Was there life before Bollywood? Kathryn Hansen will speak about the magical world of popular entertainment that prevailed throughout South Asia in the early twentieth century.

This was a time when Western-style playhouses were found in every Indian city. Professional drama troupes run by Parsi entrepreneurs held crowds spellbound with their spectacular productions.

From this vanished period of India’s urban culture, Hansen has retrieved the life-stories of four early Indian actors and playwrights. These autobiographies – replete with anecdote and humour – offer an unparalleled window into the colourful and lively history of Parsi theatre. India’s late-colonial vernacular culture and early cinema history come alive through these accounts.

These men were schooled not in the classroom but in large theatrical companies. The most famous, Jayshankar Sundari, was a female impersonator of the highest order. Fida Husain Narsi also played women’s parts, until gaining great fame for his role as a Hindu saint. Two others, Narayan Prasad Betab and Radheshyam Kathavachak, wrote landmark dramas that ushered in the mythological genre, intertwining politics and religion.

Each voice is distinct and fresh, and together, they present an insider view of India’s early twentieth-century theatre and cinema, as well as provide an unexpected perspective on the dynamics of the country’s nationalist era.

Kathryn Hansen will present material from her new book Stages of Life: Indian Theatre Autobiographies (Anthem Press), after which Francesca Orsini, Ravi Vasudevan and Rosie Thomas will join the round-table discussion.

The evening will conclude with a drinks reception hosted by University of Westminster.

To register for this free event, please email IMC@southasianlitfest.com