FOLK THEATRE: A POWERFUL MEDIUM OF DISSENT IN INDIA

Abstract

This study examines the role of folk theatre in India as a significant form of dissent, used to expose societal issues and drive social awareness. Theatre worldwide has long been a tool for revealing societal truths and inspiring audiences to act for social change. In India, folk theatre has communicated themes of oppression and misuse of power, shaping a new understanding of social realities. Beyond simply informing audiences about injustices, it urges them towards immediate action. Folk theatre in India has addressed both social and political issues; while socially it may highlight community issues without directly challenging authority, politically, it often critiques or supports certain ideologies (Kumar, 2000). In the 1930s, forms like Jatra, Nautanki, and Tamasha were adopted by activists to discuss socio-political topics, making a strong impression on audiences. Artists such as Bijon Bhattacharya, who staged the play Nibanna in 1944 to highlight worker exploitation and Safdar Hashmi, regarded as the father of street theatre in India, used this medium to address political and social concerns. Similarly, Habib Tanvir, Utpal Dutt, and Kashmiri artists like Ghulam Ali Majboor utilized folk theatre to encourage socio-political awareness. This paper employs a descriptive and qualitative approach, analyzing secondary sources such as books, journals, and research papers, supplemented by internet research.