June 8, 2009 Country Mourns Death
of Theatre Legend Habib Tanvir
New Delhi/Bhopal
Indian theatre Monday lost one of its tallest heroes Habib Tanvir,
who passed away after a month-long illness at a private hospital in
Bhopal. He was 85. His family was with him at the time of his death.
Tanvir died at about 6.30 a.m. at the National Hospital in Bhopal,
where he had been admitted about 20 days ago after developing
respiratory problems.
Hospital sources said the playwright suffered kidney failure and his
condition worsened. The funeral will be held in Bhopal Tuesday, his
family said.
The popular Hindi playwright, theatre director, poet and actor, had
written plays like "Agra Bazar" (1954) and "Charandas Chor" (1975).
In 1959, he founded a theatre company called the Naya Theatre in
Bhopal. He was born in Chhattisgarh in 1923.
He was known for his people-oriented plays drawn from the folk
traditions of India.
He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1969, Padma Shri
in 1983, Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship in 1996, and the Padma
Bhushan in 2002. Tanvir was also nominated as a member of the Rajya
Sabha (1972-1978).
His play "Charandas Chor" got him the Fringe Firsts Award at the
Edinburgh International Drama Festival in 1982.
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit described Tanvir as one of the
most popular Hindi playwrights. She spoke to Tanvir's daughter to
convey her personal condolences and expressed her grief.
Dikshit said the country has lost a "legend" with the demise of
Tanvir.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi condoled Tanvir's death and
appreciated his contribution to the field of theatre.
The National School of Drama (NSD) in the capital mourned Tanvir's
death at a 45-minute "commemorative" service where students and
members of the NSD's Repertoire Company and school's Theatre in
Education Company recalled their impressions of Tanvir's plays. For
most students, "Habib saab" was an example in whose footsteps they
would like to walk someday
Veteran stage personality Sohag Sen said Tanvir was one of the rare
directors who believed in "total theatre that made use of the stage,
folk dances, physical acting, music and even silences".
"He used the stage like magic and inducted even unlettered people
from the villages in his cast. The Chhattisgarhi language was no
barrier for his theatre was so communicative," Sen recalled.
Mumbai-based stage and screen actor Manoj Verma, who was part of the
cast of Tanvir's watershed play "Agra Bazar", said Tanvir was one of
those few people who knew the difference between professional and
amateur theatre."
Theatre activist and writer Sudhanva Deshpande of Jan Natya Manch,
who was associated with Tanvir for a long time, said the playwright
represented the "best aspects of forward looking and secular India".
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