Salim Arif
Salim Arif is an illustrious alumnus of National School of Drama, New Delhi.
A very well known name in the field of
Indian Theatre and Films, he is currently working as Head of Department
of Actors’ Studio in Whistling Woods International, Mumbai, Asia’s
leading Film School.
Shyam Benegal’s Bharat Ek Khoj, Gulzar’s
Mirza Ghalib, Dr.Chandraprakash Dwedi’s Chanakya got him International
recognition as a Period Film Designer of substance. Nirja Guleri’s
Chandrakanta, Ketan Mehta’s Sardar Patel, Gulzar’s Maachis &
Hu-Tu-Tu , Govind Nihalani’s Takshak and Anil Sharma’s Ab Tumhare Hawale
Watan Saathiyo are his other films as a Designer. He has been a
consultant for period details in Anil Sharma’s Gadar and Mani Ratnam’s
Guru.
Innovative in approach, Salim Arif has
directed actors like Farooque Shaikh, Sonali Bendre, Tabu, Rakesh
Bedi,Anjan Srivastava, Avtar Gill, Atul Kulkarni, Yashpal Sharma, Javed
Khan, Rajeshwari Sachdeva, Sulabha Arya, Bharat Kapoor, Vaishali
Thakkar, Lubna Salim, Seema Azmi, Harsh Chhaya,Kiran Karmarkar, Anoop
Soni and singers like Bhupinder-Mitaali, Talat Aziz,Rekha Bhardwaj,
Seema Sehgal, Jaswinder Singh amongst others in plays like Aapki Soniya ,
Ghalibnaama, Kharaashein, Taj Mahal Ka Tender, Kaifi Saab, Peele Patton
Ka Ban , Dil Chahta Hai , Shyam Rang, Agar Aur Magar, Bayaane Ghalib,
Rakt Kalyan, Parwaaze Bayaan Aur, KachcheLamhe, Atthanniyaan, Lakeerein,
Chaurangi, Hum-Safar, Sunte Ho, Arre O Henry, Manto Mantra, Yudhishtar
and Draupadi etc. These plays have made him one of the most exciting and
popular director on Hindi theatre scene in India. His critically
acclaimed play Aap Ki Sonia has been performed extensively in India and
abroad. His path breaking Kharaashein and Ghalibnaama were showcased by
Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan, New York at Lincoln Center, NY in 2004.
He made his mark as
Director-Choreographer of important National events with Drums of India
and Wind Instruments of India shows for Republic Day Parade in 1985 and
1986. Goonjte Patthar events in monuments of Delhi got him critical
acclaim in Apna Utsav 1986. He also Choreographed and Directed Octave
2010 presented by NCZCC,Allahabad in Surajkund,New Delhi and Lucknow.
He was awarded a NSD fellowship to work
on the subject of Interaction between Traditional and contemporary
Indian theatre with reference to the works of Habib Tanvir, B.V.Karanth,
Ratan Thiyam and K.N.Panikker.
Some important plays designed by him are
Karna-The great warrior, Ismat Apa Ke Naam,Shyam Rang, Mrigtrishna,
Jisne Lahore Nahin Vekhya and Madhyamvyayoga.
He was commissioned by Encyclopaedia
Britannica (India) to do an appraisal on Costumes in Hindi Cinema titled
The Essence and Fabric for Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema published in
2003. He has been a Theatre Critic for Mid-Day, New Delhi, wrote
articles and reviews for Free Press Journal, Mumbai on Theatre and films
and is currently a regular contributor to Hardnews, a magazine
published from New Delhi since 2003. He is also on the visiting faculty
of several prestigious institutions including National School of Drama,
New Delhi, Film and Television Institute of India,Pune, BNA, Lucknow,
National Institute of Fashion Technology, Mumbai and National Institute
of Design, Ahmedabad. He is also a resource person for Sangeet Natak
Akademy,New Delhi.
He was awarded the prestigious Urdu Adab Award of U.P.Hindi-Urdu Award Committee for his contribution in Theatre.
