Unit 2 — Folk & Traditional Theatre Forms of India — 100 MCQs (UGC-NET standard)
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Folk theatre primarily evolved out of:
A) Courtly salons
B) Agricultural and ritual celebrations
C) Printed drama
D) Western opera
Answer: B -
Tribal theatre is best characterized by:
A) Urban themes and written scripts
B) Ritual, animistic beliefs, and community rites
C) Fixed proscenium stages
D) Colonial patronage
Answer: B -
The major difference between classical and folk theatre is:
A) Use of music only
B) Codified textual grammar vs. oral improvisation
C) All folk theatre is ritual whereas classical is not
D) Classical theatre never uses costumes
Answer: B -
“Traditional theatre” usually implies:
A) Theatre for modern audiences only
B) Performance forms transmitted through hereditary or institutional lineages
C) Theatre without music
D) Western-influenced plays
Answer: B -
Which of the following is a key social function of folk theatre?
A) Market speculation
B) Moral education, community cohesion and entertainment
C) Court chronicle only
D) Private entertainment of elites
Answer: B -
A hallmark feature of many folk performances is:
A) Strict adherence to a printed script
B) Audience participation and improvisation
C) Silence by the audience
D) Use of electric amplification only
Answer: B -
The Bhakti movement influenced folk theatre chiefly by:
A) Replacing performance with meditation
B) Making sacred narratives accessible in vernacular and encouraging devotional enactments
C) Encouraging Sanskrit-only performances
D) Banning public performance
Answer: B -
Which of the following forms is primarily a community enactment of the Ramayana?
A) Jatra
B) Ramlila
C) Yakshagana
D) Chhau
Answer: B -
Raslila performances primarily enact episodes of:
A) Ramayana
B) Bhagavata Purana (Krishna Leela)
C) Mahabharata
D) Vedas
Answer: B -
Nautanki is a folk theatre form best associated with:
A) Tamil Nadu
B) Uttar Pradesh and North India
C) Kerala
D) Assam
Answer: B -
Which instrument is most commonly associated with Nautanki?
A) Maddale
B) Dholak and harmonium
C) Pena
D) Chenda
Answer: B -
Bhand Pather is a satirical dramatic form from:
A) Gujarat
B) Kashmir
C) Maharashtra
D) Odisha
Answer: B -
Yakshagana is traditionally performed in:
A) Karnataka (Coastal)
B) West Bengal
C) Kerala only
D) Punjab
Answer: A -
The principal percussion instrument in Yakshagana is:
A) Mizhavu
B) Maddale
C) Tabla
D) Dholak
Answer: B -
Kutiyattam is a Sanskrit theatre tradition preserved in:
A) Tamil Nadu
B) Kerala (Koothambalam)
C) Karnataka
D) Odisha
Answer: B -
Which drum is central to Kutiyattam performance?
A) Mizhavu
B) Mridangam
C) Chenda
D) Dhol
Answer: A -
Chhau masks are associated primarily with which variant?
A) Mayurbhanj form
B) Seraikella form
C) Purulia form
D) All of the above have different mask usages (Purulia uses masks prominently)
Answer: D -
Chhau is performed widely in:
A) Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal
B) Kerala only
C) Punjab only
D) Bihar only
Answer: A -
The percussion instrument prominent in Chhau is:
A) Tabla
B) Dhol and dhumsa
C) Pakhawaj
D) Mizhavu
Answer: B -
Jatra theatre is a popular form in:
A) Kerala
B) West Bengal and Odisha
C) Gujarat
D) Andhra Pradesh
Answer: B -
Which of the following is an Assamese devotional theatre form created by Sankardeva?
A) Ankiya Naat (Bhaona)
B) Kutiyattam
C) Yakshagana
D) Ramlila
Answer: A -
Instruments central to Bhaona include:
A) Khol (drum) and tal (cymbals)
B) Tabla and sitar
C) Mizhavu only
D) Pena only
Answer: A -
Therukoothu literally means:
A) Temple ritual
B) Street play
C) Court drama
D) Puppet show
Answer: B -
Main percussion for Therukoothu is:
A) Chenda and mizhavu
B) Mridangam and mukhavina
C) Dhol and nagara
D) Tabla only
Answer: B -
Kuravanji is a Tamil dance-drama known for:
A) Comic satire exclusively
B) Fortune-teller (Kurathi) heroine and blend of folk and classical idioms
C) Masked battle scenes
D) Puppetry
Answer: B -
Krishnattam is a temple dance drama of:
A) Tamil Nadu
B) Kerala (describing Krishna Leela)
C) Karnataka
D) Assam
Answer: B -
Which percussion instrument is prominent in Theyyam?
A) Chenda
B) Tabla
C) Tabla and sitar
D) None
Answer: A -
Pandvani is a narrative performance tradition associated with which epic?
