Aamir Raza Husain | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1957-01-06)6 January 1957 Lucknow,Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Died | 3 June 2023(2023-06-03) (aged 66) Delhi, India |
| Occupation(s) | Theatre director, actor |
| Years active | 1974–2023 |
Aamir Raza Husain (6 January 1957 – 3 June 2023) was an Indian theatre actor and director, noted for his large outdoor stage productions likeThe Fifty Day War (2000), based on theKargil War, andThe Legend of Ram (2004), based on the epicRamayana. He was also the creative director of Stagedoor, a theatre company established in 1974, which has staged over 91 productions and more than 1,100 performances.[1][2]
Husain was awarded thePadma Shri in 2001 by theGovernment of India.[3]
Born in theAwadhi aristocratic family of Mumtaz Husain and Kaniz Mehida in Lucknow, Husain was an only child. The family moved to SP Marg in Delhi when he was still quite young, and he attended the Garden School there.[1]
Husain was sent toMayo College, a boarding school, at age ten in 1968, and after he finished his schooling, he went on to study history atSt. Stephen's College, Delhi. He acted in various college plays, working with directors such as Joy Michael,Barry John, and Marcus Murch.[1]
Husain also appeared in the English filmKim (1984), starringPeter O'Toole and based onRudyard Kipling's novelKim.[4] Over the years, he produced several plays staged at outdoor locations, such asSare Jahan Se Acha,1947 Live, and in 1999.Satyamev Jayate, which used theHauz Khas monument as a backdrop.[5] In 1998, he and his troupe, along withDelhi Tourism, organized theChaudvin ka Chand festival between the historicRed Fort andFatehpuri Mosque inChandni Chowk,Old Delhi.[6]
The Legend of Ram, based on the epicRamayana, was first staged in 1994, and later for a period of four months in 2004 on a much larger scale with 19 outdoor sets spread over three acres, 35 characters and a 100-member crew. The last show of the play was performed before PresidentAPJ Abdul Kalam on 1 May 2004.[7] In 2007, he acted and directedOne into Two, a comedy play written by Peter Season, which was staged in five cities across India, including Mumbai.[8]
In 2010, he revived his productionMove Over, first staged at the official farewell of PresidentShankar Dayal Sharma in 1997, under the banner of "Welcomtheatre." it was performed inDelhi,Mumbai,Kolkata and many other cities in India.[9][10]
Aamir Raza Husain was once[when?] a member of theBJP. He was the Delhi BJP vice president until July 2013, resigning after criticizingNarendra Modi.[11][12][13]
Husain was based in Delhi. He married actress Viraat Talwar in 1993 after the two met in 1987 when Talwar, a student atLady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR), auditioned for his playDangerous Liaison. It was also her first professional role. The couple had two children, Kaniz Sukaina and Ghulam Ali Abbas.[7][9]
Aamir Raza Husain died in Delhi on 3 June 2023 at the age of 66.[14]