Indian People's Theatre Association
Encyclopedia
Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA) was an association of leftist theatre-artists and others mostly based in Kolkata
, West Bengal
, Mumbai
and Assam
, India
. Its goal was to bring cultural awakening among the people of India. It was the cultural wing of the Communist Party of India
.
, Bijon Bhattacharya
, Ritwik Ghatak, Utpal Dutt
, Khwaja Ahmad Abbas
, Salil Chowdhury
,Jyotirindra Moitra, Niranjan Singh Maan, S. Tera Singh Chan, Jagdish Faryadi, Khalili Faryadi, Rajendra Raghuvanshi Safdar Mir 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.
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 Sombhu 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.
(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. Manikuntala Sen
, the fireband woman of left politics acted in this play along with Gopal Halder, who later became an educationist.
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 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.
Group theaters 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.
The Delhi-based theatre company Jana Natya Manch
, best known for its street theatre, also emerged from the IPTA in 1973. Noted film director, Ritwik Ghatak made a Bengali film, Komal Gandhar
(1961) set around IPTA theare group.
Hundreds of dramas have been produced still today since 1967. Such as Bis e june by Biru Mukhopadhyay, Bastav Sastra and Buno Hans by Hiren Bhatacharjee, Haraner Nat Jamai by Sisir Sen, Spartakas and Fulwali by Basudeb Basu, Fatik chander Swapnaguli, Hanadaar, Judhistir er Narak Darsan, Haripadar Panja Larai (Street Drama) by Ashim Bandyopadhyay. Abelay Amritakatha, Jaban Bandi (Street Drama), Chhoto Bakulpurer jatri, Aaj O Itihaas, Tarapadar Maa, Ganpat Kahar, by Sudip Sarkar. Light House by jayanta Chakraborty. Ramdhanu, Aami Krishna, Virus, Ananta Yatra by Tapan Hazra etc.
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
, Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
and Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Its goal was to bring cultural awakening among the people of India. It was the cultural wing of the Communist Party of India
Communist Party of India
The Communist Party of India is a national political party in India. In the Indian communist movement, there are different views on exactly when the Indian communist party was founded. The date maintained as the foundation day by CPI is 26 December 1925...
.
Beginning
Some of the initial members of the groups were Prithviraj KapoorPrithviraj Kapoor
Prithviraj Kapoor , 3 November 1906 – 29 May 1972) was a pioneer of Indian theatre and of the Hindi film industry, who started his career as an actor, in the silent era of Hindi cinema, associated with IPTA and who founded Prithvi Theatres, a travelling theatre company based in Mumbai, in...
, Bijon Bhattacharya
Bijon Bhattacharya
Bijon Bhattacharya was a prominent Indian theatre and film personality from Bengal.Bijon was born in 1917 at Faridpur in a Hindu Brahmin family, and was early a witness to the destitution and penury of the peasantry of that land...
, Ritwik Ghatak, Utpal Dutt
Utpal Dutt
Utpal Dutt was an Indian actor, director, and writer-playwright. He was primarily an actor in Bengali Theatre, where he became a pioneering figure in Modern Indian theatre, when he founded the 'Little Theater Group' in 1947, which enacted many English, Shakespearean and Brecht plays, in a period...
, Khwaja Ahmad Abbas
Khwaja Ahmad Abbas
Khwaja Ahmad Abbas , popularly known as K. A. Abbas, was an Indian film director, novelist, screenwriter, and a journalist in the Urdu, Hindi and English languages...
, Salil Chowdhury
Salil Chowdhury
Salil Chowdhury was an Indian music composer. He mainly composed for Bengali, Hindi, and Malayalam films. He was also a poet and a playwright. He is affectionately called Salilda by all his admirers....
,Jyotirindra Moitra, Niranjan Singh Maan, S. Tera Singh Chan, Jagdish Faryadi, Khalili Faryadi, Rajendra Raghuvanshi Safdar Mir etc. The group was formed in 1942, in the background of the Second World War, with Bengal famine of 1943
Bengal famine of 1943
The Bengal famine of 1943 struck the Bengal. Province of pre-partition India. Estimates are that between 1.5 and 4 million people died of starvation, malnutrition and disease, out of Bengal’s 60.3 million population, half of them dying from disease after food became available in December 1943 As...
and starvation deaths in India on the one hand and repression by the colonial masters in the wake of the Quit India Movement
Quit India Movement
The Quit India Movement , or the August Movement was a civil disobedience movement launched in India in August 1942 in response to Mohandas Gandhi's call for immediate independence. Gandhi hoped to bring the British government to the negotiating table...
and the aggression by the fascist powers on the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
on the other. All India People's Theatre Conference was held in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
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.
Nabanna
Nabanna
Nabanna is a Bengali harvest celebration usually celebrated with food and dance and music. It's a festival of food; many local preparations of Bengali cuisine like pithe are cooked and offered.-Celebration:...
