PGPS at 07:59, 31 December 2025

2025-12-31T07:59:21Z

New page

{{Short description|Indian stage actor, director and manager (1879–1947)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Bapulal Nayak
| image = Bapulal Nayak and Jaishankar Bhojak Sundari in a play Sneh-Sarita in 1915.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Bapulal Nayak (left) with [[Jaishankar Bhojak]] 'Sundari' in a play ''Sneh-Sarita'' in 1915. They acted in several successful plays together.
| birth_name = Narayan Bhabhaldas Nayak
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1879|03|25}}
| birth_place = Gerita, [[Mehsana]], [[Baroda State]], British India
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1947|12|04|1879|03|25}}
| death_place = Undhai near Mehsana, Baroda State, British India
| occupation = Stage actor, director, manager
| years_active = 1890–1946
| known_for =
| notable_works =
| father = Bhabhaldas
| mother = Narbhiben
}}

'''Bapulal Nayak''' (25 March 1879 – 4 December 1947) was an Indian stage actor, director and manager of the early [[Gujarati theatre]]. Born into a family of traditional folk theatre performers, he joined the theatre company [[Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali]] at a young age. His acting was well received in his initial roles. He was involved in stage planning and managing and later became a partner in the company. He rose to fame and acted in several successful plays with [[Jaishankar Bhojak|Jaishankar Bhojak 'Sundari']], who played female roles opposite him. He acted in plays written by Mulshankar Mulani, Gajendrashnakar Pandya and Nrisinh Vibhakar. He wrote and directed several plays and eventually bought the theatre company. After a career lasting five decades, he retired after his company suffered heavy loss with the advent of the cinema.

==Biography==
[[File:Bapulal Nayak and Jaishankar Bhojak Sundari in the play Kamlata, at Gaiety Theatre, Mumbai, 1904.jpg|thumb|Bapulal Nayak (left) and [[Jaishankar Bhojak]] 'Sundari' in the play ''Kamlata'', at Gaiety Theatre, Bombay, 1904|left]]
Nayak was born in Gerita near [[Mehsana]] on 25 March 1879 and was named Narayan by his parents Bhabhaldas Khemchand Nayak and Narbhiben.<ref name="Bhojak 1990">{{Cite book|title=ગુજરાતી વિશ્વકોશ|last=Bhojak|first=Dinkar|publisher=Gujarati Vishwakosh Trust, Ahmedabad|year=1990|editor-last=Thaker|editor-first=Dhirubhai|editor-link=Dhirubhai Thaker|volume=X|location=[[Ahmedabad]]|pages=95–96|trans-title=Gujarati Encyclopedia|language=gu|oclc=165832685}}</ref><ref name="Choksi 2004">{{Cite book|title=ગુજરાતી રંગભૂમિ: રિદ્ધિ અને રોનક (Gujarati Rangbhoomi: Riddhi Ane Ronak)|publisher=Gujarat Vishwakosh Trust|year=2004|editor-last=Choksi|editor-first=Mahesh|location=Ahmedabad|pages=38, 219–223|language=gu|trans-title=Compilation of Information regarding professional theatre of Gujarat|editor-last2=Somani|editor-first2=Dhirendra}}</ref><ref name="Nayak 1980">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hbMLHQAACAAJ|title=Gujarati Rangbhumina Abhinay Shilpi Bapulal Nayak|last=Nayak|first=Suresh|date=January 1980|publisher=Suresh Nayak|oclc=7173414|edition=1st|pages=6, 8|language=gu}}</ref> He studied till the fifth standard in the Gujarati school in his native village Undhai.<ref name="Choksi 2004" /><ref name="Bhojak 1990" /> He was nicknamed Bapulal by his father.<ref name="Nayak 1980" /> In Februatry 1890, at the age of eleven, he quit the family tradition of performing [[Bhavai]] (folk theatre) and farming, and started his stage career with Dayashankar Visanji Bhatt's [[Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali]] for a salary of three rupees per month.<ref name="Bhojak 1990" /><ref name="Nayak 1980" /><ref name="Baradi2003">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9eWwCxY7w-QC|title=History of Gujarati Theatre|last=Baradi|first=Hasmukh|publisher=National Book Trust, India|year=2003|isbn=978-81-237-4032-4|series=India-The Land and The People|pages=60–63|translator-last=Meghani|translator-first=Vinod|author-link=Hasmukh Baradi}}</ref> He was given a role of Jayant, son of [[Indra]], in a play, ''Harishchandra'' (1890). He next appeared in ''Rajbeej'' (King's Progeny, 1891), a play written by [[Mulshankar Mulani]] specifically for him which premiered at the Geity Theatre in Bombay. It was successful.<ref name="Baradi2003" /><ref name="Baradi 2004" /><ref name="Nayak 1980" /> His performance as [[Mularaja]] in ''Mularaj Solanki'' (1895) was well received.<ref name="Bhojak 1990" /> In the next decade, he acted ''Ramcharitra'' (1989), Raman in ''Lakshadhipati-no Raman'', ''Jayraj'' (1898) and other plays, as well as becoming involved in stage planning and the management of a theatre company. In 1899, he and Mulani became partners in the company, each holding a 6% share of the Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali.<ref name="Baradi2003" /> He also acted in the acclaimed play, ''Ajabkumari'' (1899), opposite female impersonator actor [[Jaishankar Bhojak]] 'Sundari' who had recently joined their company. The pair soon rose to fame and acted together in several successful plays including ''[[Saubhagya Sundari]]'' (Fortunate Sundari, 1901),<ref name="Choksi 2004" /> ''Vikram Charitra'' (1901, directed by him), ''Dage Hasrat'' (1901), ''Jugal Jugari'' (Jugal the Gambler, 1903), ''Kamlata'' (1904), ''Sneh Sarita'' (1915), ''Madhubansari'' (1917).<ref name="Bhojak 1990" /><ref name="Baradi2003" /><ref name="Baradi 2004" /> Around the end of the 19th century, he was guided by Mulshankar and Dayashankar Visanji.<ref name="Baradi 2004" /> He learned direction from Sorabji Katrak.<ref name="Bhojak 1990" /> He trained many actors as well.<ref name="Baradi 2004">{{Cite book|url=http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195644463.001.0001/acref-9780195644463-e-0431|title=The Oxford Companion to Indian Theatre|last=Baradi|first=Hasmukh|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2004|isbn=0195644468|editor-last=Lal|editor-first=Ananda|location=New Delhi|oclc=56986659|via=Oxford Reference}}</ref>

