International Journal of Engineering and Advanced Technology (IJEAT) ISSN: 2249 – 8958, Volume-9 Issue-2, December, 2019 5325 Published By: Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering & Sciences Publication Retrieval Number: B3374129219/2019©BEIESP DOI: 10.35940/ijeat.B3374.129219 Abstract: Drama in India has been the mainstream source of entertainment for ages. It is in fact the oldest form of entertainment. It has for centuries survived as a way of life rather than an organised event. Stories from religious scripts were being performed on various events. However the Modern Indian Drama came into existence only in the early eighteenth century. The major factors that created a great impact on the growth of Modern Drama may be considered to be: Colonial Cities, Indigenous Theatres, Playwrights, Ticket. With the development of these concepts Modern Indian Theatre grew substantially. Keywords: Drama, Modern Indian Theatre, Playwrights, Tickets, Urban Cities I. INTRODUCTION Drama as an art form has been the earliest form of entertainment throughout the world, while other genres such as poetry, prose and fiction contributed more to art and literature, drama was contemplated much as a source of entertainment. Drama stands unique from the other forms because, unlike the other forms of literature, drama is directly influenced by collaborative production and collective reception. In all other genres there is an author and then the readers. Whereas in drama the playwright, the producer, the drama troupe or company and the actors had to join hands to satisfy the mass. Drama has been enacted in a theatre, performed by various actors on a stage before an audience, which stands as a witness to unity in modes of production and diversity in forms of reception. Again drama has the bigger responsibility of satisfying the audience at each broadcast failing which it would lose its audience. II. METHODOLOGY A BRIEF HISTORY OF MODERN INDIAN DRAMA Drama as a genre set about as early as in the 5 th century, its evolution started with the classic Greek Theatre followed by Revised Manuscript Received on December 15, 2019. Ms. Vimochana M., Assistant Professor Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sangunthala R& D Institute of Science and Technology Chennai Dr. M. R. Bindu M.A., Associate Professor Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sangunthala R& D Institute of Science and Technology Chennai the Classic Roman Theatre succeeded by Medieval theatre, Elizabethan theatre, Jacobean theatre, Restoration Drama, Modern and Post Modern Drama falling in line one after the other. The modern Indian theatre is a summation of all the theatrical activities which had been taking place for more than 2000 years of the Indian theatrical history. Indian theatre is said to have begun even before the Greek theatre. Dr.Bhange Prakash and Bhagat Santosh Vishwanth express their view as “The Indian theory of drama preserved in Natyashastra, the oldest texts of the theory of drama. It says that the drama is a divine origin, and is connected to the sacred Vedas." (619) The Patanjali contains the earliest reference to what may have been the seeds of Sanskrit drama. This treatise on grammar from 140 BC provides a feasible date for the beginning of Indian theatre. The earliest-surviving fragments of Sanskrit drama date from the 1st century AD. Drama since then had been the main form of entertainment among the masses. The major source of evidence for Sanskrit theatre is Natyasastra (A Treatise on Theatre) which is believed to be authored by Bharata Muni. Kalidasa is arguably considered to be the greatest Sanskrit dramatist, he is0 followed by Bhavabhuti and then by emperor Harsha. However the concept of playwriting was non-existent between 6 th to 18 th centuries. Playwriting in India took a rebirth in the early 19 th century, it was initially introduced by the British themselves. Later sprung whole lot of modern playwrights in India Micheal Madhusudan Dutt, Nil Darpan, Dinadandhu Mitra etc may be mentioned as early playwrights of Modern Indian Theatre. Rabindranath Tagore Aurobindo and Chattopadhyaya were pioneering modern playwrights who sowed the seeds of modern Inidan Drama, following them a long list of playwrights started emerging in India. Among them Badal Sarkar, Mukesh Dhatani, Vijay Tendulkar, Girish Karnad etc were the predominant ones III. RESULT AND DISCUSSION MAJOR TURNING POINTS IN MODERN INDIAN THEATRE A. Colonial Cities Enactment of plays in India was something like a way of life or a routine event rather than an organised one. Though there were not may playwrights between the 6 th to 18 th centuries, plays did happen regularly. Modifiers of Modern Indian Drama Vimochana M, M.R. Bindu