KYA KAREGI KAJI – The Play

THE DIRECTOR…..

Ajay Malkani apart from Postgraduate degree in commerce and degree of law from Banaras Hindu University has graduated from the National School of Drama (NSD), New Delhi in 1986, with specialization in Direction. For the last 40 years Ajay is mobilizing theatre activities in India on socially relevant themes. Ajay has directed 60 plays, including Indian and International classics, organized and conducted 50 theatre workshops in collaboration with NSD, Dept. of Culture (New Delhi), Sangeet Natak Academy, North Central Zone Cultural Centre (NCZCC), Deptt. Of Culture Bihar and Jharkhand, MECON, SAIL etc. all over the country. Besides being associated with Films, Radio and Electronic productions, he has worked as Event Manager and Creative Director conducting various programmes in U.P., M.P., Rajasthan, Bihar, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, West Bengal and Andaman Island etc.

Ajay has been awarded with Natya Bhushan from Utkal Yuva Sanskriti Sangh, Cuttack, Gokul Samman from Gokul Art. Varanasi, Anil Mukherjee Shikher Samman from Bihar Art Theatre, Patna. Sanskar Bharti Vakerker Shikher Samman from Lucknow, State award from Govt. of Jharkhand and Patliputra award from Prangan, Patna, Bihar. In 2021, he has been awarded Jharkhand Ratna by Civil Society of Ranchi. Recently he has been awarded Sangeet Natak Academy Award, New Delhi for significant contribution in Theatre Direction.

An Ex-Associate Professor in Commerce, Marwari College, Ranchi he was Founder Director, Department of Performing and Fine Arts, Ranchi University. He was appointed as a member of expert committee for the scheme of Salary Grant to professional institutions by Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India from 2015-2019. He has also been selected as the member of Admission Selection Committee at N.S.D., Delhi MPSD, Bhopal and BNA, Lucknow from time to time. At present he is member of Academic Council N.S.D. and visiting faculty in N.S.D. MPSD and B.N.A. He has visited U.K. and interacted with British Theatre Artists at London and Birmingham.

THE GROUP…..

With Some young artists trained in NSD workshop held in B.I.T. Mesra Ranchi in 1981 along with some unemployed youth, hailing from tribal and backward areas and some engineers, journalists, teachers, students and industrial workers, Ajay Malkani along with Mr. Avinash Singh, Bipin Kumar etc. formed Yuva Rangmanch, with an aim to motivate common people through theatre and other cultural activities, ascertaining their active participation to bring about a change for the betterment of the society.

The group has organized 65 workshops in the tribal region and has trained about 1000 budding talents and has successfully given a scientific direction to the theatre movement in Jharkhand. The group has staged 500 shows of almost 65 plays inspiring both rural and urban youth. Besides founder director Ajay Malkani the group consists of Theatre professionals from NSD, BNA Lucknow, MPSD, Bhopal and Deptt. of Performing and Fine Arts, Ranchi University. During the last 42 years, Yuva Rangmanch has been instrumental in imparting training & technical assistance to various Cultural & theatre groups, schools, Colleges, NGO etc. in Eastern India. It has served as “Mother organization for a plethora of young artists and technicians. Most of its young artists were associated with Dramatic & Cultural Society, Marwari College, Ranchi hence the group is a part of college alumni also. Yuva Rangmanch, besides being actively engaged in experimental innovation in modern Indian theatre, research and training, is also conducting experimentation and presentation of fine arts, classical Kathak and folk dances in association with Haren Thakur, Gargi Malkani, Ankita Chakraborty, Malobika Mukherjee, Sunita Oraon and Trisha Bhatia.