Eminent playwright Badal Sircar dead

Sircar was a familiar name along with celebrated playwrights of Bengal Utpal Dutta, Ajitsh Bandopadhayay and Rudra Prasad Sengupta.

Some of his prominent works include 'Basi Khabar', 'Saari Raat', 'Pagla Ghoda','Juloos', 'Baaki Itihaas', Pralap','Shesh Naai' and 'Sagina Mahato' and 'Michil'.

Sircar won the coveted Sangeet Natak Academy award and was also a recipient of Padmasree. Last year, he had declined the Padma Bhusan award, stating he was already a Sahitya Akademi fellow.

A documentary on Sircar was made by Sudeb Sinha titled 'A face in the Procession'.
Family sources said Sircar donated his body to a hospital.

His death has created a big void in the 'alternate theatre' movement which Sircar had heralded with his theatre group 'Shatabdi' in 1976.

In Sircar's plays, no makeup and costumes were used and audience also participated in the act.

Taking the medium out of the proscenium, he introduced 'Aanganmanch' (courtyard stage) performances, where his works were staged in parks, courtyards, terraces and other such places.

Originally named Sudhir Chandra, Sircar, a trained civil engineer, entered the world of theatre after working as a town planner in India, England and Nigeria.

His new innings began as an actor in theatre, but he soon moved to direction and then writing plays.

Having penned over 50 plays, Sircar is revered for his anti-establishment work during the Naxalite movement of the early 1970s.