Theatre icon Tiwana awarded for lifetime contribution to field
The award was presented to her by Padma Shri Nirmal Rishi
A connoisseur in the Punjabi theatre, Neena Tiwana, was recently awarded the ‘Punjab Gaurav Award’ by the Punjab Art Council for her lifelong contribution to theatre.
The award was presented to her by Padma Shri Nirmal Rishi, who considers Tiwana as her teacher and mentor.
Tiwana is the first Punjabi alongside her husband late Harpal Tiwana to graduate from the National School of Drama in 1965. In a career spanning more than six decades she has had many successes on stage while portraying the protagonist in many of her husband’s directorial plays such as ‘Kanak Di Balli’’, ‘’Loha Kut’’, ‘’Chamkaur Di Garhi’’, ‘’Antigone’’, ‘’Nasha Kursi Da’’, ‘’Mela Munde Kudiyan Da’’, ‘’Garam Bazar’’, ‘’Long Da Lishkara’’ and the iconic ‘’Diva Bale Saari Raat’, which were later made into films.
She and her late husband are credited with establishing professional Punjabi theatre movement in Punjab while her portrayal of Sardarni in the film ‘’Long Da Lishkara’’ made her a household name. She then went on to work in a Tele series ‘’Saanjhi Deewar’’ and a Hindi feature film ‘’Haat-the Bazar’’.
“After her husband’s demise in 2002 in a car accident she has been supporting me in carrying forward the legacy of her late husband and also reviving his productions on stage, namely Sirhindi Di Deewar, Long Da Lishkara and Diva Bale Saari Raat”, says her son Manpal Tiwana.
“Theatre is something that puts characters to life and I am very fortunate to have lived doing acting, which continues to inspire me,” said Tiwana, a veteran actress.
