There have been references to traditional folk theatre in Kashmir in ancient folklore and literature, and an early inference is the Bhand Pather. It evolved as an amalgam of various forms - dance, drama, mime, puppetry and music - a kind of total theatre. Popular with the masses, Pather, in Kashmiri means, a drama, while Bhand is the performer or actor. Interestingly, there is no pre-determined theme or script, the ingenuity lying in the performers improvisations. As such, stages, props and green rooms become redundant as fields, courtyards, or the shade of a chinar offer ideal locations for instant entertainment. The humour is rustic, costumes curious, and makeup garish, but through it all, the message is loaded ­ and the ironies and hypocricies of a decadent social system reach the audience through satire-tinged humour.