Chandravadan Chimanlal Mehta (6 April 1901 – 4 May 1991), popularly known as C. C. Mehta or Chan. Chi. Mehta, was a

Gujarati Gujarati may refer to: * something of, from, or related to Gujarat, a state of India * Gujarati people, the major ethnic group of Gujarat * Gujarati language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by them * Gujarati languages, the Western Indo-Aryan sub ...

playwright, theatre critic, bibliographer, poet, story writer, autobiographer, travel writer and broadcaster from

Vadodara Vadodara (), also known as Baroda, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Vadodara district and is situated on the banks of the Vishwamitri River, from the state capital ...

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

, India.

Biography

Chandravadan Mehta was born on 6 April 1901 in

Surat Surat is a city in the western Indian state of Gujarat. The word Surat literally means ''face'' in Gujarati and Hindi. Located on the banks of the river Tapti near its confluence with the Arabian Sea, it used to be a large seaport. It is now ...

. His primary education was in

and secondary education in Surat. He matriculated in 1919 and completed

B. A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

in Gujarati from the

Elphinstone College Elphinstone College is one of the constituent colleges of Dr. Homi Bhabha State University, a state cluster university. Established in 1823, it is one of the oldest colleges in Mumbai. It played a major role in shaping and developing the ed ...

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

(now Mumbai) in 1924. In 1928, he joined

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

in the

Bardoli Satyagraha The Bardoli Satyagraha, in the state of bardoli, India during the British Raj, was a major phase of civil disobedience and revolt in the Indian Independence Movement on 12 June 1928. The movement was eventually led by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, a ...

. He also joined ''Navbharat'' daily as an editor in 1928. From 1933 to 1936, he taught at New Era High School, Mumbai. He joined the

All India Radio All or ALL may refer to: Language * All, an indefinite pronoun in English * All, one of the English determiners * Allar language (ISO 639-3 code) * Allative case (abbreviated ALL) Music * All (band), an American punk rock band * ''All'' (All a ...

(AIR)-Bombay in 1938 and became the director of AIR-

Ahmedabad Ahmedabad ( ; Gujarati: Amdavad ) is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 (per t ...

in 1954. During his tenure, he developed the broadcasting culture in Gujarat, wrote and produced several radio plays and documentaries with directors like Adi Marzban and others. After retirement, he was associated with the performing arts departments of the

Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, formerly Baroda College, is a public university in the city of Vadodara, in Gujarat state, India. Originally established as a college in 1881, it became a university in 1949 after the independence of ...

and the

Gujarat Vidyapith Gujarat Vidyapith is a deemed university in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. It was founded in 1920 by Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of the Indian independence movement, and deemed a university in 1963. Etymology "Vidyapith," in many languages of ...

. He pioneered the theatre education in India and started diploma and degree courses in theatre in the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. He represented India in the international theatre fora. He married Vilas in 1925. They divorced in 1938. He died on 4 May 1991.

Works

Mehta is considered as the pioneer of the modern

Gujarati theatre Gujarati theatre refers to theatre performed in the Gujarati language, including its dialects. Gujarati theatre is produced mainly in Gujarat and Maharashtra, in cities like Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Baroda, Surat and else where Gujarati diaspora ex ...

. His plays are focused on the stagecraft which has diversity of subjects including tragedy, comedy, satire as well as historical, social, mythological, biographical plays. ;Theatre and plays In early 1920, he presented two unscripted soliloquies which created a stir. He criticized and led a protest against the depiction of women in ''College Kanya'' (College Girl, 1925), a play produced by the

Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali Gujarati Natak Mandali (1878–89) and its successor Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali (1889–1948) was a theatre company in Bombay, British India. It gave immense contributions to the Gujarati theatre, with productions of more than hundred plays, ...

