Sudhanva Deshpande | |
|---|---|
 Deshpande in 2010 | |
| Permanent Invitee to Central Committee, Communist Party of India (Marxist) | |
| Assumed office 6 April 2025 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 26 December 1967 |
| Political party | Communist Party of India (Marxist) |
| Occupation | Actor, Editor, Politician |
Sudhanva Deshpande (born 26 December 1967) is an Indian theatre actor, director, and editor associated with the radical street theatre group Jana Natya Manch (Janam).[1][2] He is the managing editor of the publishing house LeftWord Books and has authored a book on the life and death of theatre activist Safdar Hashmi.[3] In 2025, he was appointed as a permanent invitee to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).[4]
Early life and education[edit | edit source]
Deshpande was born on 26 December 1967.[5] He attended Ramjas College in Delhi for his higher education.[2] In 1987, at the age of 19, he joined the theatre collective Jana Natya Manch.[1][3]
Career[edit | edit source]
Theatre[edit | edit source]
Deshpande’s involvement in street theatre was significantly shaped by his association with Safdar Hashmi. He was present during the 1989 attack on a Janam performance in Jhandapur, which resulted in Hashmi's death.[6] Following Hashmi's death, Deshpande continued to work with the troupe as both an actor and a director.[1]
His directorial work includes plays such as Yeh Dil Maange More and Gurgaon.[1] He has also been involved in creating documentary films and has participated in international theatre festivals and workshops.[2][7]
He is also a core team member of Strategic Management in the Art of Theatre (SMART), a theatre management training programme.[8][9]
Publishing and writing[edit | edit source]
Deshpande serves as the managing editor of LeftWord Books, a publishing house based in New Delhi. He is also involved in the management of May Day Bookstore and Cafe in Delhi.[2]
In 2020, he authored Halla Bol: The Death and Life of Safdar Hashmi, a book that provides a first-hand account of the events surrounding Hashmi's killing and explores the history of Janam and its impact on Indian street theatre.[3][6]
In 2024, he made a documentary on Habib Tanvir titled Gaon Ke Naon Theatre, Mor Naon Habib (transl. My village is my theatre, my name is Habib).[10]
Politics[edit | edit source]
In April 2025, he was appointed as a permanent invitee to the Central Committee of the CPI(M).[4]
Media dispute[edit | edit source]
In 2018, Deshpande was involved in a dispute with the news channel Times Now. He accused the channel and its then-anchor of disseminating misinformation by labeling him a "Maoist sympathizer" in connection to a video of a lecture he had given at IIT Bombay. Deshpande denied these allegations, stating that his lecture regarding the history of theatre had been taken out of context.[7]
Works[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Kumar, Anuj (21 March 2013). "For the people". The Hindu. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Interview with Sudhanva Deshpande". Mumbai Theatre Guide. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Goyal, Divya (13 January 2020). "An actor and activist: Sudhanva Deshpande on his book Halla Bol". The Indian Express. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "M A Baby elected as General Secretary of CPI(M) at Madurai Party Congress". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
- ↑ "Sudhanva Deshpande CV: Actor, Director, Editor". studylib.net. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Safdar killing touched a raw nerve in the country". The Caravan. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Filmmaker Sudhanva Deshpande Accuses Times Now of Spreading Misinformation Against Him". The Wire. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
- ↑ "Sudhanva Deshpande".
- ↑ "Strategic Management in the Art of Theatre : A capacity building programme for theatre makers. Managed by: Junoon & India Foundation for the Arts (IFA)".
- ↑ Naig, Udhav (26 January 2024). "Recalling legendary theatre personality Habib Tanvir who turned rural folk into actors". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 9 April 2026.