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LESSON - 3
p20343 Trends in Contemporary/ Modern Tamil
Drama
This lesson discusses the trends in contemporary Tamil
drama. The year 1870 is generally regarded as the beginning
of modern Tamil drama. In the 19th century, Tamil drama
underwent a sea change under the influence of western plays
and Parsi dramas enacted in Mumbai.
Sankaradas Swamigal is considered to be one of the
forerunners of contemporary Tamil plays. A stalwart in the
field of drama, he breathed new life into Tamil drama. A
playwright, actor and director, Sankaradas Swamigal brought
several changes to traditional Tamil theatre. Under his
influence drama moved from villages to cities. The trend of
introducing carnatic music into plays can be traced to him. He
staged more than 50 plays in his lifetime.
Pammal Sambanda Mudaliar who is hailed as the father of
Tamil drama raised Tamil drama to the level of its western
counterparts. He was also chiefly instrumental in uplifting the
status of theatre artists in society. Unlike ancient Tamil
dramas, Pammal Sambanda Mudaliar attached a lot of
importance to dialogue. He revolutionized Tamil theatre by
choosing to write in the language of everyday speech. He
also brought an end to the tradition of lengthy plays that
stretched throughout the night.
T.P.Gopalakrishnasami Paavalar who started the Bala
Manohara Nadaga Saba in 1920 was a journalist and writer of
fiction. He brought his experiences as a journalist into the
world of Tamil drama. He staged plays with strong social
messages. The concept of staging plays around Gandhian
thought gained popularity after him.
S. Kannaiah another famous figure in the history of modern
Tamil plays is credited with a lot of innovations in Tamil
drama. His experiments with stage setting, lighting and sound
effects led to enormous changes in theatre experience.
M. Kandasamy Mudaliar, Balamani Ammal, Avvai.
T.K.Shanmugam, Kalaivanar N.S.Krishnan and S.V.Sahasranamam
are other renowned theatre personalities who took Tamil
drama in new directions.
Mention must also be made of the role played by ‘sabas’
in the growth of Tamil drama. The 20th century witnessed the
establishment of sabas or organizations which nurtured and
promoted dramas. The sabas patronized theatre artists and
encouraged the publication of plays and books on the art of
drama.
After 1980 Tamil drama entered a totally new phase. The
establishment of Schools of Drama in Universities had a major
impact on the art of drama. Experimentation became the key
word. The plays written after 1980 are characterized by
striking innovations in form, style and theme. Professor
Ramanujan, N. Muthusamy, Pralayan, M. Ramswamy,
V. Arumugam, Velu Saravanan and K.A.Gunasekaran are
regarded as the forerunners of modern Tamil drama.