The Difficulty Of Being A Theatre Artist In India

NEW DELHI: Careers related to any art in India have known to be actively discouraged due to social stigma around such professions. This is the perceived “risk” that is often associated with income in such professions. Theatre, too, is prey to such stigma and persistent hardships abound for professional theatre artists in the country.

Even those who are looking to work or already working actively in theatre in Delhi -- which is often hailed as the centre of culture -- have to look at other avenues to earn an adequate income for sustenance.



Professional theatre artists in India can rarely expect to be able to spend their time doing contemplative theatre while earning enough money from the same.

Some actors earn a little from lighting and sound production even that has been rarely enough. Theatre artists therefore, have to overcome both financial difficulties as well as fight stigma besides economic difficulties, an inescapable reality about theatre in India is the unacceptability of theatre as a well founded profession.