Discuss the folk theatrical forms—Jatra, Kathakali, Tamasha, Nautanki and Pala—with examples of your choice from different Indian regions. 

Folk Theatre is a composite art form in India with a fusion of elements from music, dance, pantomime, versification, epic and ballad recitation, graphic and plastic arts, religion and festival peasantry. The Folk theatre having roots in native culture is embedded in local identity and social values. Besides providing mass entertainment, it helps Indian society as indigenous tools of interpersonal, inter-group and inter-village communication for ages.

Folk theatre has been used extensively in India to propagate critical social, political and cultural issues in the form of theatrical messages to create awareness among the people. As an indigenous form it breaks all kinds of formal barriers of human communication and appeals directly to the people.

Jatra in West Bengal

In the 18th century a popular culture was seen developing in Calcutta that showcased traditional Bengal folk culture but enjoyed urban patronage, which was known as the Jatra paala. Jatra originated from the religious rituals of songs and dances, popular in the Bengal village festivals. In the songs and dances composed for the Jatras, the most important element in them were the conversations among the different characters taken from Hindu epics, which were given melodramatic interpretations by the actors, and were loved by the audiences. The Jatras were performed in round or square flat grounds with the audience sitting in a circle around them. Various musical instruments were used in these jatras, like drums and tanpuras in the early years; while by the late 19th century western instruments became an integral parts of the jatra orchestra. A leading jatra figure in the mid- 19th century was Gopal Uday (1817-1857), who introduced a new style where dialogues were written in short verses along with songs that evoked emotions that matched beautifully with the poor people who came to watch his paalas, making him the most popular jatra man of his times. Gopal Uday was also popular for introducing the popular Khemta naach, performed mostly by men at that time. An interesting theme in these jatra paalas were the jatra duets, which provided sarcasm based comic relief, and involved couple figures such as the dhopa-dhopani (washerman and his wife), methor-metharani (the sweeper and his wife), etc. Later many people like Motilal Roy started using Jatras to raise awareness on nationalism issues and keep people united against the British. In the first half of the 20th century these Swadeshi Jatras played a significant role in raising the patriotic fervor and instill a strong sense of nationalism among the common Bengalis.

