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{{Short description |Indian poet and playwright(1916 - 2008)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Sheila Bhatia
| image = Sheila bhatia pandit.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption =
| birth_date = 1 March 1916
| birth_place = Sialkot, British India
| death_date = 17 February 2008
| death_place = India
| restingplace =
| restingplacecoordinates =
| othername =
| occupation = Poet, playwright, theatre personality
| yearsactive =
| known for = Punjabi opera
| spouse =
| domesticpartner =
| children =
| parents =
| website =
| awards = [[Padma Shri]] [[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]] Punjabi Academy Param Sahit Sarkar Sanman Delhi Administration Award [[Ghalib]] Award Punjabi Arts Council Award DA Best Director Award Urdu Academy Award [[Kalidas Samman]] Param Sahit Sarkar Sanman
}}
'''Sheila Bhatia''' (1 March 1916 – 17 February 2008) was an Indian poet, playwright,<ref name="The Oxford Companion to Indian Theatre">{{cite book | url=http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195644463.001.0001/acref-9780195644463-e-0078 | title=The Oxford Companion to Indian Theatre | chapter=Bhatia, Sheila | publisher=Oxford University Press | editor=Ananda Lal | year=2004 | isbn=9780195644463}}</ref> theatre personality<ref name="Aesthetics of Indian Feminist Theatre">{{cite web | url=http://rupkatha.com/aesthetics-indian-feminist-theatre/#more-315 | title=Aesthetics of Indian Feminist Theatre | publisher=Rup Katha | date=2015 | access-date=30 May 2015}}</ref><ref name="Women Writing in India: The twentieth century">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OjZYf9Xf9bcC&q=Sheila+Bhatia&pg=PA79 | title=Women Writing in India: The twentieth century | publisher=Feminist Press | author=Susie J. Tharu, Ke Lalita | year=1993 | pages=688 | isbn=9781558610293}}</ref> and the founder of the ''Delhi Art Theatre'', a forum based in Delhi for the promotion of [[Indian art]] forms.<ref name="Rich tributes paid to Sheila Bhatia">{{cite web | url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-newdelhi/rich-tributes-paid-to-sheila-bhatia/article1207592.ece | title=Rich tributes paid to Sheila Bhatia | work=The Hindu | date=23 February 2008 | access-date=30 May 2015}}</ref> She is credited with originating Punjabi opera, an Indian form of dance drama incorporating operatic movements.<ref name="Shiela Bhatia – A legend of Indian Operas passes away">{{cite web | url=http://www.stagebuzz.info/2008/March/Sheila%20Bhatia%20Orbituary.htm | title=Shiela Bhatia – A legend of Indian Operas passes away | publisher=Stage Buzz | date=2008 | access-date=30 May 2015}}</ref><ref name="McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Drama">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zo5os6d0rvMC&q=%22Delhi+Art+Theatre%22+sheila+bhatia&pg=PA40 | title=McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Drama | publisher=McGraw-Hill | author=Stanley Hochman | year=1984 | pages=2900 | isbn=9780070791695}}</ref><ref name="Continuum Companion to Twentieth Century Theatre">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cFlFhuVMFGQC&q=%22Delhi+Art+Theatre%22+sheila+bhatia&pg=PA382 | title=Continuum Companion to Twentieth Century Theatre | publisher=A&C Black | author=Colin Chambers | year=2006 | pages=896 | isbn=9781847140012}}</ref><ref name="Studies in Punjab History & Culture">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5BBDAAAAYAAJ&q=punjabi+opera | title=Studies in Punjab History & Culture | publisher=Enkay Publishers | author=Gurcharan Singh | year=1990 | pages=281 | isbn=9788185148298}}</ref> She was honoured by the [[Government of India]] in 1971 with [[Padma Shri]], the fourth highest Indian civilian award.<ref name="Padma Shri">{{cite web | url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf | title=Padma Shri | publisher=Padma Shri | date=2015 | access-date=11 November 2014}}</ref> A decade later, she received the [[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]] for theatre direction in 1982<ref name="Sangeet Natak Akademi Award">{{cite web | url=http://sangeetnatak.gov.in/sna/awardeeslist.htm#Theatre2004onwardsActing | title=Sangeet Natak Akademi Award | publisher=Sangeet Natak Akademi | date=2015 | access-date=30 May 2015 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150530204253/http://sangeetnatak.gov.in/sna/awardeeslist.htm#Theatre2004onwardsActing | archive-date=30 May 2015 }}</ref> followed by [[Kalidas Samman]] in 1997.<ref name="Who's who of Indian Writers, 1999: A-M">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QA1V7sICaIwC&q=%22Delhi+Art+Theatre%22+sheila+bhatia&pg=PA155 | title=Who's who of Indian Writers, 1999: A-M | publisher=Sahitya Akademi | author=Kartik Chandra Dutt | year=1999 | pages=1490 | isbn=9788126008735}}</ref>

==Early life and education==
Sheila Bhatia was born on 1 March 1916<ref name="Shiela Bhatia – A legend of Indian Operas passes away" /> in [[Sialkot]] in [[British India]], in present-day Pakistan.<ref name="Who's who of Indian Writers, 1999: A-M" /> After securing a BA degree, she graduated in education (BT) and started working as a teacher of mathematics in [[Lahore]], involving herself with the [[Indian freedom struggle]].<ref name="Rich tributes paid to Sheila Bhatia" />