A) Ramayana
B) Mahabharata
C) Bhagavata Purana
D) None of the above
Answer: B -
The soloist in Pandvani often plays the:
A) Ektara
B) Sitar
C) Flute
D) Tabla
Answer: A -
Burrakatha is a narrative form from:
A) Maharashtra
B) Andhra Pradesh & Telangana
C) West Bengal
D) Punjab
Answer: B -
Typical Burrakatha troupe composition is:
A) One soloist only
B) Three performers – main storyteller, joker, and chorus/support
C) Ten dancers only
D) Two musicians only
Answer: B -
Which folk form often uses Lavani songs?
A) Tamasha (Maharashtra)
B) Kutiyattam
C) Chhau
D) Jatra
Answer: A -
Bhavai is a folk theatre form from:
A) Gujarat
B) Bengal
C) Assam
D) Karnataka
Answer: A -
Which instrument is commonly used in Bhavai?
A) Nagara and pakhawaj
B) Pena
C) Maddale
D) Mizhavu
Answer: A -
Dashavatar performances depict:
A) Ten incarnations of Vishnu
B) Scenes from Mahabharata only
C) Local folktales only
D) Islamic stories
Answer: A -
Phad painting tradition is linked with which folk form?
A) Nautanki
B) Pabuji Ki Phad (a mobile scroll linked to Phad performance in Rajasthan)
C) Yakshagana
D) Kutiyattam
Answer: B -
Sutradhar in folk theatre is comparable to:
A) The stage curtain
B) Narrator or stage-manager who guides the audience
C) A percussionist only
D) None of the above
Answer: B -
The role of Vidushaka in folk-influenced classical plays is:
A) Villain
B) Clown or jester providing comic relief and social commentary
C) Hero only
D) Musician only
Answer: B -
Which instrument is central to Manipuri Lai Haraoba rituals?
A) Pena (string instrument)
B) Tabla
C) Mridangam
D) Harmonium
Answer: A -
The Koothambalam is the traditional theatre space of:
A) Karnataka
B) Kerala (for Kutiyattam and temple arts)
C) Tamil Nadu
D) Odisha
Answer: B -
Which of the following is a characteristic of folk theatre costume?
A) Minimal, symbolic and colourful denoting role and status
B) Identical to western stage costume
C) Always monochrome white
D) None of the above
Answer: A -
Which instrument grouping is Ghana Vadya in Indian classification?
A) Solid struck instruments (e.g., gongs)
B) Membranous drums only
C) Wind instruments only
D) String instruments only
Answer: A -
Avanaddha refers to which class of instruments?
A) Stringed instruments
B) Membranous percussion instruments (e.g., drums)
C) Wind instruments
D) Solid struck instruments
Answer: B -
Which form is best known for overnight public performances with melodramatic plot and music in Bengal?
A) Theyyam
B) Jatra
C) Kutiyattam
D) Yakshagana
Answer: B -
Which folk form is associated with the depiction of Krishna’s dance with gopis in Braj?
A) Ramlila
B) Raslila
C) Jatra
D) Tamasha
Answer: B -
The principal instrument of Ramlila performance traditionally is:
A) Shehnai and dholak along with harmonium in modern times
B) Sitar only
C) Pena only
D) Tabla only
Answer: A -
Which Southern form is traditionally performed by devadasis in temple contexts historically?
A) Bharatanatyam (originating from temple ritual traditions including devadasi practice)
B) Chhau
C) Jatra
D) Bhavai
Answer: A -
Which folk tradition uses mask work extensively in Purulia Chhau?
A) Kutiyattam
B) Chhau (Purulia)
C) Yakshagana only
D) Jatra only
Answer: B -
Which of the following forms uses extempore dialogues within a structured mythic plot?
A) Yakshagana and Nautanki
B) Ballet only
C) Opera only
D) None of the above
Answer: A -
Which of these forms is known for martial-like choreography and heroic themes?
A) Chhau
B) Kuravanji
C) Burrakatha
D) Bhavai
Answer: A -
Which region is the origin of Powada ballads?
A) Maharashtra (heroic ballads like those of Shivaji)
B) Assam
C) Tamil Nadu
D) Bengal
Answer: A -
The principal instrument in Powada is:
A) Dholki and tuntuna
B) Pena
C) Mizhavu
D) Shehnai
Answer: A -
Phad performers typically carry:
A) A portable painted scroll depicting the hero’s life for narration and display
B) Masks only
C) Electronic amplifiers only
D) None of the above
Answer: A -
Which folk form’s performance often culminates with a moral epilogue and blessings to the audience?
