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Ratan Thiam, one of India’s most influential theater directors and playwrights, has passed away. He breathed his last at RIMS Hospital in Imphal in the early hours of Wednesday. He was 77 years old.
The great gesture of the modern Indian theater and a major pillar of the ‘Theater of Roots’ movement, the theater contributed to theatrical arts for about five decades. He carried forward the ancient theater. For this, Ratan Thiam worked to write and stagnate plays.
Sangeet Natak Akademi Mourns The Passing of Ratan Thiyam – Legendary Playwright, Theatre Director, and Akademi Fellow.
Heartfelt condolences to his loved ones.
May his legacy live on.#Sangeetnatakakademi #Theatre #Culture #Ratanthiyam pic.twitter.com/jarw9r7qxx– Sangeet Natak Akademi (@Sangeetnatak) July 23, 2025
Ratan Thiyam served as the Director of the National School of Drama (NSD) from 1987 to 1989 and later from 2013 to 2017. He also served as the Vice President of Sangeet Natak Akademi.
Thiam also received several awards. He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1987 for directing and the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship in 2012. In 1989, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Shri. His international achievements include the Indo-Greek Friendship Award (1984), John D. Rockefeller Award (2008), and honors received in the celebrations of Mexico and Greece.
