Ebrahim Alkazi

Ebrahim Alkazi (1925–2020) was one of India’s most influential theatre directors, educators, and art connoisseurs. He is widely regarded as the architect of modern Indian theatre and played a pivotal role in shaping the direction of performance arts and theatre education in post-independence India. As the long-serving Director of the National School of Drama (NSD), Alkazi transformed it into one of Asia’s leading institutions for theatre training. His legacy spans directing landmark plays, nurturing generations of actors, and promoting modern art and cultural institutions in India.

Early Life and Education

Ebrahim Alkazi was born on 18 October 1925 in Pune, Maharashtra, into a prosperous Arab-Indian family of Saudi origin. He attended St. Vincent’s High School and St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, where his interest in literature and performance began to emerge. Drawn to theatre during his college years, Alkazi joined Sultan “Bobby” Padamsee’s Theatre Group in Bombay, a pioneering English-language theatre collective of the 1940s.
His early exposure to Western theatrical techniques inspired him to pursue formal training in theatre. In the late 1940s, he moved to London and enrolled at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), one of the world’s leading drama schools. This training exposed him to classical and contemporary European theatre traditions, including the works of Shakespeare, Ibsen, and Chekhov, and instilled in him a lifelong commitment to discipline, stagecraft, and professionalism.

Early Career and The Bombay Theatre Scene

Upon returning to India in the early 1950s, Alkazi became a central figure in Bombay’s English theatre movement. He directed and acted in several English plays, including Hamlet, King Lear, and Death of a Salesman, performed with remarkable precision and intellectual depth.
Alkazi introduced modern production values to Indian theatre, employing sophisticated lighting, stage design, and character analysis. His early productions were noted for their aesthetic rigour and psychological realism, distinguishing him from the more amateur theatrical efforts of the time.
During this period, he founded the Theatre Unit in Bombay, which trained actors, directors, and technicians in modern stagecraft. The Theatre Unit also published Theatre Unit Bulletin, one of India’s first serious journals devoted to theatre criticism and theory.

Director of the National School of Drama

In 1962, Ebrahim Alkazi was appointed as the Director of the National School of Drama (NSD) in New Delhi, a position he held until 1977. His tenure marked a golden era in Indian theatre. He revolutionised NSD’s pedagogy by introducing a rigorous curriculum based on international standards while grounding it in Indian performance traditions.
Under his direction, NSD became a crucible of talent. He trained and mentored many artists who would later dominate Indian theatre, film, and television, including Om Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, Rohini Hattangadi, Surekha Sikri, Pankaj Kapur, and Anupam Kher.
Alkazi encouraged a synthesis between traditional Indian theatre forms (like Kathakali, Yakshagana, and Nautanki) and modern dramatic techniques, fostering a uniquely Indian theatrical language. He also introduced outdoor performances, staging plays at historic sites such as the Purana Qila and Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi, which created powerful spatial and historical resonances.

Notable Productions

Ebrahim Alkazi directed over fifty major productions, many of which are considered milestones in Indian theatre. His notable works include:

• Andha Yug (by Dharamvir Bharati) – A powerful anti-war play based on the aftermath of the Mahabharata, performed at Purana Qila in 1963, symbolising the futility of violence.
• Tughlaq (by Girish Karnad) – Staged with monumental sets and performed at Feroz Shah Kotla fort in 1972, this production became legendary for its political relevance and visual grandeur.
• Ashadh Ka Ek Din (by Mohan Rakesh) – One of the first modern Hindi plays exploring the artist’s inner conflict.
• Evam Indrajit (by Badal Sircar) – Representing the alienation of urban youth in post-independence India.

His productions were marked by meticulous stage design, dramatic use of lighting, and an intellectual approach to text interpretation. Alkazi viewed theatre as a total art form, combining acting, architecture, design, and literature into a coherent aesthetic experience.

Contribution to Theatre Education

Alkazi’s vision for theatre education went beyond training actors. He saw theatre as a means of intellectual and cultural development. At NSD, he established departments for set design, lighting, makeup, and costume design — creating a holistic ecosystem for theatrical production.
He also founded the Repertory Company of the NSD in 1964 to provide professional opportunities for graduates and to bring theatre to a wider audience. This institution continues to perform across India, maintaining Alkazi’s emphasis on excellence and innovation.

Involvement in Visual Arts and Cultural Institutions

Beyond theatre, Ebrahim Alkazi was an important patron and promoter of modern Indian art. He was instrumental in establishing and curating exhibitions for institutions such as the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA).
He founded the Art Heritage Gallery in New Delhi in 1977 with his wife, Roshan Alkazi, to provide a platform for contemporary Indian artists. The gallery showcased works by artists such as M. F. Husain, Tyeb Mehta, Ram Kumar, and Akbar Padamsee, contributing significantly to the documentation and dissemination of Indian modern art.
Alkazi’s interest in photography, architecture, and historical documentation led him to collect and preserve rare photographs and visual archives related to India’s cultural and colonial past. His collections are today valuable resources for researchers and historians.

Awards and Honours

Ebrahim Alkazi received numerous awards and recognitions for his contribution to Indian theatre and art, including:

• Padma Shri (1966)
• Padma Bhushan (1991)
• Padma Vibhushan (2010)
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1962)
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (Ratna Sadasya) (1998)