Bhisham Sahni
Encyclopedia
Bhisham Sahni भीष्म साहनी (8 August 1915 – 11 July 2003) was a Hindi
writer, playwright, and actor, most famous for his novel and television screenplay Tamas ("Darkness"), a powerful and passionate account of the Partition of India
. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan
for literature in 1998, and Sahitya Akademi Fellowship
in 2002.
He was the brother of the noted Hindi film actor, Balraj Sahni
.
. He earned a master's degree in English at Government College in Lahore
, and also attended Khalsa College, Amritsar
.
He joined the struggle for Indian independence, and was jailed for his participation in the Quit India Movement
of 1942. Upon Partition, he and his Punjabi
Hindu
family were forced to move to Amritsar
.
In the late 1940s, he worked with his brother as a stage performer in Mumbai
with the Indian People's Theatre Association
(IPTA). In 1950, he became a lecturer in English at The Delhi College
.
From 1957 to 1963, he lived in Moscow
and worked as a translator from Russian to Hindi, during the period he translated twenty-five books from Russian into Hindi, including Tolstoy's Resurrection. In addition to those languages, Sahni was fluent in English, Urdu
, Sanskrit
, and Punjabi
.
He was general secretary of the Progressive Writers Association, and was the founder and chairman of 'SAHMAT', an organization promoting cross-cultural understanding, founded in memory of the murdered theatre artist and activist Safdar Hashmi
.
(1984), Tamas (1986), Kumar Shahani's Kasba (1991), Bernardo Bertolucci
's Little Buddha
(1993) and Aparna Sen
's Mr. and Mrs. Iyer
(2002).
which he witnessed at Rawalpindi
. Tamas portrays the terror-stricken Hindu exodus from Muslim majority areas, though the overall theme remained the human-story behind the entire carnage. It has been translated to English, and several Indian languages including Gujarati,Malayalam, Kashmiri, and Manipuri. Tamas won the 1975 Sahitya Akademi Award
for literature, and was later made into a television film in 1987 by Govind Nihalani
. Two of his masterpiece stories 'Chief ki davat' and 'Amritsar aa gaya hai' are also based on the Partition.
Sahni's prolific career as a writer also included five other Hindi novels, over hundred short stories spread over nine collections of short stories, (including Bhagya Rekha (1953), Pahla patha (1956), Bhatakti rakha (1966), and Nischar (1983)); a collection of children's short stories 'Gulal ka khel'.
Plays - Hanush (1977)-Staged by theatre director Rajindra Nath and Arvind Gaur
(1993),Kabira khara bazar mein(1981)-Many India
n theatre directors like M.K. Raina & Arvind Gaur
performed this play, Madhavi (1982)- first Staged by Theatre director Rajendra Nath .later USA trained actress Rashi Bunny
perform Madhavi as Solo play,This solo won many Awards in International
Theatre Festivals, Muavze (1993)- First performerd by National School of Drama
rep.with Bapi Bose.this is a very popular play among theatre
groups. Almost every known group performed it.
Autobiography and biography of his brother Balraj Sahni
Bhisham Sahni also wrote his autobiography "Aaj ke Ateet" (Pasts of the Present), and the biography of his brother Balraj Sahni
, "Balraj My Brother," (English).
and Punjabi
has enabled him to attach his writing to the hearts and minds of common people. Most of his short stories, are the stories about the common people who are toiling under the brutal cog-wheel of the Socio-Political-Economic bitterness. A reader can feel the emotional bond with the characters of his stories, and that makes him able to caricate the bitter hardship of his time.
for literature in 1998, and India's highest literary award the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship
in 2002.
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
writer, playwright, and actor, most famous for his novel and television screenplay Tamas ("Darkness"), a powerful and passionate account of the Partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
for literature in 1998, and Sahitya Akademi Fellowship
Sahitya Akademi Fellowship
The Sahitya Akademi Fellowship is a literary honour in India. Awarded by the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, to the "immortals of literature," and limited to twenty one individuals at any given time, it is the highest literary honour conferred by the Government of India...
in 2002.
He was the brother of the noted Hindi film actor, Balraj Sahni
Balraj Sahni
Balraj Sahni , born Yudhishthir Sahni , was a famous Hindi film actor. He belonged to a Punjabi Khatri family from Bhera now in Punjab, Pakistan...
.
