Indian People's Theatre Association
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Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA) was an association of theatre-artists and others based in Kolkata, India the goal of which was to bring cultural awakening among the people of India.[1]
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[edit] Beginning
Some of the initial members of the groups were Bijon Bhattacharya, Ritwik Ghatak, Utpal Dutt, Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, Salil Chowdhury etc. The group was formed in 1942, in the background of the Second World War, with Bengal famine of 1943 and starvation deaths in India on the one hand and repression by the colonial masters in the wake of the Quit India Movement and the aggression by the fascist powers on the Soviet Union on the other. All India People's Theatre Conference was held in Mumbai in 1943 where the group presented its idea and objective of representing the crisis of the time through the medium of theatre and to help people understand their rights and duties. This conference led to the formation of committees of IPTA across India. The movement hit not only theatres, but also cinema and music in Indian languages.
[edit] Nabanna
The most important of the dramas were Nabanna (Harvest). Nabanna is a folk-cultural festival of Bengal to celebrate the harvest. This Bengali drama, written by Bijon Bhattacharya and directed by Shambhu Mitra, portrayed the evils of the 1943 Bengal famine and the alleged indifference of the British rulers, as also of the richer strata of Indian society towards the plight of the millions dying from the famine.
[edit] Other dramas and films
Nava Jiboner Gaan (Song of New of Life) by Jyotirindra Moitra and the film Dharti ke Lal (Children of the Earth) by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas followed Nabanna in addressing the needs of the people. These performances were characteristic for their vivid, stark portrayal of the suffering of the masses. Similar productions were carried out all over India, like Desha Sathi in Marathi which was about the attack on the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany; Prarambham in Telugu; and Zubeida directed by Balraj Sahni and based on the story of a Muslim girl from Malabar.
[edit] Breakage and legacy
The group were dispersed in 1947. However, the main members continued to carry the legacy of IPTA by forming several groups with similar ideology. Ahindra Chowdhuri, Shambhu Mitra and Tripti Mitra were the leading members of the group Bahurupee. Raktakarabi, Tahar Nam Ti Ranjana, Char Adhyay (written by Rabindranath Tagore) were some of the earlier productions of Bahurupee. Utpal Dutt led another faction of artists and went to create classics like Tiner Talowar and Kallol. IPTA Mumbai[2] was another offshoot that has existed over the last six decades and continue to produce dramas till date. IPTA offshoots exist in other parts of India s well.[3]
Group theatres like Nandikar, Spandan of Kolkata still produce their dramas often in the line of the IPTA movement, and recently there has been effort to start a similar movement inspired by the IPTA.[4]
[edit] Notes
- ^ Bengali Theatre and Performing Arts. Article in Bangla-online.info
- ^ Indian People's Theatre Association. Article in mumbaitheatreguide.com
- ^ Suhrid Sankar Chattopadhyay. A stage for social commitment. Frontline. Volume 22, Issue 13, June18 - July01, 2005
- ^ Indian Peoples Theatre Association revival by Spandan
