Nil Darpan to Nabanna: The role of theatre in freedom struggle
This article explores the historical evolution of theatre in British India, tracing its transition from a tool of colonial cultural imposition to a powerful medium for anti-colonial protest. It highlights how plays like 'Nil Darpan' utilized the stage to foster nationalism and expose the realities of colonial exploitation.
Why it matters
It provides critical context on how art and performance can serve as catalysts for political resistance and national identity formation.
Theatre in British India saw colonial influences shaping and modernising many practices involved in theatre as well as playwrights starting to use the stage as a tool to stir a sense of communal nationalism among people, and showcase colonial exploitation through theatre. In this case, the stage became a site of cultural change as well as a battleground for freedom, identity, and power.
The East India Company arrived in Calcutta in 1690, and they did not just bring their trade work and their infrastructure, they brought their culture with them – including their style of theatre.
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