World Theatre Day
5 folk theatre forms that are a must-watch
India is home to several folk theatre forms, some hundreds of years old. This World Theatre Day, we do a round-up of five popular folk theatre forms that live on in the distant corners of the country.
Theyyam – Narrating stories of gods
Theyyam, also known as kaliyattam, derives its origin from the Malayalam word "daivam", which means god. The performance, held mostly in the rural districts of Kannur and Kasargod of Kerala between December and April, is often confused with the more popular Kathakali, thanks to its elaborate costume, headgear and makeup. However, there are more than 450 forms of theyyam, each with a distinct costume, makeup and ritual. Like many other traditional performing art forms of the country, theyyam too uses the elements of dance, music and theatre to narrate the stories of deities or legendary heroes.
‘Men acknowledge domestic violence shown in our plays’
Munia Murmu, 42, believes theatre has empowered her tremendously to address systemic, social issues of domestic violence and gender discrimination in her village. We speak to her about the transformative potential theatre holds for many women like her in Bihar and the rest of India.
‘We brought Shakespeare to Punjab stage’
As a class X student in Amritsar, Rajinder Singh started Dastak, a theatre group, in 1996 because he could not access theatre training due to lack of resources. We speak to him about his fascinating storytelling journey.