NEGOTIATING TRADITION AND TECHNOLOGY: THE STRATEGIC DIGITALISATION OF INDIAN THEATRE BY MODERN INDIAN PLAYWRIGHTS

Shashank Shekhar; Smita Jha

doi:10.29121/shodhkosh.v7.i1.2026.8029

Authors

Mr. Shashank Shekhar Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India https://orcid.org/0009-0008-8489-131X
Smita Jha Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhkosh.v7.i1.2026.8029

Keywords:

Digital, Theatre, Indian, Tradition, Drama, Plays

Abstract [English]

Advancements in science and technology have progressively driven the world toward digitalisation. Its impact extends across multiple domains, including theatre, where digital theatre has emerged as a significant area of critical inquiry. Theatre, a performing art, should continually adapt to changing scenarios. The integration of digital technology into theatre is an attempt to revamp the existing theatre to align with the ever-growing digital world and cater to the modern Indian taste. However, unchecked intrusion of digital technology has overshadowed the embodied, communal experience central to theatrical practice, rendering the stage equivalent to a cinematic set. At such a juncture, it becomes pertinent to ask ‘how’ and ‘to what extent’ should theatre be digitalised to keep its essence alive. Drawing on Masura’s concept of Digital Theatre, this study explores how select Indian playwrights, such as Dina Mehta, Girish Karnad, Ramu Ramanathan, Mahesh Dattani, and Manjula Padmanabhan, strategically integrate digital technologies into their plays to sustain audience–performer interaction while minimising reliance on digitally mediated modes of performance. This study argues that digital technology should be used as per the demands of the playwright or director, or to realise scenes otherwise impossible to stage, while also enabling innovative visual strategies that enhance audience reception of a particular scene in a true sense.

Author Biographies

Mr. Shashank Shekhar, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India

Shashank Shekhar (Author) is a doctoral research scholar at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Roorkee, India. His research includes exploring the various ways to introduce Indianness in Indian Theatre. He regularly visits theatres across India to systematically observe and analyze emerging trends and evolving performative traditions. He has presented his research papers at several reputable International and National conferences.

Smita Jha, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India

Smita Jha (Co-author) is a Head of Department and professor at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Roorkee, India. She has published numerous papers in reputable journals, including SAGE and Routledge, among others. She has attended more than 50 International conferences and chaired sessions in the USA and Spain. Her book The Theme of E.M. Forster’s Novels was recently awarded The Adèle Mellen Prize for its distinguished contribution to scholarship.

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