Contemporary newspapers advocated the need for theatres to act as vehicles of social reform and instruction in a variety of subjects, as also, a focus of amusement and entertainment.

The Naba Prabandha issue of August 1868 discussed the need for a healthy space which would counter the harmful effects of the vulgar pleasures provided by contemporary panchalis, tarjas and halfakdais.

Girish Chandra Ghosh, who was the unofficial leader of the Baghbazar group was not ready to adopt this title and later, he parted company with his friends on account of this broil.

On 19 November 1872 an advertisement appeared in Sulav Samachar which declared that the Calcutta National Theatrical Society would stage Nil Darpan on Saturday, 7 December.

Sulav Samachar in 10 by December issue of 1872 (adil), not only praised the performance but called for the creation of many more such plays which would inspire the people and make them aware of their rights.

A letter published in the Education Gazette (13 December) commended the National Theatre for its height and width, but complained of the lack of sufficient light on the stage, absence of wings affecting the aesthetics of the play, and inadequate accommodation.

At around this time, two letters appeared in the Indian Mirror (19 and 27 December) in which the so-called National Theatre was heavily criticized on account of its poor equipment and sub-standard acting.

This man had invited the Prince to his Bhowanipur residence on 3 January 1876 and had taken him on a tour of the ladies’ apartment of the house where he was given a traditional Bengali welcome by the female members of the family.

This incident enraged the orthodox Bengali society for it appeared to them that Jagadananda had sacrificed his ethics and culture in a bid to placate the British masters and win favours from them.

The satirical play Gajadananda o Jubaraj, based on this incident, was stopped by police order, yet it returned the following week on 26 February under a different name, Hanuman Charitra.

The Indian Mirror of 1 March 1876 reported as follows: A Gazette of India Extra-ordinary was issued last evening containing an Ordinance to empower the Government of Bengal to prohibit certain dramatic performances, which are scandalous, defamatory, seditious, obscene, or otherwise prejudicial to the public interest.

Following the promulgation of the Dramatic Performances Act, the government felt dissatisfied with its terms and sought to devise some sort of punishment for the sponsors of the prohibited plays.

Post-1947, many states have introduced their own amended versions of this Act and some have in fact modified it to such an extent that it has even increased the Government's control over public theatre performance in Independent India.

The police have often called upon members of a particular theatre association or individual persons to furnish entire manuscripts of plays for scrutiny by the censorship authorities, which then might or might not be banned or selectively abridged.

In 1953, the Indian People's Theatre Association was faced with such a trial when they were called upon to turn in about fifty manuscripts, which included the plays Nil Darpan and Nabanna.