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Raj Bisaria

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Raj Bisaria
Born(1935-11-10)10 November 1935
Lakhimpur, United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, British India
Died16 February 2024(2024-02-16) (aged 88)
Vishal Khand, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
Other namesRaju
Occupation(s)Theatre director, actor, producer and educationist
Notable workFounder of the Theatre Arts Workshop (TAW) and Bhartendu Academy of Dramatic Arts
SpouseKiran Raj Bisaria[1]
Websitewww.rajbisaria.com

Raj Bisaria (10 November 1935 – 16 February 2024) was an Indian director, producer, actor and educationalist, described by the Press Trust of India as "the father of the modern theatre in North India".[2][3] He founded Theatre Arts Workshop in 1966, and Bhartendu Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1975 and the repertory company of Bhartendu Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1980. He blended artistic concepts of the East and the West, and the traditional and the modern.[4]

Background

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Raj Bisaria was born in Lakhimpur Kheri, United Provinces of British India (now in Uttar Pradesh), on 10 November 1935, the son of the late P.L. Bisaria and Leelavati Singh. He was educated at Colvin Taluqdars' College and Lucknow University, Lucknow, and retired as a senior professor of English Literature from Lucknow University. In 1969, Bisaria married the Kiran Kuchawan; the couple have a daughter, Rajina.[1]

The initiative was taken by his University Theatre Group formed in 1962.[5] Four years later, Raj Bisaria founded the Theatre Arts Workshop (TAW) in 1966[6] and Bhartendu Academy of Dramatic Arts, Government of Uttar Pradesh, in 1975, and the repertory company of BNA in 1981.[7][8] He was the first man from Uttar Pradesh to have been awarded a Padma Shree for work in modern theatre and his contribution towards the growth of theatre in India.[9]

Bisaria tried to infuse a new sense of consciousness with regard to the dramatic and performing arts and aesthetic awareness of the performing arts in northern India.[10][11]

Bisaria was removed as the honorary director of Bhartendu Academy of Dramatic Arts, and he was assaulted twice, first in 1988 and then in 1995.[12]

Raj Bisaria died after a battle with throat cancer on 16 February 2024, at the age of 88.[13]

Theatre training

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External theatre training for Raj Bisaria included an invitation by the British Council, London, to visit the UK and train at the British Drama League (now the British Theatre Association) as a producer, drama instructor, and adjudicator, in 1969.[14]

Director and designer

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Raj Bisaria was also a stage director with a grounding in both the western classics and contemporary dramatic works.[15]

Raj Bisaria tried to ensure that the dramatic and performing arts conform to a professional discipline and communicate through a new aesthetic medium. His plays are concerned with men-women relationships and social issues of special concern to him.[6][16] Through the productions of European and Indian plays from 1966 onwards, Bisaria presented a wide spectrum of contemporary world drama as director and designer.[11]

Largely using his own devices and creative expression he began his work in English and then to use Hindustani as the spoken medium of expression from 1973. He encouraged folk theatre in the Uttar Pradesh local genre known as the Nautanki.[17]

In 1972, he took a major shift in his emphasis from modern Euro-American productions to plays in Hindi of modern Indian playwrights: Mohan Rakesh, Badal Sircar, Adya Rangacharya, Dharamvir Bharti, Shesh and Mohit Chatterjee.[9]

Over the years, Raj Bisaria produced and directed over 75 theatre productions. In addition he supervised, produced/directed a large number of productions in the Bhartendu Academy of Dramatic Arts from 1975 to 1986 and later on; and also in National School of Drama and for its Repertory Company.

