Ancient theatre artistes
PERFORMING ARTISTES IN ANCIENT INDIA: Iravati; Pub. by D. K. Printworld (P) Limited, `Sri Kunj', F-52 Bali Nagar, New Delhi-110015. Rs. 950.
NATYA, MEANING theatre in ancient India, incorporated various aspects of art and different branches of knowledge, not only histrionics but also dance, music and fine arts. Subjects like history, philosophy and science also formed part of Natya. Brahma created the Natya Veda, as it was called, after deep meditation on the four Vedas.
He vested the responsibility of its production in Sage Bharata who wrote the Natya Sastra. Although there were earlier writers on the subject including Silalin and Krsasva who wrote the Nata Sutras mentioned in the Ashtadhyayi of Panini, the Natya Sastra is the oldest extant treatise on Natya.
Commentaries
The Abhinava Bharati of Abhinava Gupta (11th Century A.D.), who was a Kashmiri Brahmin, is the most voluminous commentary on the Natya <243>Sastra and he refers to an <243>earlier commentator called Vidyadhara.
The volume under notice deals comprehensively with aspects of dramatic performance like nature, kinds and members of drama troupes, Abhinaya, the stage and auditorium.
Visuals to depict dramatic scenes etched by artists on pillars, temple walls and in caves, reproduced in the book, will be of great interest to students of Natya. But the main focus of the book is on the contribution of performing artistes to the evolution of the ancient Indian theatre.
The author is a noted scholar who has specialised in the field of ancient Indian theatre.
Classification
The book classifies the different kinds and levels of performance. Actors were known as Sailushas, Sailalins, Mankhas, Kusilavas, Natas and Bharatas. Actresses were categorised as professional actresses, courtesans, divine actresses and so on. In addition to the Natya Sastra, the author has referred to other noted works on dramaturgy and their authors. She has given copious examples from famous epics and the Arthasastra of Kautilya to throw light on values associated with drama.
The institution of Devadasis has been dealt with at great length and it is interesting to know that even in ancient India a class of female ritual artistes, known as Devadasis, came into being.
Some Puranas refer to the dedication of maidens skilled in theatrical arts to temples as a pious deed and this kind of institution came into vogue after 700 A.D. A Devadasi was considered as the consort of the deity in the temple and had a high social status.
But in later centuries Natas and Natis appear to have fallen from grace and Kautilya included actors in the list of anti-social elements. Manu wrote that kings should drive out Kusilavas (actors) from towns.
The reason for so many writers being vehemently against actors lays in the latter's lifestyle. This is unfortunate and the stigma on Devadasis persisted for a long time till the system itself was abolished by law.
Iravati's book is an in-depth study of a little known subject, fully documented with authentic details, and will prove useful to researchers and teachers of classical Indian art.
T. S. PARTHASARATHY
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