About Balwant Gargi’s Life
Balwant Gargi was a renowned writer in modern Punjabi literature. He was also known as a popular dramatist, theater director, and teacher. Though he is famous today for his plays, I feel it necessary to mention Balwant Gargi, who wrote ‘Rangamanch’ and ‘Lok Nach’, comprehensively analyzed our theatrical tradition and spirit, and the foundation of sarcasm in Punjabi by writing ‘Surme Vali Akh’ and ‘Neem De Paatte’.
It is Balwant Gargi’s skill that took him from rural Malwa to New York. He was a professor of Indian dance at Washington State’s Seattle University and his book ‘Indian Theatre’, in America. Gave him good fame. Here in India, this work ‘Rangmanch’, Sahitya Akademi five thousand prizes were awarded.
As far as dramaturgy is concerned, he has found new lines in modern Punjabi drama by experimenting with many new themes and techniques. Where his drama is embellished with modernity and flamboyance, it is colored in the molasses color of Punjabi despite the western dramatic influences.
The language of the villages is his main weapon. He is progressive but not angry with the merits of tradition, he does not like radical progressivism, and the truth is that he has unique flexibility, which is a must in any artist. In fact, Balwant Gargi dramatic personality is a combination of various unique elements, but when he speaks or writes, he uses a rural language and always chooses the subjects of folk life.
The famous writer of India Shri Krishna Chand says that it is Balwant Gargi special honor to keep alive the original folk songs of Punjabi theater even though he has deep knowledge of western dance art.
Balwant Gargi plays are truly funny and noble, they smell the earth, and they are full of movement and emotion of our people. Somewhere these emotions break through the hard shell of the seizure and erupt like a volcano.
Biography
Balwant Gargi was born in village Sehna, district Ludhiana in the house of Lala Shiv Chand and mother Punni Chand on 4th December 1916. Sehna is 10-12 miles from Barnala and 20 miles from Bathinda. The way Balwant Gargi spent his childhood here, enjoyed colorful activities, and played sports, he has mentioned with great interest and taste in his novel ‘Kakka Reta’.
He received his primary education from the village and completed his tenth grade at the high school Bathinda because his father was an employee in the canal department. After Matric, Balwant Gargi joined Mahindra College, Patiala. After two years, he moved to Lahore and studied at Government College Lahore and completed a post-graduation in English and Political Science from FC College Lahore.
He had a penchant for writing since his student life. At first, he practiced writing poetry and stories in Urdu and English. He got effective inspiration to write in Punjabi from Tagore. When the poet came to Lahore in 1934, Young Balwant Gargi met him.
Balwant Gargi’s Published First Book
His first Punjabi work was the story ‘Hajamat’, which was published in Pritaladi (1940). In 1942, under the name of the novel ‘Kakka Reta’, he wrote about his childhood, and by embodying the life of Malwa’s peasants, it was revealed that the qualities of an artist are present in him to a great extent. In 1943, he wrote some stories and also entered the drama field by writing ‘Kwari TC’, Bebe Te Girjhan, etc. alone. His first full-length play ‘Loha Kutt’ was published in 1944. So far, he has written dozens of plays and half a dozen satirical works.
Balwant Gargi Books
Surme Wali Akh, Sharbat Dian Ghuttan, Pattan Di Berri, Pantrebaaz, Nangi Dhupp,
Mirza Sahiba, Mircha Wala Sadh, Jhoothi Roti, Hussin Chehre, Chaaku,
Balwant Gargi Dian Kahanian, Balwant Gargi De Natak, Balwant Gargi De Ikangi Natak,
Actress, Abhisarika, Sultan Razia, Lok Natak, Loha Kutt, Kuwari T.C., Kaudiyan Wala Sapp,
Kashni Vehra, Kanak Di Bali, Kakka Retta, Saunkan, Dhuni Di Agg.
While Balwant Gargi created a new place in Punjabi literature due to his penmanship, he has made the name of Punjabi literature famous outside Asian and Western literature as well. It is a difficult task to gain any honor and glory in the competition of other languages without great skill and worthy talent. But Balwant Gargi’s pen (kalam) has achieved this fame and revealed how many possibilities his artistic ability is hiding.
Balwant Gargi Winning Awards & Plays Published in Different Languages
1949 Balwant Gargi play ‘Pattan Di Bedi’ stood first in the All India Radio Competition. In 1954, his story ‘Sau Meel Dorh’ won a prize in the Punjabi Story Competition. In 1955, his second story ‘Do Haath’ won a prize at the World Youth Festival and made the name of Punjabi stories shine. His play, ‘Kesro’ won the prize at the International Rural Youth Fair.
Many plays of Balwant Gargi were translated into European languages and read with great respect. Many of his stories and monologues have been published in English, Russian, Chinese, German, Czech, French, Finnish, Italian, and Korean.
His play ‘Kesro’ has been published in English, Persian, Russian, Chinese, German, and Polish and has been performed in Poland, Germany, and Moscow. Similarly, his new play ‘Sohni Mahinwal’ has been translated into Russian and staged by Gypsy Theater in Moscow.
Balwant Gargi considers drama to be ‘the thing of the audience’ rather than the listeners or readers and his typical plays are action-oriented. The actual play is modified in rehearsals, every mistake of the play is corrected and then tested on the stage itself. He gives the play its final form by showing it on stage. That’s the reason his plays are more suited to theatre needs.