Biography
Bhisham Sahni was born on 8 August 1915 in RawalpindiRawalpindi
Rawalpindi , locally known as Pindi, is a city in the Pothohar region of Pakistan near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad...
. He earned a master's degree in English at Government College in Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, and also attended Khalsa College, Amritsar
Khalsa College, Amritsar
Khalsa College is a historic educational institution in the northern Indian city of Amritsar in the state of Punjab, India. Founded in 1892, the sprawling campus is located about eight km outside of the city center on the Amritsar-Lahore highway , adjoining Guru Nanak Dev University campus, to...
.
He joined the struggle for Indian independence, and was jailed for his participation in the Quit India Movement
Quit India Movement
The Quit India Movement , or the August Movement was a civil disobedience movement launched in India in August 1942 in response to Mohandas Gandhi's call for immediate independence. Gandhi hoped to bring the British government to the negotiating table...
of 1942. Upon Partition, he and his Punjabi
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
family were forced to move to Amritsar
Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
.
In the late 1940s, he worked with his brother as a stage performer in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
with the Indian People's Theatre Association
Indian People's Theatre Association
Indian People’s Theatre Association was an association of leftist theatre-artists and others mostly based in Kolkata, West Bengal, Mumbai and Assam, India. Its goal was to bring cultural awakening among the people of India. It was the cultural wing of the Communist Party of India...
(IPTA). In 1950, he became a lecturer in English at The Delhi College
The Delhi College
Zakir Husain College , formerly known as the Delhi College founded in 1792, is the existing oldest educational institution in Delhi, and part of the University of Delhi , offering undergraduate and post graduate courses, in Arts, Commerce, Sciences...
.
From 1957 to 1963, he lived in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and worked as a translator from Russian to Hindi, during the period he translated twenty-five books from Russian into Hindi, including Tolstoy's Resurrection. In addition to those languages, Sahni was fluent in English, Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
, Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
, and Punjabi
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
.
He was general secretary of the Progressive Writers Association, and was the founder and chairman of 'SAHMAT', an organization promoting cross-cultural understanding, founded in memory of the murdered theatre artist and activist Safdar Hashmi
Safdar Hashmi
Safdar Hashmi was a Communist playwright, actor, director, lyricist, and theorist, chiefly associated with Street theatre in India, and is still considered an important voice in political theatre in India....
.
Acting in films
Late in life, he appeared in several films, including Saeed Mirza's Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho!Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho!
Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho! is a 1984 Hindi art film, made by Saeed Akhtar Mirza, based on his own story, during the Parallel Cinema period of Indian cinema....
(1984), Tamas (1986), Kumar Shahani's Kasba (1991), Bernardo Bertolucci
Bernardo Bertolucci
Bernardo Bertolucci is an Italian film director and screenwriter, whose films include The Conformist, Last Tango in Paris, 1900, The Last Emperor and The Dreamers...
's Little Buddha
Little Buddha
Little Buddha is a 1994 feature film by Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci, starring Bridget Fonda and Keanu Reeves. Made by Bertolucci's regular partner, British producer Jeremy Thomas, it marked the team's return to the East after The Last Emperor....
(1993) and Aparna Sen
Aparna Sen
Aparna Sen is a critically acclaimed Bengali Indian filmmaker, script writer, and actress. She is the winner of three National Film Awards and eight international film festival awards.-Biography:...
's Mr. and Mrs. Iyer
Mr. and Mrs. Iyer
Mr. and Mrs. Iyer is a 2002 Indian drama film written and directed by Aparna Sen and produced by N. Venkatesan. The film features Aparna Sen's daughter Konkona Sen Sharma as Meenakshi Iyer, a Tamil Iyer Brahmin who is a Hindu. Rahul Bose portrays the character of Raja Chowdhury, a Muslim wildlife...
(2002).
Literary works
Bhisham Sahni's epic work Tamas (Darkness, 1974) is a novel based on the riots of the 1947-48 Partition of IndiaPartition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
which he witnessed at Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi , locally known as Pindi, is a city in the Pothohar region of Pakistan near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad...
. Tamas portrays the terror-stricken Hindu exodus from Muslim majority areas, though the overall theme remained the human-story behind the entire carnage. It has been translated to English, and several Indian languages including Gujarati,Malayalam, Kashmiri, and Manipuri. Tamas won the 1975 Sahitya Akademi Award
Sahitya Akademi Award
Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honor in India which Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of outstanding works in one of the following twenty-four major Indian languagesAssamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri,...
for literature, and was later made into a television film in 1987 by Govind Nihalani
Govind Nihalani
Govind Nihalani is an Indian director, cinematographer, and also a screenwriter and film producer. He has been directing Hindi films since the late seventies, and worked in the television medium.- Biography :...