''Nand-Batrisi'' (1906) was a first play written by him which was well received. He also wrote ''Chandrabhaga'' (1909), a [[farce]] entitled ''Navalsha Hirji'' (1909), ''Anandlahari'' (1919) and ''Saubhagya-no Sinh'' (1925).<ref name="Baradi2003" /> When Mulani's three plays failed consequently, he chose to stage nationalistic plays written by Nrisinh Vibhakar. These plays experimented with story and theme but enactment stayed unchanged. During this period, [[Mahatma Gandhi]] had arrived in India from [[South Africa]] and the [[Indian independence movement]] was gathering steam.<ref name="Baradi2003" /><ref name="Baradi 2004" /> He acquired Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali in April 1922.<ref name="Bhojak 1990" /><ref name="Baradi2003" /><ref name="Baradi 2004" /><ref name="Choksi 2004" />

Bapulal Nayak started directing his plays and started adapting literature into plays.<ref name="Baradi 2004" /> He chose [[Ramanbhai Neelkanth]]'s play ''[[Raino Parvat]]'' written in 1911 and staged it in 1926. The songs of the play were written by [[Rasiklal Parikh]] and four shows of it were staged. Later he staged four plays written by Champshi Udeshi, four plays written by Gajendrashankar Pandya as well as many Parsi theatre styled plays. Gajendrashankar Pandya's play ''College Kanya'' was staged by Bapulal and it created controversy due to some of its dialogue about females; [[Narsinhrao Divetia]], [[Chandravadan Mehta]] and [[Hansa Jivraj Mehta]] led the public protests against the play.<ref name="Baradi2003" />

