nautanki

Indian folk dance

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July 1, 2026

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Nautanki is a popular folk theatre form from North India, characterized by music, dance, drumming, and exaggerated makeup. It often deals with mythological heroes, medieval romances, and social or political events. Actors in nautanki, traditionally all men, may sit on stage and sing or play instruments as part of the chorus. The performance style can include asides, soliloquies, and monologues, with scenes melting into one another. While the term "nautch" refers to entertainment by professional dancing girls, nautanki is a broader theatrical tradition.12

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South Asian arts
The performing arts in India
…of opera (bhavai, terukkuttu, and nautanki), the characters sing and dance at the same time or alternate. Ballad singers from the states of Orissa and Andhra Pradesh dramatize their singing by strong facial gestures and rhythmic ankle bells and execute dance phrases between the narrative singing. On the other hand,…
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…of opera (bhavai, terukkuttu, and nautanki), the characters sing and dance at the same time or alternate. Ballad singers from the states of Orissa and Andhra Pradesh dramatize their singing by strong facial gestures and rhythmic ankle bells and execute dance phrases between the narrative singing. On the other hand,…
Read More