Tamasha ( mr, तमाशा) is a traditional form of Marathi theatre, often with singing and dancing, widely performed by local or travelling theatre groups within the state of

Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

."Tamasha", in James R. Brandon and Martin Banham (eds), ''The Cambridge Guide to Asian Theatre'', pp. 108-9. It has also been the subject of several Marathi films. Some Hindi movies have also included Tamasha-themed songs, known as

Lavani Lavani () is a genre of music popular in Maharashtra, India. Lavani is a combination of traditional song and dance, which particularly performed to the beats of ''Dholki'', a percussion instrument. Lavani is noted for its powerful rhythm. Lavan ...

s, in the past. Traditional Tamasha is influenced by many Indian art forms and draws from such diverse traditions as kaveli,

ghazal The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a ...

s, Kathak dance,

dashavatara The Dashavatara ( sa, दशावतार, ) are the ten primary avatars of Vishnu, a principal Hindus, Hindu god. Vishnu is said to descend in the form of an avatar to restore cosmic order. The word ''Dashavatara'' derives from , meaning " ...

, lalit and

kirtan Kirtana ( sa, कीर्तन; ), also rendered as Kirtan, is a Sanskrit word that means "narrating, reciting, telling, describing" of an idea or story, specifically in Indian religions. It also refers to a genre of religious performance arts ...

. There are two types of Tamasha: ''dholki bhaari'' and the older form, ''sangeet baari'' which contains more dance and music than drama. In Maharashtra, the

Kolhati The Kolhati are an Indian nomadic community that form a subgroup of the Banjara people. They belong to central India and Maharashtra. They traditionally are professional entertainers and acrobats. They are classified as a nomadic tribe by the gove ...

groups are traditionally associated with the performance of Tamasha.

Etymology

The word "Tamasha" is a loanword from

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

, which in turn loaned it from

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

br>
meaning a show or theatrical entertainment of some kind. The word has spread to Armenian language, Armenian,

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people *Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece See also * * ...

, to mean "fun" or "play". In Armenian language "To do Tamasha" means "To follow an interesting process or entertainment". Colloquially the word has come to represent commotion, or any activity or display with bustle and excitement, sometimes in the sense of "a tempest in a teacup".

History

Origin and early years

The region of

, has had a long theatrical tradition, one of the early references was found in the cave inscriptions at

Nashik Nashik (, Marathi: aːʃik, also called as Nasik ) is a city in the northern region of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Situated on the banks of river Godavari, Nashik is the third largest city in Maharashtra, after Mumbai and Pune. Nashik ...

by Gautami Balashri, the mother of the 1st-century

Satavahana The Satavahanas (''Sādavāhana'' or ''Sātavāhana'', IAST: ), also referred to as the Andhras in the Puranas, were an ancient Indian dynasty based in the Deccan region. Most modern scholars believe that the Satavahana rule began in the late ...

ruler, Gautamiputras Satakarni. The inscription mentions him organizing Utsava and Samaja, forms off theatrical entertainment for his subjects. Tamasha acquired a distinct form in late

Peshwa The Peshwa (Pronunciation: e(ː)ʃʋaː was the appointed (later becoming hereditary) prime minister of the Maratha Empire of the Indian subcontinent. Originally, the Peshwas served as subordinates to the Chhatrapati (the Maratha king); later, ...

period of

Maratha Empire The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of Shi ...

, in the 18th century, Varadpande, p. 163 and incorporated elements of older traditional forms like Dasavatar, Gondhal,

Kirtan Kirtana ( sa, कीर्तन; ), also rendered as Kirtan, is a Sanskrit word that means "narrating, reciting, telling, describing" of an idea or story, specifically in Indian religions. It also refers to a genre of religious performance arts ...

, and Waghya-murali, part of Khandoba Bhakti Geet, amongst worshippers of the local god

Khandoba Khandoba (IAST: Khaṇḍobā), Martanda Bhairava, Malhari, or Malhar is a Hindu deity worshiped as a manifestation of Shiva mainly in the Deccan plateau of India, especially in the state of Maharashtra. He is the most popular Kuladevata (family ...

