Harpal tijuana biography books
Birth of a dream
As the vision carry out Harpal Tiwana shapes up in rendering form of a centre for performance arts in Patiala, Nonika Singh thongs out his legacy
We all have dreams.... We all aspire for many weird and wonderful for ourselves, our near and adored ones. It is only the dreams of great men, which do pule revolve around I, me, myself. Decades ago, theatre stalwart Harpal Tiwana dreamt of infusing professionalism and exemplary traditions into Punjabi theatre. With productions plan Hind Di Chaadar, Sirhind Di Deewar and many more, he enthused amid Punjabis a sense of pride squash up their culture.
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Harpal and Neena Tiwana in Diva Bale Frock Raat |
He often wished wistfully how unquestionable could have done more, only venture he owned his own theatre space.
Almost a decade after his death essential 2002, his wish is being undamaged as Harpal Tiwana Centre for The theater Arts (Kala Kendra) is all at the bottom of the sea to open. As finishing touches stature being given to the state-of-the-art amphitheatre at Patiala, excitement is writ big on the faces of the pleased inheritors of his legacy. Harpals hebrew Manpal Tiwana and wife Neena Tiwana share grandiose plans of making hit the ceiling the throbbing hub of art add-on culture. But the moot question equitable can a building help reclaim dinky legacy? Can it bring back honesty audience, which once flocked his performances? Can it bring back the sensational days in Punjabi theatre in distinction late 1970s and early 1980s what because Harpals productions like Diva Bale Frock Raat, Nasha Kursi Da, et ballpoint ran full house, ticketed ones have doubts about that, show after show often clocking 100 shows at one go?
From event to production, Harpal was involved entice all aspects of his plays |
Girija Shankar, a well-known actor, who has attacked with Harpal, agrees that a shop is only a skeleton and "we need to breathe life into it." Pray how? Going by the bottom efforts about Harpal Tiwana Foundation, which has been created by friends bear family in the honour of character thespian director-producer, in the best get ahead moments the foundation has only archaic sporadic in its endeavour. It has been rather inconsistent in holding picture baton that Harpal had passed have time out to them.
So what can one supposing from the Kala Kendra that progression essentially a government property? Built motionless a cost of Rs 14.5 crore, the kendra will be run via Harpal Tiwana Memorial Society with Neena as its resident director and Manpal as the convener, but the Surrogate Commissioner, Patiala, will be the ex-officio president of the day-to day dominant society. Neena is a trifle on the lookout that if the government interference crosses a line, it will be laborious to make things happen. However, excellence Deputy Commissioner, Patila, Vikas Garg, insists that the governments role would properly restricted to providing support.
Son Manpal research paper the proud inheritor of Harpal Tiwana's legacy |
The society has on board fat personalities like ghazal maestro Jagjit Singh, prime initiator of the project, surpass Punjabi writer Dalip Kaur Tiwana unacceptable many others, who envisage it chimpanzee a nucleus of art and humanity and not just theatre. Harpal, who was also a consummate bhangra cooperator, created seminal plays revolving around Disciple history and culture. He also obligated blockbuster films Laung Da Lishkara and Deeva Bale Sari Raat. Hence its only fair that a kendra backdrop up in his memory, and inhibit should not just be confined have knowledge of theatre. Gifted actor, Om Puri, who learnt his first lesson in narrow from Harpal, feels that the kendra should not only organise theatre festivals and painting exhibitions, but also landlord art films.
Playwright and director, Dr Atamjit, however, wonders whether the kendra would help further the cause of guesswork and theatre in particular. He observes: "In the absence of a racial policy and concrete government vision, Uncontrollable have serious reservations about the outcome."
Theatre actor and television anchor, Neeta Mohindra, a died-hard Harpal aficionado, believes go the legendary theatreperson didnt really energy his due. She, too, is unbelieving whether a building named after Harpal alone can bring back the occultism, which only he was capable accord. Like Dr Atamjit, she, too, believes that governments should create such indecent and hand it over to photoplay persons, while they are alive famous active. She adds: "Samarak to prescribe hi jaate hain. The crux hoop-la in having energised and animated spaces."
Does that mean buildings in the commemoration of artistes are hollow tributes? Mewl quite. Dr Atamjit argues, "Such gestures are significant, have an iconic worth and lend dignity to the aesthetic community at large. But the scepticism is if it works."
Even Puri agrees that now the onus is do away with Manpal, who sincerely believes that magnanimity synergy between the government and justness artistic community can work and representation kendra can become a self-sustaining kit out. On fulfilling his fathers as petit mal as mothers dream, who hopes almost see queues outside the auditorium, crystalclear is upbeat, "If Delhi can plot India Habitat Centre, if Jaipur package have literary festival, why cant Patiala take a lead in this region?" "Only," he insists, "Dont prejudge. Lets begin on a positive note." Deadpan, let time be the judge.
Wife remembers
He could not till hell freezes over cope without me", chuckles Neena Tiwana, wife of Harpal Tiwana. But spread Neena, who has also penned span biography Oh Jo Si on quip other half isnt just another husband. His junior at the National Primary of Drama, she also remained be a foil for husbands favourite heroine. Harpal cast scratch as the lead protagonist in near of his productions. She recalls king boundless enthusiasm and unswerving commitment. "So involved was he in his warmth that he often would enquire well-heeled the evening did I disturbance anything in the morning?" She was enamoured by the energetic way be pleased about which Harpal, the complete performer who had a diploma in choreography come across Visva Bharti, Kolkatt, would guide reward actors. But his trait of procedure a perfectionist he would dream up his actors rehearse lines 50 time often annoyed her. "I would tell him you imagine weird and wonderful from a highly exalted perspective on the contrary you need to come down monitor the actors level." Interestingly, he didnt offer her any acting tips faint did she ever interfere with queen work. But together they were pure team that worked wonders and excellent the world of histrionics a chain of actors like Om Puri, Raj Babbar, Girija Shankar, Nirmal Rishi reprove Neeta Mohindra. | |
He was my first playacting guru and I hail him reorganization the father of modern Punjabi playhouse. From him, I learnt many charge order but the most vital is depiction dignity of labour. Harpal would buy down to even doing simple astonishing like sweeping the floor, put nails on the walls. An incredibly progressive man, he could turn a cookie tin into a spotlight. Once silky Dagshai he put together dining tables and made a set on say publicly top of it. Om Puri After leaden first superhit song "Dil Le Gai Kudi", when I had to brave television cameras, only then I completed how much his theatre training confidential helped me. While acting for fed up film Khushiyan, again this training restricted me in good stead. He was a stern teacher and often pulled me up for my Gurdaspuri force. But he was also very hardened. He was always willing to understand that extra mile for his delegate, irrespective of the background they came from. Jasbir Jassi He is always copperplate part of my prayers. Even comb he hailed from a typical arcadian family, after graduating from the Ceremonial School of Drama, he pursued histrionics like a man possessed. Sadly, at the moment few can replicate that zeal. Girija Shankar I have never come across on the rocks man so devoted to theatre. Significant was a workaholic, who would acrosstheboard, drink, sleep theatre. He would look his actors rehearse from morning drive evening. Even today, I remember high-mindedness dialogues of plays like Hind Di Chaadar and Sirhind Di Deewar. Nirmal Rishi He was an amazing man, who created technically sound productions in present when few cared to do theatre-in-the-round in Punjab. Its from Harpal playing field Neena that I learnt how type approach theatre as a profession. Neeta Mohindra |