Ananda Lal
Encyclopedia
Ananda Lal is an India
n academic and theatre critic. He is the son of P. Lal
, founder of Writers Workshop
, one of India's oldest creative writing publishers, established in 1958. He is professor of English at the Jadavpur University
, Calcutta. He also translates from Bengali
to English
, is a theatre critic for The Telegraph
(Calcutta) and directs university theatre.
His books include Rabindranath Tagore: Three Plays, Rasa: The Indian Performing Arts, Shakespeare on the Calcutta Stage, and Twist in the Folktale. He also edited the Oxford Companion to Indian Theatre.
, to P. Lal
, he was educated at Presidency College, which was then affiliated with the University of Calcutta
, and at the University of Illinois, USA.
, Calcutta.
Ananda Lal contributed articles on classical and modern Indian literature
to the Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia (on CD-ROM). He is an active translator of Bengali poetry
, contributing to the 'Oxford Tagore Translations' while also publishing translations of Jibanananda Das
. He co-ordinates the Translation Studies course in the postgraduate syllabus and has been active in talks with Katha
in their proposal to set up a Translation Centre in the English and Comparative Literature departments.
He contributed to the department's textbook, English for All. He provided the introduction, commentary and translated texts for the CD, The Voice of Rabindranath Tagore (Hindusthan). In 1999, with Professor Sukanta Chaudhuri, he visited La Trobe
and Monash
Universities, Australia
, in connection with the Shakespeare in Asia project, and has jointly edited the DSA publication, Shakespeare on the Calcutta Stage: A Checklist. In 1998 he addressed a seminar on Rabindranath Tagore
at the University of Connecticut
and lectured at New York University
, the University of Illinois and Tufts
.
In addition, Dr Lal is Calcutta's leading theatre critic, writing a regular drama column and reviewing dramatic productions in The Telegraph
. He was chosen Best Theatre Researcher, 2000, by the Drama Academy of India. The student calendar to some extent revolves around Dr Lal's yearly departmental dramatic productions. Dr Lal is a member of the Publications Committee, Sangeet Natak Akademi
, New Delhi, a Committee Member of the Natya Shodh Sansthan, Kolkata, and an external examiner of the National University of Singapore.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n academic and theatre critic. He is the son of P. Lal
P. Lal
Purushottama Lal was an Indian poet, essayist, translator, professor and publisher. He was the founder and publisher of Writers Workshop in Calcutta, established in 1958.-Life and education:...
, founder of Writers Workshop
Writers Workshop
Writers Workshop is a Calcutta-based literary publisher founded by the poet-professor P. Lal in 1958. Over the next few decades it published many new authors in urban literature of the post-independence period. These authors later became big names.-History:...
, one of India's oldest creative writing publishers, established in 1958. He is professor of English at the Jadavpur University
Jadavpur University
Jadavpur University , is a premier educational and research institution in India.It is located in Kolkata, West Bengal and comprises two campuses - the main campus at Jadavpur and the new campus at Salt Lake...
, Calcutta. He also translates from Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
to English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, is a theatre critic for The Telegraph
The Telegraph (Kolkata)
The Telegraph is an Indian daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Kolkata since 1982. It is published by the ABP Group and the newspaper vies with the Times of India for the position of having the widest widest circulation of any newspaper in Eastern India.According to the Audit...
(Calcutta) and directs university theatre.
His books include Rabindranath Tagore: Three Plays, Rasa: The Indian Performing Arts, Shakespeare on the Calcutta Stage, and Twist in the Folktale. He also edited the Oxford Companion to Indian Theatre.
Early life and education
Born in 1955 in Calcutta, IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, to P. Lal
P. Lal
Purushottama Lal was an Indian poet, essayist, translator, professor and publisher. He was the founder and publisher of Writers Workshop in Calcutta, established in 1958.-Life and education:...
, he was educated at Presidency College, which was then affiliated with the University of Calcutta
University of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta is a public university located in the city of Kolkata , India, founded on 24 January 1857...
, and at the University of Illinois, USA.
Career
He now works as professor of English at Jadavpur UniversityJadavpur University
Jadavpur University , is a premier educational and research institution in India.It is located in Kolkata, West Bengal and comprises two campuses - the main campus at Jadavpur and the new campus at Salt Lake...
, Calcutta.
Ananda Lal contributed articles on classical and modern Indian literature
Indian literature
Indian literature refers to the literature produced on the Indian subcontinent until 1947 and in the Republic of India thereafter. The Republic of India has 22 officially recognized languages....
to the Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia (on CD-ROM). He is an active translator of Bengali poetry
Bengali poetry
Bengali poetry is a form that originated in Pāli and other Prakrit socio-cultural traditions. It is antagonistic towards Vedic rituals and laws as opposed to the shramanic traditions such as Buddhism and Jainism...
, contributing to the 'Oxford Tagore Translations' while also publishing translations of Jibanananda Das
Jibanananda Das
Jibanananda Das was a noted Bengali poet. He is considered one of the precursors who introduced modernist poetry to Bengali Literature, at a period when it was influenced by Rabindranath Tagore's Romantic poetry....
. He co-ordinates the Translation Studies course in the postgraduate syllabus and has been active in talks with Katha
Katha
Katha may refer to:* The Sanskrit for "speech, narration, story, fable", see Katha * The Kaṭha or Caraka-Katha school of the Black Yajurveda** Katha Upanishad, a Hindu text associated with the Katha school...
in their proposal to set up a Translation Centre in the English and Comparative Literature departments.
He contributed to the department's textbook, English for All. He provided the introduction, commentary and translated texts for the CD, The Voice of Rabindranath Tagore (Hindusthan). In 1999, with Professor Sukanta Chaudhuri, he visited La Trobe
La Trobe University
La Trobe University is a multi-campus university in Victoria, Australia. It was established in 1964 by an Act of Parliament to become the third oldest university in the state of Victoria. The main campus of La Trobe is located in the Melbourne suburb of Bundoora; two other major campuses are...
and Monash
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
Universities, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, in connection with the Shakespeare in Asia project, and has jointly edited the DSA publication, Shakespeare on the Calcutta Stage: A Checklist. In 1998 he addressed a seminar on Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
at the University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
and lectured at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, the University of Illinois and Tufts
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
.
In addition, Dr Lal is Calcutta's leading theatre critic, writing a regular drama column and reviewing dramatic productions in The Telegraph
The Telegraph (Kolkata)
The Telegraph is an Indian daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Kolkata since 1982. It is published by the ABP Group and the newspaper vies with the Times of India for the position of having the widest widest circulation of any newspaper in Eastern India.According to the Audit...
. He was chosen Best Theatre Researcher, 2000, by the Drama Academy of India. The student calendar to some extent revolves around Dr Lal's yearly departmental dramatic productions. Dr Lal is a member of the Publications Committee, Sangeet Natak Akademi
Sangeet Natak Akademi
Sangeet Natak Akademi is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India.-History:...
, New Delhi, a Committee Member of the Natya Shodh Sansthan, Kolkata, and an external examiner of the National University of Singapore.