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Parsi Theatre And Its Influence On Bollywood

Article Written By EIH Researcher And Writer

Mumtaz Mohiuddin

 

The beginnings of theatre in India can be traced to the times of Sanskrit dramatist Kalidasa’s plays. However, the structural beginnings of the theatre can be located in the Parsi theatre mandalis which were developed in colonial times by the community of Parsis. This theatrical tradition remains a vital component of the subcontinent’s cultural heritage, which had an enormous impact on regional theatrical styles as well as on popular cinema. The Bombay film industry which is popularly known as ‘Bollywood’ has a mix of influences from Hollywood, great Indian epics, and traces of folk drama, and among these the role of Parsi theatre acting as a cultural incubator is pivotal. The Parsi theatre is often regarded as the “dramatic precursor” of the masala movies that Bollywood produces year after year, widely recognized for contributing to popular Indian cinema, its genres, aesthetic as well as and economic base ( Kathryn Hansen, Languages on Stage: Linguistic Pluralism and Community Formation in the Nineteenth-Century Parsi Theatre). Although the theatre diminished in popularity due to the advent of the talkies in the 1930s, which undoubtedly ushered in a new era in Hindi cinema, the role of Parsi theatre in laying the foundation stone of the film industry of Bombay remains significant. Since the influence is huge, and Hindi films act as the major cultural signifier for the middle classes in South Asia, the evaluation and assessment of the Parsi theatre become crucial for us. Further in order to understand the nature of the cinematic medium that followed, one needs to locate its roots in the humble beginnings of the Parsi theatre.

The Parsi theatre helped in creating a cultural and commercial context for Bombay’s film industry, which can be located in the smallest tangibles like the stylistic elements, Indic stories, the narration of the plot through song and dance sequences, as well as humor for mass public appeal. Hindi films that are known for melodramatic scenes, larger-than-life depictions of the world, and almost unbelievable stories have borrowed these traits from their predecessor -The Parsi theatre. The over-reliance on music and dance which form the basic essence of ‘Bollywood’ is not accidental but this itself is a derivative of the same theatrical tradition. And just as the Bombay film industry which is seen as a cosmopolitan niche representing diverse cultures catering to Pan-Indian audiences, the Parsi theatre’s role in creating such an environment can hardly be overlooked. In fact, the Bombay Film Industry is its big borrower with which it shares many similarities.

Parsi theatre generally refers to an influential theatrical tradition that was owned and staged by Parsis, a prominent business community that flourished between 1850 and the 1930s. They were practitioners of the Zoroastrian faith, which had emigrated from Persia to Gujarat where they primarily remained an agricultural community till the 17th century. Although they adopted the indigenous dress and language, they still maintained their distinct socio-religious identity of which they were proud. Parsis arrived in Bombay during the late 1600s, and association with the colonial powers rapidly favored them in terms of wealth and status. Such an association proved beneficial to the community since they were bestowed with many opportunities and jobs. The Parsis not only sought wealth and fortune from the British but became the enthusiastic imitators of the British style of education, anglicized dressing, housing structure, etc, and became the initial borrowers of westernization. Therefore the entertainment they sought was also inevitably modeled on western lines ( Kathren Hansen).

By the early 19th century, the Parsis begin to buy theatres, organize them, and create repository companies. The British had a great influence on this small community that initially adapted Shakespearean plays in India while giving it an indigenous flavor through songs and dances as they began performing in Gujarati, Urdu, and Hindi. So while it is true that the theatrical tradition was mediated by the colonial machinery, however, these traditions were “Indianised” by adding music, melodrama, and the histrionic delivery of lines that still forms an intrinsic part of the popular cinema (Rustom, Bharucha, Notes on the Invention of Tradition). This aspect needs to be stressed in order to counter the arguments that degenerate the Parsi theatre as merely a derivative of European culture. Of course, they assimilated many traits and techniques of the British theatre but they also vocally responded and resisted the colonial hegemony by using drama as a means of the revival of their vernacular traditions (Hansen). In 1835, when the theatre shifted into Indian hands, the Parsis began experimenting with thriving arts in order to increase public outreach to increase commercial profits which simultaneously broadened the scope of entertainment.

The most common similarity between the Bombay film industry and Parsi theatre is its commercial nature in both ideology and practicality, with no commitment to promoting any particular language and culture, therefore making it extremely flexible for experimentation. It is the same notion that defined the Parsi theatre themes then and defines the nature of Hindi Cinema today to a larger extent. Parsi theatre’s commitment to profit and Manoranjan (entertainment) with no desire of associating with one particular religion, caste, or language had a huge bearing on the entertainment they produced, which served the Pan-Indian audience through the art form that was open and neutral, avoiding all possible religious and ethical nuances (Girish Karnad).