His major productions have included Maxwell Anderson's Barefoot in Athens; Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Macbeth, Othello, King Lear; George Bernard Shaw's Candida; Harold Pinter's The Caretaker; Sartre's In Camera; Ionesco's The Lesson; Strindberg's The Father, Jean Anouilh's Antigone; and various plays of Chekhov, Ionesco, Tennessee Williams, Shaffer and others. His major productions of Indian plays have included Dharamvir Bharati's Andha Yug, Badal Sircar's Baqi Itihas, Adya Rangacharya's Suno Janmejaya, Elkunchwar's Garbo, Mohan Rakesh's Aadhe-Adhure and Mohit Chatterjee's Guinea Pig.[18][19][20]

Criticism

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Critics found Ann Jellicoe's The Knack revolting and Sartre's In Camera and Ionesco's The Lesson too demanding.[21] The TAW team has a group of permanent actors, with other interested parties for different productions.[22]

Lack of men and material compelled Raj Bisaria to stage Othello with only four characters. And yet it was a memorable performance. The persistent efforts of Raj Bisaria have yielded results.[23]

Actor

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As an actor of stage, radio, television and films, Bisaria was known from 1978 as a major actor of the Doordarshan.[11] As a theatre actor Raj Bisaria did significant roles in several of TAW's English and Hindi stage productions, films and television.[24]

Bisaria played leading roles in at least two dozen plays in English and Hindi, such as:

Impresario

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As impresario Raj Bisaria's widening interests had led to the introduction of Irshad Panjatan's mime in 1967 and next year the presentation of the Murray Louis Dance Company of USA. This broadening activity and involvement with the performing arts also saw a classical dance performance by Sonal Mansingh, in 1970, the début of Om Shivpuri's Dishanter group in 1972, a painting exhibition of R.S. Bisht's miniature in 1973, Richard Schechners' environmental theatre presentation of Mother Courage and Her Children from New York in 1976, and the Annapolis Brass Quintet in 1981 - all arranged at the initiative of Raj Bisaria's TAW.[25]

Educationist

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As a dramaturge his primary concern was an effort to resolve the problem of creative reinterpretation of the classical and theatrical art of his region to find itself in contemporary social relevance. He structured Theatre Training Programmes in U.P. through workshops and certificate and diploma courses in North India from 1966. He founded in 1975 for the Government of U.P. India's second school of drama: Bhartendu Natya Akademi-Bhartendu Academy of Dramatic Arts.[2]

Raj Bisaria was interested as an actor, director and theatre teacher in the system of Konstantin Stanislavski and Bertolt Brecht. The Russian theatre practitioner provided the core of Raj Bisaria's directing and pedagogy in contemporary Indian theatre. Later, he developed his own system of holistic acting, which produced three generations of actors and directors.[10]

Theatre Arts Workshop

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In December 1963, ten members organized a theatre play and put through a programme – An Evening with Young Actors – which included Edna St. Vincent Millay's Aria da Capo, scenes from Twelfth Night and Macbeth, The Valiant and a dramatized reading of Hamlet, and a dramatisation of T. S. Eliot's poem "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock." Raj Bisaria produced and directed all the play, and he decided to register a theatre group with a managing body, using local talent. The theatre group was bilingual (English and Hindi), and concerned itself with encouraging interest in theatre-craft and developing a greater awareness of theatre, an ability to appreciate drama, and a firmer grap of ideas and technique.[26]

By the winter of 1965, his plans had been finalized. No financial help was forthcoming yet. Finally, he staked a large part of his personal fortune on the project, selected members for the committee, picked out a likely group of four English actors and of helpers, and established what has since then been called Theatre Arts Workshop – a theatre for enthusiasts in drama and allied arts.[27]

Thus in 1966, Theatre Arts Workshop (TAW) was founded by Raj Bisaria, as a president and artistic director, with the aim of creating interest in dramatic arts among the young, and help them to develop an insight into acting, direction and allied arts. The name 'Theatre Arts Workshop' is unit for theatre and allied performing arts; its members are to be exposed to workshop methods of representation. TAW was to be a training organization and then a performing group, with its motto training before performance. Its philosophy is "your right is to work only, but never the fruit thereof. Let not the fruit of action be your object, nor let your attachment be to inaction." – Sri Krishna to sorrowing Arjuna (The Bhagvadgita, chapter II - 47)[28][29]