A) Most folk dramas (e.g., Ramlila, Jatra)
B) Western opera only
C) Silent mime only
D) None
Answer: A -
The term Laukika Abhinaya means:
A) Ritualized, stylized acting
B) Everyday, realistic expression in performance
C) Masked dance only
D) None of the above
Answer: B -
Which vritti (mode) in Nāṭyaśāstra is associated with grace and erotic sentiment (Śṛṅgāra)?
A) Kaiśikī
B) Arabhati
C) Bharati
D) Sattvati
Answer: A -
Which of the following forms is a devotional drama derived from Bhagavata Purana and performed in Kerala?
A) Krishnattam and Bhagavata Mela (Melattur)
B) Jatra
C) Nautanki
D) Powada
Answer: A -
Sutradhar’s role in many folk traditions is to:
A) Announce the start, narrate, and connect scenes (narrator/host)
B) Play percussion only
C) Perform the fight scenes only
D) None of the above
Answer: A -
Which of the following is a major challenge to folk theatre today?
A) Strong state patronage only
B) Urbanization, migration, competition from mass media and loss of patronage
C) Too many performers
D) Lack of scripts only
Answer: B -
Which institution in India has been instrumental in documenting and supporting folk theatre?
A) Sangeet Natak Akademi
B) IMF
C) FIFA
D) UNESCO only (while UNESCO helps, the primary national is Sangeet Natak Akademi)
Answer: A -
The feature ‘improvisation’ in folk theatre primarily helps in:
A) Adapting to contemporary issues and audience responses
B) Keeping performances identical always
C) Eliminating music
D) None of the above
Answer: A -
Which folk form uses the mizhavu as the chief drum?
A) Kutiyattam / Koothu of Kerala
B) Yakshagana
C) Jatra
D) Pandvani
Answer: A -
Which folk theatre in Andhra/Telangana is notable for fast-paced narrative and comic interplay?
A) Burrakatha
B) Jatra
C) Bhavai
D) Chhau
Answer: A -
The traditional apprenticeship system in folk theatre is characterized by:
A) Gurukula/lineage or hereditary transmission and on-the-job learning
B) Only university degrees
C) No training at all
D) Online courses only
Answer: A -
Which folk form of Odisha often enacts episodes from the Puranas with music and dance?
A) Jatra and Gotipua / Odissi origins in temple contexts
B) Nautanki only
C) Bhavai only
D) None
Answer: A -
Which classical form shares origins with folk Krishnattam and later evolved into Kathakali?
A) Krishnattam (Kerala)
B) Jatra
C) Nautanki
D) Bhavai
Answer: A -
Which of these instruments is a wind instrument used in many folk rituals and temple openings?
A) Shehnai / Nadaswaram / Kuzhal (regional names)
B) Mizhavu
C) Ektara
D) Kartal
Answer: A -
In many folk traditions female roles historically were played by:
A) Women exclusively everywhere historically
B) Men in female disguise (in many traditions)
C) Foreign performers only
D) Machines
Answer: B -
Which form is closely associated with the Sufi-Bhakti synthesis in some regions?
A) Qawwali influences in performance spaces and folk kirtan traditions (syncretic forms)
B) Chhau only
C) Yakshagana only
D) None
Answer: A -
Which region’s folk theatre is known as Phad / Pabuji Ki Phad?
A) Rajasthan (narrative scroll tradition)
B) Kerala
C) Bengal
D) Assam
Answer: A -
Which festival is primarily associated with Ramlila enactments?
A) Dussehra (Vijayadashami)
B) Holi
C) Diwali only
D) Baisakhi
Answer: A -
The traditional mask theatre Chhau (Purulia) is primarily used to depict:
A) Mythic battles and episodes from epics with stylized movement
B) Courtly romances only
C) Modern plays only
D) None
Answer: A -
Which of these Southern forms uses nattuvanars or specialised conductors in classical dance contexts?
A) Bharatanatyam (nattuvanar conducting the tala and choreography; while not a folk form, intersection exists)
B) Yakshagana only
C) Chhau only
D) Jatra only
Answer: A -
Which of the following is a feature of Yakshagana performance style?
A) Vigorous dance, colourful make-up, extempore dialogues, and mythic plots
B) Silent mime only
C) No music
D) None of the above
Answer: A -
Which folk form’s performers are believed to become possessed by deities during the act?
A) Theyyam (Kerala)
B) Nautanki
C) Burrakatha
D) Jatra
Answer: A -
Which of the following is typically a chorus instrument in folk theatre?
A) Kartal / manjira (cymbals) for keeping beat and supporting singing
B) Mizhavu only
C) Tabla only
D) Electric guitar only
Answer: A -
Which of these theatre spaces is an example of a traditional temple stage?
A) Rangamandapa or Koothambalam in South India
B) Proscenium stage only
C) Film studio only
D) None
Answer: A -
Which folk form is associated with the telling of Pabuji’s legend on painted cloth?
