1962: Ebrahim Alkazi helms National School of Drama

Ebrahim Alkazi receiving the Sangeet Natak Akademi award for direction from President S. Radhakrishnan in August 1962 in New Delhi. | Photo Credit: V. GANAPATHY
12 AUG, 2022 06:00 IST
UPDATED:13 AUG, 2022 13:02 IST
As NSD’s first director, he would cast the mould for modern Indian theatre.
The Sangeet Natak Akademi appointed Ebrahim Alkazi, 37, to head the newly conceived National School of Drama (NSD) in 1962. The multifaceted and charismatic Alkazi was an established name in theatre. As NSD’s first director, he would cast the mould for modern Indian theatre and shape it into an internationally recognised art.

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Alkazi, who was trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, was singularly responsible for creating a radically progressive syllabus and environment that would revolutionise theatre in the country. He introduced creative stagecraft and cutting-edge acting techniques and fostered rigour and professionalism in the institute. People who worked with him say he was known for his strict disciplinary style of teaching but he would also mentor in a manner that influenced students to push their boundaries