Khaled Choudhury

Khaled Choudhury (20 December 1919 – 30 April 2014) was a theatre personality and artist of Bengal. He worked for various directors of both Bengali and Hindi plays, including Sombhu Mitra, Tripti Mitra, and Shyamanand Jalan in various capacities — creating the Stage, sets and costumes and later as music director. He was a bachelor. He has been awarded the Padma Bhushan for his contribution to theatre in India's Republic Day Honours List on 26 January 2012. He died on 30 April 2014 in Kolkata.

Family background

Khaled Choudhury was born on 20 December 1919 in Karimganj, which was then in undivided Assam, a State of British India. His father was Chandranath Dutta Choudhury and his mother was Hem Nalini. His grandmother's brother, Gurusaday Dutt, had named him Chirakumar, but his father later changed the name to Chiraranjan Dutta Choudhury. This name he changed in 1943 to Khaled Choudhury (though he did not change his religion), as a consequence of strained relationship with his father. He moved to Kolkata (then Calcutta) in 1945. He died there after an illness on 30 April 2014.

Contributions to theatre

In 1945, he joined the Bharatiya Gananatya Sangha (Indian People's Theatre Association). His contributions in the form of artistic talent in the fields of drawing, painting and music (both folk and western) enabled him to be involved in ''Shahider Daak'', a shadow theatre in 1947. He joined Bohurupee in 1953.
List of plays in which Khaled Choudhury had been involved primarily as Stage Director are:
;Bohurupee Productions:
*1953 ''Dharmaghat'' directed by Sombhu Mitra;
*1954 ''Rakta Karabi'' directed by Sombhu Mitra, as Music & Stage Director as well as Costumes Director;
*1955 ''Swargiya Prahasan'' directed by Amar Gangopadhyay;
*1955 ''Angshidaar'' directed by Amar Gangopadhyay;
*1957 ''Daakghar'' directed by Tripti Mitra;
*1958 ''Putul Khela'' directed by Sombhu Mitra;
*1969 ''Barbar baanshi'' directed by Sombhu Mitra;
*1970 ''Kingbadanti'' directed by Tripti Mitra;
*1971 ''Pagla Ghora'' directed by Sombhu Mitra;
*1972 ''Gandaar'' directed by Tripti Mitra;
*1988 ''Jajaati'' directed by Kumar Roy;

;Calcutta Theatre Productions:
*1959 ''Gotraantar'' directed by Bijon Bhattacharya;
*1966 ''Debigarjan'' directed by Bijon Bhattacharya;

;Theatre Unit Productions:
*1960 ''Krishnachura'' directed by Shekhar Chattopadhyay;
*1964 ''Julius Caesar'' (Bengali) directed by Shekhar Chattopadhyay;
*1969 ''Janmabhumi'' directed by Shekhar Chattopadhyay, as Music & Stage Director as well as Costumes Director;

;Mukhosh Theatre Centre Productions:
*1960 ''Rajanigandhaa'' directed by Tarun Ray;
*1960 ''Aar hobey na deri'' directed by Tarun Ray;

;Nakshatra Productions:
*1960 ''Amrita Athith'' directed by Shyamal Ghosh;
;Shishu Natya Sangha Productions:
*1961 ''Bisarjan'' directed by Narayan Bhattacharya;

;Group Theatre Productions:
*1961 ''Strir Patra'' directed by Gita Bandopadhyay;
*1962 ''Noey Chhoey'' directed by Gita Bandopadhyay;

;Nandikar Productions:
*1961 & 1976 ''Saodagarer Nauko'' directed by Radharaman Tapadar;
*1988 ''Sesh Sakkhatkar'' directed by Rudraprasad Sengupta;
*1993 ''Feriwalar Mrityu'' directed by Rudraprasad Sengupta;
*1995 ''Meghnadbadh Kabya'' directed by Gautam Haldar;

;Anaamika Productions:
*1961 ''Ghar aur bahar'' (Hindi) directed by Shyamanand Jalan;
*1967 ''Saanp uttara'' (Hindi) directed by Shiv Kumar Joshi;
*1967 ''Shuturmurg'' (Hindi) directed by Shyamanand Jalan;
*1968 ''Chhapte Chhapte'' (Hindi) directed by Shyamanand Jalan;
*1968 ''Sacchhayi kya hai'' (Hindi) directed by Shyamanand Jalan;
*1968 ''Evam Indrajeet'' (Hindi) directed by Shyamanand Jalan;
*1969 ''Mere Bacche'' (Hindi) directed by Shiv Kumar Joshi;
*1969 ''Vallabhpur ki roopkatha''(Hindi) directed by Krishna Kumar;
*1970 ''Aadhe Adhure'' (Hindi) directed by Shyamanand Jalan;
*1971 ''Pagla Ghora'' (Hindi)directed by Shyamanand Jalan;
*1971 ''Steel frame'' (Hindi)directed by Pratibha Agrawal;
*1978 ''Surdas'' (Hindi)directed by Pratibha Agrawal;

;Rupakar Productions:
*1962 ''Kaaler Jatra'' directed by Sabitabrata Datta;

;Khelaghar Productions:
*1962 ''Chokher Bali'' directed by Bonani Choudhury;

;Anukar Productions:
*1967 ''Singhasaner Khoyrog'' directed by Dwipen Sengupta;

;Pujarinir Asar Productions:
*1969 ''Ankamalar deshe'' directed by Samir Chattopadhyay;

;Aadakaar Productions:
*1969 ''Nishaad'' (Hindi) directed by Krishna Kumar;

;Bangla Naatmancha Pratistha Samiti:
*1970 ''Laalan Fakir'' directed by Sabitabrata Dutta;
*1971 ''Mudra Raakshash'' directed by Ajitesh Bandopadhyay;
*1972 ''Tughlaq'' directed by Shyamanand Jalan;

