Theatrical art is the most popular of the world arts. Natya means acting. From the point of view of the general public, Natya Vidya is so much entertaining and didactic that in addition to the four Vedas, Brahma created a separate fifth Veda named Natyaveda. Bharat Muni, while explaining the importance of Natya, has said that there is no such knowledge, craft, learning, art, yoga and action which is not in Natya i.e. everything is in Natya. (na tajjñānaṃ na tacchilpaṃ na sā vidyā na sā kalā|

 

nāsau yogo na tatkarma nāṭye'smin yanna dṛśyate|| (bharata muni)

 

The great poet Kalidas has considered the only entertainment drama for people of different interests. (nāṭyaṃ bhinnarucerjanasya bahudhā'pyekaṃ samārādhanam (mahākavikālidāsaḥ)

Literature developed in the later period in the tradition of Natyashastra. Sahityashastra is the science of poetry. A rich and serious thought on the poetic elements like soul of poetry, word meaning, quality, ornament, juice, propriety etc. has been done in Sahityashastra. Natyashastra and Sahityashastra complement each other.