Bengali Natok

Bengali theatre refers to plays in the Bengali language. There are some Hindi theatres which are accepted by the Bengali people (e.g. the productions of Rangakarmee, a group whose productions are directed mainly by Usha Ganguly; the productions by Padatik, another group). Bengali Theatre is produced mainly in West Bengal, India and in Bangladesh.
Bengali theatre has its origins in British rule. It began as private entertainment in the early 19th century.[1] In the pre-independence period, Bengali theatres played a pivotal role in manifesting dislike of the British Raj.
After the independence of India in 1947, leftist movements in West Bengal used theatre as a propaganda tool. This added some unique characteristics to the art form, and the effects are still strong. These groups differentiate themselves ideologically from commercial Bengali theatre.
There are many theatres in West Bengal, which can be divided into Kolkata-based theatres and rural theatres. The rural theatre groups are less well-known, though they perform year round. Outside Bengali-speaking areas, it is the Kolkata-based groups that are regarded as Bengali theater. The two types are similar in form and content; the two types of theatres are similar, but the Kolkata-based theatres are better funded and staffed. This is mainly due to the influx of expertise from rural areas to Kolkata in search of a larger audience.
There are also Bengali folk theatres. Bengali has many dialects in West Bengal and Bangladesh. The standard Bengali language is that which is spoken in Kolkata. The Bengali folk theatres have performances in other dialects.
Some theatre groups work in theatre for development, promoting awareness of literacy, latrines, gas burners, AIDS, etc.
A famous Bengali commercial theatre after independence was Nahabat. There is a category of Bengali theatre called Jatra, which is run commercially in rural West Bengal and Bangladesh. The most prominent characteristics of Jatra are over-acting and extensive use of traditional musical instruments. At present, Jatra has been modernized to feature crisis through stories.[clarification needed] Many popular Bengali film-artists participate in Jatra.

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