“Badal Sircar’s Third Theatre and Sahṛdaya”

Abstract

Nāṭyaśāstra, the ancient Indian text on performing arts by Bharata Muni, forms
a key pillar of the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) as the "Fifth Veda,"
emphasizing the audience's pivotal role in evoking rāsā’, the emotional
essence, through their responses, mirroring societal emotions and fostering
collective reflection. Spectators, as the ultimate judges of dramatic works, their
applause or disapproval serves as the best critique of performances and societal
resonance. Badal Sircar created "Third Theatre" to break down the wall
between the actors and the audience, making theatre free and accessible. We
will explore how Nāṭyaśāstra connects with plays of Badal Sircar with special
focus on the plays Evam Indrajit, a mirror for the Sahṛdaya (the audience),
forcing them to face their own limitations and futility of existence and
Procession (Michhil) wherein the audience become the part of a "procession"
of life. The paper shall deeply analyze how Sircar treat the audience as
Sahṛdaya —people with hearts who are part and parcel of the play, by
responding actively and leading to understanding and interactions.