Surya Mohan Kulshreshtha is a veteran Indian theater and film actor and director. He wrote and directed many theater productions. He is the former principal of Bhartendu Natya College, Lucknow.
Wiki/Biography
Surya Mohan Kulshreshtha was born on Friday, May 8, 1953, in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India (70 years; as of 2023). His zodiac sign is Taurus. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Bachelor of Laws degree. He pursued a professional course in directing at the Batendu Institute of Dramatic Arts, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (1976-1977). He was one of the first batch of students of Bhartendu Natya Academi (BNA).
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′8″
Hair color: salt and pepper (semi-bald)
Eye color: light brown
family
Parents and siblings
His father’s name is Kameshwar Nath Kulshreshtha and mother’s name is Girija Devi.
wife and children
His wife Neelam Kulshreshtha is a housewife.
Surya Mohan Kulshreshtha and Neelam Kulshreshtha
The couple has two sons, Tuhin Kulshreshtha, vice president of Barclays Capital, and Nitin Kulshreshtha, assistant brand manager of ITC Sunfeast Biscuits.
Surya Mohan Kulshreshtha with family
address
C-11, Sector 1, Aliganj, Lucknow-226024
Profession
theater
actor
Surya Mohan Kulshreshtha started his acting career as a child artist, playing the role of a deity on the occasion of Janmashtami in a theater production. He has worked in many theater productions by Indian and foreign directors, including Kolage, Tambe Ke Keerey, Mahananagar – Teen Samwad, Ek Aur Dronacharya, Burning Road and Barefoot in Athens.
Surya Mohan Kulshreshtha in the play Barefoot in Athens
director
He made his debut as a theater director with the Greek play Oedipus Rex. He has directed about 100 plays in various languages with various theater companies and drama schools. He directed a play titled “Andhere Mein”, which was adapted from Gajanan Madhav Muktibodh’s book of the same name. Some of the Hindi dramas he has directed include “Ram Leela”, “Vasansi Jirnani”, “Andha Yug”, “Bhagwajjukeeyam”, “Mrichchakatikam – Mitti Ki Gadi”, “Adhe Adhure” and “Hulhuliya”.
2023 Hindi drama ‘Hulhuliya’ poster
Other language dramas he has directed include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Exception and the Rule, The Underbelly and The Shadowless Man. He also directed the Finnish drama Puho Mies.
screenwriter
In addition to being a theater actor and director, he is also a playwright. He has written many plays including Natak Ganesh – Marka, Tukare, Insaf Ka Ghera (a Hindi version of Bertolt Brecht’s Chalk Circle of Caucasus), based on Indian tribal folklore ‘Veer Lorik’, ‘Mrig Trishna’ is a modern drama based on the principles and life of Buddha, and ‘Parivartan Ki Gatha’ is based on the Dalit movement. He has written numerous articles and reviews on various aspects of theatre, published in many newspapers and journals including Rang Prasang and Chhayanat.
designer
He designed the sets and costumes for most of the plays he directed.
Other dramatic works
He has conducted many theater workshops and lectured in India, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway and many other countries. In 1993, Aarhus University in Denmark invited him to hold a seminar and deliver a speech. He teaches theater directing as a visiting professor at Bhartendu Natya Academi. He studied acting courses at Lucknow University as a visiting professor. He has conducted workshops organized by the National School of Drama, New Delhi. He has attended drama courses and lectured as a visiting professor at Drama School, Mandi, Himachal Pradesh and IIT Kanpur. He was invited to serve as an external examiner for M.A. students in drama at Mithila University, Varanasi and Vidyapith University, Kashgar. In 2006, he was appointed as a member of the Admissions and Selection Committee of the National School of Drama, New Delhi.
television
mini series
In 2020, he played Ramjap Baba in Netflix’s British romantic television miniseries A Suitable Boy, adapted from Vikram Seth’s 1993 novel of the same name.
2022 Netflix TV miniseries A Suitable Boy poster
other works
In 1988, he worked as an assistant director and wrote the script and dialogues for Doordarshan’s TV series “Amir Khusrau”. In the 1980s, he wrote the script for Doordarshan’s TV show “Drama Quiz”. He has written scripts and dialogues for the TV series “Tagore Stories”, “Kinara Door Nahin” and “Pathrile Raaste”.
