Imphal, Jul 23 (PTI) Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla announced a one-day state mourning on Thursday over the death of theatre icon Ratan Thiyam.
Indian theatre legend Ratan Thiyam, who was known for blending traditional art forms with contemporary craft, died at a hospital here early on Wednesday, officials said.
He was 77.
“Thiyam died at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences around 1.30 am on Wednesday after a prolonged illness,” a state government official said.
As a mark of respect to Manipuri theatre icon Ratan Thiyam, who passed away on Wednesday at the age of 77, the Governor of Manipur has ordered a one-day state mourning on Thursday, an official statement said.
“The National Flag will be flown at half-mast on Thursday throughout the state and there will be no official entertainment on the day of state mourning,” it said.
A recipient of Padma Shri in 1989, Thiyam founded the Imphal-based Chorus Repertory Theatre, and briefly served as the director of the National School of Drama in the 1980s.
Thiyam’s works include ‘Chakravyuha’ (The Wheel of War), ‘Uttar Priyadarshi’ (The Final Beatitude), ‘Urubhangam’ (The Broken Thigh) and ‘Andha Yug’ (Blind Age). His ‘Chinglon Mapan Tampak Ama’ (Nine Hills One Valley) allegorically tells the story of the insurgency in Manipur.
He used in his plays traditional Manipuri song, dance and even martial arts to spread a contemporary message.
Thiyam had done this as one of the leading figures of the ‘Theatre of Roots’ movement, the proponents of which sought to return to the ‘roots’ to create an Indian play form that would be different from the Western theatre set up during the British period.
The awards and honours conferred on him include the Academy Award by the Sangeet Natak Akademi in 1987, Padma Shri in 1989, La Grande Medaille from France in 1997 and the John D Rockefeller Award in 2008.
Thiyam relinquished the Padma Shri award in 2001 in protest against the Centre’s decision to extend the ceasefire with the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland.
Born on January 20, 1948, Thiyam studied Manipuri dance and painting. With the Chorus Repertory Theatre, which he set up in 1976, he travelled to various countries in the world, earning accolades. PTI COR ACD
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