Adieu Raj Bisaria:Theatre doyen cremated in presence of teary-eyed disciples, others

Amid sacred mantras chanted by his disciples, actor-director Ashish Tiwari, who was among Bisaria’s most devoted disciple, lit the sacred pyre to perform last rites.

The last rites of Padma Shri Raj Bisaria, who was widely hailed as the ‘father of modern theatre’ were performed at Baikunth Dham on Saturday.

People paying last tributes to theatre doyen in Lucknow on Saturday. (HT)

Amid sacred mantras chanted by his disciples, actor-director Ashish Tiwari, who was among Bisaria’s most devoted disciple, lit the sacred pyre to perform last rites.

Raj Bisaria’s daughter, her husband and mother were also present on the occasion.

The mortal remains of Raj Bisaria were first brought to the Bharatendu Natya Akademi (BNA), an institution that he founded to groom youth and initiate them to the world of theatre.

An illustrious assembly of theatre personalities, including Anil Rastogi, Surya Mohan Kulshreshtha, Lalit Pokharia, Arun Trivedi, Puneet Asthana, Sangam Bahuguna, and Rishabh Dixit, along with theatre students from BNA offered their final tributes.

In his brief speech before BNA students, veteran theatre personality Surya Mohan Kulshrestha said, “This institute was established by visionary Raj Bisaria who thought years ahead of his time. We are lucky to have got the chance to learn and work with him.”

Bisaria was ill for sometime. After he passed away, a sea of mourners gathered at his Vishal Khand, Gomtinagar residence where they described Bisaria’s death as the “end of an era.”

Towards the end days of his life, Bisaria received medical care at the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) before being brought home. The legacy of Raj Bisaria lives on, not just in the annals of theatre history, but also in the hearts of those he inspired and mentored.

His disciple Prafful said, “A programme to pay tribute to Raj Bisaria would be organised in BNA on February 20.”