== Career ==
After involving in Indian freedom struggle, she moved to Delhi where she founded the ''Delhi Art Theatre''.<ref name="Shiela Bhatia – A legend of Indian Operas passes away" /><ref name="Capital's cultural affair began in 50s">{{cite web |author=Manoj Sharma |date=16 November 2011 |title=Capital's cultural affair began in 50s |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/newdelhi/capital-s-cultural-affair-began-in-50s/article1-769751.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150530204425/http://www.hindustantimes.com/newdelhi/capital-s-cultural-affair-began-in-50s/article1-769751.aspx |archive-date=30 May 2015 |access-date=30 May 2015 |publisher=Hindustan Times}}</ref> She also worked with the [[National School of Drama]] as the head of the acting department.<ref name="Who's who of Indian Writers, 1999: A-M" />Bhatia's debut production was ''Call of the Valley'', a musical.<ref name="Rich tributes paid to Sheila Bhatia" /><ref name="Shiela Bhatia – A legend of Indian Operas passes away" /> That was followed by over 60 productions,<ref name="The Oxford Companion to Indian Theatre" /> such as Heer Ranjha (1957), Dard Aayega Dabe Paon (1979), Sulgada Darya (1982), Omar Khayyam (1990), Naseeb (1997), Chann Badla Da, Loha Kutt,<ref name="Memoirs">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YYstAAAAQBAJ&q=%22Delhi+Art+Theatre%22+sheila+bhatia&pg=PT380 | title=Memoirs | publisher=Penguin | author=Habib Tanvir | year=2014 | pages=400 | isbn=9789351182023}}</ref> Ghalib Kaun tha and Nadir Shah in Punabi and Qissa yeh aurat ka (1972), Hawa se hippy tak (1972), and Yeh ishq nahin asan (1980) in [[Urdu]].<ref name="Shiela Bhatia – A legend of Indian Operas passes away" /><ref name="Who's who of Indian Writers, 1999: A-M" /><ref name="Capital's cultural affair began in 50s" /> A follower of [[Faiz Ahmed Faiz]],<ref name="India, whose love could have killed him">{{cite web | url=https://www.dawn.com/news/605949/india-whose-love-could-have-killed-him | title=India, whose love could have killed him | publisher=Dawn | date=13 February 2011 | access-date=30 May 2015}}</ref><ref name="Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature, Volume 2">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zB4n3MVozbUC&q=%22Delhi+Art+Theatre%22+sheila+bhatia&pg=PA1098 | title=Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature, Volume 2 | publisher=Sahitya Akademi | author=Amaresh Datta | year=1988 | pages=987 | isbn=9788126011940}}</ref> Bhatia also has 10 publications to her credit including the poetry anthology, Parlo Da Jhakkarh (1950).<ref name="Who's who of Indian Writers, 1999: A-M" />

== Awards ==
The [[Government of India]] awarded her the civilian honour of [[Padma Shri]] in 1971.<ref name="Padma Shri" /> She received the [[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]] for best direction in 1982.<ref name="Sangeet Natak Akademi Award" /> The next year, she was awarded the Ghalib Award (1983) followed by Punjabi Arts Council award.<ref name="Who's who of Indian Writers, 1999: A-M" /> She received the best director award from the Delhi Administration in 1986 and the [[Kalidas Samman]] in 1997.<ref name="Who's who of Indian Writers, 1999: A-M" /> She was also a recipient of Urdu Academy Award<ref name="Who's who of Indian Writers, 1999: A-M" /> and the ''Param Sahit Sarkar Sanman'' by the Punjabi Academy (2000).<ref name="Academy award for Harkishan Singh">{{cite web | url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2000/20000518/nation.htm | title=Academy award for Harkishan Singh | work=The Tribune | date=18 May 2000 | access-date=30 May 2015}}</ref>

== Death ==
Sheila Bhatia died on 17 February 2008 at the age of 91.<ref name="Shiela Bhatia – A legend of Indian Operas passes away" />

==See also==
{{portal|India}}
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[National School of Drama]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book | title=Women Writing in India: The twentieth century | publisher=Feminist Press | author=Susie J. Tharu, Ke Lalita | year=1993 | pages=688 | isbn=9781558610293}}
* {{cite book | title=The Oxford Companion to Indian Theatre | publisher=Oxford University Press | editor=Ananda Lal | year=2004 | isbn=9780195644463}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bhatia, Sheila}}
[[Category:1916 births]]
[[Category:2008 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Sialkot]]
[[Category:Indian women dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:Indian theatre directors]]
[[Category:Indian theatre managers and producers]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian poets]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:Indian women theatre directors]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian businesswomen]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian businesspeople]]
[[Category:Dramatists and playwrights from Punjab, India]]
[[Category:Poets from Punjab, India]]
[[Category:Women writers from Punjab, India]]
[[Category:Businesswomen from Punjab, India]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Punjab, India]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women poets]]

Sheila Bhatia - Revision history

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