Patna, Jul 11 (PTI) The 52nd death anniversary of folk artiste Bhikhari Thakur, popularly known as the ‘Shakespeare of Bhojpuri’, was observed in Bihar.
Thakur (1887-1971) was a celebrated playwright, actor, folk singer and social reformer from Bihar.
An event was organised jointly by the Art, Culture & Youth Department of the state government and Bihar Sangeet Natak Akademi on Monday evening.
Harjot Kaur Bamhrah, Additional Chief Secretary of the department, said, “Bhikhari Thakur, popularly known as the Shakespeare of Bhojpuri, was much ahead of his time. He had formed his own theatre group and had authored more than 20 plays, including the migration-themed ‘Bidesiya’.” ‘Batohi’, a musical play on the life and struggle of the folk artiste, was staged on the occasion at the Premchand Rangshala here.
The play narrated his life and the struggles he faced due to caste discrimination and migration, before finally settling down in his village to form a theatre group.
Well-known folk singer Sarita Saaz enthralled the audience by singing songs written by Thakur.
Bamhrah said a panel discussion was organised in which Deepak Anand, additional secretary of the department, besides Jainendra Dost, director of movie ‘Naach Bhikari Naach’ based on Thakur’s works, and Ashok Kumar Sinha, who has authored several books on Thakur, took part.
“His plays are relevant even today. The young generation must know about him. He lived the life of a crusader, fighting against the archaic social order. He took to folk art and addressed social problems in the language understood by the masses,” said Bamhrah.
Anand said that Thakur tried to restore Bhojpuri art tradition in the backdrop of “cultural disintegration under colonialism”.
“His ‘Ganga-Snan’, ‘Bidesiya’, ‘Gabarghichor’, ‘Beti-Bechwa’, ‘Bhai-Virodh’, ‘Piya Nisail’ and ‘Nai-Bahar’, among others, give a message to the society,” Anand added. PTI PKD ACD
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