A jamoora or jamura (

Hindustani Hindustani may refer to: * something of, from, or related to Hindustan (another name of India) * Hindustani language, an Indo-Aryan language, with Hindi and Urdu being its two standard registers * Hindustani Muslims are the Urdu-speaking, Hindust ...

: जमूरा or جمورا) is a performer who plays a specific type of

sidekick A sidekick is a close companion or colleague who is, or is generally regarded as, subordinate to those whom they accompany. Origins The first recorded use of the term dates from 1896. It is believed to have originated in pickpocket slang of ...

role in the traditional folk theatre (such as

bhand Bhānds (Devanagari: भांड; Urdu: بھانڈ, Gurmukhi: ਭੰਡ, Bengali: ভাঁড়) are the traditional folk entertainers of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. In India and Nepal, the Bahand are now an endogamous Hindu and M ...

and

tamasha Tamasha () is a traditional form of Marathi theatre, often with singing and dancing, widely performed by local or travelling theatre groups within the state of Maharashtra, India."Tamasha", in James R. Brandon and Martin Banham (eds), ''The Cambr ...

) of

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

and

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

. In the course of the performance, the ''jamoora'' is supposed to comply with every command given by his master (usually called the ''ustad'', but sometimes called the ''

madari Madari, also known as the Zinda Shah Madar and the Dewan Shah, are a Sufi order, who are derived from the Dewangan Silsila of Sufi Syed Zinda Shah Madar. Dewan/Diwan is not a caste but the name of a Sufi order executed by Sufi Dewan Syed Zama ...

'' or ''jadoogar'' for

magic shows Magic or magick most commonly refers to: * Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces ** ''Magick'' (with ''-ck'') can specifically refer to ceremonial magic * Magic (illusion), also known as sta ...

), but often demonstrates subtle deviations from them to make satirical points or create a humorous effect. Shows involving ''jamooras'' are often two-person performances and are usually called ''ustad-jamoora'', ''

-jamoora'', ''ustad-bachha'' (''bachha'' means ''child'') or ''madari-chela'' (''chela'' means ''follower''/''student'') shows.

Connotations

Because the ''jamoora'' is expected to demonstrate unquestioning obedience to the master's directives, sometimes people or organizations who are believed to be acting as puppets for others are pejoratively called ''jamooras'' in Indian and Pakistani society.

References

Performing arts in India Performing arts in Pakistan Theatre of India Culture of India {{Pakistan-stub