Ramu Ramanathan

Ramu Ramanathan

Born	(1967-12-29) December 29, 1967
Residence	Mumbai
Nationality	Indian
Education	Bachelor of Science, Chemistry, University of Mumbai, 1988
Spouse(s)	Kinnari Vohra
Website	placesotherthanthis.blogspot.com

Ramakrishnan Ramanathan popularly known as Ramu Ramanathan is an Indian playwright-director with acclaimed plays to his credit. His list of plays includes Cotton 56, Polyester 84; Jazz; Comrade Kumbhakarna; and more recently, Postcards From Bardoli. His book 3, Sakina Manzil And Other Plays,^[1] is a collection of eight plays, published by Orient Blackswan in collaboration with the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU).^[2]

Ramu was editor of PT Notes, a monthly theatre newsletter produced by Prithvi Theatre in Mumbai for ten years. He also co-edited e-STQ (Seagull Theatre Quarterly), and has written columns on theatre for national dailies.^[3]

In addition to being counted as one of the best playwrights of today's India, Ramu is also the editor of PrintWeek India and Campaign India magazines^[4] He has been associated with the printing industry for 30 years. Ramu helped launch PrintWeek India in May 2008. He has been a driving force in reshaping coverage of the Indian print market through industry specials, awards and survey reports. Under his leadership, PrintWeek has grown into one of the largest teams covering print in India.^[5]

Ramu lives and works in Mumbai — the city where many of his plays are situated. Commenting on his relationship with Mumbai in a detailed interview with the Mumbai Theatre Guide,^[6] he says, “Mumbai is my lover. I love her and at the same time, I loathe her. To-date, even today, I discover something new in her. And that I’ve poured into the plays.” As part of his research on the city and its culture, Ramu has catalogued an exhaustive reading list in form of Literature that Celebrates Mumbai: A List.^[7]

Early life

Ramu was born on 29 December 1967 in Kolkata and later moved to Mumbai. He completed his schooling from St. Stanislaus High School,^[8] Mumbai. In 1988, Ramu graduated from University of Mumbai with bachelor's degree in Chemistry, and then completed Diploma in Journalism from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mumbai in 1990.

Publications

3 Sakina Manzil and Other Plays (in English), Orient Blackswan (2012) - An anthology of eight plays: Shanti, Shanti It’s A War; The Boy Who Stopped Smiling; Curfew; Mahadevbhai (1892–1942); Collaborators; 3, Sakina Manzil; Shakespeare And She; Jazz.^[9]
Mahadevbhai (in Marathi), Popular Prakashan (2011)
Tathasthu (“So Be It”), in The Little Magazine (2010)^[10]
Collaborators And Mahadevbhai, Sahitya Akademi (2006)^[11]
Combat, published by National School of Drama (2003)

Theatre experience

Ramu Ramanathan, Group Editor, PrintWeek India and Campaign India

The playwright–director's best work is with young people and non-theatre persons. He staged Vaikom Mohammed Basheer’s Me Grandad ‘Ad An Elephant, and later Marguerite Duras’ L’amante Anglaise (both with university students) and Samuel Beckett's Krapp's Last Tape (with Little Prithvi Players). These were unsullied theatrical experiences.

Similarly, his collaboration with a group of architecture students resulted in three plays and one delightfully wicked piece calledPM @ 3 pm. This group hosted an important 7-day workshops on Set Design + Theatre Aesthetics and fabricated four model sets of King Lear, for four language theatres’ directors in Mumbai. He has conducted innumerable workshops and lectures, in which he has tried to reinstate the ideals of good taste, decent humour, intelligence and above all progressive values.^[12]