. Mehta wrote over 25 plays, numerous

one-act play A one-act play is a play that has only one act, as distinct from plays that occur over several acts. One-act plays may consist of one or more scenes. The 20-40 minute play has emerged as a popular subgenre of the one-act play, especially in writi ...

s and radio plays. He, along with his friends, wrote and produced several realistic plays such as ''Akho'' (1927), ''Agagadi'' (1933, translated as ''Iron Road'' in 1970), ''Narmad'' (1937) and ''Dhara Gurjari'' (Land of Gujarat, 1944, published 1968). ''Aagagadi'', about an ailing fireman, marked the rise of amateur theatre movement in the

. His other published plays include ''Mungi Stree'' (1927), ''Akho, Varvahu ane Bija Natako'' (1933), ''Ramakadani Dukan'' (1934), ''Nagabava'' (1937), ''Premnu Moti Ane Bija Natako'' (1937), ''Sita'' (1943), ''Mazamrat'' (Dark Mindnight, 1955), ''Hololika'' (1956, published 1957) and ''Savitri''- a dramatization of

Sri Aurobindo Sri Aurobindo (born Aurobindo Ghose; 15 August 1872 – 5 December 1950) was an Indian philosopher, yogi, maharishi, poet, and Indian nationalist. He was also a journalist, editing newspapers such as ''Vande Mataram''. He joined the ...

's '' Savitri''. ''Hololika'', written in format of Bhavai, a traditional Gujarati theatre form, is a satire on the corrupt judicial system. He also published following plays: ''Shikharini'' (1946), ''Panjarapol'' (1947), ''Mena Popat Athva Hathighoda'' (1951), ''Rangbhandar'' (1953), ''Sonavatakdi'' (1955), ''Madira'' (Media) (1955), ''Kishor Natako'' Part 1-2 (1956), ''Kapoorno Deevo'' (1960), ''Param Maheshwar'' (1960), ''Sati'' (1960), ''Karoliyanu Jalu'' (1961), ''Shakuntala Athva Kanyaviday'' (1966), ''Andar Andar'' (1969), ''Abola Rani'' (1972), ''Santakukadi'' (1972), ''Chandravadan Mehtana Pratinidhi Ekankio'' (1974), ''Antar-Bahir Ane Bija Natako'' (1975). He extensively wrote on the history of Gujarati theatre and production techniques. ;Theatre criticism His expertise in theatre and stagecraft as well as his extensive knowledge of international theatre is visible in his works of theatre criticism. He had written eleven works on theatre criticism: ''Kavishri Nanalalna Natako Ane Akbarshahni Rangbhumi Par Rajuat'' (1959), ''Natak Bhajavata'' (1962), ''Lyric'' (1962), ''Lyric Ane Lagarik'' (1965), ''Natyarang'' (1973), ''American Theatre'' (1974), ''Europe na Deshoni Natyashrishti'' (1974), ''Japannu Theatre'' (1975), ''Vak'' (1975), ''Ekanki: Kyare Kya Ane Keva Uprant Bija Natyavishayak Lekho''. ;Theatre bibliography His ''Bibliography of Stagable Plays in Indian Languages'' Part 1-2 (1964, 1965) is his work of theatre research which received acclaim for him in the theatre of Europe. It has an extensive list of plays written and staged in India in the 19th and 20th century arranged according to years, writers and characters. It took ten years to prepare this bibliography. ;Poetry ''Yamal'' (1926) is a collection of 14

sonnet A sonnet is a poetic form that originated in the poetry composed at the Court of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II in the Sicilian city of Palermo. The 13th-century poet and notary Giacomo da Lentini is credited with the sonnet's invention, ...

s. ''Elakavyo'' (1933) is 35 sonnets including a reprint of ''Yamal'' and a series of sonnets from ''Kanchanjangha''. ''Chandarana'' (1935) is a collection of children's poetry. ''Ratan'' (1937) is a 1636 stanza long narrative poem in ''Prithvi''

metre The metre (British spelling) or meter (American spelling; see spelling differences) (from the French unit , from the Greek noun , "measure"), symbol m, is the primary unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), though its pref ...