(Harvest). Nabanna is a folk-cultural festival of Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
to celebrate the harvest. This Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
drama, written by Bijon Bhattacharya and directed by Sombhu Mitra
Sombhu Mitra
Sombhu Mitra was an Indian film and stage actor, director, playwright and one of the pre-eminent Indian theatre personalities, especially Bengali theatre, where he is considered a pioneer. He remained associated with Indian People’s Theatre Association for a few years before founding Bohurupree...
, portrayed the evils of the 1943 Bengal famine and the alleged indifference of the British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
rulers, as also of the richer strata of Indian society towards the plight of the millions dying from the famine.
Other dramas and films
Nava Jiboner Gaan (Song of New of Life) by Jyotirindra Moitra and the film Dharti Ke LalDharti Ke Lal
Dharti Ke Lal is a 1946 Hindi film and the first directorial venture of the noted film director Khwaja Ahmad Abbas...
(Children of the Earth) by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas
Khwaja Ahmad Abbas
Khwaja Ahmad Abbas , popularly known as K. A. Abbas, was an Indian film director, novelist, screenwriter, and a journalist in the Urdu, Hindi and English languages...
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
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
which was about the attack on the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
; Prarambham in Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
; and Zubeida directed by Balraj Sahni
Balraj Sahni
Balraj Sahni , born Yudhishthir Sahni , was a famous Hindi film actor. He belonged to a Punjabi Khatri family from Bhera now in Punjab, Pakistan...
and based on the story of a Muslim girl from Malabar. Manikuntala Sen
Manikuntala Sen
Manikuntala Sen was one of the first women to be active in the Communist Party of India. She is best known for her Bengali-language memoir Shediner Kotha , in which she describes her experiences as a woman activist during some of the most turbulent times in India's history.-Early life:Manikuntala...
, the fireband woman of left politics acted in this play along with Gopal Halder, who later became an educationist.
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, Sombhu MitraSombhu Mitra
Sombhu Mitra was an Indian film and stage actor, director, playwright and one of the pre-eminent Indian theatre personalities, especially Bengali theatre, where he is considered a pioneer. He remained associated with Indian People’s Theatre Association for a few years before founding Bohurupree...
and Tripti Mitra were the leading members of the group Bahurupee. Raktakarabi, Tahar Nam Ti Ranjana, Char Adhyay (written by Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
) 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 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.
Group theaters like Nandikar
Nandikar
Nandikar is a theatre group in India. The group has its headquarters in Kolkata in the state of West Bengal, but works around the world.__FORCETOC__-History:...
, 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.
The Delhi-based theatre company Jana Natya Manch
Jana Natya Manch
Jana Natya Manch is a New Delhi-based amateur theatre company specializing in left-wing street theatre in Hindi. It was founded in 1973 by a group of Delhi's radical theatre amateurs, who sought to take theatre to the people...
, best known for its street theatre, also emerged from the IPTA in 1973. Noted film director, Ritwik Ghatak made a Bengali film, Komal Gandhar
Komal Gandhar
Kamol Gandhar is a 1961 Bengali film written and directed by noted film maker Ritwik Ghatak...
(1961) set around IPTA theare group.
IPTA in West Bengal
At present IPTA West Bengal is a running organisation led by IPTA West Bengal State Committee. The Secretary is Sisir Sen, President Sri Hiren Bhattacharjee, Asst. Secretary Sri Gora Ghosh and Sri Ashim Bandyopadhay. There are many cultural personalities like Shakti Bandyopadhyay, Bablu Dasgupta, Pijus Sarkar, Kankan Bhattacharjee, Sankar Mukherjee, Hiranmoy Ghosal, Tapan Hazra, Basudeb Dasgupta, Suvendu Maity, Abhoy Dasgupta, Ratna Bhattacharjee etc. There are 19 District Committees under this organisation. No. of Artist members 7000 approx. IPTA W B has been reorganised in its 3rd conference held on 1967 at Kolkata Bagbazar reading room Library.Hundreds of dramas have been produced still today since 1967. Such as Bis e june by Biru Mukhopadhyay, Bastav Sastra and Buno Hans by Hiren Bhatacharjee, Haraner Nat Jamai by Sisir Sen, Spartakas and Fulwali by Basudeb Basu, Fatik chander Swapnaguli, Hanadaar, Judhistir er Narak Darsan, Haripadar Panja Larai (Street Drama) by Ashim Bandyopadhyay. Abelay Amritakatha, Jaban Bandi (Street Drama), Chhoto Bakulpurer jatri, Aaj O Itihaas, Tarapadar Maa, Ganpat Kahar, by Sudip Sarkar. Light House by jayanta Chakraborty. Ramdhanu, Aami Krishna, Virus, Ananta Yatra by Tapan Hazra etc.
Further reading
- Theatre and Activism in the 1940s. Essay by Zohra Segal Crossing boundaries, by Geeti Sen. Orient Blackswan, 1998. ISBN 81-250-1341-5. pp 31-39.