Saturday, 22 May 2021

Mobile Theatre in Assam

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Mobile theatre (Bhramyaman Theatre) is an art form exclusive to Assam. Here’s a few tit-bits on its origin & evolution.



The origin of mobile theatre groups lie in the Bengali folk-theatre form, ‘Jatra’. With the arrival of the bengalis; jatras found their way into Assam.


In the lines of visiting Bengali jatra groups, local jatra groups began to emerge. Around 1860-70, local jatra parties became quite popular in the Barpeta region. 


Mr.Tithiram Bayan of Barpeta, a pioneer of the early jatra form, with the patronage of Mr. Gobindaram Choudhury organized a jatra group, and travelled out of the Barpeta region taking it to upper Assam.


The jatras initially performed their plays in Bengali. Assamese translations of Bengali dramas were used later. It was quite after some time that original Assamese plays found a place on the stage.


In this regard the role played by Asom Kesari Ambikagiri Raichoudhury, to wipe out the trend of performing Bengali dramas or in Bengali in the Barpeta region needs special mention.


It was Ambikagiri Raichoudhury, who first wrote the Assamese play Jayadratha-badh and performed it on stage in 1910 thus rooting out the tradition of Bengali jatra performance in Assam.


Another noteworthy name Brajanath Sarma; who brought in co-acting. Before that women characters in plays were portrayed by men. This of course was met with a lot of criticism and also resulted in the closing down of Kohinoor Opera Party in 1936.


It took 21 years for ‘co-acting’ to be back on the mobile theatre stage. In 1957, Ms. Tulika Das acted in Surjya Opera produced by Mr. Surjya Das of Rangamati in South Kamrup.


The transformational leap from jatra to modern mobile theater took place in 1959; with the establishment of Natraj Opera by Mr. Sadananda Lahkar in Pathsala.


Along with Mr. Achyut Lahkar, who infused new ideas, Nataraj took a true theatre form with the introduction of lighting equipment, makeup & sound etc. and was truly mobile where everything could be packed, moved and set up within days.


The concept of revolving stage or two stages where the artists performed on one, the art team would work on the other for the next scene was brought in by Nataraj. Use of folding stackable chairs, and gallery seating also were introduced.


The term “Mobile Theatre” or  “Bhramyaman Theatre'' was first used by Radhagovinda Baruah  in the remark  book  of Suradevi Theatre after seeing the performances in Latasil playground  of Guwahati. 


However, in the 1970s and 1980s, when mobile theatre was at its growing stage, the local media did not pay much attention to mobile theatre. It received very less recognition as a form of theatre by local newspapers and magazines.


Mobile theater in the new form became very popular all over Assam and various theater groups formed all over Assam bringing in a revolution.


Almost 133 mobile theatre groups have existed in Assam at various points of time since the first one was established in the 1930s. In the present time, nearly 60 theatre groups perform their plays all over the state.


One important aspect of mobile theater becoming so popular is in it being mobile. Unlike films, they carried their infrastructure with them to every nook and corner.


The competition helped in the overall growth with improving music, lighting concepts and overall storytelling. This gave rise to the mobile theater industry we see today.



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