Origin and Development of Sanskrit Theatre: A Critical Study

Abstract

Drama, of all forms of literature, is the closest to life. It can be called an imitation of the
multiple colours of life on stage by using multiple dramatic techniques. It creates an imaginary
landscape on stage by imitating the real aspects of human life. It not only presents the realistic
approach of life on stage, but also enacts what life can be. Imitation is the key concept of theatre, but
at the end of a play, it reveals that life has more colours than we normally see. Theatre got its birth
with particular performances on the occasions of religious ceremonies and with the passage of time it
expands its wings. Today it presents social, cultural, economic, historical civilization on stage in a
secular manner. Even in ancient days drama got its place along with other forms of creative writings.
Bharata had given a full-length description of theatre in his Natyashastra (often known as “Fifth
Veda”) and on the other hand, in the Western world, Aristotle had given a full fletched description of
theatre in his book Poetics. Aristotle placed tragedy as superior to epic (the highest mode of poetic
form) in the matters of both imitation and aesthetic pleasure. But the harsh reality of theatre is that it
got less attention of critics in comparison to other genres of literature. Academicians think that it is a
performing art so they talk less about theatre while theatre artists pay more attention of the dramatic
performance part and not bother about the academic part of the text. So, the growth of theatre is
restricted due to the neglect by critics and is slowly becoming a marginalised activity.