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Vijaya Mehta: There Will Never Be Another Like Her

July 1, 2026 12:15:53 IST
MTG editorial

VIJAYA MEHTA, fondly known as "Bai," was a towering figure whose visionary direction reshaped modern Indian theatre and parallel cinema. Her passing, on June 30, at the age of 91, is a great loss to the India's cultural community, there will never be another like her.

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Born Vijaya Jaywant on November 4, 1934, in Baroda (now Vadodara), Gujarat, she grew up surrounded by academia and the arts. She graduated from the University of Mumbai and pursued formal training in acting and stagecraft with two of Indian theatre's most legendary mentors: Ebrahim Alkazi and Adi Marzban in Mumbai.

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In the 1960s, Mehta became a pioneer of the experimental Marathi theatre movement. alongside playwright Vijay Tendulkar, and actors Shriram Lagoo and Arvind Deshpande, she co-founded the groundbreaking theatre group Rangayan, which became the epicenter of experimental theatre. Under this banner and in subsequent years, Mehta directed landmark productions that are still studied today, like EK SHOONYA BAJIRAO, AJAB NYAY VARTULACHA, BARRISTER and HAMIDABAICHI KOTHI.

While the stage remained her lifelong passion, Mehta directed a few films too like Rao Saheb and Pestonjee, and acted in some like Shyam Benegal's Kalyug and Govind Nihalani's Party. She also directed Lifeline, a highly regarded 1990s television series focusing on the medical fraternity.

Mehta's immense contributions earned her India's highest creative honors, including the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Direction (1975), the Padma Shri (1986), a National Film Award, and the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Tagore Ratna (2012).

She brought her vast experience and expertise to her post as Executive Director of the NCPA, for 15 years. She had published her autobiography, Zimma: Athavanincha Gof, about her life and work, which was like an encyclopedia of contemporary Marathi Theatre.

MTG conveys heartfelt condolences to her family and fans.

*Mumbai Theatre Guide takes no responsibility for change in schedule.

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