Ram Gopal Bajaj
Ram Gopal Bajaj | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1 July 1940 |
| Alma mater | National School of Drama, Delhi |
| Years active | 1965–present |
| Known for | Director of NSD, Delhi |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) |
| Spouse(s) | Sulochna Devi and Chandrakala Khemchand Prakash |
| Children | Riju Bajaj, Aseem Bajaj, Shanti Prakash Bajaj |
| Relatives | Leena Yadav (daughter-in-law) |
| Awards | 1996: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 2003: Padma Shri 2017: Kalidas Samman |
Ram Gopal Bajaj is an Indian theatre director, academic, and a Hindi film actor. He has also been a faculty member and a former director of National School of Drama, New Delhi (November 1995 – September 2001).[1]
He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2003, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1996 and Life Time Achievement META Award in 2024 for his contribution to theatre.[2]
Biography
[edit | edit source]Bajaj graduated from the National School of Drama (NSD) in 1965.[citation needed] He became a member of its faculty and eventually its Director (November 1995 – September 2001).[3] During his tenure as the head of NSD he started two theatre festivals, Bharat Rang Mahotsava (National Theatre Festival) and Jashn-e-Bachpan (National Children's Theatre Festival).
Over the years, he directed numerous plays with the NSD Repertory Company, starting with Surya Ki Antim Kiran Se, Surya Ki Pehli Kiran Tak in 1974, Jai Shankar Prasad’s Skand Gupta in 1977, followed by Quaid-E-Hayaat in 1989. His other noted production was Ashadh Ka Ek Din by Mohan Rakesh in 1992. He also was the Chief of the NSD Repertory Company from 1988 to 1994. He translated Girish Karnad's Rakt Kalyan (Taledanda) into Hindi, first directed by Ebrahim Alkazi for NSD and then by Arvind Gaur (1995) for Asmita Theater.[4]
In 2017, he was honoured with Kalidas Samman by the Government of Madhya Pradesh.[5]
Career
[edit | edit source]Bajaj has been connected with the film industry for over three decades, first as an assistant director in art films like Utsav (1984) and Godhuli (1977), later appearing in character roles in films like, Masoom (1983), Hip Hip Hurray (1984), Mirch Masala (1985), and Chandni (1989). His most noted film roles have been in Parzania and as the Guru, in Jackie Chan starrer, The Myth, both in 2005. He starred as Dr. Amit Singh in Mango Dreams (2016) and in Jolly LLB 2 as Advocate Rizvi Sahab.
He also starred as "Shankar Dayal Bajpai" and Vikramaditya Singh" in the popular StarPlus TV serials, Navya..Naye Dhadkan Naye Sawaal (2011) and Rishton Ka Chakravyuh (2017) respectively.[5] His latest serial was Sufiyana Pyaar Mera that aired in 2019 on Star Bharat, where he played the character of Sayyed Shehriyat "Miajaan" Shah Ghazi.
He will be seen in LSD Pvt Ltd next TV show for zeetv
In July 2025, Bajaj appeared as “Nana ji” (Manju Devi’s father) in the critically acclaimed Season 4 of the Amazon Prime Video series Panchayat. His ~10-minute cameo was widely praised for its incisive political commentary and impactful dialogue.
He is a member of the academic council of National School of Drama, New Delhi.
He has mentored actors such as Irrfan Khan, Raghubir Yadav, and Neena Gupta during his time at NSD. Bajaj translated Girish Karnad’s Rakt Kalyan into Hindi; this version was directed by Ebrahim Alkazi (1992) at NSD and by Arvind Gaur (1995) at Asmita Theatre.
Filmography
[edit | edit source]Assistant Director
[edit | edit source]| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Utsav | Assistant Director |
| 1977 | Godhuli |
Actor
[edit | edit source]| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Jolly LLB 2 | Rizvi Sahab |
| 2016 | Mango Dreams | Dr. Amit Singh |
| 2007 | Parzania | Guru |
| 2005 | The Myth | |
| 1989 | Chandni | |
| 1985 | Mirch Masala | |
| 1984 | Hip Hip Hurray | |
| 1983 | Masoom |
Web series
[edit | edit source]| Year | Title | Role | Platform | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | The Verdict - State vs Nanavati | Bhai Pratap | ALTBalaji and ZEE5 | |
| 2025 | Panchayat | Manju Devi's Father | Amazon Prime | Season 4 |
See also
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ^ Past Directors Archived 27 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine National School of Drama, New Delhi, Official website.
- ^ Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards
- ^ NSD Annual Report Archived 18 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
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External links
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- Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
- Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts
- Indian male dramatists and playwrights
- Indian theatre directors
- Indian male stage actors
- Indian male film actors
- Male actors in Hindi cinema
- National School of Drama alumni
- Academic staff of the National School of Drama
- 1940 births
- Living people
- Dramatists and playwrights from Bihar
- Hindi theatre
- Indian arts administrators
- Male actors from Bihar
- Indian academic administrators
- Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship