Emancipation of Women in Bengali Theatre — Shrobana Rakshit
History of Bengali Theatre
Acting as an art is entirely based on human life. For ages, it has been used for cultivating the expressions of human behaviour, and at the same time is an amusement for man. The market of drama, film, and jatra (Bengali folk drama) are all based on this art of acting. However, the popularity of drama and jatra is comparatively lesser than films. But, the one thing common among these is the power of acting on the basis of which the actors must be judged.
The Bengali theatre has been shaped by several social movements and conditions. It began in the early 19th century as private entertainment, and it also played a pivotal role in the manifestation of ideas regarding the British Raj. But during that time the position and status of women in the society was almost tertiary which affected their role in private and public spheres. Women were not allowed to perform on stage; hence it was the men who played female characters in the plays.
The 19th century is known to be a Renaissance in the history of Bengali theatre, and it also saw the emancipation of women. It was in the nineteenth century that community reformers like Raja Rammohan Roy and Vidyasagar questioned the traditional customs. This was a stepping stone towards the liberation of women in the society, which further helped them to create a position outside their homes.
Impact of Brahma Samaj in Bengali Theatre
The Brahmo Samaj had an important role to play in the women’s emancipation movement, Raja Rammohan Roy the pioneer, along with women like Kadambini Devi, Kumudini Devi, Kailashvahini Devi, and Ramasundari brought a social reform in Bengal. It was only because of Brahma Samaj that women from the elite society took an initiative to perform at the stage. In the second half of the 19th century, Jorasanko Thakurbari started the independent theatre, where the women of Thakurbari acted on stage. This was an initiative taken by Gnanadeini Devi, Satyendranath Tagore, Jyotirendranath Tagore, and Rabindranath Tagore.
Women Creating Their Space as Artists
It was in 1795, that acting started with stage performance of the Bengali translation of “The Disguise” by Gerasim Lebedof. However, during that time women actors who were given entry into the public theatre were brought from brothels, while the male actors came from mainstream society. So, you can see that the emergence of women actors in Bengali theatre took place in this manner. Gradually with the changing tradition in theatre, there was a necessity for female actors. Though women actors from brothels acted on stage, they were never treated equally as their male counterparts nor did they receive respect as artists. Thus, even then, there was a scarcity of women actors, which compelled the men to perform female roles. This was because women from the elite and middle-class societies were reluctant to perform on stage, due to the position of women actors in the society.
Drama on the Misery of Women
When women started performing on the stage, the narrative of the dramas also went through a change. The plays portrayed contemporary social problems such as polygamy, alcoholism, the immorality of the ‘Babu culture’, and women’s education. Themes like these came up in the Bengali theatre. Performances on the subject of Hindu women’s life became a primary theme taken up by Jorasanko’s Natyashala. In 1867, Ramnarayan Tarkraman’s ‘Nava Natak’ was performed that dealt with polytheism.
The emergence of Female Artists
Michael Madhusudan Dutta and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar had a huge role to play in regard to women’s liberation. They along with several women faced various obstacles, and in 1873, female actors acted in Madhusudan’s play ‘Sharmistha’. Jagatarini, Golap Sundari, Shyama, Elokeshi were actors that came from the brothel. It was in 1874, that Binodini Dasi acted in ‘Shatru Sanhar’ which was performed in Great National Theatre.
Before 1881, women from the elite class were not allowed to perform or watch dramas. The middle-class women were far from the theatre, in fact, they were not even allowed to visit the public theatre. Female actors who came from brothels did not receive any honor as artists. This is evident in the autobiography of Nati Binodini’s ‘Amar Katha’, where she talks about the status of women actors during that period.
In the last phase of the 19th century, highly educated women got involved in the workplace. Men and women came forward in various social movements, the social position of women was also questioned by the reformers and women started representing themselves in political movements too, but not so soon did they appear on stage. Women who came from middle-class society received disrespect and deception in the theatre and society. In the last decades of the 19th century and early 20th century, when Feminist movements and women’s rights were discussed and gender discrimination was being eliminated, women finally hailed their position in the Bengali theatre.
It was in 1925 that educated actors like Kankabati Sahoo stepped onto the stage. This became a turning point as this incident proved that educated women were willing to take up acting as a profession. It was in the 1940s that brought a new wave in Bengali theatre as well as in the status of women actors.
The acting in the Bengali theatre went through a vast change post-independence, with Bijan Bhattacharya’s ‘Nabanna’. It was during that time when Tripti Bhaduri as an educated actor came into the theatre. But even then, women from elite backgrounds or mainstream society did not come to the theatre, it was Tripti Bhaduri who brought a huge number of females from mainstream societal backgrounds into acting. She was the first woman actor to have a successful acting career and publicize Bengali theatre.
The Future of Bengali Theatre
Today artists like, Swatilekha Sengupta, awarded with Sangeet Natak Akademi award has made her mark in the Bengali theatre, with her splendid performance in ‘Khorkuto’ and others. Actors like, Chitra Sen and Sohini Sengupta are well known faces in theatre, but this was possible only because of the struggles of various women who brought about a change. Theatre was a male-dominated foray for a long time but it was their passion for acting as an art that made them overcome dire challenges.
But the question is, has theatre in general attained gender equality? The answer is, there is a long way to go. Even today, there is comparatively a huge gender gap seen in the theatres. The Bengali theatre is still lagging behind to provide an agency to women’s concerns, and this responsibility lies on the directors, producers and performers. There is still a handful of plays written by women for women, therefore it still needs to go through a lot of change.
What theatre companies and groups must also consider is creating a safe workspace for women, at the same time giving them the area to share similar screen space. The life of female theatre artists is still considered a taboo, a prejudice against them still remains, especially in middle-class society. However, gradually the scenario is changing and women are creating their space as artists.
Reference:
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“Tripti Mitra in the Realm of Bengali Theatre: An
Interpretation of her Art and Role in Women’s Emancipation”
