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| Sangeet Natak | |
|---|---|
 Ghashiram Kotwal being performed at Bharat Bhavan,Bhopal | |
| Cultural origins | 19th century Maharashtra |
Sangeet Natak (Marathi for 'musical drama') is a form ofdrama which combinesprose andpoetry in the form ofsongs to convey thestory, similar tomusicals. They have played a vital role in the development of Marathi theater andcinema, as well as theIndian film industry.[1]Sangeet Nataks start with the praise ofLord Natraja, which is calledNaandi,Mangalaacharan orSuchakpad – usually the famous "Panchatunda Nararundamaldhar" fromSangeet Shakuntal. They are popular for the use ofIndian classical music. The "Dramatic Music" is calledNatya Sangeet, one of the two popular forms of vocal arts inMaharashtra and surrounding states. The other isBhavageet.
Vishnudas Bhave is considered the founder of Marathi theater. In 1843, his group staged the first public performance of Marathi playSeeta Swayamvar (सीता स्वयंवर). The integration of music in the dramas took place quite late in 1879 whenplay writer andproducer Trilokekar presented his musical play Nal-Damayanti (नल-दमयंती). It was the first musical play on Marathi stage.
But only when Balwant Pandurang Kirloskar (popularly known asAnnasaheb Kirloskar) staged his first musical playShaakuntal, based onKalidas's playAbhijñānaśākuntalam, on October 31, 1880 inPune did the trend of Sangeet Natak really start.[2] Kirloskar included 209 musical pieces in hisShaakuntal of 7 acts. They consisted of a mix ofHindustani andCarnatic classical music, and lighter music.
During its early period, Sangeet natak was dominated by religious plays likeSangeet Saubhdra, which is legend in Marathi sangeet natak.[citation needed] The trend changed with coming of sangeet Manapman, which depicts bravery of its hero Dheryadhar and his love with Bhamini which was written byKrushnaji Prabhakar Khadilkar.
The new trend ofSangeet Natakas caught up with the popularity quite quickly. WithBritish Raj then existing in India,Sangeet Natakas were compared with theOperas and thus localMarathi Indians found synonymous recreation. In the blooming times, Sangeet Natakas were mainly based on mythological stories ofMahabharata orRamayana which would hence easily connect with the masses. They did not cover the complete epics but were limited to only small stories in them.
With popularity & success, experimentation started on stage with abandoning mythological themes and bringing social issues to audiences.Sangeet Sharada, for example, by portraying the feelings of a teenage girl to be married to a widower in his late seventies, brought out a social message. Few dramas, likeKichak Vadh, even agitated theBritish rulers to the extent that they were banned.Kichak Vadh compared the Britishers withKichak, an evil character fromMahabharata who tried to dishonourDraupadi.Draupadi was then synonymous with the oppressed common Indian masses.
During the 1960s, another turn came in natya sangeet with the emergence ofJitendra Abhisheki, who was credited with applying simplicity to the complex composition of Natya Sangeet.
The recent play Katyar Kaljat Ghusli by Zee studios opened up a new era of musical cinemas. This movie was based on the legendary play bearing the same name. Its music was composed by Jitendra Abhisekhi and sung by Vasantrao Deshpande.
Bal Gandharva'sGandharva Natak Mandali; Vasudeorao Dongre'sDongre Mandali; Pandoba Gurav Yavateshwarkar'sWaikar Sangeet Mandali; Janubhau Nimkar and Keshavrao Bhosale'sSwadesh-Hita-Chintak Mandali, which evolved intoLalit-Kaladarsha Mandali; andMaster Dinanath'sBalwant Natak Mandali were the other main performing companies which were formed in Maharashtra.
To attract the audiences, many of theSangeet Nataks used to prefix the wordSangeet before their actual name.
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| Instruments | ||
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| Semi-classical genres | ||
| Thaats | ||
