The Role of Theatre in Amritsar

Jatinder Brar is the founder of Punjab Naatshala, a live performance theatre in the city of Amritsar which gave numerous actors, directors and playwrights a platform to showcase their talent, earn a livelihood and make a name for themselves in the television and film industry. Mr Brar is a trained mechanical engineer and worked in factories before starting as a full-time playwright and a theatre artist. Apart from being an actor and a playwright, he is also an expert sound engineer. Comedians like Kapil Sharma, Bharti Singh, Rajeev Thakur and a dozen others who made a name for themselves in the Bombay film industry are a product of Naatshala and were mentored by Brar. In this edition of ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash which was recorded in Amritsar, Brar talks about his journey from being an engineer to establishing his own theatre. Brar also talks about his association with theatre personalities from across the border, including Madeeha Gauhar, Uzra Butt of Pakistan, and his relationship with Kapil Sharma and Bharti Singh and how his students have continued to be in touch with him. Apart from that, the veteran playwright also talks about Punjab’s society, youth migration and how the audience continues to be the king.