Ebrahim Alkazi
Encyclopedia
Ebrahim Alkazi is one of the most influential India
n theatre directors and Drama teachers in 20th century Indian theatre. He also remained the Director of National School of Drama
, New Delhi
(1962–1977) He has also been a noted art connoisseur, collector and gallery owner, and found Art Heritage Gallery in Delhi with his wife, Roshan Alkazi.
Trained at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
(RADA), he won the BBC Broadcasting Award in 1950. He has directed over 50 plays, including famous productions of: Girish Karnad
's Tughlaq, Mohan Rakesh
's Ashadh Ka Ek Din
, Dharamvir Bharati
's Andha Yug
and numerous Shakespeare and Greek plays.
n immigrant Alkazi was schooled in St. Vincent's High School in Pune
and later St. Xavier's College, Mumbai. Thereafter he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London.
, which included M.F.Husain, F.N.Souza, S.H.Raza, Akbar Padamsee, Tyeb Mehta, artists who were later to paint from his plays and design his sets.
As the director of the National School of Drama
(NSD), Alkazi revolutionised Hindi theatre by the magnificence of his vision, and the meticulousness of his technical discipline. Here he was associated with training many well-known film and theatre actors and directors including Vijaya Mehta
, Om Shivpuri
, Om Puri
, Naseeruddin Shah
, Manohar Singh
, Uttara Baokar
, Jyoti Subhash, Suhas Joshi, B. Jayashree, Jayadev and Rohini Hattangadi
.
He also founded Art Heritage Gallery in Delhi with his wife, Roshan Alkazi.
(1966), the Padma Bhushan
(1991), and India's second highest civilian award the Padma Vibhushan
in 2010.
He has also been award twice by the Sangeet Natak Akademi
, India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama, first we received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
in Direction (1962), and the Akademi
's highest award the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship
for lifetime contribution to theatre.
, a theatre director and present chairman of National School of Drama
, and Feisal Alkazi a Delhi-based theatre director.
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 and Drama teachers in 20th century Indian theatre. He also remained the Director of 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...
, New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
(1962–1977) He has also been a noted art connoisseur, collector and gallery owner, and found Art Heritage Gallery in Delhi with his wife, Roshan Alkazi.
Trained at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art is a drama school located in London, United Kingdom. It is generally regarded as one of the most renowned drama schools in the world, and is one of the oldest drama schools in the United Kingdom, having been founded in 1904.RADA is an affiliate school of the...
(RADA), he won the BBC Broadcasting Award in 1950. He has directed over 50 plays, including famous productions of: Girish Karnad
Girish Karnad
Girish Raghunath Karnad is a contemporary writer, playwright, screenwriter, actor and movie director in Kannada language...
's Tughlaq, Mohan Rakesh
Mohan Rakesh
Mohan Rakesh was one of the pioneers of the Nai Kahani literary movement of the Hindi literature in the 1950s. He wrote the first modern Hindi play, Ashadh Ka Ek Din , which won a competition organized by the Sangeet Natak Akademi...
's Ashadh Ka Ek Din
Ashadh Ka Ek Din
Ashadh Ka Ek Din is a debut Hindi play by Mohan Rakesh in 1958 and is considered the first Modern Hindi play. The play received a Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for best play in 1959 and has been staged by several prominent directors to critical acclaim...
, Dharamvir Bharati
Dharamvir Bharati
Dr. Dharamvir Bharati was a renowned Hindi poet, author, playwright and a social thinker of India. He was the Chief-Editor of the popular Hindi weekly magazine Dharmayug....
's Andha Yug
Andha Yug
Andha Yug is 1954 verse play written in Hindi, by renowned novelist, poet, and playwright Dharamvir Bharati . It was the first important play of 20th century India...
and numerous Shakespeare and Greek plays.
Early life education
Son of an Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
n immigrant Alkazi was schooled in St. Vincent's High School in Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
and later St. Xavier's College, Mumbai. Thereafter he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London.
Career
Early on in his career he got associated with the Bombay Progressive Artists' GroupBombay Progressive Artists' Group
The Bombay Progressive Artists' Group was the most influential group of modern artists in India from its formation in 1947, they combined Indian subject matter with Post-Impressionist colours, Cubist forms and brusque, Expressionistic styles....
, which included M.F.Husain, F.N.Souza, S.H.Raza, Akbar Padamsee, Tyeb Mehta, artists who were later to paint from his plays and design his sets.
As the director of the 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...
(NSD), Alkazi revolutionised Hindi theatre by the magnificence of his vision, and the meticulousness of his technical discipline. Here he was associated with training many well-known film and theatre actors and directors including Vijaya Mehta
Vijaya Mehta
Vijaya Mehta is an Indian Theatre and film director and also an actor in many films from the Parallel Cinema. She is most known for her acclaimed role in film Party and for her directorial ventures, Rao Saheb and Pestonjee ....
, Om Shivpuri
Om Shivpuri
Om Shivpuri was an Indian theatre actor-director and character actor in Hindi films.A National School of Drama, New Delhi alumni, Om Shivpuri became the first chief of the National School of Drama Repertory Company and one of its actors; he later founded an important theatre group of its era, in...
, Om Puri
Om Puri
Om Puri is an Indian actor who has appeared in both mainstream Indian films and art films. His credits also include appearances in British and American films. He has received an honorary OBE.-Early life:...
, Naseeruddin Shah
Naseeruddin Shah
Naseeruddin Shah is an Indian / Bollywood film actor and director. He is considered to be one of the finest actors of Indian cinema. In 2003, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Bhushan for his contributions towards Indian cinema.-Early life:...
, Manohar Singh
Manohar Singh
Manohar Singh was a distinguished Indian theatre actor-director and a character actor in Hindi films. He is best known for his performances in films such as Party and Daddy...
, Uttara Baokar
Uttara Baokar
Uttara Baokar is an Indian stage actor, who also acts in both on films and television. An alumna of National School of Drama, she remained lead actress with the NSD Repertory Company in the 1970s and '80s, a period which saw the revival of Hindi theatre in Delhi, before moving to television and...
, Jyoti Subhash, Suhas Joshi, B. Jayashree, Jayadev and Rohini Hattangadi
Rohini Hattangadi
Rohini Hattangadi is an Indian actress of film, theatre and television. She has won two Filmfare Awards, one National Film Award, and is the only Indian actress to win the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance as Kasturba Gandhi in Gandhi...
.
He also founded Art Heritage Gallery in Delhi with his wife, Roshan Alkazi.
Awards and recognition
He was the first recipient of Roopwedh Pratishtan's the Tanvir Award (2004) for lifetime contribution to the theatre. He has received awards including the Padma ShriPadma Shri
Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
(1966), 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:...
(1991), and India's second highest civilian award the Padma Vibhushan
Padma Vibhushan
The Padma Vibhushan is the second highest civilian award in the Republic of India. It consists of a medal and a citation and is awarded by the President of India. It was established on 2 January 1954. It ranks behind the Bharat Ratna and comes before the Padma Bhushan...
in 2010.
He has also been award twice by the Sangeet Natak Akademi
Sangeet Natak Akademi
Sangeet Natak Akademi is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India.-History:...
, India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama, first we received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists. The award consists since 2003 of Rs. 50,000, a citation, an angavastram , and a tamrapatra...
in Direction (1962), and the Akademi
Sangeet Natak Akademi
Sangeet Natak Akademi is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India.-History:...
's highest award the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship
Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship
The Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, also, Sangeet Natak Akademi Ratna Sadasya is an honour for the performing arts in India...
for lifetime contribution to theatre.
Personal life
He was married to Roshan Alkazi (d. 2007) who designed costumes for all his plays, and wrote two book on history of Indian garments. The couple had two children, Amal AllanaAmal Allana
Amal Allana is an Indian theatre director, scenic designer and costume designer and presently she is in her second consecutive term as the Chairperson of National School of Drama, India's premier institute of Theatre training, she also runs the Dramatic Art and Design Academy , New Delhi, with her...
, a theatre director and present chairman of 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...
, and Feisal Alkazi a Delhi-based theatre director.
Further reading
- Ananda Lal, The Oxford Companion to Indian Theatre, Oxford University Press (2004), ISBN 0195644468
- The Alcazar Of Visual Memory
Works
- Alkazi collection of photography, with Rahaab Allana, Pramod Kumar, Brunei Gallery. Grantha Corporation, 2008. ISBN 8189995189.