Theatre doyen Ebrahim Alkazi dies in his Delhi home

New Delhi, Aug 04: Theatre doyen Ebrahim Alkazi passed away in his Delhi home on Tuesday afternoon after suffering a heart attack, his son said. He was 94.

Born 18 October 1925, Alkazi was a strict disciplinarian who did rigorous research before producing a play, leading to important advances in scenographic design. His standards later became very influential. He also remained the Director of National School of Drama, New Delhi (1962-1977).

He has also been a noted art connoisseur, collector and gallery owner, and found Art Heritage Gallery in Delhi with his wife, Roshan Alkazi.

Trained at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), he won the BBC Broadcasting Award in 1950. He has directed over 50 plays, including famous productions of: Girish Karnad's Tughlaq, Mohan Rakesh's Ashadh Ka Ek Din, Dharamvir Bharati's Andha Yug and numerous Shakespeare and Greek plays.

Many of his early plays were from the West and were performed in English, however, Alkazi changed them to have Indian viewpoints to be more relatable towards his audience.

Alkazi was married to Roshan Alkazi who designed costumes for all his plays, and wrote two book on history of Indian garments. She also established the Art Heritage Gallery at Triveni Kala Sangam, Delhi in 1977, which she ran for over 40 years.

The couple had two children, Amal Allana, a theatre director and ex - chairman of National School of Drama, and Feisal Alkazi a Delhi-based theatre director.