"I am heartbroken, depressed and at an utter loss of words. It is a dark day for the world of Indian theatre. Whatever the theatre scene in India is today is thanks to Mr Ebrahim Alkazi. It may sound like a huge statement. But every word I just uttered is true," sighs Nadira Zaheer Babbar as she grapples with the news of her mentor's demise last evening in New Delhi at the age of 94.

Babbar had obtained a Diploma in Direction from National School of Drama (1968-71) under the mentorship of her professor, Alkazi; it was around the time when he was director of the prestigious institution. As a 37-year-old, he arrived in Delhi to head NSD and one of his first decisions was the staging of renowned playwright Dharamvir Bharati's Andha Yug at a time when the Indo-China war was over. Based on the last day of the Mahabharata war, the anti-war play became a landmark production in Indian theatre, and one of the finest examples of off-site theatre, as it was staged amidst the ruins of Ferozeshah Kotla fort, and later, at Purana Qila.