Badal Sircar: Towards a Theatre of Conscience

The first full-length study of Badal Sircar, who brought theatre to the streets and to the masses in India! Badal Sircar (1925-2011) is one of the most important and influential figures in the history of post-independence Indian theatre. As a playwright, he contributed seminal texts which have inspired the country’s leading directors and continue to be produced by younger groups. In terms of form, he was responsible for Third (later called Free) Theatre, an urban theatre which was alternative, non-proscenium, mobile and very physical. As a theorist and philosopher of Indian theatre, he opened up the discourse to include concerns with democratic human interaction and a search for a more just and equitable society. As a teacher and mentor, he traveled widely across the country holding workshops which had a deep impact on hundreds of theatre workers, including some major directors. This book is a full-length, detailed study of Badal Sircar’s life and work, with its three distinct phases: the playwriting for the proscenium stage, with path-breaking texts like Evam Indrajit, Pagla Ghoda and Baki Itihas; the departure to non-proscenium physical theatre focused on the actor, with its social critique and commitment to conscientisation; and the dissemination phase of extensive workshops and mentoring.