Aamir Raza Husain (6 January 1957 – 3 June 2023) was an Indian theatre actor and director, noted for his large outdoor stage productions like ''The Fifty Day War'' (2000), based on the

Kargil War The Kargil War, was fought between India and Pakistan from May to July 1999 in the Kargil district of Ladakh, then part of the Indian-administered state of Jammu and Kashmir (state), Jammu and Kashmir and along the Line of Control (LoC). In In ...

, and ''The Legend of Ram'' (2004), based on the epic ''

Ramayana The ''Ramayana'' (; ), also known as ''Valmiki Ramayana'', as traditionally attributed to Valmiki, is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics ...

''. He was also the creative director of Stagedoor, a theatre company established in 1974, which has staged over 91 productions and more than 1,100 performances. Husain was awarded the

Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...

in 2001 by the

Government of India The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...

Early life and education

Born in the

Awadh Awadh (), known in British Raj historical texts as Avadh or Oudh, is a historical region in northern India and southern Nepal, now constituting the North-central portion of Uttar Pradesh. It is roughly synonymous with the ancient Kosala Regio ...

i aristocratic family of Mumtaz Husain and Kaniz Mehida in Lucknow, Husain was an only child. The family moved to SP Marg in Delhi when he was still quite young, and he attended the Garden School there. Husain was sent to Mayo College, a boarding school, at age ten in 1968, and after he finished his schooling, he went on to study history at St. Stephen's College, Delhi. He acted in various college plays, working with directors such as Joy Michael, Barry John, and Marcus Murch.

Career

Husain also appeared in the English film '' Kim'' (1984), starring

Peter O'Toole Peter Seamus O'Toole (; 2 August 1932 – 14 December 2013) was an English actor known for his leading roles on stage and screen. His numerous accolades include the Academy Honorary Award, a BAFTA Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and four Golde ...

and based on

Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English journalist, novelist, poet, and short-story writer. He was born in British Raj, British India, which inspired much ...

's novel '' Kim''. Over the years, he produced several plays staged at outdoor locations, such as ''Sare Jahan Se Acha'', ''1947 Live'', and in 1999. ''Satyamev Jayate'', which used the Hauz Khas monument as a backdrop. In 1998, he and his troupe, along with

Delhi Tourism Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC) is an undertaking of the Government of Delhi, India, that was established in December 1975 for the purpose of promoting tourism and related services in the city of Delhi. It ha ...

, organized the ''Chaudvin ka Chand'' festival between the historic

Red Fort The Red Fort, also known as Lal Qila () is a historic Mughal Empire, Mughal fort in Delhi, India, that served as the primary residence of the Mughal emperors. Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned the construction of the Red Fort on 12 May 1639, fo ...

and Fatehpuri Mosque in

Chandni Chowk The Chandni Chowk (meaning Moonlight Square) is one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi, India. There is another location in Pune with the name Chandani Chowk. Located close to the Old Delhi railway station, the Mughal-era Red Fort ...

Old Delhi Shahjahanabad colloquially known as Old Delhi( Hindustani: ''Purāni Dillī'') is an area in the Central Delhi district of Delhi, India. It was founded as a walled city and officially named Shahjahanabad in 1648, when Shah Jahan decided to shi ...

. ''The Legend of Ram,'' based on the epic ''

'', was first staged in 1994, and later for a period of four months in 2004 on a much larger scale with 19 outdoor sets spread over three acres, 35 characters and a 100-member crew. The last show of the play was performed before President

APJ Abdul Kalam Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam ( ; 15 October 193127 July 2015) was an Indian aerospace scientist and statesman who served as the president of India from 2002 to 2007. Born and raised in a Muslim family in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, Kala ...

on 1 May 2004. In 2007, he acted and directed ''One into Two'', a comedy play written by Peter Season, which was staged in five cities across India, including Mumbai. In 2010, he revived his production ''Move Over'', first staged at the official farewell of President

Shankar Dayal Sharma Shankar Dayal Sharma (; 19 August 1918 – 26 December 1999) was an Indian lawyer and politician who served as the President of India from 1992 to 1997. Born in Bhopal, Sharma studied at Agra, Allahabad and Lucknow and received a doctorate i ...

in 1997, under the banner of "Welcomtheatre." it was performed in

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

Kolkata Kolkata, also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary ...

and many other cities in India.

Politics

Aamir Raza Husain was once a member of the BJP. He was the Delhi BJP vice president until July 2013, resigning after criticizing

Narendra Modi Narendra Damodardas Modi (born 17 September 1950) is an Indian politician who has served as the Prime Minister of India, prime minister of India since 2014. Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the Member of Par ...

Personal life and death

Husain was based in Delhi. He married actress Viraat Talwar in 1993 after the two met in 1987 when Talwar, a student at Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR), auditioned for his play ''Dangerous Liaison''. It was also her first professional role. The couple had two children, Kaniz Sukaina and Ghulam Ali Abbas. Aamir Raza Husain died in Delhi on 3 June 2023 at the age of 66.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Husain, Aamir Raza 1957 births 2023 deaths Indian male stage actors Indian theatre directors Mayo College alumni St. Stephen's College, Delhi alumni People from Delhi Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts