Balwant Gargi Award for Dhaliwal

Tribune news Service

Amritsar, September 11

The International Association of Punjabi Authors and Artistes based in Canada has announced to confer its annual Balwant Gargi Memorial Rangmanch/Theatre Award on Kewal Dhaliwal. The association is celebrating the 100th birth anniversary of Gargi this year. The award will be formally presented to Dhaliwal later this year.

Since its inception in 1978, the association has conferred awards and honours on over 50 celebrated artistes, critics, journalists and authors living across the 10 countries. The association receives entries in the field of theatre, drama, art, literature, television and documentary.

The first recipient of the award was author Sant Singh Sekhon in 1980. Dhaliwal is the founder of Manch Rangmanch Theatre Group that has so far staged as many as 150 different plays and performed more than 1,800 shows both in India and abroad. He also organises a month-long production oriented theatre workshop in Amritsar for young artistes in collaboration with NSD and 10 days National Theatre Festival every year.

Expressing his gratitude and happiness over being chosen for the award Dhaliwal said, “Appreciation in any format is always heartening. This will be the first time an artiste from Punjab will be given this prestigious award. The association will present the award on December 4 this year, which is the 100th birth anniversary of Balwant Gargi.”

The award includes a citation along with cash prize of Rs 50,000.