DU mourns Dario Fo’s death

Dario Fo, Nobel Prize winning Italian playwright, was quite a favourite among the students and professors of Delhi University, too. The passing of the playwright, whose works are a part of the varsity’s curriculum, has left many shocked and saddened.

One writer who never minced any words when it came to critiquing society is Dario Fo. Accidental Death of an Anarchist, Mistero Buffo, Can’t Pay, are but some of the literary geniuses he penned.

The loss of Dario Fo has come as a loss to professors and students alike in Delhi University (DU).(Heribert Proper/AP)

The Nobel Prize Winning Italian playwright is equally popular in the Delhi University (DU). From English literature departments in DU discussing his work to dram socs enacting them, the news of his death at 90 due to lung problems has left DU saddened.

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Dario Fo, Nobel-winning playwright, dies aged 90

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Keval Arora, Associate Professor, English Department, Kirori mal College, says, “This is really saddening news.Fo’s theatre has been truly inspirational - not just for the sharp political texts, but also for his the democratic manner in which he engaged with actors and audiences. I remember how happy many of us were when he was awarded the Nobel prize, feeling that was time that the Academy recognised and celebrated his kind of theatre.”

Dario Fo’s Accidental Play of an Anarchist is a part of the curriculum for English Literature students.

Afreen Sen Chatterji, President, Players – the dramatics society of Kirori Mal College (KMC) says, “We’re working on his play Accidental Death of an Anarchist and are preparing a street play on it this year. Since I am also an English literature student, I have been studying his plays in my course and it’s a little hard to believe that he is gone. When you study his plays, they seem like a comedy at first but as you deeper, you realise that all his works have political commentaries in them.

One of the most widely performed contemporary playwright in the world, Fo was known for his cutting satire and his set designs and often cast his wife Franca Rame in his plays. Kuljeet Singh, Professor, Department of English, Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa (SGTB) College says, “Dario Fo’s work Accidental Death of an Anarchist is an incisive take on police system. Can’t Pay? Won’t Pay! critiques the present consumerist culture. In today’s time, his work looks like they are written for today. The political satires he has given to the theatre world are perfect examples of strong theatrical value with regard to form and responsible content.”