August 4 marked a dark day in the world of Indian theatre, as one of its most iconic figures, Ebrahim Alkazi, left the stage forever. His passing leaves an indelible mark in the hearts of theatre buffs, his contemporaries and students. It is this far-reaching legacy that will be at the centre of a live discussion hosted by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Kala Kendra and Ideas Unlimited Productions.
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Titled Indian Theatre Before and After Alkazi, the session will feature renowned stage and art personalities Nadira Babbar, MS Sathyu, Ram Gopal Bajaj, Gulam Mohammed Sheikh, Bharat Dave and Bakul Tailor in discussion.
Nadira Babbar
On the evening of his demise, when we had reached out to his former student at Delhi's National School of Drama (NSD), Babbar, she had recalled a particularly moving episode, "When my father, Sajjad Zaheer, an Urdu writer, Marxist and radical revolutionary died, I missed going to NSD for two days. On my return, for a rehearsal, Alkazi sahab took me aside and comforted me, saying that if I was ever struggling with my emotions, to think that my father was always alive, and that he [Alkazi] would support me at all times." Babbar had worked in several of Alkazi's productions, including Bertolt Brecht's The Caucasian Chalk Circle, and Girish Karnad'sTughlaq and Razia Sultan.
Manoj Shah
Manoj Shah of Ideas Unlimited who will be leading the talk says that the exit of Alkazi awakened curiosity even in the minds of theatre practitioners who never had the fortune of meeting him. "Most of what remains known of his life is available in public domain. We wanted to explore the little-known stories and facets of his personality through personal stories from those who met him and worked with him. While Gulam Mohammed Sheikh moved in the same art circles as Alkazi, Ram Gopal Bajaj and Babbar were his students and worked with him. So you can imagine the kind of stories they'd have," Shah adds, suggesting that young theatre-makers will find the session engaging as it will trace the rich history of Indian theatre from 1947 to 2020.
Kamlesh Mota
Echoing similar thoughts, Kamlesh Mota, director of programming, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Kala Kendra, shares, "The youth will gain tremendously from their sharing of experiences of Ebrahim Alkazi, as they discuss theatre before, with and without him."
On August 18, 6 pm
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