The Theatres of Bharata and Some Aspects of Sanskrit Play Porduction

This book concerns with the chapter on the classical Indian theatre architecture described by Bharata in the second chapter of Natyasastra and its appropriate use. While Abhinavagupta, his predecessors and successors commented on it from literary angle, some scholars of the present century have attempted to represent the theoretical ideas in varying graphic forms. But the graphic representations express diverging views. Goverdhan Panchal has presented a consistently unified conception of the theatres of Bharata, taking recourse to an interdisciplinary approach which consists of drawing references from the art and science of Indian architecture, ancient archaeological remains, other related chapters on Natyasastra and the classical plays themselves. The last reference has led him to evolve very convincing techniques of producing these plays taking cues from the directorial instructions provided by the playwrights of the past. This book settles many of the practical problems pertaining to terminology, functional divisions of the stage, and the methods of presenting the Sanskrit plays, all of which were hitherto conjectures and postulations, and offers definiteness to the comprehension of the issues of the second chapter of Natyasastra.