English theatre

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Raj Bisaria started his venture in English language with Shakespeare's Othello in 1966, Christopher Fry's poetic play A Phoenix too Frequent and Eugène Ionesco's absurd play The Lesson in 1967. The selection of these two plays; diametrically opposite in their form and content, in a single show was an experiment by Raj Bisaria. It was a box office failure.[30]

In 1967 a significant advance was made when Raj Bisaria decided to produce and direct Jean-Paul Sartre's existential In Camera, Edna St. Vincent Millay's Aria Da Capo and Ronald Duncan's translation of 12th century classic Abelard and Heloise in a three-bill presentation, in November, 1967. These were crucial productions as TAW's audience wavered between shocked admiration and shocked disgust. Four hours of continuous drama was considereda bit too much.[31]

Hindi and Urdu theatre

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Raj Bisaria was aware from the very beginning that any worthwhile theatre activity had to find its moorings in Hindi and other Indian languages. He sought the co-operation of the then existing theatre groups to realize his plans to establish a bilingual theatre in Lucknow. But his effort failed to elicit any response from them. He even brought the production rights of Mohan Rakesh's well known play, Adhe-Adhure, which he could not stage for want of a suitable cast. In his bid to switch over to Hindi drama, he invited Delhi groups to produce, under TAW's auspices, plays in Hindi with a view to making local groups conscious of the potentialities and challenges of Hindi Theatre.[32]

TAW's first Hindi play was Baqi Itihas, a translation of Badal Sircar's Bengali play on a thrust stage. It was a non-realistic presentation, using giant slides and specially designed music, the first production of the kind in the country.

Baqi Itihas was followed by a wide range of plays in translation from English, Bengali, Marathi, Kannada, in addition to those originally in Hindi; Andha Yug, Suno Janmejaya, Adhe-Adhure,[33] The Cave Dwellers, Antigone, Garbo, Candida, Father, Sleuth, Barefoot in Athens,[34] The Caretaker etc.[35]

TAW is considered the protagonist of theatre art, from the classical to the experimental plays .[36]

TAW mounted on stage the European and American playwrights; its repertoire including Shakespeare, Shaw, Sartre, Ionesco, Fry, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, Noël Coward, Ronald Duncan, Rattigan, Harold Pinter, Ann Jellicoe, Peter Shaffer, Edward Albee, Jean Anouilh, Maxwell Anderson[37] and Orton.[12]

According to The Pioneer, The dynamism of TAW productions, their stylistic experimentation and directorial subtlety, were never in doubt on either side of the proscenium. But TAW's plays proved too radical in the context of existing provincial attitudes.[10][38]

Bhartendu Academy of Dramatic Arts

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As a theatre educator as early as 1973, Raj Bisaria suggested to the State Government that he should start a semi-professional repertory theatre in Uttar Pradesh, in 1974 the State Government went a few steps further and requested him to evolve a scheme for establishing a drama school, which would function as a full-fledged academy of dramatic arts.[39][40]

Bhartendu Natya Akademi (BNA): Bhartendu Academy of Dramatic Arts (BADA), when it was founded in 1975 became the first of its kind in the large Hindi belt of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The only other being the Delhi-based National School of Drama.[41] From 1975 to 1986, in an honorary capacity, he had the responsibility of teaching acting and direction (aspects both theoretical and practical) western drama, from the Greeks to modern times; theatre criticism and adjudication and aesthetics of light, and set design. He worked again as, director of the academy as well as the director of its Repertory Company from 1989 to 1992, 1995 to 1997.[12]

As theatre administrator with minimal facilities, poor funds and negligible infrastructure, he developed and consolidated the viability and status of a school of theatre beginning initially as an elementary agency for dissemination of theatrical know-how in 1976 to a professional academy of dramatic arts in 1981.[10]

Fellowship projects

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'The Mind of the Director'- A book on Hindi theatre directors, under the 'Senior Fellowship' of Government of India.

