Indian drama and theatre is considered even older than Indian dance and music, and possess classical theatrical traditions. These have also influenced modern theatre, especially the Hindi, Marathi and Bengali plays. Drama in India represents people going through specific eventful period in their lives, both in serious and humorous manner. A play comes fully to life only on the stage, where it blends into numerous arts that have been developed by those of the author, director, actor, designer, production team and others. Dramatic performance involves an intricate process of rehearsal, based upon imagery inherent in the dramatic text. When performing drama in India, a play is generally divided into acts and scenes, the intermissions are satiated by musicians.

There exist umpteen lyrical scenes, where more passionate things in nature are described, including several moral observations and principles of wisdom.

History of Indian Drama
History of Indian drama is deeply rooted in Indian Sanskrit drama. In the initial times, dramas were penned on the basis and foundation of the epics and Indian Puranas. Indian drama originates in the Vedic Period, precisely with the enactment of Rig Veda. The Natyashastra by Bharata or the great epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata and their times, had a lot of scholars that have taken the concept of drama in India to the next level. Valmiki, Vyasa and Panini also had shed decisive light on dramaturgy and Patanjali had heartily contributed in his Mahabhashya that there existed two dramas, Kamsa Vadha and Vali Vadha.

In the 15th century, Indian drama had almost vanished due to foreign invasions on India. Gradually, Loknatya gained popularity from 17th century, as many states developed their own forms of drama. Bengal evolved the styles like Yatrakirtaniya, Paal, Gaan; in Gujarat the forms comprised Bhavai, Ramlila; in Madhya Pradesh, Mach; in northern India Nautanki developed, along with Bhand, Ramlila and Raslila; in Kashmir Bhandya Thar; in Assam it was Ahiyanat and Ankinaat etc. In the colonial period, Indian drama experienced radical change starting with the translation of Kalidasa`s Shakuntala, by Sir William Jones in 1789. In 1850, modern theatrical activity originated in Bengal, Karnataka and Kerala also, adding further to the history of Indian drama.

It is also evident that every writer, whichever background or genre, did belong to the Hindu religion. This founding religious mode later paved the way for various religious diversities in India. As such the origin of Hindu drama in India comes under crucial and decisive limelight and securitisation, when present-day and later dramatic and theatrical performances are concerned.

Performances in Indian Drama
The performances in an Indian drama usually began with a prayer and then the spectators are praised and a brief of the upcoming performance is described. The play is segregated into acts and scenes and musicians perform in the intervals. Most of the play is presented in prose and the emotional passages are in poetry, mostly in the four-line stanza. Moreover lyrical scenes are also enacted where the beauty of nature is described. Generally the heroes and important characters speak in Sanskrit, the women, slaves, and minor characters use the lower class dialect. Passionate love, feelings of anger, hate and jealousy and violence, is not permissible. Moreover, sleeping, scratching, eating, yawning and kissing are also regarded inappropriate. Supernatural and magical elements comprise a significant part of many Indian dramas, as many essential characters are bewitched or cursed. The play concludes with a prayer as well.

The production of drama in India was almost absolutely an involvement of the elite, who arranged for such festivities in honour of an enthronement, a lunar holiday, a royal marriage, or the birth of a royal successor. The actor`s profession was always looked at with deference and there was no objection to women being utilised and acting on the stage. In many ways, however, Indian drama unwrap the social philosophy upon which the caste system is based, as well as a profound religious feeling. Great importance is attached to the idea of self-sacrifice as the highest form of self-realisation.

Popular Plays of Indian Drama
The most famous plays of Indian Drama were probably written by the two greatest playwrights, Bhavabuti and Kalidasa. The earliest extant stage piece, The Little Clay Cart, attributed to a sovereign named Sudraka, is the earliest extant stage piece of Indian drama. The play is in all probability dated sometime before 400 A.D. This is one of the few oriental dramas treating, in part at least, of middle-class lives and everyday living. Kalidasa`s Shakuntala is most popular amongst the Europeans as it was translated into English by Sir William Jones in the year 1789. The play is in 7 acts, and the story is inspired from the 1st book of the Mahabharata. "The Rise of the Moon of Knowledge" is a theological and figurative play divide into 6 acts, where qualities like willpower, reason, and the recklessness of man are portrayed.

Other popular works of Indian Drama include "The Signet of the Minister", a political piece; and "The Binding of a Braid of Hair".

Contemporary Indian Drama
After Indian independence in 1947, Indian drama has made an attempt to segregate dramas in 2 segments, Professional Theatre and Non-Professional Theatre. Bengali, Marathi and Hindi have developed over the years and the demand for them has acted as a stimulant for their growth.

The Sangeet Natak Academy in Delhi provides support in sponsoring, research, propagation, admiration and benefaction of Indian Drama. Indian Drama has now evolved into much improved level that has found admiration and appreciation in the global stage.