Nautanki is one of the most popular folk operatic theatre traditions of northern India. The history of the Nautanki performative tradition (also referred to as swang) goes back several hundred years, and its origins lie in the folk performance traditions of Bhagat and Raasleela of Mathura and Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh, and Khayal of Rajasthan. Nautanki is characterized by melodic exchanges between two or three performers; a chorus is also used sometimes. Traditional nautankis usually start late at night and continue until sunrise the next morning, running for almost eight to ten hours. The performances have no intermission and are often punctuated with individual songs, dances, and skits, which serve as breaks and comic relief for audiences.
The Group
For the past 25 years the Braj Kala group has been working in and presenting numerous programs on the nautanki form which is fast becoming extinct. Smt. Lata Rani is a committed and accomplished artist of this form, and under her guidance and direction, the group has successfully organized programs on various national platforms, television channels, exhibitions, fairs and festivals. The group has also been continuously involved in the revitalization of the form, keeping which in mind it organizes free training by Lataji for village children in several schools.
The Play
The play revolves around how the 14 day absence of Amar Singh Rathore, general of Shah Jahan’s rajputani battalion, after taking permission for the absence of only 7 days, is used by other interested parties to sow the seeds of discord and bitterness between the Mughals and the Rajputs. Despite his hesitation, the emperor gets instigated by his wazir Salawat Khan, and levies a penalty of 7 lakhs on Amar Singh Rathore. Finding this unacceptable Amar Singh kills Salawat Khan. On hearing this news, the emperor, under the influence of the empress, issues an edict for his imprisonment. The loyalty of a Muslim friend, a brave man’s sense of loyalty, the pure love of a devoted wife, and many such other dramatic events follow as the plot progresses in the course of this extremely popular nautanki.
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