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Folk Theatre
The early beginnings of Jatra revolved around themes
from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. It has its roots in the villages,
where groups of largely illiterate villagers were entertained with
the epics that they normally would not be able to read otherwise.
Acts and scenes from epics, embellished with song and dance, were
masterfully presented to the audience in a folk idiom, in a manner
that was simple yet spectacular. Gradually, historical and social
themes came under the repertoire of jatra companies.
The audience sat on three sides of the stage; the orchestra sat at
one side on the stage and belted out a ve ry
characteristic and instantly recognizable prelude before the first
actor strode on to the stage. Often all-night affairs, and often performed
during popular festivals like Durga Puja, the jatra effortlessly collected
everyone from the village -- and the next -- to its arc lights
M ale
actors played all the roles, including the female parts; it was notuncommon
for a Sita to inadvertently reveal her stubbled adam's apple if the
sari slipped, or for the old maid to come in from the wings exhaling
fresh bidi-smoke! In post-war Bengal, this craft faced extinction
due to the onslaught of radio and later, telivision. but not before
the appeal of the jatra travelled to the city, where more sophisticated
audiences appreciated it hugely.
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