. The poem depicts the sacrifice and death of a sister named Ratan. ''Rudo Rabari'' (1940) is his other narrative poem. ''Chado Re Shikhar Raja Ramna'' (1975) has 20 poems including unique poems such as "O New York" and "Colloquial Gujarati Kavita". ;Stories ''Khamma Bapu'' (1950) and ''Vatchakaravo'' (1967) are his short story collections. ''Mangalmayi'' (1975) has three true stories. He also wrote a novel ''Jeevati Putalio''. ;Prose His prose writings include his twelve-volume autobiographical and travel writings, ''Gathariyan'' (Travel Bags) which were in unusual prose and simple language. These volumes are ''Bandh Gathariyan'' Part 1-2 (1954), ''Chhod Gathariyan'' (1956), ''Safar Gathariyan'' (1956), ''Bhamiye Gujarat Na Relpate Na Vate'' (1962), ''Rang Gathariyan'' (1965), ''Roop Gathariyan'' (1965), ''Natya Gathariyan'' (on theatre, 1971), ''Antar Gathariyan'' Part 1-2 (1973), ''Dhruv Gathariyan'' (1976) and ''Ganth Gathariyan'' (1976). ;Other works His other works include ''Radio Roopako'', ''Premno Tant'', ''Navbharatna Bhagyavidhata Sardar Vallabhbhaina Jeevan Par Bar Roopako''. Mehta had composed the anthem of the

. He translated

Cervantes Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (; 29 September 1547 (assumed) – 22 April 1616 Old Style and New Style dates, NS) was an Early Modern Spanish writer widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-emin ...

's ''

Don Quixote is a Spanish epic novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615, its full title is ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'' or, in Spanish, (changing in Part 2 to ). A founding work of Wester ...

'' into Gujarati.

Legacy

Chandravadan Mehta Marg - Vadodara - Gujarat 001

In 1960, at Vienna Conference at the

International Theatre Institute The International Theatre Institute ITI is the world’s largest performing arts organisation, founded in 1948 by theatre and dance experts and UNESCO. It has hosted various events through its history, including the Theatre of Nations, an intern ...

under the aegis of

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

, he moved a resolution to celebrate 27 March, as the

World Theatre Day World Theatre Day (WTD) is an international observance celebrated on 27 March. It was initiated in 1961 by the International Theatre Institute. Initiation World Theatre Day was initiated in 1962 by the International Theatre Institute (ITI). It ...

. Gujarati writer

Raghuveer Chaudhari Raghuveer ChaudhariSpelling of name is based on his signaturArchived herOther alternative spellings are Raghuvir Chaudhary and Raghuvir Chaudhari. is a novelist, poet and critic from Gujarat, India. He has also worked as a columnist for numerou ...

wrote a play, ''Trijo Purush'', based on his life.

Awards

He received the

Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak, also known as the Ranjitram Gold Medal, was founded by Gujarat Sahitya Sabha and is considered the highest literary award in Gujarati literature. The award is named after renowned Gujarati writer Ranjitram Mehta. It is ...

in 1936 and the

Narmad Suvarna Chandrak Narmad Suvarna Chandrak (Gujarati: નર્મદ સુવર્ણ ચંદ્રક), also known as the Narmad Gold Medal or Narmad Chandrak, is a literary honour in Gujarat, India. It is bestowed by the organisation known as Narmad Sahitya Sa ...

in 1942. He rejected the

Kumar Chandrak Kumar Suvarana Chandrak or the Kumar Gold Medal is a literary award given by Kumar Trust, Ahmedabad, India since 1944. The medal is annually conferred to a Gujarati author for his contribution in '' Kumar'' magazine published by Kumar Trust. In 1 ...

awarded to him in 1950. In 1962, he was awarded the

Padma Shri Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, ...

by the

Government of India The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...

. He won the 1971 Sahitya Akademi Award for Gujarati language for his autobiographical travelogue ''Natya Gathariyan''. He was also awarded the

Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (IPA: Saṅgīta Nāṭaka Akādamī Puraskāra), also known as the Akademi Puraskar, is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi Sangeet Natak Akademi (The National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama in Englis ...

for playwriting in Gujarati in 1971. In 1984, he was awarded the

Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship The Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, also known as Akademi Ratna Sadasyata, is an Indian honour for the performing arts presented by Sangeet Natak Academy. It is "the most prestigious and rare honour" conferred by the Academy and is "restricte ...

, the highest honour conferred by the

Sangeet Natak Akademi Sangeet Natak Akademi (The National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama in English) is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India. History It was set up by the Indian education ministry on 31 May 1952 and be ...

. He received

Sahitya Gaurav Puraskar The Sahitya Gaurav Puraskar ( Gujarati: સાહિત્ય ગૌરવ પુરસ્કાર), also known as Sahitya Gaurav Award, is a literary honour in Gujarat, India. The award is conferred by Gujarat Sahitya Akademi and Government of Gu ...

for the year 1991.

References

External links