Ebrahim Alkazi’s journey was concerned with forging a ‘modern’ identity in a new, post-Independence India. From the 1940s a new language for theatre developed by Alkazi embraced internationalism and a dialogue between the past and contemporary times towards shaping a theatre pedagogy in India which was not only concerned with acting and direction but included the research and studying of all aspects of theatre including scenography, lighting, costumes and theatre architecture. Alkazi’s preoccupation with image construction and meaning-making was articulated through his interest in theatre and the visual arts, including photography, and via several initiatives and institutions designed by him during his career, spanning almost sixty years.
Ebrahim Alkazi: A Short Film is an introduction to the panel discussion, Tribute Session: Life and Legacy of Ebrahim Alkazi, organized by the Jairangam, Jaipur Theatre Festival for its 2020 edition ‘Only Art Can Heal The World’. The speakers for this session are theatre directors Amal Allana and Feisal Alkazi and actor Joy Sengupta with moderator Gowri Ramnarayan.