Manipur govt declares state mourning tomorrow for theatre legend Ratan Thiyam

Imphal, July 23 The Manipur government has announced a state mourning on Thursday as a mark of respect to India's renowned theatre personality and Padma Shri awardee Ratan Thiyam, who died at a hospital in Imphal on Wednesday, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy that redefined contemporary Indian theatre.

Manipur government’s General Administration department in a notification on Wednesday night said that Governor of Manipur (Ajay Kumar Bhalla) orders that as a mark of respect to the departed renowned playwright and theatre personality Ratan Thiyam, a one-day state mourning would be observed on Thursday (July 24). The National Flag would be flown at Half Mast on Thursday throughout the state, and there would be no official entertainment on the day of state mourning.

Earlier in the day, a sea of mourners, including artists, writers, theatre personalities, singers, public figures, political leaders, gathered at the Chorus Repertory Theatre Shrine in Samushang, Imphal West, to bid a tearful farewell to the 77-year-old legendary theatre personality. Later, the last rites were performed at the local crematorium at Uripok, attended by thousands of people from all walks of life.

Art and Culture Department of Manipur government, in a statement, said that Ratan Thiyam was a visionary and masterful theatre Director and playwright and one of the most eminent cultural icons of the country.

Born on January 20, 1948, at the sacred Nabadwip Dham in Nadia District of West Bengal and raised in Imphal, Thiyam exhibited mastery in multiple artistic expressions, including fine art, literature and theatre from an early age.

H. Gyan Prakash, Commissioner, Art and Culture Department, in a statement said that in 1974, he graduated from the prestigious National School of Drama (NSD), New Delhi and two years later in 1976, he founded the Chorus Repertory Theatre, Imphal, a theatre group that has set the benchmark for performance theatre in the country and abroad. Besides, he served at some of the most reputed cultural institutes of the country in different capacities.

Thiyam served his alma mater, NSD, New Delhi, as its Director (1987-1989) and later as its Chairperson (2013-2017). Before this, he was also the Vice-Chairman of Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi. At the international forum, he was also the Artistic Director of 8th Theatre Olympics (2018), the statement said. It stated that his passion, creativity, and dedication have left an indelible mark on the stage and in our hearts.

“His ability to breathe life into stories and inspire generations of artists and audiences alike was nothing short of extraordinary. The world of theatre has lost a true giant, but Thiyam's legacy would continue to echo through every performance and every artiste whose life was touched by his genius,” the statement added.

A recipient of India's fourth-highest civilian award -- Padma Shri in 1989 -- and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award winner in 1987, Thiyam was famous for blending traditional Manipuri art forms with modern craft, innovation and poetic narratives. Founder of the Imphal-based Chorus Repertory Theatre in 1976, Thiyam briefly served as the chief of the New Delhi-based National School of Drama from 1987 to 1988.

Some of the other notable awards that Thiyam had received were the Kalidas Samman (1997), Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration (2008), Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (2012), and Tagore Ratna (2012). The most recent one was the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Manipur government on 54th Statehood Day in January this year for his unparalleled service to the state's theatre and cultural heritage.

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