M.K. RAINA
In his 35 year career, M.K. Raina has directed over a 100 plays in various Indian languages encompassing a range of genres including Folk, Sanskrit and Western Classical and Contemporary Theatre. He has directed and produced television serials and documentaries like Zameen, Surabhi, Munshi Premchand ki Kahaniyan etc. As an actor he has worked with some of India’s best New Wave directors like Mani Kaul, Kumar Sahni and Govind Nihalani and young directors like Farhan Akhtar & Aamir Khan. His most personal work includes revitalizing folk theatre forms in Kashmir and his deep involvement with the literacy movement in rural India. Mr. Raina has received many Awards including the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 1996, the Sahitya Kala Parishad Samman 1987, the Sanskriti Award 1980, BV Karanth Award for Lifetime Achievement in Theatre, National School of Drama 2007, among others.
NADIRA BABBAR
Nadira Zaheer Babbar was born in the illustrious literary family of Sayed Sajjad Zaheer and Razia Sajjad Zaheer and was married to acclaimed actor Raj Babbar. Alumni of National School of Drama, Nadira received a Scholarship to Berlinaensemble founded by Bertolt Brecht & National Theatre of Wiemer(Germany). Nadira established Ekjute, a theatre company which provided a platform to various artists including Anupam & Kirron Kher, Satish Kaushik & Kavita Chaudhary and has staged over 1000 shows. Prominent roles performed by Nadira in theatre include Desdemona in Othello, Sauteli Maa in Tuglaq and Abbie in Desire under the Elms. She has adapted and translated plays like Good Woman of Setzvan, Uncle Vania etc. Original plays written by her include Dayashankar Ki Diary,Suman Aur Sana & Operation Cloudbursts. Nadira has directed, produced and acted in TV Serials and over 50 Radio Plays & Programmes. She has been awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 2000 & Samman Chinha by Bhartendu Natya Akademi amongst others.
ROMESH CHANDER
Romesh Chander’s journey into the theatre movement can be summed up from trade unionism to theatre during World War II, when some like-minded people got together to write and present their work at factory gates during the lunch breaks. The whole idea was to ridicule the management’s false claims in brief skits played by the factory workers, thus starting a workers theatre at the factory gates. At one time, more than 200 workers including the audience were arrested. Moving to Delhi after the Partition, Romesh shifted to theatre criticism writing first for Times of India, then to Patriot, back to Times of India and currently for Hindu. He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for his contribution to theatre in the year 2002.
“His enthusiasm is infectious and opens the eyes and minds of many theatre – goers to qualities of writing and performance they would not have seen for themselves. His writings constitute in themselves an invaluable and insightful history of Indian Theatre which must be preserved in durable book-form.” – E . Alkazi
SOVA SEN
Born in 1922, Sova Sen was the first generation of actresses who came into theatre in 1944, from the so called ‘respectable middle class family’ with an educational background & was initiated into the Indian People’s Theatre Association. She was the female lead in the landmark play Nabanna Harvest, 1944. She was a key member of the progressive amateur theatre movement of People’s Little Theatre. Sova has acted in over 55 plays and 100 films. Known for her roles in portraying the strong revolutionary protagonist in Utpal Dutt’s repertoire, Sen is a classic model-case study in gender representations in post colonial Indian theatre. Married to Utpal Dutt, Sova took on the Group’s organizational responsibilities. Her famous roles include Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream & Jogomaya in Ekla Cholo Re, Walk Alone. She has written her autobiography Smarane Bismarane,
Nabanna Theke Lal Durga – In Memory and Oblivion, from Nabanna to Lal Durga in 1993 and a book comprising interviews with actresses Amra Ora Era – Us, They and Them in 2000.
VINAY PATHAK
Vinay Pathak is a television, film and theatre actor. At the start of his career he acted in Fire directed by Deepa Mehta and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. He received rave reviews for his stellar performances in comedies such as Khosla Ka Ghosla and for his first hit, Bheja Fry. He starred as the host on the successful talk show Ranvir, Vinay aur Kaun?, aired on Star TV. Later he was also praised for his performances in Johnny Gaddaar and Khoya Khoya Chand. Pathak attended the State University of New York at Stony Brook and has acted in several theatrical plays including 36 Ghantey, The Blue Mug and C for Clown.
