The Indian Theory of Drama
The source of the Indian theory of drama is the Nātyaśāstra of the sage Bharata, an encyclopedic treatise on all the aspects of dramaturgy. Bharata the instaurator and codifier of the Indian tradition of drama postulates theories of drama, music, dance, and poetry, construction of stage, the concept of rasa and the mimetic role of drama, etc. While neither Aristotle nor Plato applies to any form of Western dance style, in India, everyone goes back to Nātyaśāstra to find the source of various styles of Indian classical and regional dances and music. Metaphysically, the Indian theory of drama is based on Karma unlike the Greek theory of drama based on fate. At the outset, the present paper shall explore and discuss the origin of the Nātyaśāstra, and will analyze some of its most significant aspects.