. Two of his masterpiece stories 'Chief ki davat' and 'Amritsar aa gaya hai' are also based on the Partition.
Sahni's prolific career as a writer also included five other Hindi novels, over hundred short stories spread over nine collections of short stories, (including Bhagya Rekha (1953), Pahla patha (1956), Bhatakti rakha (1966), and Nischar (1983)); a collection of children's short stories 'Gulal ka khel'.
Plays - Hanush (1977)-Staged by theatre director Rajindra Nath and Arvind Gaur
Arvind Gaur
Arvind Gaur , Indian theatre director, is known for his work in innovative, socially and politically relevant theatre. Gaur's plays are contemporary and thought-provoking, connecting intimate personal spheres of existence to larger social political issues...
(1993),Kabira khara bazar mein(1981)-Many India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n theatre directors like M.K. Raina & Arvind Gaur
Arvind Gaur
Arvind Gaur , Indian theatre director, is known for his work in innovative, socially and politically relevant theatre. Gaur's plays are contemporary and thought-provoking, connecting intimate personal spheres of existence to larger social political issues...
performed this play, Madhavi (1982)- first Staged by Theatre director Rajendra Nath .later USA trained actress Rashi Bunny
Rashi Bunny
Rashi Bunny is an Indian theatre and cinema actor. She is most notably known for her performances in Bhisham Sahni's Madhavi, Manjula Padmanabhan's Hidden Fires, and Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince...
perform Madhavi as Solo play,This solo won many Awards in International
International
----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...
Theatre Festivals, Muavze (1993)- First performerd by National School of Drama
National School of Drama
National School of Drama is a theatre training institute situated at New Delhi, India, established . It is an autonomous organization under Ministry of Culture, Government of India. It was set up in 1959 by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, and became an independent school in 1975...
rep.with Bapi Bose.this is a very popular play among theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
groups. Almost every known group performed it.
Autobiography and biography of his brother Balraj Sahni
Balraj Sahni
Balraj Sahni , born Yudhishthir Sahni , was a famous Hindi film actor. He belonged to a Punjabi Khatri family from Bhera now in Punjab, Pakistan...
Bhisham Sahni also wrote his autobiography "Aaj ke Ateet" (Pasts of the Present), and the biography of his brother Balraj Sahni
Balraj Sahni
Balraj Sahni , born Yudhishthir Sahni , was a famous Hindi film actor. He belonged to a Punjabi Khatri family from Bhera now in Punjab, Pakistan...
, "Balraj My Brother," (English).
Literary Style
Bhisham Sahni was one of the most prolific writers of Hindi literature. His command over local dilects and to the common languages such as urduUrdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
and Punjabi
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
has enabled him to attach his writing to the hearts and minds of common people. Most of his short stories, are the stories about the common people who are toiling under the brutal cog-wheel of the Socio-Political-Economic bitterness. A reader can feel the emotional bond with the characters of his stories, and that makes him able to caricate the bitter hardship of his time.
Awards
During his lifetime, Bisham Sahni won several Awards including Shiromani Writers Award,1979, Uttar Pradesh Government Award for Tamas, 1975,Colour of Nation Award at International Theatre Festival,Russia for Play Madhavi by Rashi Bunny,2004, Madhya Pradesh Kala Sahitya Parishad Award, for his play 'Hanush', 1975 the Lotus Award from the Afro-Asian Writers' Association, 1981 and the Soviet Land Nehru Award, 1983, and finally the Padma BhushanPadma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
for literature in 1998, and India's highest literary award the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship
Sahitya Akademi Fellowship
The Sahitya Akademi Fellowship is a literary honour in India. Awarded by the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, to the "immortals of literature," and limited to twenty one individuals at any given time, it is the highest literary honour conferred by the Government of India...
in 2002.
External links
- Watch Tamas online
- http://theatredirector.blog.com/Madhavi%20solo%20-Review%20Hindustan%20Times/
- 'The Boss Came to Dinner' at Foundation of SAARC writers
- Govind Nihalani speaks of Bhisham Sahni and Tamas