2 from region in fray for NSD top post

Sarika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 6

Theatre veteran Kewal Dhaliwal, an Indo-Pak peace crusader, and Suresh Sharma, acting director of the National School of Drama (NSD), have been shortlisted for the post of Director, NSD. This is for the first time that persons from the two states has made it to the final list for the top post of the country’s premier institute.

The post fell vacant after former director Waman Kendre was recently told to leave before his term ended.

Dhaliwal, president of Punjab Sangeet Natak Akademi, is an NSD alumnus and has been active in theatre for the past 35 years. He has been an active proponent of progressive theatre in Punjab. An advocate of Indo-Pak peace, he had been inviting Pakistani artists to perform in India.

Suresh Sharma is the chief of NSD Repertory Company. He runs a theatre training institute, Himachal Sanskriti Shodh Sansthan in Mandi, along with his wife Seema Sharma.

Sources said around 100 nominations were received for the post. Of these, 10 were shortlisted and invited for an interview. The interviews were held last month. A panel of senior playwrights and directors selects the final three. But this time, four have been selected.

The other two are Tulasidhara Kurup, a playwright from Kerala, and Abdul Latif Khatana of Jammu & Kashmir, chief of Theatre in Education Company of the NSD. He was also among the final three candidates in 2013 as well along with Kendre and Arundhati Nag.

The panelists included Arjun Deo Charan, a playwright from Rajasthan and acting chairman of the NSD, Hindi playwright DP Sinha and playwright Manoj Mitra.

Talking to The Tribune, Dhaliwal said the final decision would be taken by the Ministry of Culture in consultation with the Home Minister and the PM. It was expected after the Assembly elections, he added.