;Bharatiya Gananatya Sangha(Indian People's Theatre Assn):
*1970 '' Professor Mamlock'' directed by Ranajit Sinha;
*1998 ''Singhasan'' directed by Pankaj Munshi;
;Shaoli Mitra:
*1971 ''Terrodactil'' directed by Tripti Mitra;

;Rabitirtha Productions:
*1973 ''Chandaalika'' directed by Suchitra Mitra;

; Rangakarmee Productions:
*1981 ''Guriya Ghar'' directed by Tripti Mitra;

; Calcutta Puppet Theatre:
*1982 ''Ramayan''(for children) directed by Suresh Datta;

;Aarabdha Natya Vidyalaya:
*1984 ''Raktakarabi'' directed by Tripti Mitra;
*1984 ''Doorasha'' directed by Tripti Mitra;

;Theatre Workshop:
*1984 ''Bisarjan'' directed by Bibhas Chakraborty;
*1991 ''Bera'' directed by Ashoke Mukhopadhyay;
*1994 ''Eka ebong eka'' directed by Ashoke Mukhopadhyay;
*1996 ''Saodagarer Nauko'' directed by Ashoke Mukhopadhyay;

;Sangbarta:
*1984 ''Dragonbodher pala'' directed by Sunil Das;
;Ensemble:
*1989 ''Uttaraadhikaar'' directed by Sohaag Sen;
*1994 ''Uttarpurush'' directed by Sohaag Sen;

;Sundaram Productions:
*1989 ''Alakanandar Putrakanya'' directed by Manoj Mitra;
*1991 ''Shobhajatra'' directed by Manoj Mitra;
*1994 ''Galpa Hekim Saheb'' directed by Manoj Mitra;
*1998 ''Chhayar prasad'' directed by Manoj Mitra;

;Samikkhan Productions:
*1990 ''Mrichhakatik'' directed by Pankaj Munshi;
*1997 ''Antaraal'' directed by Pankaj Munshi;
*2000 ''Swapna Ujaan'' directed by Pankaj Munshi;

;Gandhar Productions:
*1992 ''Takhan Bikel'' directed by Ashit Mukhopadhyay;

;Nibha Arts:
*1992 ''Darpane Saratsashi'' directed by Soumitra Chattopadhyay;

;Theatrewala Productions:
*1993 ''Kaacher Dewaal'' directed by Biplabketan Chakraborty;

;Patent Theatre Productions:
*1994 ''Third bell'' directed by Nirmalya Sengupta;
*1996 ''Nihata Chaitanya'' directed by Rana Chattopadhyay;

;Rangaroop Productions:
*1994 ''Je jon aache Maajhkhaane'' directed by Seema Mukhopadhyay;
;Choopkatha Productions:
*1995 ''Aakorik'' directed by Ashit Mukhopadhyay;
*1997 ''Janmadin'' directed by Ashit Mukhopadhyay;

;Saayak Productions:
*1996 ''Karnaabati'' directed by Meghnad Bhattacharya;
*1997 ''Dui Hujurer Galpo'' directed by Meghnad Bhattacharya;

;Kalyani Natyacharcha Kendra:
*1997 ''Chilekothar Sepai'' directed by Gautam Haldar;
*2000 ''Nakshi Kaanthar Maath'' directed by Gautam Haldar;

;Anubhaas Productions, Howrah:
*1999 ''Apurbo golap'' directed by Sekhar Sammaddar;

Folk music and folklore research

Khaled Choudhury got involved with folk music and folk-lore research in the 1960s. He was Secretary of the Folk Music and Folklore Research Institute at its inception in 1965, which collected a lot of folk music from eastern India. This entire collection was subsequently donated to the Lokasanskriti o Adivasisanskriti Kendra (Centre for Folk and Adivasi Culture), Govt. of West Bengal.

Publications by Khaled Choudhury

* ''Theatere Shilpo Bhabona'' (Artistic Thought in Theatre)published by Pratikshan Publications.
* ''Lokoshongiter Prasangikota o Onyano Prabondho'' (Relevance of Folk Music and Other Essays) published by Loksanskriti o Adivasisanskriti Kendra.
* ''Smritir Sarani'' (Memory Lane)published by North Calcutta Film Society, 61 Lenin Sarani, Kolkata 700013, in July 2011

Books on Khaled Choudhury

* "Khaledda" by Sudeshna Bosu, published by Ekushe Samsad, 2000
* "Khaled Choudhury" by Debashish Roychowdhury, published by ''Paschimbanga Natya Academy'' (West Bengal Drama Academy), 2005

Awards

* Sangeet Natak Academy Award (1986);
* Nandikar Puraskar (1987);
* Shiromani Puroskar (1997);
* D.Litt. (Honoris Causa) from Rabindra Bharati University (2000);
* Chamanlal Memorial Award, New Delhi (2000);
* D.Litt. (Honoris Causa) from Vidyasagar University (2002);
* Kalidas Samman from Govt of Madhya Pradesh (2005);
* Dinabandhu Puraskar from Pashchimbanga Natya Akademi, Govt. of W. Bengal (2005);
* Paschim Banga Rajya Academy Award (2008);
* Fellow of Sangeet Natak Academy– Academy Ratna (2008);
* Padma Bhushan by Govt. of India (2012)

References

External links

Sangeet Natak academy article
* Kolkata Natyapremider Shraddhargha, Bhawanipur Swajan — Introduction, Page 1.

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1919 births
2014 deaths
People from Karimganj district
Stage crew
Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in arts
Bengali theatre personalities
Artists from Assam
21st-century Bengalis
20th-century Bengalis
Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship
Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award