Dramaturgy and Performance Aesthetics in Hela Khayal: A Study of Folk Theatre Practices in Eastern Rajasthan

Abstract

Hela Khayal is one of the significant folk theatres of Rajasthan, which is widely performed particularly in Dausa district of Rajasthan. An exclusive combination of music, dance, sarcasm, narration, and mass involvement, Hela presents a lively form of theatre, with deeply rooted traditions. This paper gives distinct importance on Indian tradition, performance theory and aesthetics of Hela khayal. This study focuses on actor-viewer dialogue, narration, performance sites, musicality, language, get-ups, and socio-cultural roles of Hela folk theatre. Hela shows a thoughtful dramatic art, where performance surpasses the restrictions of written text and performs the form of a collective cultural involvement. This study more defines ‘Rasa', folk-theatre acting, vocal dialogue, spontaneous acting and shape the aesthetics of this tradition. this study makes significant contribution of Hela khayal to the preservation and intellectual understanding of the insubstantial cultural tradition of Rajasthan.

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