Patna, Jul 27 (PTI) Champions of Bhojpuri, arguably the most widely spoken dialect of Hindi, are raising a fervent demand for Bharat Ratna to Bihar-born virtuoso, Bhikhari Thakur, whom they love to call their own answer to English playwright and poet William Shakespeare.
Many celebrities, including actors-turned-BJP MPs Manoj Tiwari and Ravi Kishan, have given written requests to the Centre for conferring Bharat Ratna on Bhikhari Thakur.
Thakur (1887-1971) was a celebrated playwright, actor, folk singer and social reformer from Bihar. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in Bhojpuri.
He was born in a barber family in Kutubpur (Diyara) village of Saran district of Bihar.
Speaking to PTI, actor and singer-turned-politician Manoj Tiwari said, “The legendary Bhikhari Thakur was a playwright, lyricist, actor, folk dancer, folk singer, folk theatre director and social activist. He was one of the greatest folk artistes in India. Thakur, who was much ahead of his time, formed his own theatre group and authored several plays, including the iconic and worldwide popular migration-themed ‘Bidesiya’.” Tiwari recently wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah demanding Bharat Ratna (posthumously), India’s highest civilian honour, for Thakur.
Thakur lived the life of a crusader, fighting against the archaic social order. He took to folk art and addressed social problems in the language and idiom (in Bhojpuri) of the masses, said Tiwari, who hails from the state’s Atarwalia village in Kaimur district.
His plays such as ‘Ganga-Snan’, ‘Bidesiya’, ‘Gabarghichor’, ‘Beti-Bechwa’, ‘Bhai-Virodh’, ‘Piya Nisail’ and ‘Nai-Bahar’ are relevant even today, and they all give a message to society, he added.
Echoing a similar view, BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh Ravi Kishan, who played leading roles in several hit Bhojpuri films, told PTI, “I have also been demanding Bharat Ratna award for Bhikhari Thakur… He was a great folk artiste. He presented his works in the Bhojpuri dialect in a manner that was appealing to the masses.” “In the backdrop of cultural disintegration under colonialism, he tried to restore the Bhojpuri art tradition. He deserves this award,” he said.
Renowned Bhojpuri singer Kalpana Patowary told PTI, “I thank Manoj Tiwari and Ravi Kishan for demanding Bharat Ratna (posthumously) for Bhikhari Thakur. He was an iconic personality and his legacy must be promoted across the globe, especially in countries where Bhojpuri-speaking people reside.” “I have also been demanding Bharat Ratna for him for the last several years. Thakur’s songs enthral thousands of men and women in gatherings and fairs and at the same time, they give a message to the society,” Patowary, who enjoys a huge fan-following in the Caribbean and several European countries as well, said.
Further, commenting on the demand of Bharat Ratna for Bhikhari Thakur, Jainendra Dost (director of ‘Naach Bhikari Naach’ movie which is based on the work of Thakur) told PTI, “The demand for Bharat Ratna for Bhikhari Thakur is totally justified. His folk songs have a wide range of themes and usually they aim at social inhibitions and drawbacks of the society.” Thakur’s stage productions had the power to shake traditions. He is now a subject of research at different universities in the country as well as abroad, Dost said.
Dost is also the director of Bhikhari Thakur Repertory Training and Research Centre (Saran) which is working towards the revival of folk theatre, folk music, folk dance and Bhojpuri dialect in Bihar.
“Thakur, who was a barber by caste, performed serious songs that talked about the ill-treatment of widows, besides dowry, the trade of girl children and caste discrimination in front of an audience that paid for it. He was a hundred years ahead of his time. He will always be contemporary,” said Dost, whose movie captures the lives of four ‘Launda Naach’ exponents, who were members of Bhikari Thakur’s troupe.
Launda Nach is a folk dance of the Bhojpuri-speaking people involving only men who dress as women.
Speaking to PTI, Bihar Minister for Art, Culture and Youth, Moti Lal Prasad, said, “It will be a matter of pride for Bihar if Bhikari Thakur is awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously. Thakur is one of the greatest folk artistes that India produced in the 20th century. It is true that Thakur was much ahead of his time. I thank Manoj Tiwari and others for raising the demand for the conferment of Bharat Ratna to Bhikhari Thakur.”
(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)