With the advent of the cinema, the theatre started to lose its audience. Bapulal was forced to sell his company in 1938 due to it suffering heavy losses. In 1944, he tried to revive his company with the help of a financier. He retired after staging his last play ''Ladakvayo'', written by Prafulla Desai, in 1946. He had acted in more than a hundred plays, directed forty seven plays and written six plays during his career.<ref name="Bhojak 1990" /><ref name="Baradi2003" /><ref name="Choksi 2004" /> He also wrote some poems.<ref name="Bhojak 1990" /> He died on 4 December 1947 in Undhai near Mehsana, [[Baroda State]].<ref name="Choksi 2004" />

==Reception==
P. K. Nayyar, a columnist of ''Sanjvartaman'' daily of Bombay, called him "one of the best actors in the world" in 1917.<ref name="Choksi 2004" /> [[Rasiklal Parikh]], [[Chandravadan Mehta]] and [[Pragji Dosa]] have praised the excellence of his directing.<ref name="Baradi2003" />

== Stage ==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+
Acting career<ref name="Choksi 2004" />
!scope=col| Date
!scope=col| ''Title''
!scope=col| Role
!scope=col| Writer
!scope=col| Theatre company
|-
|10 August 1889
|''Shakuntal''
|Sarvadaman
|[[Mulshankar Mulani]]
|[[Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali]]
|-
|9 August 1890
|''Harishchandra''
|Jayant
|Vishwanath Prabhuram Vaidya
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|22 January 1891
|''Rajbeej''
|Beej
|Mulshankar Mulani
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|27 February 1892
|''Kundabala''
|Chand
|Mulshankar Mulani
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|15 August 1892
|''Rasikmani''
|Mohan
|Narabheshankar Manchharam Vyas
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|2 December 1893
|''Sundar Veni''
|Sundarlal
| –
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|3 November 1894
|''Premkala''
|Premrai
|Vijayshankar Kalidas Bhatt
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|27 April 1895
|''Mevadno Pratapi Chand''
|Mokal
|Vijayshankar Kalidas Bhatt
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|19 October 1895
|''Mularaj Solanki''
|Mularaja
|Vijayshankar Kalidas Bhatt
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|5 September 1896
|''Karanghelo''
|Beejkhan
|Mulshankar Mulani
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|14 August 1897
|''Barrister''
|Shankar
|Mulshankar Mulani
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|8 January 1898
|''Ramcharitra''
|Ram
|Vijayshankar Kalidas Bhatt
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|23 April 1898
|''Pushpasen Pushpavati''
|Pushpasen
| –
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|27 August 1898
|''Jayraj''
|Jayraj
|Mulshankar Mulani
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|8 July 1899
|''Tilakkumar''
|Tilakkumar
|Vijayshankar Kalidas Bhatt
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|30 September 1899
|''Ajabkumari''
|Randhir
|Mulshankar Mulani
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|16 December 1899
|''Veer Mandal''
|Pratapsinh
|Mulshankar Mulani
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|14 February 1900
|''Mohini''
|Kalyandev
|Vijayshankar Kalidas Bhatt
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|7 July 1900
|''Vikramcharitra''
|Rajratan
|Mulshankar Mulani
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|19 October 1901
|''[[Saubhagya Sundari]]''
|Saubhagya
|Mulshankar Mulani
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|26 August 1902
|''Jugal Jugari''
|Jugal
|Mulshankar Mulani
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|18 October 1904
|''Kamlata''
|Meenketu
|Mulshankar Mulani
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|1906
|''Nandbatrisi''
|Vilochan
|Bapulal Nayak
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|1908
|''Sangatno Rang''
|Lalaji
| –
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|22 May 1909
|''Chandrabhaga''
|Ratansinh
|Bapulal Nayak
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|3 November 1909
|''Navalsha Heerji''
|Navalsha
|Mulshankar Mulani
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|17 December 1910
|''Vasantprabha''
|Vasantsen
|Mulshankar Mulani
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|1911
|''Devkanya''
|Kishor
|Mulshankar Mulani
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|1912
|''Krishnacharitra''
|Baldev
|Mulshankar Mulani
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|31 January 1914
|''Prataplakshmi''
|Pratap
|Mulshankar Mulani
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|28 February 1915
|''Sangatna Fal''
|Kant
|Mulshankar Mulani
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|19 September 1915
