Kumara Varma Biography 
Kumara Varma is an Indian theatre director from Kerala who has directed both Indian and western plays. He has contributed more than 35 plays till now. Raja Oedipus, Urubhangam, Mattavilasam, Abhijnana Shakuntalam, Ashadh Ka Ek Din, Baaki Itihas, Uddhwast Dharmashala, Six Characters in Search of an Author, Death Watch, Agg De Kaleere and Leedli Nagari ki Neeti Katha are his most popular plays. In the late 1960’s till early 1970’s, he was active in Natakakalari movement (New-theatre Movement) in Kerala. He has directed many plays in Malayalam and has also done a few works for National School of Drama, New Delhi. In 1967, he directed Hori for Repertory Company of the National School of Drama, New Delhi, based on the most acclaimed work of Premchand – Godan.
Kumara Varma was born in April 1945 in Mavelikkara, Kerala. After graduation in Kerala, he joined NSD as a student in 1967 where he completed graduation. He left NSD in 1967. He won prestigious Bharat Puraskar and Girish Ghosh Puraskar for his brilliant academic studies as well. He returned to Kerala, where he was associated with New-theatre Movement till 1973. He conducted theater workshops as well as directed Malayalam plays in association with great writers of Malayalam like C. N. Srikanthan Nair, G. Sankara Pillai and Kavalam Narayana Panikkar. The popular plays - Saketam, Bandi and Sakshi belong to these three playwrights respectively.
In 1973, he left Kerala and joined Department of Indian Theatre at Panjab University as faculty. Later he became its professor. He has also served as the head of the department and has been the Dean of the Faculty of Design and Fine Arts. Varma was awarded the Italian Government Scholarship in 1979 and thus he got opportunity to learn the History of Theatre and Drama at the University of Rome. Later he has studied theatre in many countries.
Published: N/A
Updated: March 06, 2014
