The Midas of Chattisgarh

Habib Tanvir, born Habib Ahmed Khan on September 1, 1923, in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, was indeed an alchemist when it came to art. Known for seamlessly blending folk traditions with modern sensitivities, he created a theatrical language uniquely innovative, especially for the times he wrote in.

After doing MA from Aligarh Muslim University, it was in 1945 that Tanvir discovered his calling in Bombay. Surprisingly for him, it was not in cinema, but in theatre, through his involvement with the Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA), where he worked alongside legends such as Balraj Sahni and Zohra Sehgal.

By 1954, Tanvir had moved to Delhi and joined Qudsia Zaidi’s Hindustani Theatre. His first major breakthrough came with 'Agra Bazaar', a play based on the poetry of Nazir Akbarabadi. Staged in an actual marketplace, it featured a mix of trained actors and untrained villagers. It was then a radical, which eventually became his signature.

Tanvir went on to train at London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. But it was in Berlin, absorbing the work of Bertolt Brecht, that he found inspiration that would ignite his revolution. Rather than imitating western forms, Tanvir asked: "What if our own folk traditions were already modern? The answer led to the founding of Naya Theatre in Bhopal in 1959. More than a troupe, it was, in his words: “The Habib Circus”— a travelling dream of folk actors, many from Chhattisgarh, performing in their native dialects with unmatched authenticity and charisma.

Where urban actors once mimicked rural life, he brought rural life to the centre stage. With artistes such as Bhulwa Ram, Govindram and Devilal Nag, he created a troupe that grew into stage legends. His adaptations were never mere translations; they were transformations. Shakespeare’s 'A Midsummer Night’s Dream' became Kamdeo ka Apna Basant Ritu ka Sapna, Brecht’s 'The Good Woman of Szechwan' transformed into 'Shajapur ki Shanti Bai', and Sanskrit classics like 'Mricchakatika' were reimagined through a folk lens.

His most celebrated work, Charandas Chor (1975), a subversive comedy about an honest thief, won international acclaim, including the Fringe First Award at the Edinburgh Festival. Tanvir's plays depicted serious themes — communal violence in 'Jis Lahore Nai Dekhya Voh Janmya Hi Nai', environmental degradation in 'Hirma ki Amar Kahani' and religious orthodoxy in 'Ponga Pandit' — but were never didactic. His strength lay in layering classic satire with rhythm and song.

Despite censorship, political attacks and financial strain in his career, Tanvir's oeuvre was recognised with the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Kalidas Samman and a Rajya Sabha nomination. He passed away on June 8, 2009, survived by his wife Moneeka Misra.

Habib Tanvir didn’t just direct plays, he directed attention — to what is lost, to what still survives and to what might be reborn. Brecht, Tanvir’s ideal, believed that “True art becomes poor with the masses and grows rich with the masses.” Tanvir lived this belief. And in doing so, made Indian theatre ours.