|''Sneh Sarita''
|Shenchandra
|Nrisinh Vibhakar
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|5 August 1916
|''Sudhachandra''
|Chandrakumar
|Nrisinh Vibhakar
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|28 July 1917
|''Madhubansari''
|Madhusudan
|Nrisinh Vibhakar
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|23 November 1918
|''Meghmalini''
|Meghdoot
|Nrisinh Vibhakar
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|23 August 1919
|''Anandlahari''
|Laharikant
|Bapulal Nayak
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|25 September 1920
|''Vishwaleela''
|Vishwadev
|Ambashankar Harishankar Upadhyay
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|25 April 1925
|''Saubhagyano Sinh''
|Mansinh
|Bapulal Nayak
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|1926
|''Madandh Mahila Yane Noorjahan''
|Sher Afghan
|Jayshankar Vaghajibhai Vyas
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|1926
|''Kumali Kali''
|Pranjeevan
|[[Shayda]]
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|1927
|''Jamanano Rang''
|Dhanraj
|Gajendrashankar Lalshankar Pandya
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|1928
|''Tarunina Tarang''
|Padmakumar
|Gajendrashankar Lalshankar Pandya
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|1928
|''Kashmirnu Prabhat''
|Devakar
|Gajendrashankar Lalshankar Pandya
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|21 February 1929
|''Kudaratno Nyay''
|Kantilal
|Gajendrashankar Lalshankar Pandya
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|29 March 1929
|''Up-to-date Mavali''
|Sorabji
|Joseph David
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|1929
|''Swamibhakti Yane Baji Deshpande ([[Hindi]])''
|Heeroji
|Munshi Mohiyuddin Naza
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|27 January 1929
|''Kimiyagar''
|Shripatrai
|'Manasvi' Prantijwala (rewritten)
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|9 January 1930
|''Kuldeepak''
|Shantilal
|Gajendrashankar Lalshankar Pandya
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|January 1931
|''Kutil Rajneeti''
|[[Shivaji]]
|Gajendrashankar Lalshankar Pandya
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|23 January 1932
|''Karmasanjog''
|Dharmadas
|Mugatlal Pranjeevan Oza
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|1932
|''Karyasiddhi (Hindi)''
|Duple
|'Manasvi' Prantijwala (adaptation)
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|9 September 1933
|''Kon Samrat?''
|Bhimdev
|'Manasvi' Prantijwala (rewritten)
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|1934
|''Kirtivijay''
|Ratnapal
|'Manasvi' Prantijwala
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|13 September 1934
|''Jeenjarna Zankare''
|Ramsinh
|Champshi Udeshi
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|20 March 1935
|''Mumbaini Badi''
|Sukhlaji
|Joseph David
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|1 June 1935
|''Gheli Guniyal''
|Kanchanlal
|Champshi Udeshi
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|January 1936
|''Kiritkumar''
|Vijayvarma
|Manilal 'Pagal'
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|February 1936
|''Nepolian''
|Francis
|Manilal 'Pagal'
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|15 May 1937
|''Shataranjna Dav''
|Shripal
|Champshi Udeshi
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|7 August 1937
|''Gareebna Ansu''
|Varjabhushan
|Champshi Udeshi
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|19 November 1938
|''Sukhi Sansar''
|Bhanuprasad
|Champshi Udeshi
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|-
|11 March 1939
|''Kalankit Kon?''
|Bakshi Sheth
|Chimanlal Trivedi
|Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{commonscat}}
* {{cite book|last=Nayak|first=Suresh|title=Gujarati Rangbhumina Abhinay Shilpi Bapulal Nayak|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hbMLHQAACAAJ|year=1980|language=gu}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nayak, Bapulal}}
[[Category:Indian male stage actors]]
[[Category:Indian theatre directors]]
[[Category:Indian male dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:Indian male musical theatre actors]]
[[Category:Gujarati theatre]]
[[Category:1879 births]]
[[Category:1947 deaths]]
[[Category:Gujarati people]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:Male actors from Gujarat]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian male actors]]
[[Category:Dramatists and playwrights from Gujarat]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian male writers]]
[[Category:Gujarati-language Indian writers]]

Bapulal Nayak - Revision history

PGPS at 07:59, 31 December 2025