By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net
New Delhi: He turned 85 on September 1. With 60 years of devotion with excellence to the world of theatre, if the audience gathered at his birthday party thrown by Sahmat was brimming with love and affection for the theatre legend, it was not a surprise.
Globalization has affected language, literature, art and theatre, said Tanvir, renowned playwright and theatre director while elaborating on the difference between his age and present time at the programme organized at New Delhi’s Constitution Club. Some groups, however, are still involved in genuine theatre, admitted Tanvir who is also a poet.
Notwithstanding his old age and frailty, he was thundering at the western imperialism and neo-colonialism that have widened the gulf between the classes of society. Lambasting the Central government, he said it seemed that to narrow the economic disparity in India is beyond the control of the present establishment.
On the occasion he was offered a shawl from Sahmat. He is currently chairman of Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust. He gave books to a select group of people from the audience.
An overwhelming portion of the people present there was from the poor and backward classes, reminding one Tanvir’s works for the downtrodden. He candidly answered questions put before him by a three-member panel and from the audience. Those present on the occasion included yesteryear actress Zohra Sehgal and social activists M K Raina, Ali Javed and Malini Bhattacharya.