. In Maharashtra, there are two types of Tamasha, first is ''dholaki fadcha'' Tamasha and the other is ''sangeet baaricha'' Tamasha. Dholaki Fadcha tamasha is complete art, which includes song, dance, and theater. Now in

there are only 18 to 20 full-time tamasha parties. Each tamasha mandal performs approximately 210 days in all over Maharashtra and also some border villages of Karnataka and Gujarat. Traditional Tamasha format consisted of dancing-boys known as ''Nachya'', who also played women's roles, a poet-composer known as ''Shahir'', who played the traditional role of ''Sutradhar'' or a

jester A jester, court jester, fool or joker was a member of the household of a nobleman or a monarch employed to entertain guests during the medieval and Renaissance eras. Jesters were also itinerant performers who entertained common folk at fairs and ...

known as ''Songadya'', who compered the show. However, with time, women started taking part in Tamasha. Marathi theatre made its beginning in 1843, and in the following years, Tamasha which was primarily constituted of singing and dancing expanded its thematic repertoire and added small dramatic and humorous skits, known as '' Vag Natya'', to it. These were either in prose or comprised long narrative poems performed by the Shahir along with his chorus, with actors improvising their lines. Popular Vag composers of the time were

Patthe Bapurao Patthe Bapurao (11 November 1868 – 22 December 1941) was a Marathi singer-poet in the Tamasha musical theatre genre. He also composed severals Vags, dramatic and humorous skits, which were also popular. Biography Born on 11 November 1868, (at ...

and Dattoba Sali, and one of their noted vag, ''Gadhavache Lagna'' (Marriage of Donkey) was popularized by Tamasha artist, Dadu Idurikar. Soon, noted Marathi writers started written Vags for Tamasha troupes. Varadpande, p. 170 Lokshahir

Bashir Momin Kavathekar Bashir Kamruddin Momin (1 March 1947 – 12 November 2021), popularly known by his pen name, Momin Kavathekar, also known as 'Lokshahir B. K. Momin Kavathekar', was a popular Marathi language poet, writer who promoted sanitation, literacy, and so ...

wrote extensively for the famous Tamasha Troupes like Datta Mahadik Punekar, Raghuvir Khedkar, Kalu Balu Kawalapurkar, Surekha Punekar. Momin Kavathekar wrote short dramas based on the prevailing situations, challenges and on the topics which include spreading the social awareness about various issues such as AIDS, dowry, education. As the textile industry started developing in

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

(then Bombay) in the 19th century, workers migrated here from the rural areas in large numbers. Soon their theatre did too, initially rural tamasha companies were invited to the city for performances. Though later numerous local tamasha companies flourished, patronized by mill workers living in Girgaum. Traditional tamasha practitioners were from castes like Kolhati, Mahar, Mang and Bhatu from rural regions of Maharashtra, labelled low castes within the Indian caste system. Thus, in the late 19th century, religious reformers employed tamasha to castigate the caste system of the region. During the same period,

Satyashodhak Samaj Satyashodhak Samaj (''Truth-seekers' Society'') was a social reform society founded by Jyotiba Phule in Pune, Maharashtra, on 24 September 1873. It espoused a mission of education and increased social rights and political access for underprivileg ...

founded by Jyotirao Phule started organizing ''Satyashodhaki jalsa'', which used the tamasha tradition in its political and reformist theatre, which was an amalgamation of

proscenium A proscenium ( grc-gre, προσκήνιον, ) is the metaphorical vertical plane of space in a theatre, usually surrounded on the top and sides by a physical proscenium arch (whether or not truly "arched") and on the bottom by the stage floor ...

tamasha and

street theatre Street theatre is a form of theatrical performance and presentation in outdoor public spaces without a specific paying audience. These spaces can be anywhere, including shopping centres, car parks, recreational reserves, college or university c ...

