Meghdoot theatre gets renamed to honour its founder and creator, Ebrahim Alkazi. By Team Viva
Theatre and its growing roots have seen tremendous progress and support from the masses to develop into a field of its own. The relationship of the guru andshishya is the most revered one and stands true for Indian tradition of all art forms. Honouring this spirit were attendees at the Meghdoot theatre which has been renamed after its founder director Ebrahim Alkazi. The performing area is now known as E Alkazi Rangpeeth whereas the stage retains its original name Meghdoot after Kalidas’s story which acted as a source of inspiration for Alkazi.
A small bronze statue and a short film based on Alkazi’s life were curated by the lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan. There were many speakers who shared their experiences of working with Alkazi like the famous film and theatre artiste Atul Khatri, Dolly Ahluwalia, Alkazi’s daughter and famous theatre artist Allam Allana and actor Naseeruddin Shah. laying the foundations of a legendary theatre group, Alkazi has shaped lives and sculpted artists who are known for their remarkable performances throughout the country.
About Alkazi’s contribution, Khatri explained, “Alkazi’s Meghdoot was the creation of post independence theatre in its true sense.” There were more than 300 people inside the theatre from various backgrounds, be it dance, designing and actors. Fans sat outside watching a live telecast of the show to pay their tribute to Alkazi.
Alkazi’s work in developing Indian theatre is unparalleled and it was his passion and dedication that led to creation of great acting legends such as Ramgopal Bajaj, Om Shivpuri, Naseeruddin Shah, Raj Babbar, Anupam Kher to name a few, all of whom were trained at some point in their life by Ebrahim Alkazi.
The ceremony was also under dispute and protest as there was an allegation that the renaming of the theatre is a politically motivated move of the current regime at the Centre. Refuting these arguments, Allam Allana said, “This is a response to a calling that there should be some kind of remembrance for him and for what he has created.” Famous actor and theatre legend Naseeruddin Shah could not hold his emotions while talking about him and remarked, “If I were to describe his achievements and his impact on my life, it would take me an entire week.” Shah told the audience how Alkazi was like a surrogate father to him and, therefore, he would call him Chacha. “There is no way that I could repay him and the only way by which I can pay a tribute to him is by reflecting his teachings in my acting.”
Alkazi was himself not present at the event due to his poor health condition but watched the live telecast of the whole event. Concluding the ceremony, the director of Sangeet Natak Akademi, Shekhar Sen, said, “It is an attempt to honour not a human being but a legend. We live in a country where awards and honours are bestowed upon an individual only posthumously. Therefore, to bring about a change, we decided to honour our living legend.”
The ceremony was followed by two short dramatic story narrations of Ismat Chughtai with Heeba Shah performing Chui Mui and Naseeruddin Shah performing Gharwali. Ms Mahajan said, “This event does not need a chief guest since all the artists that are present are already unique and equally valuable. To speak about Alkazi’s contributions in theatre is equivalent to showing a candle to the sun.”
Photos: Sangeet Natak Akademi