Various elements of folk dance have existed in Bangladesh for centuries; with office-club theatres all over the country. It took a remarkable turn following the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971 and became very popular and more centralised. Nagorik Nalya Sampradaya, established in 1968, put on its first show in 1973. It then began introducing plays regularly.
Dance based on a story is known as a ‘chhow-nach' or a dance-drama. The story unfolds through a series of songs and dances or can be termed a lyrical drama. When the story is not told through lyrics then it becomes social drama or ‘samajik natak'.
People in all areas of Bangladesh enjoy folk-drama. This to some may seem like an incorrect term as the majority of the plays consist mainly of song and dance, and that the story element was a loose and often unrelated string of events. This is what is now termed lyrical drama in Bengal and is different to the folk drama of ancient times. The author himself now takes on the role of the director and gives detailed instructions for each song, dance, recitation and dialogue. Directors are trying to combine all of the elements.
The rural environment is rich in cultural heritage and authors of today's dramas rarely take their content from religious sources but rather draw on the rich heritage of the region. History is an important source of information for many of the dramas. Through these social dramas the family sense of values, principles of ethics and morals are upheld. In recent drama the unfortunate influence of political and economic philosophy have undermined some of the traditional values usually found in the dramas.
Jatra is the highly popular song dance filled medium of public entertainment and recently this special kind of art has undergone a process of change and evolution to achieve its present form and style. The origin and development of Jatra is related to the ancient folk performing arts which formed as an important and internal part of the lives of the people of Bengal for thousands of years. The origin of the name Jatra is from its meaning ‘to go'.
The lyrics used in drama often had a comical element in order to entertain the audience. It is from these comical interludes that popular drama got its origin. These popular dramas are performed by nomadic groups and the drama includes costumes from different periods performing social satires and stories parallel to real life situations.
Today, the Bangladesh Federation of Theatre organise a programme in Dhaka every year in order to remind people of the rich heritage of theatre in the country. |