'Shakespeare's Indian Summer' - A theatrical study of Shakespearean plays in India, under the highest cultural fellowship of India - 'Tagore National Fellowship' (2013–14).[4]

Major productions as director

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Honours

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  • Sangeet Natak Akademi, Uttar Pradesh Award, for Direction – 1988. He declined the award.[78]
  • Padma Shree[79] – 1990, for contribution to Modern Indian Theatre, by the Government of India the first theatre person from Uttar Pradesh to be so honoured.[9]
  • Yash Bharti – 1994 – Lifetime achievement award 1994 by the Government of Uttar Pradesh.[78]
  • U.P. Ratna – 1996 – by All India Conference of Intellectuals for Theatre Direction and Contribution to Media.
  • Distinguished Service Honour – NGO Helpage India – 1997.
  • Fun-Vibhushan, NGO, Bhartiya Funkar Society, U.P. – 1998.
  • Bhartendu Academy of Dramatic Arts – Recognition for his unique services and contribution as its founder-director – 2000.
  • Central Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Direction- 2004.[12][80]
  • National School of Drama Recognition for composite contribution to Theatre in India.[12]
  • Aditya Vikram Birla Kalashikhar Puraskar – Life Time Achievement Award – 2010[81]
  • The Chaman Lal Memorial Award – for Life-Long Achievement to Theatre World – 2012[82]
  • Tagore National Fellowship (Highest Cultural Research Award of India) – for 'Shakespeare's Indian Summer' – A theatrical study of Shakespearean plays in India (2013–2014)[4]
  • The Madhya Pradesh government honouring him with its prestigious Kalidas Samman national award for 2015–2016 for achievement in theatre. The ceremony was held on 10 November in Ujjain, which was also the birthday of the then 80-year-old.[83]
  • Life Time Achievement Award by Doordarshan DD Uttar Pradesh, 2017