A) Phad (Rajasthan)
B) Bhavai
C) Chhau
D) Kutiyattam
Answer: A -
Which instrument is typically associated with Pandvani’s dramatic narrative?
A) Ektara or tambura with kartal accompaniment
B) Mizhavu only
C) Pena only
D) Shehnai only
Answer: A -
Which form developed under Vaishnava influence in Assam by Sankardev?
A) Ankiya Naat / Bhaona (Assam)
B) Yakshagana
C) Chhau
D) Bhavai
Answer: A -
In many folk dramas, the comic role often functions as:
A) Moral exemplar only
B) Social critic, mediator and interpreter of action for the audience (Vidushaka/Sutradhar functions)
C) Only a musician
D) None
Answer: B -
Which of these is a preservation strategy commonly used for folk theatre today?
A) Documentation, festivalization, grants, archival recordings and academic study
B) Banning performances
C) No action needed
D) None
Answer: A -
Which of the following forms commonly uses masks to denote character?
A) Chhau (Purulia) and some tribal forms; also Yakshagana uses headgear though not full masks
B) Nautanki only
C) Jatra only
D) None
Answer: A -
Which form is known as a dramatic ballad tradition from central India narrating Mahabharata episodes?
A) Pandvani
B) Ramlila
C) Bhavai
D) Kutiyattam
Answer: A -
Which instrument accompanies Raslila’s melodic enactments?
A) Flute (bansuri), mridang/pakhawaj, kartal
B) Electric keyboard only
C) Guitar only
D) None
Answer: A -
Which of the following best exemplifies community theatre for agrarian cycles?
A) Nacha/Karma Naach and harvest performances in Central and Eastern India
B) Western opera only
C) Film only
D) None
Answer: A -
Which folk form was extensively used as a vehicle for social reform and political messaging in the 20th century?
A) Nautanki, Jatra, Tamasha and street theatre traditions adapted for reform (IPTA influences)
B) Kutiyattam only
C) Classical Bharatanatyam only
D) None
Answer: A -
Which of the following is a major difference between folk and popular theatre?
A) Folk theatre is embedded in ritual and locality; popular theatre may be commercial and touring in nature
B) Popular theatre is always ritualistic
C) Folk theatre never uses songs
D) None of the above
Answer: A -
Which musical instrument is a bamboo wind pipe used in Assamese Bihu?
A) Pepa
B) Pena
C) Ektara
D) Nadaswaram
Answer: A -
Which folk theatre from Tamil Nadu regularly performs in open streets during festivals?
A) Therukoothu
B) Yakshagana
C) Chhau
D) Bhavai
Answer: A -
Which of these is an example of a two-drum pair used in many folk forms?
A) Dhol and nagara / dholak and nagada variants as regional percussion
B) Tabla only
C) Sitar only
D) None
Answer: A -
Which of the following is a key criterion for UNESCO recognition of living heritage forms (e.g., some folk forms)?
A) Community significance, transmission methods, cultural continuity and intangible heritage value
B) Monetary value only
C) Tourist appeal only
D) None
Answer: A -
Which folk form uses elaborate facial painting and bright costumes to represent characters, often with trance states?
A) Theyyam (Kerala)
B) Nautanki only
C) Pandvani only
D) None
Answer: A -
Which instrument provides drone accompaniment in many folk narrative forms?
A) Tambura / tanpura or single-string variants like ektara/tuntuna
B) Tabla only
C) Chenda only
D) All of the above
Answer: A -
Which of the following best explains the term Pravritti in the context of folk theatre?
A) A regional style or transmission tradition (school) of performance
B) A musical note
C) A costume element
D) None
Answer: A -
Which of the following is an example of a tribal ritual theatre that also functions as a community oracle?
A) Theyyam (possession-ritual) and similar forms where performer becomes deity-temporary
B) Nautanki only
C) Jatra only
D) None
Answer: A -
Which classical treatise is frequently used to compare folk practice despite its Sanskritic orientation?
A) Nāṭyaśāstra (Bharata Muni) — used as comparative theoretical frame
B) European treatises only
C) Chinese treatises only
D) None
Answer: A -
Which is a common form of audience interaction in folk theatre?
A) Call-and-response singing, jeering, offering and joining in dances
B) Complete silence only
C) Leaving the venue immediately
D) None
Answer: A -
Modern adaptations of folk theatre often involve:
A) Incorporation of contemporary issues, language updating, and theatrical staging techniques (amplification, lighting)
B) Strictly unchanged repertoire only
C) No changes at all
D) None
Answer: A -
For UGC-NET Unit 2, the most important facts to remember include:
A) Regional forms, instruments, ritual contexts, Bhakti influence, performance features and preservation issues
B) Only names of performers
C) Only modern theatre theory
D) None
Answer: A