Logo

Natyasastra of Bharatamuni, considered as the fifth Veda, has remained a Samhita with a systematic presentation of conceptual frameworks, theories and practices of Indian theatre for a few millennium years. Every performing art of India (dance–drama) has drawn both theoretical and aesthetics values from Bharata and his Natyasastra, giving continuity to a legacy, as it was written to set models and standards for actors, artisans, and the playwrights. Natyasastra’s discovery in the nineteenth century was a milestone in the world history of aesthetics and theatre. The subsequent researches made Bharata and his theatre a vibrant topic of global dialogue and researches. This has resulted in the discovery of different versions of the Natyasastra.

This volume discusses in detail the divergent views on Natyasastra — its origin, concepts, philosophy, history, vrtti, impact on traditional stages, relevance in modern age and stage, and its applicability in post-modern stage. It also vividly talks about the interlinks between Natyasastra and the regional theatre forms with specific focus on south India. It therefore reinstates the fact that the regional theatric traditions have considerably contributed to the restructuring of Natyasastra texts.

With deliberations on varied topics, this book proudly announces that Natyasastra is not just a text, but a tradition of theatre that has remained vibrant till today, reminiscent of Indian world-view. And this makes this volume a must-study for "who is who" in the theatric domain.