RIYADH: The Saudi Theater and Performing Arts Commission launched the Ebrahim Al-Kazi Chair of Research at the Saudi Center for Research and Knowledge Intercommunication, supported by the Ministry of Culture.
“The Commission announces the launch of the Ebrahim Al-Kazi Research Chair, who serves as a symbol of cultural partnership between Saudi Arabia and India,” said the commission.
The launch ceremony on Wednesday was attended by Indian Ambassador Suhel Ajaz Khan, CEO of the Commission Mohammed Alwan, former Shoura Council member Hamad bin Abdullah Al-Kazi, a senior member of the Al-Kazi family, and other cultural personalities and Saudi officials.
“This initiative is a fitting tribute to Ebrahim Al-Kazi — a towering figure of modern Indian theater, former director of the National School of Drama, and mentor to generations of Indian theater and film artists. His work transcends cultures, and with family roots in Unaizah in Al Qassim Province of Saudi Arabia, his life and legacy serves as an enduring cultural link between India and Saudi Arabia,” the Indian ambassador told Arab News on Thursday.
Earlier, speaking at the ceremony, Khan said: “Glad to be at this historic launch of the research chair, a tribute that is both timely and richly deserved. Al-Kazi was far more than a man of the theater. He was a bridge between two great nations. Born of Saudi heritage and nurtured in India, he devoted his life to weaving together our civilizations through the universal language of art and human expression.
“He was the doyen of Indian theater, played a pivotal role in shaping the National School of Drama, and served as its director for nearly 15 years. He mentored generations of theater artists, many of whom went on to become renowned film personalities, shaping the landscape of Indian cinema,” added the envoy.
“The National School of Drama in New Delhi stands as his enduring legacy-more than an institution, it was his gift to India. It became a crucible for artistic excellence and helped define modern Indian theatre, reflecting a vision that carried the essence of both his ancestral roots and his homeland,” said Khan.
Al-Kazi was also a noted art connoisseur, collector, and gallery owner, having founded the Art Heritage Gallery in New Delhi.
Over the course of his distinguished career, he was honored with several of India’s highest civilian awards including the Padma Shri (1966), the Padma Bhushan (1991), and the Padma Vibhushan (2010), India’s second-highest civilian honor.
“Now Saudi Arabia establishes this prestigious research chair in his name, India is deeply touched. This is not merely an academic distinction, it’s a powerful affirmation that culture transcends borders, and that the ties between India and Saudi Arabia are profound and enduring. His remarkable legacy stands as a powerful symbol of these deep cultural ties,” said the ambassador.
“May this research chair inspire future generations of scholars, artists, and cultural ambassadors to follow in the footsteps of Al-Kazi,” he added.
Al-Kazi, who passed away in New Delhi in August 2020, was born in 1925 and grew up in the Indian town of Pune.
He was raised in a multicultural world of many languages, and his passion for theater began aged 9 while taking part in school plays.
When he moved to Mumbai to study at St. Xavier’s College, Al-Kazi participated in the progressive art movement and joined the Sultan “Bobby” Padamsee’s Theater Group company.
His father Hamad Al-Kazi noticed his son’s flair for the arts and sent him to the US to complete his studies.
He later joined the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, where he met the former Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru who was on an official visit to Britain. He had admired Al-Kazi’s work and asked him to return to Delhi to create a theater group and help him establish the National School of Drama in 1959.
