Ananda Lal

Ananda Lal Biography

Ananda Lal is an academic and theatre critic, who has authored many books and wrote many columns. He is also a theatre personality who has directed 20 theatre productions, many of them for Jadavpur University where he taught Drama in Practice. He also worked in 20 more productions. He is the son of acclaimed writer and translator, Purushottama Lal. His sister Srimati Lal is a noted artist and writer. She is also an art critic, art authenticator and curator, who conducts art exhibitions across India and abroad. Ananda Lal currently serves as a Professor of English at Rabindranath Tagore Studies Centre (UGC), at Jadavpur University, Kolkata.

He authors criticism works on plays in English, and some of his noted works belonging to this category include - "Oxford Companion to Indian Theatre", "Rabindranath Tagore: Three Plays", "Theatres of India", "Twist in the Folktale”, "Shakespeare on the Calcutta Stage” and "Rasa: The Indian Performing Arts". As an academician he has spent many years in colleges affiliated to University of Jadavpur and Kolkata. He is one among the best drama personalities of present times. Drama Academy of India chose him as the Best Theatre Researcher in year 2000.

He was born in Kolkata, West Bengal. He is half-Bengali and half-Punjabi. His early education was done in Kolkata, where he spent his younger days. After studies he started his career as an academician, and taught numerous students, English, art and theatre. A multifaceted personality of numerous talents, he directed 20 theatre plays, as a part of his profession in Jadavpur University where he taught Drama in Practice. He also worked in another twenty productions, and owns a portfolio with scriptwriter, researcher, commentator, narrator and subtitler as professions. He writes a regular drama column in The Telegraph since 1986.

Published: September 19, 2018

Updated: September 19, 2018