Ramchandra Manjhi Explained

Ramchandra Manjhi
Birth Date:1925
Birth Place:Tajpur, Chhapra, Bihar and Orissa Province, British India
Death Place:Patna, Bihar, India
Occupation:Folk Dancer, Theatre Artist
Known For:Launda Naach
Years Active:1935–2022

Ramchandra Manjhi (IAST: Rāmcaṃdra māṃjhī, Bhojpuri: ६ ; 1925 – 7 September 2022) was an Indian Bhojpuri folk dancer and theatre artist who is famous as a Launda Naach performer. He was one of the members of Bhikhari Thakur's drama team and was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2017[1] and was awarded India's fourth highest civilian award the Padma Shri in 2021.[2] [3]

Biography

Manjhi was born in Tajpur in the Saran district of Bihar in 1925 in a Dalit family. At the age of 10, he joined the drama team of Bhikhari Thakur and until his demise (1971) he worked with him. He was the oldest member of the Drama team.[4] In his life he performed before many big names like Suraiya, Waheeda Rehman, Meena Kumari, Helen etc. In 2017, he won the Sangeet Natak Academy award, however his felicitation happened in 2019 by the President of India.[5] In January 2021, he was awarded the Padma Shri award in the field of Arts. He died on 7 September 2022 at IGIMS, Patna at the age of 97 due to heart related disease.[6]

Filmography

Awards and recognition

Notes and References

  1. News: Shrivastava. Girish. The fire is still burning. The Hindu.
  2. Web site: Padma Awards 2021 announced . Ministry of Home Affairs . 26 January 2021.
  3. News: Shinzo Abe, Tarun Gogoi, Ram Vilas Paswan among Padma Award winners: Complete list . . 25 January 2021 . 25 January 2021.
  4. News: लौंडा नाच को राष्ट्रीय पहचान देने की कवायद, भिखारी ठाकुर के इस चहेते कलाकार को मिलेगा संगीत नाटक अकादमी पुरस्कार !. Prabhat Khabar.
  5. Web site: Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards. 4 January 2017. Sangeet Natak Akademi. New Delhi.
  6. https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/art-and-culture/bhojpuri-folk-dance-exponent-ramchandra-manjhi-passes-away-8138258/lite/ Bhojpuri folk dance exponent Ramchandra Manjhi passes away
  7. News: Chatarjer. Shoma A.. Naach Bhikari Naach: A Film on the Fading Folk Art of Naach. The Citizen.