As part of the great cultural renaissance generated during the post-independence period, there has occurred a most meaningful encounter with tradition in various fields of creative activity. The return to and discovery of tradition was inspired by a search for roots and a quest for identity.
This was a part of the whole process of decolonization of our lifestyle, values, social institutions, creative forms and cultural modes. The modern Indian theatre, a product of a colonial theatrical culture, felt the need to search for roots most intensely to match its violent dislocation from the traditional course.
Directors like B. V. Karanth, K. N. Panikkar and Ratan Thiyam have had a most meaningful encounter with tradition and, with their work, have reversed the colonial course of contemporary theatre and put it back on the track of the great Natyashastra tradition. It sounds paradoxical, but their theatre is both avant-garde in the context of conventional realistic theatre, and still belongs to the Natyashastra theatrical tradition.
Post-independence cultural renaissance in Indian theatre focused on
The renaissance focused on the search for traditional Indian theatre, so the answer is search for traditional Indian theatre.
The passage describes a return to and discovery of India's own theatrical tradition.
It stresses reconnecting modern theatre with the great Natyashastra tradition.
So the focus was clearly the search for traditional Indian theatre.
Developing or returning to Western theatre is the opposite of this rooted, indigenous quest.
Modern Western theatre is what the directors moved away from, not toward.
The whole passage frames the renaissance as decolonization and a search for Indian roots.
Want more like this? Create a free account to practise a full test, track your progress, and get spaced-repetition review.
Practise on Mcqkart →🎓 Book an expert →