Indian Music Experience Museum
Content Expert - Sumangala Damodaran
Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA)
Music and protest during India's independence struggle.
ReadMusic as Protest - Rhythms of Rebellion
Music has always been a powerful tool for expression. In times of struggle, music becomes more than entertainment—it transforms into a medium of protest, solidarity, and hope. The Indian People’s Theatre Association emerged as the artists’ response to British colonial occupation.
Still from the play Hori, written by Munshi Premchand, adapted by IPTAOriginal Source: Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust (Sehmat archive)
The Beginning of a Cultural Movement
In the 1930s & 40s many artists channeled their art towards fighting colonial oppression. Through the Progressive Writers’ Association (1936) & Indian People’s Theatre Association (1943) literary & artistic expression burst forth in the quest for freedom & social transformation.
The Brochure for the Sixth IPTA All India Conference 1949, AllahabadOriginal Source: Personal Archive
The Birth of IPTA
Founded on 25 May 1943 in Bombay by CPI leader P.C. Joshi, IPTA attracted iconic artists like Kaifi Azmi, Sahir Ludhianvi, Balraj Sahni, Zohra Sehgal, Ravi Shankar, Salil Chowdhury, and Chittaprosad, uniting them in a powerful artistic voice against imperialist rule.
Bombay Central Squad of IPTAOriginal Source: Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust (Sehmat archive)
The role of Music in IPTA
Music was central to IPTA's creative mission. Artists blended folk melodies, classical traditions, and contemporary forms to create powerful protest songs, giving voice to the struggles, aspirations, and resilience of the people.
KPAC artistsOriginal Source: Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust (Sehmat archive)
Balikudeerangale – Tribute to Martyrs
Balikudeerangale was sung by artists of Kerala People’s Arts Club, aligned to IPTA's ideals. Dedicated to the martyrs of the first Independence rebellion of 1857, it does not mourn in defeat but celebrates the eternal courage of those who gave everything for the dream of freedom.
Painting by Chittaprosad Bhattacharya by Chittaprosad BhattacharyaOriginal Source: Natarang Pratishthan Archives
Esho Mukto Karo – IPTA Bengal’s Anthem
Esho Mukto Koro was a powerful anthem written and set to music by Jyotirindra Moitra, who was among the founding artists of IPTA. "Come, break free," it says, beckoning workers, artists and fighters to rise above the darkness and to claim the freedom that is their birthright.
Pandit Nehru greeting IPTA artists after a performanceOriginal Source: Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust (Sehmat archive)
Tu Zinda Hai – an Iconic song of hope that lives on
Tu Zinda Hai (1954) was written as an echo of the independence struggle, reminding the people that "you are alive" to celebrate and to also continue the work of nation building. The song urged people to take action and maintain their spirit of resilience for a new India.
IPTA emblem by Chittaprosad BhattacharyaOriginal Source: Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust (Sehmat archive)
The Bengal Famine (1943)
British colonial policy resulted in one of the largest man made famines, the Bengal famine, leading to 3 million Indian deaths. Watching people drop dead on the streets, IPTA artists created plays and songs to protest and lament the tragedy.
Play Bhookha Bangal artists touring all over the country (1940) by Sunil JanahOriginal Source: P C Joshi archives
Bhookha Bangal
Bhooka Bangal captured the nation's collective anguish due to the famine. Prem Dhawan, Ravi Shankar, Reba Roychowdhury, Benoy Roy & others toured this play across India. Their train was once delayed by a conductor not wanting them to leave because of their impactful performance.
Peasant movement in Ballia by Sunil JanahOriginal Source: P C Joshi archives
Songs of the soil – Peasant movements
Before India's independence, peasant movements were an integral part of the struggle against colonial rule, as well as the socio-economic exploitation that rural India endured under both British policies and feudal landlords.
Tebhaga movement woodcut by Somenath Hore by Somenath HoreOriginal Source: IPTA archives
Tebhaga Movement (1946-47)
Fighting revenue inequalities, women peasants were prominent in the Tebhaga movement. Aar Koto Kal or "how much longer" was sung in memory of Ahalya, a young pregnant woman who was killed during the agitation. Resonant with emotion, it fueled purpose in the face of oppression.
Kerala People's Arts Club emblemOriginal Source: KPAC
Kerala movement against landlordism – 1950s
Songs acted as rallying cries for peasants. The music of KPAC drew from Kerala’s traditional folk tunes, which were infused with revolutionary fervor & narratives of resistance. Ponnarival Ambiliyil or "golden crescent moon" alludes to the sickle, a symbol of the working class.
IPTA's journal Unity in 1951Original Source: Sumangala Damodaran archive
WWII - The Plight of the Indian Soldier
As Indian soldiers were recruited for WWII, IPTA saw the struggle for Indian independence as part of a larger global anti-imperialist fight for justice & liberty. Jaane Wali Sipahi's melancholic tune resonated the anguish of soldiers & their loved ones & the dire need for peace.
IPTA Artists Performing on StageOriginal Source: Natarang Pratishthan Archives
The Peace Movement - Unity in Strife
Calling for a global awakening of collective humanity, Aman ke Hum Rakhwale sings of the light in each human, in shared desires and joys. Music is signified as a unifying tool of hope - "Pick up the instruments and sing songs of peace, as we have to always sing songs of being".
Celebrating Independence
On 15 August 1947, the artists of IPTA danced and celebrated as India was declared a free nation. Singing Jhoom Jhoom Ke Naacho Aaj through the streets of Bombay, in joyous exuberance and long-awaited relief, the artists saw their dreams for peace & liberation finally come true.
IPTA artists parading with an advertisement for the collectiveOriginal Source: Natarang Prathishthan Archives
Independence as hope for social transformation
Harindranath Chattopadhyay, the celebrated poet, wrote Surya Ast Ho Gaya, Gagan Mast Ho Gaya, parodying the imperial slogan "The sun never sets in the British Empire". The country celebrated under the “intoxicated sky” reflecting the heightened anticipation of a new dawn.
Cinema of Resistance – Early IPTA Films
IPTA artists deeply influenced Indian cinema, bringing their spirit of resistance to the screen. Early landmark films like Dharti Ke Lal (1946) and Neecha Nagar (1946) boldly depicted poverty, exploitation, and injustice, aligning closely with IPTA’s social ideals.
Pyaasa movie posterOriginal Source: Shemaroome
IPTA’s Legacy – Cinema of Social Change
IPTA’s revolutionary vision continued shaping mainstream cinema in the 1950s. Films like Do Bigha Zamin (1953) and Pyaasa (1957) powerfully portrayed the common person’s struggle and dreams, translating IPTA’s commitment to social change into influential cinematic narratives.
PC Joshi and Kalpana Dutt JoshiOriginal Source: P C Joshi archives
People's Theatre Stars the People
IPTA showed that creative expression is not just a response to the world, but a force that can shape it. Their legacy lives on in every artist who dares to challenge, question, and reimagine the future.
Content Expert : Sumangala Damodaran
Concept : Sahana Mohan (IME)
Editorial : Nandita Krishna (IME)
Media: From the archives of Natarang Prathisthan, PC Joshi archives, Sehmat archives, and the personal archive of Sumangala Damodaran.
