19 Facts About Safdar Hashmi

Safdar Hashmi was an Indian communist playwright and director, best known for his work with street theatre in India.

Safdar Hashmi was an actor, lyricist, and theorist, and he is still considered an important voice in Indian political theatre.

Safdar Hashmi was an activist of the Students' Federation of India.

Safdar Hashmi was a founding member of Jana Natya Manch in 1973, which grew out of the Indian People's Theatre Association.

Safdar Hashmi was murdered in 1989 in Jhandapur, while performing a street play, Halla Bol.

Safdar Hashmi was born on 12 April 1954 in Delhi, to Haneef and Qamar Azad Hashmi.

Safdar Hashmi spent the early part of his life in Delhi and Aligarh, where he grew up in a liberal environment, and went on to complete his schooling in Delhi.

Safdar Hashmi was the brother of activists Shabnam Hashmi and Sohail Hashmi, and actress Saba Azad is his niece.

Safdar Hashmi co-founded the Jana Natya Manch, with the acronym JANAM, in 1973.

When Indira Gandhi imposed a state of emergency and made political theatre difficult, Safdar Hashmi began to work as a lecturer in English literature in universities in Garhwal, Kashmir, and Delhi.

Safdar Hashmi produced several documentaries and a TV serial for Doordarshan, including Khilti Kaliyan, which examined rural empowerment.

Safdar Hashmi wrote books for children and criticism of the Indian stage.

Safdar Hashmi was the de facto director of JANAM, and prior to his death, it gave about 4,000 performances of 24 street plays, mostly in working-class neighbourhoods, factories and workshops.

Safdar Hashmi was a member of the Communist Party of India, the largest communist party in India.

Safdar Hashmi was fatally injured following the scuffle and died the following day.

On 4 January 1989, two days after his death, his wife Moloyshree Safdar Hashmi went to the same spot again with the JANAM troupe, and defiantly completed the play.

Safdar Hashmi has become a symbol of cultural resistance against authoritarianism for the Indian Left.

In 1998, Safdar Hashmi Natyasangham was formed in Kozhikode, Kerala, which provides free training to economically backward students.

Husain had a painting "Tribute to Safdar Hashmi" sold at auction for over $1 million, the first time a painting by an Indian artist reached this valuation.