The Dynamics of Indian Dalit Theatre: Plays and Performance

Abstract: This article examines how Indian Dalit theatre stands out as a stimulating phenomenon in the context of Indian Dalit literature and gives impetus to the contemporary Dalit movement in India. Since Dalit theatre is performed, it is unique in showing the Dalits’ harrowing predicament in a more vivid manner than any other genre of Dalit literature. Dalit literature is born out of the Dalits’ painful and humiliating experiences they have endured for millennia in the name of India’s Hindu caste system. Since Dalit literature’s aesthetics are radically different from the aesthetics of so-called mainstream literature, Dalit theatre, being an intrinsic component of Dalit literature, is unmistakably distinct from the Sanskritized classical theatrical tradition that defines mainstream theatre. In terms of substance, perspectives, and form, Dalit theatre is conspicuously different from mainstream theatre. This article explores Dalit theatre’s aesthetics, perspectives, and themes along with its forms, techniques, and performance traditions through textual analysis, field visits, and interviews with notable Dalit playwrights. In doing so, it brings attention to this theatrical genre to the fore along with some lesser-known Dalit playwrights who have been writing in the local vernaculars.