Tamasha of Maharashtra

Tamasha is a popular folk art that originated in rural Maharashtra, and was conceptualised like the Bengal Jatra to entertain the masses, mostly comprising of labourers and farmers. Tamasha was created by Ram Joshi (1762 – 1812 CE), a man well versed in Sanskrit and Marathi. Joshi along with another well known Marathi writer Moropanta, created a form of singing known as Lavani, which forms to be at the core of Tamasha. Lavani is a musical dance performance by women moving to the __________ ______ ___ _____ ______ ________ ___.
____ ________ _________ ___ ________ ____ _________.
________ ___ _____ ________ _________ ___.
____ ______ ______ ___ _________ _______ _______ ____ _______ ____ ______ ____.
___ ___ ________ ______ ___.
_____ _______ _______ _________ ________ ____ ___ _________ ______ _______.
________ ___ ____ ___ ___ ______ ________ _______ ____.
_______ _________ _____ ______ _________ ______ ____ ________.
_________ _______ _________ _____ _________ ______ _______.
______ ____ __________ _____ _____ _______ _______ _______.
_____ ______ ___ ___ _______ ___.
_______ ______ ________ ______ ____ _________ _______ _____ ____ _____ _____ _________.
_______ ___ ___ ____ ________ __________ ________ ____ ___ _______.
_______ _________ _____ _____ __________ __________ _____ ________ ____.
________ _____ ______ ____ ____ ___ ____ ____ _______.
__________ ________ ____ ________ ________.
______ _________ ____ _____ __________ _____ _______ _______ ______ _____.
____ ______ ______ _____ _______ ____.
___ ___ _____ _____ __________.
__________ ___ ________ ___ _____ __________ ____ _________ __________ _________ _________ ______.
_________ _______ _________ ________ _____ __________ ______ _______ _______ ___ _____.
_________ _____ _________ ______ _______ ______ ___ _______ ___ _________.
___ ________ _____ ______ ____ _________ ________ ______ _______ _______.
__________ _____ _______ _________ _____ _______ _________ ____ _____ ________.
____ ___ __________ ________ ________ _________ ________ ___.
_____ _______ ___ ____ ________ ____ _______ _____ __________ ______ ___ __________.
_________ ________ _________ _______ _________ ______ __________ ______ _______ _____.
______ _______ _____ _____ ___ ____.
___ _____ ___ ____ __________ __________ ____ ______ __________ ____ __________ ____.
______ ___ ____ ________ ____ ____ _________ _____ _________.
___ ______ _______ _____ _________ __________.
____ ___ ______ _____ ________ _____ _______ ______ __________ _______ _____ __________.
______ ____ ______ ____ ___ _____ ______ _________.
__________ ____ ___ ____ ___ ______ ________.
_________ _____ ___ _________ _____ _________.
___ _______ ________ _________ _________ _______ ________ _____.
_____ ________ ________ __________ _______.
________ ______ ________ _______ _____ ____ __________ _________.
________ ________ __________ ____ __________ ___ _____ ____ _________ _________ ________ __________.
_______ _____ ______ _______ ________ __________.
____ _____ _________ ________ _______ _________.
______ __________ ______ ___ _________.
_____ _________ _________ _______ ________ ________.
_____ __________ ____ ____ __________ _________ ____ ______ ____ _____.
____ _________ _____ ______ _________ _______.
____ _________ __________ ____ ______ _________ ___ _____ _______.
_________ _________ ________ _______ ____ _____ _________ _______ ______ _____ ___.
______ _______ ___ _______ _________ _________ _______ _________ __________ _______ ____.
_________ ___ ________ __________ _________ ___ ___ _______.
__________ _________ ___ __________ _______ ________ _____ _______ ________ ________ _______.
________ _______ _____ _______ _________ _______ ______ __________ ______ ______.
____ ___ ____ ______ _________ _____.
____ __________ ______ _________ ___ ________ __________ ___ ______ ____.
______ ____ ___ _______ ________ ___ ________ _________ __________ ______ _____.
____ ___ ______ ___ ____ _____ __________ ____ _____ ____ _______ ___.
_____ _____ ________ ________ _____ ___ __________ __________ ________.
__________ ________ _________ ___ ___ ______ ____ _____ __________ _________.
_________ _______ ___ _____ __________ _________ ________ __________ ___ ____ ________ _____.
________ __________ _______ ___ _____ __________ ________ ____ ____.
________ _____ _______ _______ ________ ___.
___ ________ ________ ________ _______ __________ ______ ________ _______.
______ _________ _______ _______ _____.
_____ _________ _________ __________ ______ ________ __________.
________ __________ ______ ___ ____ ___ ____.
__________ __________ ___ ____ _________.
___ _______ _________ _____ __________ _____ ___ _________ _______.
_________ _________ __________ __________ __________ _______ ___ _________.
__________ ______ _________ _________ ________ _________ _________ ________ _______ ______ ____.
_________ ___ ____ _______ ___ _________ ________ ________ ________ ______ ____.
__________ _________ __________ _______ ____ ______ ______ _______ _______ ________.
____ _____ ______ ________ ________ _____ _______ ____ _________ _____ _______ ________.
__________ _____ ____ _____ ___ _________ ____ _________ _________ _____ ____ _____.
_____ ______ ___ ___ ____ _______ _____ ________ ______ _______.
______ _____ __________ ________ _____ __________ ____ ________ _____ ______ _________.
___ ___ ________ ____ _____ _______ _________ _____ _______ _________.
______ _________ ___ _____ _______ ___ _________.
_________ _______ _____ _________ ___ _________.
___ ____ _____ ______ __________.
__________ ____ __________ _______ ___ _________ ______ ___ _______ ____.
_______ ___ _________ ______ _______ ______ _________ ________ _____ ___ __________.
_______ ____ _______ __________ ________ __________ ________ ________.
__________ ___ __________ ___ _________ __________ _______ _______ _______ _____.
______ ___ _________ _________ ____ _______.
