Ebrahim al-Kazi

Ebrahim Bin Hamad al-Kazi (1925–2020) was a Saudi director, actor, and playwright. Al-Kazi was born in India and is one of its drama founders. He is one of the joint cultural icons between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and India. He trained a group of Bollywood stars and was called the "Giant of Indian Literature" and the "Godfather of Indian Theater". Al-Kazi founded a special theatrical group and established a theatrical library in New Delhi. He is one of the most influential theatrical directors and drama teachers.

Ebrahim Bin Hamad al-Kazi was one of the prominent stage actors during the 1940s and 1950s. He wrote and directed more than fifty plays. At the invitation of the Indian Government, he founded the Drama School and was appointed its supervisor for fifteen years. Then, he established "al-Kazi Arts Foundation" in 2006 to pay attention to the history of India and preserve its heritage. Al-Kazi won awards and high honors, including the "Padma Bhushan Award" and the "French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Award." In 2019, the Saudi Minister of Culture, Prince Badr Bin Farhan, announced the establishment of an academic chair in the name of Ebrahim al-Kazi as an appreciation for his artistic contributions.

Ebrahim Bin Hamad al-Kazi was born in India to a Saudi father born in the Unayzah Governorate, affiliated with Qassim Province. His family was among the families that emigrated from Najd to search for a livelihood before the unification of the Kingdom. His father, Hamad al-Kazi, worked in trade and settled in India, where his kids were born, raised, and educated. Ebrahim received his education in Indian schools, while his father was keen to teach him the Arabic language and Islamic Sharia, which contributed to his tolerance for the diversity of cultures and religions, in addition to being influenced by cultural events in the area of his residence.

Ebrahim Bin Hamad al-Kazi moved from his birthplace to the city of Mumbai to study, and there he met an Indian playwright and was moved by his passion and interest in theater, which revealed his artistic inclinations and unleashed his creativity in writing. He started writing English plays influenced by the European classical theater. However, he decided later to establish a new theatrical line and artistic school with an independent identity from previous schools. So, his father sent him to London to study the principles and rules of theater at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

Ebrahim Bin Hamad al-Kazi wrote several academic papers on theatrical design and direction that influenced the Indian theatrical movement. He gained support from the Indian Prime Minister at that time to establish the Drama School in the capital, New Delhi. Al-Kazi practiced teaching, training, and direction and was busy discovering and supporting artistic talents in addition to his other interests, as he was a photographer, actor, and painter. He was appointed director of the Drama School for fifteen years, while he previously founded a theatrical group and theatrical library in New Delhi.

Ebrahim Bin Hamad al-Kazi won multiple awards inside and outside of India. In 1962, he received the "Sangeet Natak Akademi Award" for direction. He also won the "Padma Bhushan Award" three times. He then received the highest award at "Sangeet Natak Akademi", the "Fellowship Award," for his contributions to enriching and reviving the theater. Additionally, the French Government granted him the "Ordre des Arts et des Lettres" Award, and he won the British Broadcasting Corporation Award (BBC)". In 2010, he won the "Vibhushan Arts Award".

In its second edition (2015), the Saudi Film Festival honored Ebrahim Bin Hamad al-Kazi and granted him the "Golden Palm Award", in addition to a documentary film and a book documenting his biography.

In 2019, the Saudi Ministry of Culture announced from New Delhi the establishment of the "Ebrahim al-Kazi Chair" in celebration and appreciation of the artistic and creative contributions of the artist Ebrahim Bin Hamad al-Kazi. The Ministry of Culture stated that the pioneering works presented by Ebrahim Bin Hamad Al-Kazi unveiled broad horizons in the fields of theater and art in India and gave birth to a distinguished generation of artists. Furthermore, the ministry emphasized that the personal values achieved by the artist in the Indian artistic scene, along with his persistent commitment to teaching others and nourishing their cultural skills, gained an immense amount of appreciation in the Kingdom. The ministry also regarded the artist Ebrahim Bin Hamad al-Kazi as a symbol of the cultural partnership between the Kingdom and India.