Safdar Hashmi: The Voice of the Common Man

Abstract

Safdar Hashmi saw theatre as a weapon for people’s movement against exploitation and not as just a genre of literature. The formation of Jana Natya Manch (JANAM) by Hashmi was a turning point in Hindi theatre and the art form Nukkad Natak raised the problems of the working classes. The plays also highlighted the rights of women. Hashmi’s art was a socio-cultural movement that underlined the need to resist inequalities and injustice.