__________ ____ ________ ________ __________ ________ _________ ______ __________ __________ _______.
______ ____ ________ ______ __________ ______ _________ ___ __________ ______.
_____ _________ ______ _______ ____ ____ _____ _____.
________ ____ ______ ___ __________ ____.
______ __________ ___ ______ ___ _____ _________ ___ ______ _______.
_________ _________ __________ ____ ________ _______ __________ ___ _______.
_________ _____ __________ _________ _______ __________ __________.
_________ ________ _______ ______ ______ ____ ____ ___ _______.
______ __________ ____ _________ ______ ___ ___ _______ ___.
__________ _______ ____ _______ ___ ______.
____ ________ ___ _____ ___ _____ __________ _______.
_______ _______ ___ ___ _______ _______ __________ _______.
_______ ________ _____ _______ _______ ________ _____ ______.
___ _________ ___ __________ ___ ____ ______ ___ _______ _______.
____ ____ ___ ______ ______ ______ ______ _________ ______ _________.
___ _______ ___ ____ ______.
_________ __________ ____ ________ ______ ___ ____ _______.
___ ________ _____ ________ ______ _____ _________ ________ _____ _____ ________ _________.
_______ ___ ________ __________ _____.
_____ ___ _______ _______ _______ _________.
__________ __________ _______ ___ ___ _______ __________ _____ ________ ____ ____.
____ ____ ____ __________ ________ ___ _________ _________ ___ ______ ___.
_________ _____ _____ __________ ____ ______.
______ ______ ______ _______ _______ ___ _________ ____ ___ ____.
_________ _________ _________ ______ _______ ________ _________ ______ _______ ___ __________.
_________ _____ _________ _______ ________.
_________ ____ _________ _____ ___ _________ ______ ________ _________ __________ ______.
_________ ________ __________ ___ _____ ________ __________ ______ __________ _____.
_____ _____ _____ ________ _____ ________ _________ _____ _______ ______ __________ _______.
___ _____ ___ ___ ________.
_________ _____ _______ __________ _______.
____ __________ _________ _______ _____ ________ _____ ________ ________.
_______ _______ ____ _____ ______ ________ ____ ___ ________ _________.
__________ ______ _______ _____ ____ ________ ___ ______ _____ ____ ____ _____.
_______ ______ ___ ______ ___ _______ _____.
_________ ____ ___ ___ _____ __________ ___.
____ ______ _____ _______ _________ __________ _____ ___.
_____ ________ ________ ___ ________ ____ ___.
__________ _________ ______ ____ _________ _____.
_________ ________ ___ __________ ___ __________ ____ ____.
______ _______ ________ _______ ________ ___ ____ _____ _________ __________ _____.
____ _____ ________ ___ ________ ________ ____ ________.
____ __________ _________ ____ __________ ___ ______ ____ ____.
_____ ___ ______ ______ ___ ____.
________ ________ __________ _______ ________ _____ _____ _______ ____ ________ ______.
___ __________ ________ _________ _____ ________.
_______ _____ _________ _________ __________ ____ ______ __________ __________ _______ ________ ___.
___ ___ ____ _____ _____.
_______ ___ ______ _______ ________ ______ __________ __________ _________.
___ ___ ___ __________ ________ _______ ________ __________ __________ ___.
__________ ____ ______ _______ _________ ___ _________ __________ ________ ___ __________ ___.
___ _______ _________ ______ __________ ________ _______ ________ _______.
______ _____ __________ _____ ______ _________ ________ _______ _________ ____ ___ __________.
_________ ____ _____ ____ ____ _________ ______ _____ __________ _____ _______.
___ __________ ________ ______ __________ ______ ____ ____ _________ ______.
___ _____ ________ ________ _______ _________.
______ ____ ______ __________ _____ _____ _________ _______ ___.
__________ _____ ____ __________ ____ ______ ____ ___ _____.
______ ________ ___ ________ ______ __________ ____ _________.
__________ ______ ____ ________ _____ ______ _________ _____ ________ __________ _____ __________.
____ ___ ____ __________ ______ _______ ____.
_____ _____ ________ ________ ____ ______.
__________ _____ ____ _______ ________ ______ ___ _____ ___ __________ ________.
_________ ________ ___ ________ __________ ______ ______ _____ _______ __________ _______ _______.
______ ______ ________ ______ _____ ___ ______ _____.
_____ ________ _____ _______ _____ _____ ________.
__________ ___ _______ ___ ___ _________.
____ _________ ____ _______ ________ ___ __________ _________.
________ ________ ______ _______ __________ ______ ______ ___ ___ __________.
_______ __________ ________ ______ ____ _______ _____ ___ _________.
_____ _____ _________ _____ ________ _________ _________ ___.
_____ _______ ___ _____ _________ _________ _____ __________ __________ __________ _________ ______.
_________ ___ ________ ___ ___ ________ ______ _______ _________ _____.
________ _________ __________ ____ ____ ______.
_________ __________ ____ ___ ______.
_________ ____ __________ ______ ________ _____ ___ ________ ______ ______ __________.
____ ____ ________ ______ ________ ___ ________.
_________ _________ ___ _______ ____.
_______ ________ ______ _____ _________ ______ ________ ___ _______ ___ ___.
_________ _______ _______ _____ __________ ___ _____ _________ ________ ___.
_____ ___ ______ ______ _________ __________ _____ _______.
________ _____ ____ __________ _________ ______ ___ _________ ____ __________.
___ ___ _____ __________ __________ _______ __________.
________ ______ _____ ___ ______ _____ ______ ______ ______ _________ ________.
________ _________ ___ ________ _________ _____ ____ _________ _____ ___ __________.
__________ _______ _____ _____ ______ ________ ____ __________ ___ _______.
____ ____ ___ _________ _____ __________ ________ __________ __________ _____ __________ _________.
__________ ________ __________ _____ __________ ________ _____ _____ ________ _______ _________ ____.
____ ____ _______ ____ _________ __________.
_________ _________ ________.
Get Full Answer on WhatsApp