Balwant Gargi

Balwant Gargi Biography

Balwant Gargi was a renowned writer of Punjabi language. He was also known as a popular dramatist, theater director and a teacher.  Gargi was awarded the Sahitya Akademi award in 1962 for his play Rang Manch. He received Padma Shri in the 1972 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in Punjabi Playwriting in 1998. He is one among those rare artists who won both the Sahitya Akademi and Sangeet Natak Akademi awards. He was the founder-director of the Indian Theatre Department, Panjab University, Chandigarh and has also worked as faculty at the University of Washington, for a couple of years – 1966 and 1967. His plays have been translated into 12 languages and have been staged in several foreign places including Moscow, London and New York.

 Gargi was born on 4 December 1916 in Neeta Khandan in Bathinda of Punjab. His father Shiv Chand was a Head Clerk in the Irrigation Department. Gargi studied at Government College Lahore, and completed post-graduation in English and Political Science from FC College in Lahore. Then he studied theatre with Norah Richards at her school in Kangra Valley. Gargi's first play, Loha kutt stagged in 1944 became controversial. He focused on poverty, illiteracy, ignorance, and superstition of rural life through his plays and his second play was Saelpathar in 1949. Navan mudh and Ghugi in 1950 are his early noted works.

Loha Kutt, Kesro, Kanak Di Balli, Sohni Mahiwal, Sultan Razia, Soukan, Mirza Sahiba and Dhooni di Agg are among his most popular plays. Mircha Wala Sadh, Pattan di Berhi and Kuari Disi are his most popular short stories. Balwant Gargi was among the pioneers of playwriting in Punjabi and produced Punjabi play,  "Sanjha Chulha" telecasted on Doordarshan was very popular.

Published: N/A

Updated: January 21, 2014