References

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  1. ^ a b Henry Soszynski. "Kuchaman". Members.iinet.net.au. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
  2. ^ a b Thakore, Dolly (3 June 1984). "Raj Bisaria: Founder of the Hindi Theatre Movement". Mid-Day, Mumbai.
  3. ^ a b Arora, Garima (26 May 2015). "Julius Caesar Wins Heart". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  4. ^ a b c "Tagore Fellowship for Raj Bisaria". Hindustan Times, Lucknow. 5 March 2014.
  5. ^ Kala, Mr. S.C. (5 January 1964). "An Evening With Young Actors". The Illustrated Weekly of India: 51.
  6. ^ a b "Theatre Arts Workshop, Lucknow". The National Herald. 6 April 1969.
  7. ^ http://bna.noetic.in/english/founder_director.htm Archived 15 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ My affair with theatre continues
  9. ^ a b c d Saxena, Rajeev (15 April 1990). "Raj Bisaria's 'Fine Madness'". The Sunday Observer.
  10. ^ a b c d Sagar, Anand (26 March 1978). "Raj Bisaria Learns To Give More Than He Gets". The Pioneer.
  11. ^ a b c "Teacher - turned dramatist Bisaria gets Padamshri". The Pioneer, Lucknow. 30 January 1990.
  12. ^ a b c d e f Pandey, Manish Chandra (20 February 2005). "Not curtains yet for creative theatre genius". Hindustan Times, Lucknow.
  13. ^ वरिष्ठ रंगकर्मी पद्मश्री राज बिसारिया का निधन, लंबे समय से चल रहा था इलाज (in Hindi)
  14. ^ Sagar, Anand (26 March 1978). "Raj Bisaria Learns To Give More Than He Gets". The Pioneer, Lucknow.
  15. ^ Bajeli, Diwan Singh (6 February 2014). "Finer Side of Life". Chennai, India: The Hindu, New Delhi. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  16. ^ Narain, Prof. S.K. (9 May 1971). "TAW: Bisaria's Fresh Effort". Sunday Magazine, National Herald.
  17. ^ "Director Without A Theatre". The Pioneer, Lucknow. 23 February 1970.
  18. ^ "My Best Is Yet To Come". The Hindu, Madras. 12 August 1983.
  19. ^ "Raj Bisaria leaves audience spell-bound". The Northern Patrika,Allahabad. 11 January 1997.
  20. ^ Agrawal, Pratibha (2005). Bhartiya Rangkosh. New Delhi: Rastriya Natya Vidyalaya. p. 397. ISBN 81-8197-010-1.
  21. ^ Kala, S.C. (11 July 1971). "The Theatre in Lucknow". The Times of India, New Delhi.
  22. ^ "The Theatre in Lucknow". The Times of India. 11 July 1971.
  23. ^ Panje, Usha (8 March 1970). "Theatre Arts Workshop: Cross Roads". The National Herald, Lucknow.
  24. ^ Saxena, Rajeev (15 April 1990). "Raj Bisaria's 'Fine Madness'". The Sunday Observer, Lucknow.
  25. ^ Shephered, Keith (12 September 1971). "A tete-a-tete with Bisaria". The National Herald,Lucknow.
  26. ^ Kala, S.C. (5 January 1964). "An Evening With Young Actors". The Illustrated Weekly of India.
  27. ^ "Theatre Arts Workshop, Lucknow". The National Herald, Lucknow. 6 April 1969.
  28. ^ "Lucknow Theatre Winning Against Heavy Odds". The Times of India, New Delhi. 8 May 1968.
  29. ^ "World Is A Stage". The Pioneer. 1 February 1970.
  30. ^ Narain, Prof. S.K. (9 May 1971). "TAW : Bisaria's Fresh Effort". National Herald, Sunday Magazine.
  31. ^ "Memorable Stage Performance". The National Herald. 6 May 1967.
  32. ^ Nairan, Prof. S.K. (23 September 1984). "TAW-The Protagonist of Theatre Art". The Pioneer, Sunday Magazine, Lucknow.
  33. ^ "Adhe-Adhure Technically Superb Play". The Hindu, Madras. August 1983.
  34. ^ a b Daftur, Swati (6 February 2015). "Universal Truths". The Hindu. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  35. ^ Thakore, Dolly (3 June 1984). "Raj Bisaria: founder of the Hindi Theatre Movement". Mid-Day, Mumbai.
  36. ^ Narain, S.K. (23 September 1984). "TAW-The Protagonist of Theatre Art". The Pioneer.
  37. ^ a b "Philosophy Revisited!". Hindustan Times. 12 April 2013.
  38. ^ Panje, Usha (8 March 1970). "Theatre Arts Workshop: Cross Roads". The National Herald.
  39. ^ Srivastava, Krishnaji (February 1977). "Bhartendu Natya Kendra". Swatantra Bharat,Lucknow.
  40. ^ "Little Acts of Life". Indian Express, Madras. 30 July 1983.
  41. ^ "Bhartendu Natya Kendra Gains in Popularity". The Pioneer. 13 February 1977.
  42. ^ a b Nagar, Mr. Sharad (6 June 1967). "Lession in Lucknow Box". Enact.
