompanied by song and dialogue. It is dialogue-oriented rather than movement-oriented. Religious stories and folk tales are enacted by a group of ten or twelve persons in an open area or an open-air theatre surrounded by the audience. Swang as an art of imitation means Rang-Bharna, Naqal-Karna.

thumb|Bhavai, performance at Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal thumb|Bhavai, Artist

dramatic tradition of India

literary varieties of Middle Indo-Aryan languages attested in dramatic works

Theeyaattam also known as Theeyaattu (Tīyāttu) is a traditional temple dance form of Kerala.

thumb|Krishnanattam

Indian theatre tradition

The '''''''' (मानसोल्लास ) also known as Abhilashitartha Chintamani (अभिलाषितार्थ चिन्तामणि )'', is an early 12th-century Sanskrit text composed by the Kalyani Chalukya king Someshvara III, who ruled in present-day Karnataka. It is an encyclopedic work covering topics such as polity, governance, ethics, economics, astronomy, astrology, rhetoric, veterinary medicine, horticulture, perfumes, food, architecture, games, painting, poetry, dance and music. The text is a valuable source of socio-cultural information on 11th- and 12th-century India.

Dasharupakam (Daśarūpakam) is a treatise on the structure and rules (Lakshana or Prakarana grantha) for popular theatre and drama presentations of the time, written by Dhananjaya in the 10th century. He was the court poet of Paramara king Munja. Several techniques and methods presented in the Natya Shastra and Dasharupakam are very much in use in today's theatre. The author starts with salutations, among others, to Bharata the author of Natya Shastra, whose detailed exposition he bases his work on. He however in his own words says that he has attempted to present the same in an ordered and con

thumb|A bhaona performance

Kattaikkuttu [கட்டைக்கூத்து] is a rural, Tamil-language based, physical and vocal form of ensemble theatre form practised in the State of Tamil Nadu in South India. It is a form of Kūttu (also spelled as Koothu), a theatre art that originated in early Tamilakam, though we are not sure what exactly the form and content of this theatre. The performers – by tradition only men – sing, act and dance and the musicians accompany them on the harmonium, the mridangam and dholak, and the mukavinai. The terms Terukkūttu [தெருக்கூத்து which translates as street theatre] and Kaṭṭaikkūttu are ofte

Abhimāna (Sanskrit:अभिमान) variously means – pride, false prestige, desire, an impression, the conception, by self-conception, from the misconception; in Hindu philosophy, it means – prideful attachment of "I-sense" i.e. man (to think) + māna (too much); it also means – identify or identification and also refers to selfish conviction, for abhimāna is the function of ahamkara (ego) as the state of mind which interprets experience as " mine ".

thumb|260px|Nritya means dance in the Indian tradition. Nritya (, ), also referred to as nritta, natana or natya, is "dance, act on the stage, act, gesticulate, play" in the Indian traditions. It is sometimes subdivided into two forms: nritta or pure dance, where the expressionless movements of a dancer play out the rhythms and phrases of the music; and nritya or expressive dance, where the dancer includes facial expression and body language to portray mood and ideas with the rhythmic movements.

Maach is a form of folk theatre from the Malwa region of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

A jamoora or jamura (Hindustani: जमूरा or جمورا) is a performer who plays a specific type of sidekick role in the traditional folk theatre (such as bhand and tamasha) of India and Pakistan. In the course of the performance, the jamoora is supposed to comply with every command given by his master (usually called the ustad, but sometimes called the madari or jadoogar for magic shows), but often demonstrates subtle deviations from them to make satirical points or create a humorous effect.

Terukkuttu is a Tamil street theatre form practised in Tamil Nadu (India) and Tamil-speaking regions of Sri Lanka. Terukuttu is a form of Koothu, an entertainment, a ritual, and a medium of social instruction, originated from the early Tamilakam. The terukkuttu plays various themes. One theme is from the Tamil language versions of the Hindu epic Mahabharata, focusing on the character Draupadi. The terms Terukkuttu and Kattaikkuttu are often used interchangeably in the modern times; however, historically the two terms appear to have distinguished, at least in certain villages, between two diffe

Nandikeshvara (; 5th century – 4th century BC) was a major theatrologist of ancient India. He was the author of the .