Tales of ‘Tamasha’

Tamasha is a peculiar form of folk theatre belonging to the state of Maharashtra, which includes both singing and dancing. The word ‘Tamasha’, originating from Persian language eventually means fun and frolic of a theatrical performance in Marathi. Performed by nomadic theatre artists, this form of theatre derives it's elements from various Indian classical song and dance forms.

The Tamasha can be classified into two very popular forms- 'Dholki Bhaari' and 'Sangeet Bhaari'. Majorly, the Mahar and Kolhati communities in Maharashtra are well known performers of Tamasha acts, which are highly satirical in nature.

The sixteenth century saw the origin of Tamasha. From what is retold over centuries, this theatrical form was for entertaining the Mughals. During the Peshwa period of the Maratha Empire, this form took a bigger shape and became distinct among India’s traditional performing arts.

Performers of Tamasha, Pic Courtesy: chandigarhsna.blogspot.com

Eventually Tamasha reached all over the state of Maharashtra and became the most popular medium of information and entertainment for the rural sections. Believed to be from the lower castes such as, 'Kolhati', 'Mang', 'Mahar' and 'Bhatu', these performers were vocal about the looming prejudice of the caste system.  

Basically, Tamasha contains dance routines, acting and songs with messages, specifically designed to educate the audience. The performance begins with the entry of the musicians, i.e. ‘dholkiwala’, ‘halgiwala’, ‘manjriwala’ and a ‘tuntune’ player. The appearance of the lead singer then takes the show to the next level.

Tamasha involves no elaborate costumes and the clothing donned by the musicians, singers and dancers are known as Gammat, Phada etc.

The oldest form of Tamasha consisted of men who were called ‘Nachya’. These men played the roles of women as well, when times commanded. There used to be a composer, popularly called a ‘Shahir’. He played the part of ‘Sutradhar’ (a jester). Eventually, women started actively participating in Tamasha performances.

Other indigenous theatre forms of India, like Bengal’s ‘Jatra’ and Gujrat’s ‘Bhavai’ were termed as ‘biased’ and ‘corrupt’ along with Mararasthra’s Tamasha, after the country’s independence. The arrival of modern theatre shows and films took away so much from the spectacles of these live performances of Tamasha, although this folk art form continues to be performed in the rural localities of Maharashtra.