Drama in India is as old as the Indian customs. Right from the Vedic Era Indian theatre made its presence felt amidst Vedic ritualism and ethnicities. Indians were indeed comfortable in illustrating their mood through the artistry of mudraa, lasya and Natya. Slowly therefore the distinct style of dramaturgy evolved as an illustration of the rich mores of Indian tradition, rituals, customs and ethnicity. That was just the beginning and thereafter there was no looking back. Right from the ancient era to the modern era theatre in India has embedded its glorious success whilst enriching India`s culture to a great extent. With the passage of time Indian drama became lot more contemporary whilst revealing the naturalistic and realistic attributes of the socio economic and political scenario of India. The larger than life aspects of the ancient Sanskrit drama gradually faded away. Dramas were no longer the narrative forms of the heroes and celestial beings but it became a true representation of the "unedited realisms" of Indian social life. Bengali, Marathi, Kannad theatre coupled with the innovativeness of the English theatre therefore added a whole fresh dimension to the artistry of Indian Natya. The introduction of the artistic quality through the English drama in India added that contemporary dimension to Indian Natya.

The modish aspect in Indian drama was first sown during the British Imperialism, as then, Indian drama stood apart as the weapon of protest against the British Raj. It is then; English drama in India made its presence felt quite enormously as a portrayal of the realisms of daily life. The contemporaneousness of the varied facets of the English drama in India for the very first time then aided in illustrating the finer aspects of life teamed with the regular instances of the poverty, sufferings and agony of the common people. English theatres mainly initiated in different European countries and evolved in diverse stages; however in India English drama arrived in the later part of the 17th century with the arrival of the "East India Company". British colonialism then did play the major role in changing the Indian dramaturgy whilst making it lot more chic.

English drama in India gained a dimension with the establishment of the three Presidency Towns by the British. Calcutta, Mumbai and Madras therefore became the three-metropolis in exemplifying the true aura of contemporary art forms through the grace of English drama. These cities then had the typical urban middle class audiences, which again helped in the thriving prosperity of the English theatre. The success of the English drama in India was then, not based on the sale of the tickets but was grounded on the support and patronage of the affluent class and the theatres were then an emblematic representation of the European ways of life. The colonial aspects, British Imperialism coupled with the tuneful harmonization of the Eastern and Western philosophy then crafted a marked change in the story line and in the dramatic art whilst making English drama in India a true representation of the British culture, ways of life and of course a depiction of the British exploitations.

The nature of the English drama in India again changed with the independence of India. It was then not only a representation of the European lifestyle but a lot more. English drama then became a typical art form in epitomizing the socio- political and economic status of Independent India. The rich chronicle of Indian drama, the colossal history of Indian Natya then witnessed a marked change with the advent of the eminent theatre personalities like Habib Tanvir, K.N. Pannikar, Girish Karnad, Vijay Tendulkar, and many others who further carried English drama in India to the further step of maturity. English drama in India, which was once just the illustration of British mistreatment, then gained a further up to date projection as the theatre personalities then tried to highlight Indian tradition, folklore, custom, rituals, conventions, and rites amidst the innovativeness of English drama. The saga of English drama, which began back in the long gone era of the British Imperialism further continued and is still an eminent part of the theatre forms in India. Continuous study, deep understanding and above all the tuneful blend of the west and East have helped English drama in India as a distinct art form whilst aiding it to stand apart with pride and dignity.