Excelsior Correspondent
Jammu, July 12: In the ongoing workshop organised by National School of Drama, New Delhi and J&K Academy of Art, Culutre and Languages today, Makhan Lal Saraf, eminent Theatre director, performer and scholar in Kashmiri, presented lecture on History of Folk and Modern Theatre in Kashmir.
Bapi Bose, internationally acclaimed theatre director, artist, theatre craftsman and camp director of this workshop, Dr Arvinder Singh Amn, Additional Secretary, J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages and Dr Sudhir Mahajan, Senior Drama Instructor were also present on the occasion.
While interacting with the students, Mr Saraf placed before the detail history, origin and development of Kashmiri folk theatre and classical theatre. Talking about the 5000 years ancient Indian history, Mr Saraf said that the roots of Kashmiri and Indian folk and modern theatre are rooted in three thousand years before the birth of the Christ. Linking with the Mohanjodaro and Harappa civilizations, he further said that since the periods of Ved and Purans and during Sanskrit and Prakrit era, the elements of music , dance and theatre were there in the form of oral traditions of communication through Bards (Male Singers) and Ministrals (Male Singers).
Speaking about the folk theatre movement in Kashmir he said that the findings the Terrokota art and mentioned in the Neelmat Puran and Kalhan’s Rajtrangani the folk theatre in Kashmir started growing gradually and Abhinav Gupta, Madridutta, Bhat Tola, Shamimdra, Somdev,Ragavbhat contributed for the folk theatre movement and cultural tradition in Kashmir, he added. He further informed that during the Dogra rule under the dynamic rule of Dogra King Maharaja Hari Singh, Kashmiri literature, culture and folk got open sky to breath freely and establish its existence among the masses. While speaking about the folk theatre and modern theatre of 20th century, he declared the period of 1966 to 1977 as the Golden period in the history of Kashmiri folk and modern theatre and in this period painters, writers, artists, singers also appreciated the folk and modern theatre in Kashmir. He also applauded the role of Mohan Lal Aima, Dina Nath Nadim, Pran Lal Kishore and also placed on record the contribution of Radio Kashmir, Srinagar and J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, Srinagar.
Earlier, in his welcome address, Mr Bapi Bose said that a theatre personality from Kashmir and senior most artist, theatre director of Kashmiri theatre and witness of the history of last five decades of movement of folk and modern theatre being performed in Kashmir, Mr Makhan Lal Saraf was keen enough to deliver his lecture on Kashmiri theatre. He also thanked Mr Saraf for sparing his valuable moments for the students of the said workshop jointly organised by National School of Drama, New Delhi and J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, Jammu.
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