Sunday, July 19, 2015

Who is Manjul Bhardwaj

Manjul Bhardwaj is a theatre person who responds to national challenges and sets a national agenda through his philosophy "Theatre of relevance". A well known theatre thinker, playwright, director and actor whose play “Mera Bachpan” is instrumental in rehabilitation of 50,000 child labourers. A theatre icon has authored 28 plays and has been on stage for more than 16000 times at grassroots to elitist international levels. His play “Mera Bachpan” is instrumental in rehabilitation of 50,000 child labourers. His plays “B-7”, “Vishwa – The World” & “Drop by Drop: Water” are premiered & performed more than 100 times in Europe.






He has discovered himself as a theatre person. He is equipped with performing skills as an actor, director, writer, facilitator and initiator in theatre. He is a dreamer/visionary and has the positive attitude & skills to actualize the dreams. He initiated the philosophy of “Theatre of Relevance” on 12th August 1992 and practicing it in India and all over the world.

As a performer since last 28 years he has been 16000 times on stage. As writer and director, he has written and directed more than 28 plays. He has conducted more than 1000 “Theatre of Relevance” workshops for different Organizations/Institutions/Groups, etc. in 28 states of India and abroad. 

He has been invited for theatrical tours to Singapore and Germany and conducted more than 130 theatre workshops for several Theatre Groups/Institutions/Schools/Organizations in Germany, Austria and other countries in Europe. Theatre world in Europe is inviting him to conduct workshops on “Theatre of Relevance”. Brandeis University, Boston USA sends students for internship to understand fundamentals, principles, concepts and processes of “Theatre of Relevance”.

He has been working in theatre since last 28 years at grassroots level in rural & tribal parts, towns and Metro cities of India to the elitist international levels. He founded Experimental Theatre Foundation in 1992- a pioneer theatre movement in India. ETF – a laboratory of constructive change through theatre.

He has proved through his work with child labourers in Mumbai and other parts of India that theatre is a medium of change. He is instrumental in rehabilitation of 50,000 child labourers through theatre performances and training. His play “Mera Bachpan” has been performed more than 12,000 times in India and abroad. 

He is instilling positive attitude & strong will power to live among HIV infected & affected children, youth, women & men by developing performing teams on HIV & AIDS.

By developing positive self concept / image and breaking the stereotypical understanding of women in society he has facilitated the rehabilitation of 1500 women victim of sexual & domestic violence.

His play “Laadli” dealing with the issue of “Sex Selection” (the homicide of female fetus) has been an eye opener- currently performed throughout INDIA. He is closely working with children in difficult situation, deprived women and girls, adolescents (girls and boys), government officials from implementers to policy makers. 


He is a human process facilitator & corporate trainer. He has evolved “Theatre of Relevance” based training modules in corporate & Management development. He is experimenting & implementing “Theatre of Relevance” based training modules for more than a decade in reputed public & private sector companies i.e., ONGC, Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, Tehri Hydro Development Corporation, Central Bank of India & Reliance Energy( Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group)

His concept ‘Role of theatre of Relevance in HR’ is used as pedagogical tool to learn HR process in EMPI’s Udai Pareek HR labs in EMPI Business School, Delhi. He has also intervened in understanding human processes through theatre in ISABS. He is a visiting faculty in a number of institutions, academies and organizations in India & abroad.

He has received best actor award for his play “door se kisi ne awaaz di”. He is awarded with the certificate of “Citizen’s Council for Better Tomorrow” presented by governor of Maharashtra at Raj Bhavan, Mumbai. He is awarded UNFPA- LAADLI Media award for gender sensitivity for the year 2006-7 in “Theatre – Street Theatre” category.

Committed Communities Development Trust felicitated for outstanding contribution to the field of Theatre/Music/Animation/Literature/Cinema for children in “Child Speak -a state level conference on Child Participation” on 27—28 December 2012 in Mumbai
His play B-7 was premiered in the UNESCO General Assembly; Hanover, Germany. His play “Vishwa – The World” was premiered at Beiersdorf AG (NIVEA cold cream) in Hamburg, Germany. He has conducted a series of interactive and participative theatre workshops-cum-performances through a play called “Gudgudee” for tsunami-affected children in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India for UNICEF.

At present developing play writers, actors, directors, and facilitators of change, better human beings & practitioners of
“Theatre of Relevance”



Contact: manjulbharadwaj@gmail.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manjul_Bhardwaj

www.mbtor.blogspot.com/ www.etfindia.org

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