Lucknow has always been very special : Salim Arif

Theatre director-producer and Lucknowite Salim Arif, an alumnus of the National School of Drama (NSD), New Delhi, is happy beyond words for being chosen for the prestigious Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for his contribution to theatre direction. Salim, who has been a part of the Lucknow theatre scene of the 1970’s, is known for plays like 'Taj Mahal Ka Tender', 'Dil Chahta Hai', 'Agar Aur Magar', 'Humsafar', 'Paansa', 'Pinocchio' and 'Tera Bayaan Ghalib' among many others.
Speaking of the award, which has taken its time coming his way, Salim, on his recent visit to Lucknow said, “It’s always an honour to be acknowledged for whatever you have been doing. I believe that if you keep working, sooner or later, the accolades will come to you. I’m grateful for being felicitated in my hometown, especially from the institution where I started my journey.”
The theatre veteran then went on a trip down memory lane and said, “I studied at the Lucknow University when it was full of culture and art. It had a very lively atmosphere with some brilliant teachers. Then there were also people like Amritlal Nagar, KN Kakkar, Kunwar Narayan, Jagriti Ji and so on. They were all part of the theatre scene, right from actively participating to watching the plays. Some of the top Hindi poets were working in the newspaper here. Lucknow had a very vibrant cultural scene in the late ’70s and early ’80s which got me totally hooked.” He further added, “Lucknow has always been very special and given half a chance I would love to come and work here again. I have spent most of my life here and it’s my favourite place to be. I just need someone to organise some work for me here.”
Although many films are being shot in the state and especially in Lucknow these days, Salim believes that Lucknow has missed the bus, “We should have had a film school in the mid-90s if not earlier. I still feel that Lucknow needs a very good film school. Lucknow is one of the most conducive places to shoot and that’s probably why all these films are being made here now. Besides, you get such good actors here too. It’s just sad that they become character actors, had they been in Mumbai, they would’ve been lead actors. It’s high time we do something about it. We badly need a training programme because all these web channels and productions need trained professionals,” he said.
Salim Arif at BNA, Lucknow (BCCL/ Aditya Yadav)
Salim went on to confess how lucky he feels to have had such a rich journey. “Going to Mumbai and trying another domain like television was another milestone, I feel. Having had the chance to work with legends like Gulzaar saab and Shyam Benegal was just the icing on the cake. I feel very grateful.”
Salim Arif with Gulzar at Lucknow (BCCL/ Aditya Yadav)
Salim also holds the unique distinction of someone having a very close relationship with writer-lyricist Gulzar. The National Award and Oscar winner writer refers to Salim as his son. It was then obvious that Gulzar would be the most happy at Arif being given the UPSNA award. Speaking to us from Mumbai, especially about this Gulzar said, “This award has come late in the day for Salim. He should have been awarded much earlier for his contribution to theatre. But I am so very glad that he has finally been recognised by his home state. He is most worthy of it. It’s a matter of pride and I am very-very proud of Salim. Theatre is his passion and the way he presents his plays is beautiful. The best part about his direction is that he keeps the tone and the voice of the writer in its original form. He will adapt the play in such a way that the original thought and individuality of the writer comes through which not all directors do. I call him the Habib Tanvir of these times. The younger generation should learn from Salim.”
— Yashi Agarwal, with inputs by Itishree.Misra@timesgroup.com