Playwriting

Title	Year	Acclamation
Postcards From Bardoli	2013
The Diary Of A Word	2012
Comrade Kumbhakarna	2011
Kashmir Kashmir	2009
Jazz	2008
Shakespeare And She	2008
Medha And Zoombish II	2007
Three Ladies Of Ibsen	2006
Cotton 56, Polyester 84	2006	Bagged the META best play and best playwright award^[13]
Chello Ank(in Gujarati)	2004	Bagged the best play award for the Bhupen Khakkhar Playwriting Competition organised by Mumbai Samachar, Friends of Bhupen Khakkar, Image Publications and Coffee Mates.
3, Sakina Manzil	2004
Medha And Zoombish	2004
Collaborators	2003	Regional Award Winner of the BBC International Radio Playwriting Competition
Mahadevbhai 1892-1942	2002
Combat	2002	Premiered at the Kala Ghoda Festival
Yaar, What’s The Capital Of Manipur!	2002
The Travel Show	2000	Premiered at the Prithvi Theatre Festival
Curfew	1999	Premiered at the Prithvi Theatre Festival
The Boy Who Stopped Smiling	1998
Shanti, Shanti, It’s A War	1993	All India Best Play Award awarded by The Hindu
Nothing – A Play Without Words	1990
I Am I; What It Is; Gagan Mahal; Etc.	(1987 to 1993)	Award-winning inter-collegiate one-act plays

Theatrical adaptations

Title	Year	Adapted from
A Play About A Painter	2004	Edoardo Erba’s Italian drama
The Sanjivani Super Show	2004	Adaptation of Adya Rangacharya’s Kannada play, SANJIVANI
Gandhi Katha	2003
The Train To Argentina	2002	Theatrical adaptation of play by Thuppatan
Steppenwolf	2002	Based on Herman Hesse’s novel in German. Staged as part of the Herman Hesse Celebrations at Max Mueller Bhavan, Mumbai
L’ Amante Anglaise (In English)	2002	Based on French play by Marguerite Duras
Translator Of Ded Inch Upar (Into English)	1997	Hindi original by Nirmal Verma

Direction

Title	Year	Notes
Shakespeare And She	2008
Medha And Zoombish II	2007
Arabian Night	2004	Play by Ronald Schimmelpfennig
Medha And Zoombish	2004
A Play About A Painter	2004	Edoardo Erba’s Italian drama
Collaborators	2003
The Sanjivani Super Show	2004	Staged during the 100th Birth Anniversary of the Adya Rangacharya, at Mysore Association, Mumbai
Gandhi Katha	2003	Staged reading, premiered at the Gujarati Forbes Sabha’s book launch of Narayan Desai’s four-volume biography on Mahatma Gandhi, in Mumbai on 2 October 2003
The Train To Argentina	2002	Premiered at the Varkhari Kerala Theatre Festival in Mumbai, on 25 December 2002
L’ Amante Anglaise (in English)	2002	Co-produced by Alliance Francaise, Mumbai
Mahadevbhai 1892–1942	2002	Premiered at the Prithvi Theatre Festival 2002
Yaar, What’s The Capital Of Manipur!	2002	Co-produced by Kamala Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute of Architecture
Time To Tell A Tale	2001	Co-produced with Katha Publishing and SNDT, University
Angst. Angst. Coontah. Coontah. Boom. Bam. Dhandal. Dhamaal. Kaput. (Concept And Direction)	2001	Premiered at TECHFEST, IIT Mumbai
Me Grandad ‘Ad An Elephant	1998	Theatrical adaptation of the Malayalam novella by Vaikom Mohammed Basheer, into a dramatized presentation (Group co-ordination & direction) 1998-99
The Boy Who Stopped Smiling	1998
Credit Titles	1997	Playwright: Vijay Padki. A staged play-reading
Audience And Mistake (actor &c-Director)	1994	Playwright: Vaclav Havel
Deathwatch	1991	Playwright: Jean Genet
Krapp’s Last Tape	1989	Playwright: Samuel Beckett

Ramu Ramanathan's talk at Studio Safdar
Ramu Ramanathan's talk at Studio Safdar

International invitations

Resident Observer, Kunstenfestivaldesarts, Brussels, 2007
Delegate, Indian Contingent, India Guest of Honour Country, Frankfurt Book Fair 2006 (Invited as playwright of 3, Sakina Manzil and Mahadevbhai)
Participated in translation process of 3, Sakina Manzil into Dutch, by Rudi Meulamanns, International Bozar Festival, Brussels, 2006
Resident Observer, Grips Theatre, Berlin, 2000

References

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