Theatre as a Tool of Communication for Development in KBK Region of Odisha India A Media Aesthetics Study

Abstract

As India grows steadily into one of the foremost developing nations of the world the discourses of development remain the area of primary concern in all disciplines of academia. Development is a multi faceted phenomenon with complex issues of society, values and norms, economics, politics, culture etc. intertwined with each other with welfare of human beings at the core. Development may broadly be classified into two types, the materialistic development which is tangible in nature, and the development of human faculties, intangible in nature. Both are mutually related as the former cannot be appreciated or implemented if the latter does not happen. The aspect of media and communication is directly associated with culture and deals with various idioms of dissemination of thoughts, ideas and information which is relevant to different types of development. In a third world country like India it is likely that any socially relevant academic research will have a development angle to it. The present study is on Communication for Development, an well established part of the discipline of Communication Studies where the focus is on the use of Theatre in the Koraput-Balangir-Kalahandi (KBK) region of Odisha.