http://repo.lib.jfn.ac.lk/ujrr/handle/123456789/13119 2026-10-05T05:04:37Z 2026-10-05T05:04:37Z Yadav, R. Sharad Kumar http://repo.lib.jfn.ac.lk/ujrr/handle/123456789/13136 2026-10-05T04:45:38Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Pedagogical Aspects of Andher Nagari by Bhāratendu Harishchandra: An Analysis for Visual and Performing Arts Education Authors: Yadav, R.; Sharad Kumar Abstract: The play Andher Nagari by Bhāratendu Harishchandra has acquired a special place in the modern Hindi theatre for its satire, social relevance, humor, drama, and politics. However, the pedagogical potentials of this play in the field of visual and performing arts education are yet to be explored. This paper attempts to present Andher Nagari as a source to develop creative and critical abilities, ethical reasoning, communication, collaboration, performance skills, and experiential learning of the visual and performing arts. The research problem of the paper is the lack of attention to classical Hindi dramatic texts as resources for experiential learning in the visual and performing arts education domain. The objectives of the paper include examining the pedagogical potentials of this play’s dramatic features for learners, theatre workshops, role-play activities, scriptreading practices, and performance. The paper employs a qualitative, descriptive, and interpretive research design that utilizes secondary sources of information. The primary source of this study is the dramatic text of Andher Nagari , while the other sources include scholarly articles, research papers, and publications on Hindi theatre and pedagogy. The findings of the paper demonstrate that this play can be fruitfully used in the educational process to promote experiential learning of dramatic arts. The study concludes that Andher Nagari can be employed as a pedagogical tool in the visual and performing arts education to enhance interdisciplinary learning, learner agency, cultural awareness, and critical thinking.

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z Pachiaru, M. http://repo.lib.jfn.ac.lk/ujrr/handle/123456789/13135 2026-10-05T04:39:24Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Integrating Puppetry into Contemporary Actor’s Training (A Practice as Research towards hybrid pedagogies in Performing Arts) Authors: Pachiaru, M. Abstract: Contemporary actor training increasingly requires interdisciplinary approaches to presence, embodiment, and ensemble practice. This paper examines puppetry’s pedagogical potential through a practice-based case study of OTT – On the Table, a tabletop Bunraku-inspired performance created by Theatre Arts students at the University of Hyderabad, exploring bodily awareness, object animation, ensemble sensitivity, and hybrid performance strategies. The work resulted from a series of 15-day intensive workshops led by yours truly consecutively for the batches since 2022 to till date, which emphasised breath awareness and ensemble coordination and object/figure manipulation. Students engaged in the complete process of designing, constructing, and animating puppets – integrating materiality with performativity. Observations, training and rehearsal analysis, and participants’ reflections traced the study’s insights into how puppetry reshaped their engagement with performance. And how can hybrid pedagogy be developed by integrating puppetry towards the contemporary actor training, achieving fundamentals of performativity? Puppetry enriched actor training by developing spatial awareness, physical precision, and sensitivity to movement. Bunraku-inspired ensemble work strengthened coordination, rhythm, and responsiveness. Puppet construction and animation encouraged alternative approaches to storytelling and embodiment, expanding students’ understanding of presence, agency, materiality, and non-human performativity while connecting traditional puppetry with contemporary performance practices.The research affirms puppetry as a transformative pedagogical tool, capable of reframing the actor’s process through externalised expression, ensemble collaboration, and interdisciplinary exploration. By bridging traditional and emerging techniques, puppetry cultivates adaptability and creative agency, preparing actors for the contemporary performance context. Far from a peripheral practice, puppetry emerges as a vital medium for rethinking narrative structures and actor-body relationships within modern training environments.

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z Pyasi, P. http://repo.lib.jfn.ac.lk/ujrr/handle/123456789/13134 2026-10-05T04:35:49Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: From Authority to Artistic Autonomy: A Three-Stage Model of Pandit Sanjoy Bandopadhyay’s Contemporary Guru–Śiṣya Pedagogy Authors: Pyasi, P. Abstract: This study investigates how pedagogical authority is enacted and experienced in the contemporary guru–śiṣya pedagogy of Pandit Sanjoy Bandopadhyay and develops a conceptual model explaining the transformation of pedagogical authority into learner autonomy through the processes of Artistic Care and Pedagogical Authority Shift. Adopting a qualitative interpretive research design informed by analytical autoethnography, the study draws upon the researcher’s prolonged learning experiences under Pandit Sanjoy Bandopadhyay, complemented by interviews and narrative responses from senior disciples. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings propose a three-stage pedagogical model. The first stage conceptualises authority as Artistic Care, where the guru’s guidance develops the learner’s aesthetic perception, confidence, and understanding of rāga grammar. The second stage, Artistic Care in Action, shifts the emphasis from imitation to musical thinking, guided improvisation, reflective listening, and independent aesthetic evaluation through personalised pedagogical interventions. The final stage, Authority Shift, marks the learner’s internalisation of artistic judgement, enabling the emergence of an independent musical identity while embodying the guru’s pedagogical values. The study argues that authority and autonomy are not opposing pedagogical forces but mutually reinforcing processes, offering a new conceptual framework for understanding contemporary guru–śiṣya pedagogy in Hindustani music.

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z Amarjeet Kumar http://repo.lib.jfn.ac.lk/ujrr/handle/123456789/13133 2026-10-05T04:26:22Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Reimagining Theatre and Sustainable Pedagogy: An Analysis from Bhikhari Thakur’s Folk Theatre Authors: Amarjeet Kumar Abstract: Bhikhari Thakur’s theatre and plays have been an anchor point for research across disciplinary fields. However, the discussion remains limited to examining his work from a literary or social science perspective. Scholars overlook his theatre as a pedagogy. By looking closely, we can observe that his theatre also contains elements that can lead to the development of theatrical pedagogy. By practicing theatre, artists can learn many things, such as the integration of acting, music, and dance; cross-gender acting; large gestures, expression, and movement; and improvisation. Such training can be imparted not only in formal theatre institutions but also in amateur and community theatre settings. This study aims to examine the pedagogical potential of Bhikhari Thakur’s theatre in performance tradition as a tool for sustainable theatre training. This study used a qualitative research approach, including a literature review, performance analysis, and the author’s participant observation as a tool for understanding the pedagogical component of Bhikhari Thakur’s theatre. During my doctoral studies at the University of Hyderabad, I had the opportunity not only to participate as an audience member or a performer but also to direct the play ‘Bidesia’ for the first time. Until then, I had been learning the ‘Bidesia’ style merely by watching it or performing a role; this time, however, I not only played the role of the Sutradhar (narrator) but also directed the entire production. This gave me firsthand experience of using the ‘Bidesiya’ as a pedagogical method for teaching acting and stage performances. Ultimately, the study tried to establish that, much like art forms such as Koodiyattam, Kathakali, Thang-Ta, Tai-Chi, Kalaripayattu, and Chhau, Bikhari Thakur’s theatre also has pedagogical potential for sustainable theatre training.

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