Mohan Upreti (1928–1997) was an Indian theatre director, playwright and a music composer, considered one of the pioneers in Indian theatre music. A popular figure in

Kumaon Kumaon or Kumaun may refer to: * Kumaon division, a region in Uttarakhand, India * Kumaon Kingdom, a former country in Uttarakhand, India * Kumaon, Iran, a village in Isfahan Province, Iran * , a ship of the Royal Indian Navy during WWII See also ...

, Mohan Upreti is remembered for his immense contribution towards the revitalisation of the Kumaoni folk music; and for his efforts towards preserving old Kumaoni ballads, songs and folk traditions. Upreti is best known for his song " Bedu Pako Baro Masa".

Biography

Early life and education

Mohan Upreti was born in 1928 in

Almora Almora ( Kumaoni: ''Almāḍ'') is a municipal board and a cantonment town in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Almora district. Almora is located on a ridge at the southern edge of the Kumaon Hills of th ...

, where he also received his early education. Almora was then a quaint little town, still untouched by rapid development that the British brought to other hill stations like

Nainital Nainital ( Kumaoni: ''Naintāl''; ) is a city and headquarters of Nainital district of Kumaon division, Uttarakhand, India. It is the judicial capital of Uttarakhand, the High Court of the state being located there and is the headquarters o ...

and Shimla. It was this environment that drew, dancer

Uday Shankar Uday Shankar (8 December 1900 – 26 September 1977) was an Indian dancer and choreographer, best known for creating a fusion style of dance, adapting European theatrical techniques to Indian classical dance, imbued with elements of Indian cl ...

to create his institute at Almora in 1937. He was deeply influenced by trade union leaders like

P. C. Joshi Puran Chand Joshi (14 April 1907 – 9 November 1980), one of the early leaders of the communist movement in India. He was the general secretary of the Communist Party of India from 1935 to 1947. Early years Joshi was born on 14 April 1907, in ...

, who later became a prominent leader of the Communist Party of India ( CPI) and also Upreti's mentor. In the 40s, Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA) and the Progressive Writer's Association were formed, as a response to the Indian freedom struggle by the artistic community, Mohan Upreti couldn't remain untouched by this burgeoning movement, and while still at Allahabad University he formed his theatre group, 'Lok Kalakar Sangh'.

Career

As a young man in the 1940s and 50's, Mohan Upreti travelled across Uttarakhand, along with B. M. Shah, and collected the fast vanishing folk songs, tunes, and traditions of the region to preserve them for posterity. Upreti was instrumental in bringing the Kumaoni culture and music into national focus by establishing institutions like the ''Parvatiya Kala Kendra'' (Center for Arts of the Hills), which he constituted in Delhi, in 1968. The institution produces plays and ballads strongly rooted in the Kumaoni culture. In fact, B. M. Shah and Mohan Upreti together, are credited with the revival of the theatre in the Uttarakhand He remained in the faculty of National School of Drama (NSD), New Delhi, for many years, and also directed plays for NSD Repertory Company, where his most known work was the play, '

Indra Sabha Indra (; Sanskrit: इन्द्र) is the king of the Deva (Hinduism), devas (god-like deities) and Svarga (heaven) in Hindu mythology. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. 'Rajula Malushahi', published in 1980, offers never before insights into the Kumaoni folk culture. His other important plays are 'Nanda Devi Jagar', upon which he made a film as well, 'Sita Svayamvar', and 'Haru Heet'. Apart from that he also gave music for many theatre productions, including 'Ghasiram Kotwal', his music for Hindustani version of Brecht's Three Penny Opera was vastly appreciated and still remembered as his finest. He worked for many years to revive traditional Ramlila plays and bring them to urban audiences. He also gave music for a number of television productions in the 80's including in a series based on Ruskin Bond's stories, 'Ek Tha Rusty', where again his compositions were noticeable for the distinct Kumaoni folk touch. He died in 1997, in New Delhi.

Family

He married

Naima Khan Upreti Naima Khan Upreti ( hi, नईमा खान उप्रेती; 25 May 1938 – 15 June 2018) was an Indian theatre actor, singer and a producer at Doordarshan. She was also the wife of Mohan Upreti, considered to be one of the pioneer ...

, a graduate of National School of Drama, in 1969.

Legacy

Each year on his birth anniversary, 'Parvatiya Kala Kendra', an institution set up by him, presents a new play. In the 2004, "Bedu Pako Baro Masa" – a creation of Mohan Upreti, was used in Coca-Cola commercial "Thanda Matlab Coca Cola", by Prasoon Joshi, himself from Kumaon. In the ad a "Pahari Guide" is shown humming the tune. The song is still played at Kumaoni weddings, celebrations and cultural functions and has now even become a popular mobile ringtone. It is also the marching song of the

Kumaon Regiment The Kumaon Regiment is one of the oldest infantry regiments of the Indian Army. The regiment traces its origins to the 18th century and has fought in every major campaign of the British Indian Army and the Indian Army, including the two world war ...

. In 2006, National School of Drama published his biography, titled, Mohan Upreti – The Man and His Art, written by theatre critic, Diwan Singh Bajeli.

Bibliography

* ''Malushahi: The Ballad of Kumaon''. New Delhi, Sangeet Natak Akademi (1980).

References

External links

*
Mohan Upreti's Seeta Svyamvar, staged by 'Parvatiya Kala Kendra', 2007
{{DEFAULTSORT:Upreti, Mohan People from Almora Indian male dramatists and playwrights Indian theatre directors 1928 births 1997 deaths University of Allahabad alumni 20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights Dramatists and playwrights from Uttarakhand Literature of Kumaon Academic staff of the National School of Drama Hindi dramatists and playwrights Hindi theatre Indian folk-song collectors 20th-century Indian male writers