. Government of Maharashtra has instituted annual award in the memory of late ''Vithabai Narayangavkar Lifetime Achievement Award'' for those who had extensively contributed to the preservation and propagation of the Tamasha Art. The award is being conferred since 2006 and noted recipients of the awards are Kantabai Satarkar, Vasant Avsarikar, Sulochana Nalawade, Haribhau Badhe, Mangala Bansode, Sadhu Patsute, Ankush Khade, Prabha Shivanekar, Bhima Sangavikar, Gangaram Kavathekar, Radhabai Khode Nashikkar, Madhukar Nerale. For year 2018, Lokshahir

has been conferred with this award for his lifelong contribution to the field of Tamasha through his prolific lavani's & Vag's. Folk artist Ms Gulab bai Sangamnerkar has been selected for this year 2019's award.

Post-independence

The rise of modern Marathi theatre movement in the post-independence era, which was largely "literary drama" from with a Westernized idiom, tamasha like other prevalent indigenous theatre forms, like '' jatra'' in

Odisha Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...

and ''

bhavai Bhavai, also known as ''Vesha'' or ''Swang'', is a popular folk theatre form of western India, especially in Gujarat. Etymology ''Bhavai'' may derive from the Sanskrit word ''Bhava'', meaning expression or emotion. It is also associated wit ...

'' in

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

, was also deemed "debased", even "corrupt", while being relegated to being only "folk" form. The turning away of urban middle class audience from traditional forms, cause a disruption in the theatrical traditions besides creating a divide between urban and rural theatre, as tamasha continued to flourish out the urban pockets. In 2002, the state had 450 tamasha troupes with approximately 10,000 artistes.

Influence

Main elements of tamasha, like loud humour, suggestive lyrics and dance numbers, proved influential in the development the

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...

idiom, which is based in Mumbai. Even today, the mainstream cinema or

Masala films Masala, Massala or MASALA may refer to: Spice * Masala (spice), any of the many spice mixes used in South Asian cuisine ** Masala chai, a flavoured tea beverage ** Masala incense, Indian incense using a spice mix ** Masala dosa, an Indian dish Pl ...

, complete with their suggestive dance numbers, now known as

item number In Indian cinema, an item number or item song is a musical number inserted into a film that may or may not have any relevance to the plot. The term is commonly used within Indian films (Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Punjabi, and Be ...

, and humour sequences remain largely entertainment oriented. Over the years, some modern theatre practitioners have incorporated the traditional forms like tamasha and dashavatar into their plays. In the 1970s, during the rise of modernMarathi theatre, the tamasha form was employed as narrative device and style in several notable plays like ''

Ghashiram Kotwal '' Kotwal'' is a Marathi play written by playwright Vijay Tendulkar in 1972 as a response to the rise of a local political party, in Maharashtra. The play is a political satire, written as historical drama. It is based on the life of Nana Phadna ...

'' by

Vijay Tendulkar Vijay Dhondopant Tendulkar (6 January 1928 – 19 May 2008) was a leading Indian playwright, movie and television writer, literary essayist, political journalist, and social commentator primarily in Marāthi. His Marathi plays established him as ...

Vijaya Mehta Vijaya Mehta (born 4 November 1934), is a noted Indian Marathi film and theatre director and also an actor in many films from the Parallel Cinema. She is a founder member of Mumbai-based theatre group, Rangayan with playwright Vijay Tendulkar, ...

's Marathi adaptations of

Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a pl ...

's '' The Good Woman of Setzuan'' as ''Devajine Karuna Keli'' (1972) and '' Caucasian Chalk Circle'' as ''Ajab Nyaya Vartulacha'' (1974),

P. L. Deshpande Purushottam Laxman Deshpande (alternatively written as Pu La Deshpande; 8 November 1919 – 12 June 2000), popularly known by his initials ("Pu. La.") or as P. L. Deshpande, was a Marathi writer and humorist from Maharashtra. He was also an a ...

's ''Teen paishacha Tamasha'' (1978), an adaptation of Brecht's ''

The Threepenny Opera ''The Threepenny Opera'' ( ) is a "play with music" by Bertolt Brecht, adapted from a translation by Elisabeth Hauptmann of John Gay's 18th-century English ballad opera, ''The Beggar's Opera'', and four ballads by François Villon, with music ...

''.

In popular culture

The 1972, Marathi hit film, '' Pinjra'' directed by

V. Shantaram Shantaram Rajaram Vankudre (18 November 1901 – 30 October 1990), referred to as V. Shantaram or Shantaram Bapu, was an Indian filmmaker, film producer, and actor known for his work in Hindi and Marathi films. He is most known for films such ...

, starring Shriram Lagoo and Sandhya in lead roles was set in the Tamasha musical theatre. Besides this other Marathi films made of Tamasha include, ''Sangte Aika'' (1959) directed by Anand Mane and starring Jayshree Gadkar, ''

Sawaal Majha Aika! ''Sawaal Majha Aika!'' (English translation: ''Listen to My Question!'') is a Marathi Indian black and white film released in 1964. The film is produced and directed by Anant Govind Mane under his banner "Chetana Chitra". The storyline of the f ...

'' (1964) by Anant Mane and starring Jayshree Gadkar, ''

Ek Hota Vidushak ''Ek Hota Vidushak'' ( en, Once There Was A Clown) is a 1992 Marathi film directed by Jabbar Patel and produced by National Film Development Corporation of India. The film stars Laxmikant Berde, Madhu Kambikar, Nilu Phule, Varsha Usgaonkar in le ...

'' (1992) by Jabbar Patel, ''

Natarang ''Natarang'', also spelled Natrang ( mr, नटरंग, an ornamental word for "artist", especially a theatre artist), is a 2010 Indian Marathi-language drama film directed by debutant Ravi Jadhav and starring Atul Kulkarni and Sonalee Kulkar ...

'' (2010) by

Ravi Jadhav Ravindra Jadhav (born 22 September 1971) known professionally as Ravi Jadhav is an Indian film director, actor, screenwriter and producer. He made his directorial debut with the Marathi musical drama ''Natarang'' in 2010. Ravi studied in Sir J.J ...

and ''Tamasha - Hach Khel Udya Punha'' (2011) by Milind Pednekar. A 2006 multilingual documentary film, '' Silent Ghungroos'', traces the origins of Tamasha in the

period to its contemporary form, where the form competes with modern entertainment mediums. Many books have been written in the Marathi language which dwells on the Tamasha as an art, its problem, artist & their contributions. Few notable books are 'Tamasha-Kala aani Jivan' by Dr Chandanshive, 'Vagsamradni Kantabai Satarkar' by Dr Khedlekar, 'Kalavantanchya Aathavani' by B.K. Momin Kavathekar, 'Gabhulalelya Chandrabanat' (a fictional love story) by Vishwas Patil, 'Tmashatil Songadya' by B. S. Shinde, 'Tamshatil Stree Kalavant- Jivan aani Samasya' by Dr. Sadhana Burade and 'Tamasha Lokrangabhumi' by Rustum AchalKhamb.

Tamasha in other languages

The word ''tamasha'' has been used in book and plays titles, including,

Jaipur Tamasha India has had a rich heritage of art and music since ancient times. Different states have held the tradition even till date, and Rajasthan is one among them. Jaipur Tamasha, a unique musical folk play, is a 19th-century contribution by Jaipur c ...

, and theatre company, Tamasha Theatre Company. * In the

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...

and

Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...

language, ''tamasha'' means funny. * In the Kiswahili language "tamasha" means show or festival. * In

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...

language, ''tamasha'' means joke. * In the

Bengali language Bengali ( ), generally known by its endonym Bangla (, ), is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language native to the Bengal region of South Asia. It is the official, national, and most widely spoken language of Bangladesh and the second m ...

, ''tamasha'' (or in some dialects ''tamsha'') means joke or messing around. * In the Chuvash language "tamasha" means distress or curiosity, brings amazement effect into dialogue, and also means fun of silly situation in theatre or life. * In the

Malay Malay may refer to: Languages * Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore ** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century ** Indonesi ...

language "temasya" means event or festival.

Notes

Bibliography

* * * * {{cite book, author=Aparna Bhargava Dharwadker, title=Theatres of Independence: Drama, Theory, and Urban Performance in India Since 1947, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mLQaz-12Eo8C&pg=PA378, year=2009, publisher=University of Iowa Press, isbn=978-1-58729-642-0, ref=Dh