Lucknow: The man who is proud to show off tags ‘Sabse Bada Nautankibaaz’, famous theater director Urmil Kumar Thapliyal (80), died on Tuesday night after a prolonged disease.
Popularly known for its game, especially his work in a revival and popularity of ‘Nagri Nautanki’ throughout the country, exhaled the latter at his home after suffering ferocity and colon cancer.
History flows from his students, close friends, theater artists and others, who are closely related to him, on social media shortly after they receive news about his bait.
As a dehradun native resident, the Thapliyal connection with Lucknow began when he shifted to the city in 1965 after getting a job on all Radio India (air) as a newsreader.
Shortly after moving to the city, he finished his PhD at the Dialect Theater from Lucknow University.
Actors from the age of 9 when he began taking part in Leela Ram in his home town of Garhwal and playing the role of ‘Sita’, his interest in the popular form of ‘Nautanki’ art after turning to Lucknow became natural.
After studying the nuances, Thapliyal, while working for air, introducing ‘Nagri Nautanki’ (Nautanki mixed with an urban touch) to the audience for several minutes left after the news was aired on the radio.
“The main intention is to revive the art form and bring it to an urban audience, coupled with its creativity.
His famous work ‘Harish Chandy Ki Hatters’ (1984) was highly recognized so that it ran in a number of cities and was still staged.
Besides working towards the artist who understood the importance of nautical , he also contributed to the modern theater, “said the director of the Theater Surya Mohan Kulshreshtha.
Given the time when Thapliyal was called for a theater workshop at Bhartendu Natya Academy when Mohan was the director, he said, “I am always amazed by his uncontrollable creativity.
But the fact that he was so warm with new and upcoming artists too, taught them and made them appear in The disciplined method, makes me more respectfully.
“Thapliyal then became one of the founding members of the famous theater group ‘Darpan’ in Lucknow in 1974.
Since then, the theater director continued to write more than a hundred dramas including ‘Jewish Ki Beti’, ‘Suraj Kahan se Ugta Hai, among others.
The latest is ‘Hey Brecht’, which was staged in 2020, before a pandemic.
“There is no publication of Hindi newspapers or magazines that do not publish Thapliyal Ji’s writing.
He is a multi-dimensional personality.
He fainted by his attendees who would be remembered for a long time,” said Rakesh Veda, Chairperson of IPTA Lucknow.
Prof.
Roop Rekha Verma considering the famous director when he invited him to assess some theater competitions at Lucknow University.
“He is a product of the University and invites him to assess theater-based competitions is an honor for me.
Students who participate learn a lot because he gives advice to them and how they can improve their skills.
Lucknow lost another gem, after Yogesh Praveen Ji,” he added , Thapliyal survived his wife, a son, and a daughter.