The Parsi theatre changed its form and vocabulary too in order to reach a wider audience. This was majorly visible in the adoption of various languages like English, Urdu, Marathi, Gujarati, and finally settling on Urdu which was a conscious choice that involved many considerations. Since there was a need felt for creating a linguistic medium to translate well, Parsis found this in Urdu. Since Urdu was a Cosmopolitan language that was spoken at the Pan India level, with overarching influence that went beyond specific communities, it helped in extending the audience for Parsi theatre. “It was actually the absence of territorial boundaries, its detachment from limiting notions of qaum, that recommended Urdu as a theatrical medium.” ( Hansen)

Soon the Parsi theatre developed into a mobile company that did not remain confined to Bombay alone, instead, it traveled to many Indian states like Delhi, Calcutta, Benares, Lucknow, and Madras thus creating an ecology of cinema that led to further development of modern drama and regional theatre throughout South and Southeast. In that sense, it definitely is the precursor to Bombay Cinema since it not only creates a commercial context for the Bombay film industry but also creates the apparatus as well as cultural capital for it. Many tricks and techniques that were developed in the course of this theatrical tradition were transmitted into the silent cinema such as the European-style proscenium, stage machinery, and settings as well as its creation of a “ticket-buying audience”, which radically altered the notion and nature of entertainment sought by the audience. (Girish Karnad).

The Parsi theatre is also credited with bringing women to the stage. The theatre not only polished the art of female impersonation by male actors but also bestowed Hindi films with some of the early stars to grace its screen. (Mrinal, Pande,’ Moving beyond Themselves’: Women in Hindustani Parsi Theatre and Early Hindi Films). The role of Parsi theatre lies in the fact that while opening the doors of the Screen to the women (a nonconventional and radical step), it carefully negotiated and balanced these representations with images such that it carries the symbols and signs of Indian womanhood. This negotiation process helped in providing the actresses immunity through the effortless identification with domestic femininity (Hansen).

By the end of the 19th century, we had a proper industry taking shape to which the Parsi theatre richly contributed. The transition from Parsi theatre to silent film was a step that was marked by the assimilation of Parsi theatre class into the Talkies, be it actors, producers, singers, or dancers. The Bombay film industry borrowed many basic principles of entertainment like musical pieces, costumes, sets, and even gestures from the theatre while exploring and accommodating them in the new fashion (Girish Karnad).

Though the Parsi theatre may not have produced any serious drama of any consequence which is perhaps its biggest limitation, however, it certainly produced some serious actors, directors, playwrights, and producers. It gave rise to notable men like Rustomji Nanabhai Ranina, (a playwright) and Navroji Kabraji (editor of Rast Goftar), Adi Pherozeshah Marzban (a famous playwright). The greatest contribution of the Parsi writers lies majorly in the field of music and dance theatre. This expectation still has a bearing on the Indian film industry where songs have sometimes a larger life than films. And without essentializing, we have enough material evidence to show how songs form the soul of Indian films. But unfortunately, the very same reason contributed to its downfall, since the pleasure brought by the songs, and dances that had earlier demarcated its essence could now be supplied by a cheaper source- the film industry. As Girish Karnad rightly notes “The Parsi theatre edifice collapsed without a fight”.

 

Bibliography

● Karnad, Girish, “Theatre in India” in Daedalus, Vol. 118, No. 4, Another India (Fall, 1989), pp. 330-352.
● Hansen, Kathryn, “Languages on Stage: Linguistic Pluralism and Community Formation in the Nineteenth-Century Parsi Theatre” in Modern Asian Studies, Vol. 37, No. 2 (May 2003), pp. 381-405.
● Hansen, Kathryn, “Making Women Visible: Gender and Race Cross-Dressing in the Parsi Theatre” in Theatre Journal, Vol. 51, No. 2 (May 1999), pp. 127-147
● Bharucha, Rustom, “Notes on the Invention of Tradition” in Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 24, No. 33 (Aug. 19, 1989), pp. 1907-1909+1911-1914
● Pande, Mrinal,’ Moving beyond Themselves’: Women in Hindustani Parsi Theatre and Early Hindi Films in Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 41, No. 17 (Apr. 29 – May 5, 2006), pp. 1646-1653
● https://thewire.in/culture/bombay-theatre-cinema-parsis

 

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