Towards the early years of the twentieth century, however, the scocial revolt was already in the offing. And it had its repercussions on the arts in the production of plays like Nildarpan on the conditions in the Indigo plantations of Eastern India.

The tradition of the Bengali middle-class stage therefore, was the only theatrical vehicle in Bengal until just before the beginning of the second world war when a strong wave of anti-fascism was rising. It was, however, during the war that the merging of the Progressive Writers' Movement with the Indian People's Theatre Association in Bengal led to a new orientation of theatrical art.

In 1944 was produced the play Homeopathy written by Manoranjan Bhattacharya, a professional actor and a dramatist of distinction. And in the same bill was Bijon Bhattacharya's Jahandandhi, together with the poem entitled Madhubanshir Goli by Jyotirendra Moitra.

It was the Bengal famine which shook the whole country that produced the greatest spurt of theatrical activity in Bengal. Under the stress of this exigency was produced a play Navanna which will remain a landmark in the history of the Indian theatre, for the extraordinary heights it touched as sheer art, the perfection of scenery, costume, acting and the general organization having coalesced to produce lasting memories and a deep stirring in the country.

Navanna (New Harvest), was written by Bijon Bhattacharya and produced by the author in collaboration with Shambu Mitra, with the assistance of Manoranjan Bhattacharya and Gour Ghose. The theme of the play, which in four acts, is the life of a Bengali peasant during the harrowing famine when three million died from starvation and disease. The critic of the Amrit Bazar Patrika wrote about its first performance: 'Nothing can be more topical and therefore more difficult of artistic treatment, especially in the form of a dramatic performance as a famine...'

The play was performed before large audiences not only in Calcutta, but in the Mofussil areas and invitations poured in from the countryside...The last sentence taken from a report about Navanna is significant, however, of the problem which faces the Bengali theatre: It is primarily a city stage without much connection with the villages, except that in this particular play, as in Jyotirendra Moitra's song drama Navajibaner Gan (Songs of New Life), the theme deals with the peasantry.

The treatment too was on the whole in the realistic technique bequeathed to Bengal by the European influence and did not derive to any extent from that current indigenous village theatre. Therefore Navanna is rather a tour de force than the originator of a new tradition in drama...

In my opinion only a constant return to folk feeling which is rooted in the real life of our peoples, can bring a genuine sense of reality to the Indian stage. The Bengal movement is reorganizing itself in this matter. For they have given a few performances in the Kabi Ladai form of recital. In this, a band of village poets with folk instruments like the drum, form opposite parties and wage wordy duels with one another, the leaders of the two bands composing impromptu verses and discussing subjects of moral import.

It is possible to use this form, as the Andhra Indian People's Theatre Association has done in dialogues on topics of burning importance, and to develop the humorous as well as the rhythmic possibilities of these bands as a chorus effect, by weaving them into the modern play.