Tapas Sen | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 11 September 1924 (1924-09-11) |
| Died | (2006-06-28)28 June 2006 |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Light Designer |
Tapas Sen ( 11 September, 1924 – 28 June, 2006)[1] was a notedIndianstagelighting designer, who was an important figure in 20th-centuryIndian theatre.[2] He started working withBengali theatre movement inKolkata in the late 1940s, along with noted directors,Utpal Dutt andShambhu Mitra. Later he became a founding member of theIndian People's Theatre Association's (IPTA), Delhi chapter, and worked closely withHindi theatre. Through his career stretching five decades he worked theatre directors,Ebrahim Alkazi,Vijay Tendulkar, and also dancersSadhana Bose,Chandralekha,Birju Maharaj andKelucharan Mahapatra.[3][4][5] He was known not only for his creativestage lighting, but also had a significant impact on the work of leading theatre director of the time.[1]
He was awarded the 1974Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1974, given by theSangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama, andSangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship in 2004.
Tapas Sen was born in 1924 inDhubri, Assam. His father was Matilal Sen and mother's name was Subarnalata[6] He started his career in theater with the production of a shadow play on the 1943 Bengal famine withMrinal Sen.[7][6] Amongst his most noted lighting installations are forson et lumière,sound-and-light-shows at historical venues inDelhi, like theRed Fort,Purana Quila and at theQutb Minar. He also created lighting for noted stage venues across India including Birla Theatre in Kolkata,Siri Fort Auditorium,Kamani Auditorium in Delhi, and Rabindra Natya Manch in Mumbai. Besides doingarchitectural lighting design for important outdoor venues and monuments likeKhajuraho,Konark,Elephanta andUjjain. In 1988, he designed the lighting for the opening ceremonies of the "Festival of India" at Moscow and Paris, underDashrath Patel. He was also part of the 50-person team for the lighting design of theEiffel Tower in 2000. The entire design was done by 50 light designers and engineers using 5 lifts for a span of 2 years, 2 months and 5 days.[3]
He was awarded the 1974Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in Theatre Arts, the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists, conferred by theSangeet Natak Akademi,[8] India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama, and subsequently the academy also the highest honour theSangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship in 2004.[9] He also was awarded theKalidas Samman, byGovernment of Madhya Pradesh for the year 1997-98. He was a fellow of the Lighting Designers, UK and the Indian Society of Lighting Engineers.[6]
He remained active even into his late years, in January 2006, he did the lighting for a production ofTagore's playVisarjan which premiered atMadhusudan Mancha in Kolkata.[10] He died on 28 June 2006 in Kolkata due to a heart attack, at the age of 81. His body was donated for medical research.[4]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
