Theatre came to the country when a Parsi theatre company from Mumbai introduced ''Nurti'', a blend of European and Indian theatrical conventions to the Colombo audience in the 19th century. The golden age of Sri Lankan drama and theatre began with the staging of ''Maname'', a play written by Ediriweera Sarachchandra in 1956. It was followed by a series of popular dramas like ''Sinhabāhu'', ''Pabāvatī'', ''Mahāsāra'', ''Muudu Puththu'' and ''Subha saha Yasa''.