Saang

Saang, also known as Swang or Svang, meaning imitation, is a popular folk dance-theatre form and traditional style of storytelling native to Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh. It incorporates theatrics and mimicry, called naqal, accompanied by song and dialogue, and is dialogue-oriented rather than movement-oriented; religious stories and folk tales are enacted by a group of roughly ten to twelve performers in an open area or open-air theatre surrounded by the audience. Considered among the most ancient folk theatre forms in India, Saang is credited as the ancestor tradition from which Nautanki and Tamasha are said to have originated. Tradition credits the performer Kishan Lal Bhaat with laying the foundation of the present style of Saang roughly two hundred years ago; because women were barred from public performance during the Mughal period, and specifically under Aurangzeb, men traditionally enacted female roles as well.