Drama & Theatre Existence of Indian drama can be traced to the ancient times when poetry was recited at religious and social gatherings. Two great epics of India, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata can be considered to be the first lays of India. Kalidasa is ancient India’s greatest Sanskrit poet. His plays like Shakuntala and Meghadoot are some of the finest literary creations in the world. The tradition of folk theatre exists in almost all regions of the country. Classical theater has influenced modern Marathi, Hindi and Bengali theaters. Moreover, there is a rich tradition of puppet theatre in rural India. Group Theatre, initiated by renowned artists like Utpal Dutt, Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, is still maintained by groups like Nandikar (Kolkata) and Prithvi Theatre (Mumbai).