Movie
In 1993, he played the lead role in the Sanskrit drama film Bhagavad Gita: Song of the Lord directed by GV Iyer.
Poster for the 1993 Sanskrit film Bhagavad Gita – The Song of the Lord
The film won the Indian National Film Award Golden Lotus. In 2013, he played the supporting role of Tiwari in the Hindi crime drama film “Monsoon”. In 2018, he played the role of Badri Kakkar in the thriller drama Daas Dev. In 2023, he played the role of Asaram Bapu in the Hindi courtroom drama “Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai” (previously known as “Bandaa”).
other works
In 1986, he served as assistant director and production director on the National Award-winning Hindi drama Yeh Woh Manzil To Nahin.
short film
In 2003, he played the role of Darbewala in the Indian silent crime drama short film “Bypass” starring Irrfan Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. The short film won the Staff Award at the Milan Film Festival.
Surya Mohan Kulshreshtha in a still from the 2003 silent short film “The Bypass”
other works
From 1974 to 1985, he served as deputy director, secretary-general and treasurer of the Meghdut Theater Company. From 1985 to 1991, he served as President, Vice President and LKO of the Indian People’s Theater Association (IPTA). He is also the National Executive Committee Member of IPTA. In 1991, he was appointed Director-General, Rangmandali, National Institute of Progressive Arts (NIPA). He is the former director of the Batendu Institute of Dramatic Arts, a government theater training institute in Uttar Pradesh.
Awards, Honors, Achievements
- Won the Rang Yatra Samman in 1993
- Received UP Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1995
- Won the Bhartiya Fankar Society Award in 1996
- In 1998, she won the Best Costume Design Award at the American International Theater Festival for the play “Love For Ever”
- Received the Sangeet Natak Academy Award in 2015 for his contribution to the field of theater directing
In 2015, Surya Mohan Kulshreshtha received the Sangeet Natak Academy Award from then President Pranab Mukherjee Academy Award)
- Won the “Honorary Diploma” issued by the Norwegian International Amateur Theater Association
- In 2020, was commended by the Navonmesh NGO for completing 10 years of cooperation with the NGO.
Surya Mohan Kulshreshtha receives award from Navonmesh NGO in 2020
Facts/Trivia
- Surya Mohan Kulshreshtha is often called the ‘A’ grade actor of Doordarshan.
- He worked in a radio show called “Hawa Mahal”.
- He started working with Life India Corporation (LIC) in 1972 and resigned in 2006. In an interview, he couldn’t say enough about how his job helped him follow his passion for theater work, saying,
My job helps me develop my passion. They gave me a lot of dramatic freedom. In fact, without work, theater would not sustain me. Then, the only option is to make TV series or movies just to survive. In the Hindi belt, living on theater alone is still not possible. Then it gets harder. All theater legends have done something or one of them. Rajji (Bisaria) is in charge of teaching, Anil Rastogi is working in CDRI and Urmil Kumar Thapliyal is working in broadcasting. So does everyone else. For drama, there are grants, but this has opened up “shops”. Some people ran multiple societies within the organization and committed fraud to obtain grants. Now, all these years later, I can say that theater sustains me, but not everyone does. Additionally, my lectures and seminars have given me rewards. “
- In 1985, the play “Ram Leela” directed by Surya Mohan Kulshreshtha was appreciated at the National Arts Festival, Sangeet Natak Academy, Delhi.
- In 1991, his drama “Bhagwadjjukeeyam” won the Best Work Award at the World Theater Festival in Norway.
- In 1993, he represented India in the German World Theater Project.
- He directed the play “Kundmala” which was performed at Kalidas Samaroh in Ujjain in 1999.
- In an interview, talking about his views on theater and what he has learned from working in the theater industry for many years, he said:
Everyone has their own vision for the play, which evolves over time. The first thing I learned is that visuals should speak louder than words. Through the radio show Hawa Mahal, I learned the importance of audio to create visual effects and at the same time I learned the value of simplicity from Ram Leela. My real training was under steadfast influence and learning from BNA. My horizons were broadened by all forms of theatre—realistic, international (Western), folk and classical. My horizons have been broadened by reading various philosophies, literature, cultures, and histories. “
- He drinks occasionally.
Surya Mohan Kushrestha drinks beer
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education