  43. ^ a b "A Rare Treat For Theatre-Goers". National Herald. 6 May 1967.
  44. ^ "Amateurs Steals the Show". Enlite. 10 June 1967.
  45. ^ a b c "Three Course Menu". Enlite. 6 January 1968.
  46. ^ "'The Knack' at Ravindralaya". The Pioneer. 31 March 1968.
  47. ^ a b c "TAW's Hat Trick - Realism, Evasion and Absurd". The Pioneer. 14 October 1968.
  48. ^ "Better and Better". The Pioneer. 21 October 1968.
  49. ^ Shepherd, Keith (5 September 1971). "Lone Steps Across The Boards". The National Herald.
  50. ^ a b c Acharya, Lena. "A Decade of TAW". The National Herald.
  51. ^ Shashi (13 May 1977). "'Suno Janamejaya ' - A Critical Review". The Pioneer,Lucknow.
  52. ^ Mudrarakshas (9–15 March 1980). "Andha Yug : Naye Rang-Bodh Ki Talash". Dharmayug.
  53. ^ "'Adhe Adhure' – Technically Superb Play". The Hindu, Madras. 14 August 1983.
  54. ^ a b "Probe into Life". The Hindu, Madras. 17 August 1983.
  55. ^ "'Suniti' : A Slick Production". The Times of India, Lucknow. 29 August 1984.
  56. ^ Nagpal, Kavita (2 December 1989). "A Step in the Right Direction". The Hindustan Times, Lucknow.
  57. ^ a b "Mixed response to TAW plays". The Times of India, Lucknow. November 1984.
  58. ^ Pandey, Nishi (23 January 2000). "Raj's back with a 'Raaz'". Hindustan Times, Lucknow.
  59. ^ Manjul, Tarannum (12 November 2000). "A Man's Search For Identity". Hindustan Times, Lucknow.
  60. ^ Agrawal, Surya (9 April 2008). "Bisaria back with Macbeth". Hindustan Times, lucknow.
  61. ^ "A theatrical change!". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 24 June 2013.
  62. ^ Krishna, Sharmila (19 May 2010). "Keeping Shakespeare alive on stage". The Pioneer, Lucknow.
  63. ^ "king Lear enthrals audience". The Times of India, Lucknow. 19 May 2010.
  64. ^ "Times of India Publications". Lite.epaper.timesofindia.com. 19 May 2010. Archived from the original on 28 January 2015. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
  65. ^ a b "TAW Plays It And How". Hindustan Times, Lucknow. 15 February 2011.
  66. ^ Pahwa, Meenakshi (19 February 2012). "TREAT FOR THEATRE LOVERS". Hindustan Times, Luckonw.
  67. ^ "Sadda Haq". Hindustan Times. 20 March 2012.
  68. ^ Carry on TAW! Archived 2014-05-31 at the Wayback Machine
  69. ^ "The Times of India: Latest News India, World & Business News, Cricket & Sports, Bollywood". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 24 June 2013.
  70. ^ Bajeli, Diwan Singh (6 February 2014). "Finer Side of Life". The Hindu. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
  71. ^ Bajeli, Diwan Singh (27 June 2013). "Showing Life, As it Is". The Hindu, New Delhi. Chennai, India. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
  72. ^ Singh, Madhulika (1983). "In Pursuit of Happiness". Hindustan Times. 25 (1): 7–13. PMC 3012371. PMID 21847245. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  73. ^ "Tragedy of Alienation". Hindustan Times. 20 August 2014.
  74. ^ Chandra, Vidita (21 August 2014). "When Play Time Gets Serious". The Times of India.
  75. ^ Bajeli, Diwan Singh (4 June 2015). "Caesar returns to the centrestage". The Hindu. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  76. ^ Nagpal, Kavita. "Julius Caesar Makes His Presence Felt at NSD". asianage.com. The Asian Age. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  77. ^ Singh, Piyush Chaterjee (3 March 2016). "Bisaria's Raaz". Hindustan Times - HT City.
  78. ^ a b Verma, Raj Saran (4 February 2005). "All the World is a Stage". Dainik Jagran, lucknow.
  79. ^ Padma Shri Awards (1990–1999)
  80. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  81. ^ "Welcome to Sangit Kala Kendra". Sangitkalakendra.org. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
  82. ^ Malik, Rohit. "18th Chaman Lal Memorial Memorial Awards 2012 at Siri Fort Auditorium, August Kranti Marg > 7pm on 14 April 2012". Delhi Events. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
  83. ^ Husain, Yusra (7 November 2016). "Professor Raj Bisaria to get Madhya Pradesh government's Kalidas Samman for Theatre". The Times of India. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
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