Cultural Personalities Remember Him at Sharad Smriti Evening on His Birth Anniversary; Documentary on His Life and Work Announced
Lucknow, Oct 2026 : Literary, artistic and cultural personalities paid tribute to Dr Sharad Nagar on his 89th birth anniversary at the Sharad Smriti Evening held at the UP Press Club on Sunday. Organised by the Lok Sanskriti Shodh Sansthan, the event saw speakers describe Nagar as a pioneer of Hindi theatre and recall his significant contributions to literature, theatre and culture. The organisers also announced plans to produce a documentary film based on his life, personality and work.
Art scholar Ashok Banerjee said that identifying and establishing Hindi Theatre Day as a widely observed occasion was among Sharad Nagar’s important contributions. He noted that Nagar’s efforts led to the tradition of celebrating Hindi Theatre Day every year on April 3.
Amarendra Sahay shared his memories of Nagar, recalling that they came into contact after Sahay joined the Bharatendu Natya Akademi (BNA) in the 1980s. Nagar later sent him to Shahjahanpur, where he organised a workshop on the play Konark.
Dr S.K. Gopal, former editor of Chhayanat, said Nagar played a significant role not only in the development of Hindi theatre but also in preserving and promoting literary heritage. Through the collection, editing and publication of Amritlal Nagar’s literary works, he helped pass on a valuable legacy to the literary world.
Richa Joshi, Sharad Nagar’s daughter and adviser to the Sanchit Smriti Nyas, shared personal memories of her father and spoke about his multifaceted personality and creative contributions.
The programme was attended by several personalities from the fields of theatre, literature, visual arts, music and folk culture. Those who shared their experiences and memories included theatre director Lalit Singh Pokhariya, Chitra Mohan, Munalshree Vikram Bisht, art critic Rajveer Ratan, cinematography expert Rakesh Sinha, Subhash Mishra, puppeteer Pradeep Tripathi and musician Asha Srivastava.
Dr Sudha Dwivedi, secretary of the Lok Sanskriti Shodh Sansthan, also attended the event, along with magician Suresh Kumar, Manu Rai, Dr Anil Gupta, Akhilesh Dwivedi, Sushil Chandra Srivastava, Tarun Kumar, Rajendra Verma, Milan Yadav, Narendra Panjwani, Narendra Verma, Dr Apoorva Awasthi and Sonal Thakur, among others.
Participants recalled their association with Sharad Nagar and paid tribute to his enduring contributions to Hindi theatre, literature and cultural preservation. The proposed documentary is expected to commemorate his life and work and highlight his influence on India’s cultural landscape.
