Amrit Keshav Nayak was a Parsi theatre actor-director, lyricist and Gujarati author. He joined theatre at early age and later directed several plays including adaptations of plays of Shakespeare. He wrote plays and novels also.
Biography
Early life
Nayak was born in Ahmedabad on 14 April 1877 to Nayak family. He lived in Mata ni Pol in Kalupur area of the city. He studied only four grades and two grades in Urdu. Nayak moved to Bombay with his father.
Theatre and lyricist career
In 1888, he joined Alfred Company at the age of eleven at the salary of forty rupees a month. After his successful roles of Baheram Irani and Pumba in Bamanji Kabraji's Gamde ni Gori and Bimar-e-Bulbul respectively, he went to Lucknow to study theatre under Bindadin Maharaj. He learned music there. After his return in 1891, he directed Allauddin and played Laila himself whose success elevated him to post of Assistant Manager at the age of 15. He pioneered the adaptation of plays of Shakespeare in Urdu. He directed Mehdi Hasan Ahsan's Khun-e-Nahaq and Bazum-e-Fani for Kavasji Palanji Khatau's Alfred Theatre Company. He directed several plays of Urdu dramatist Agha Hashar Kashmiri including his adaptation of Shakespeare's play, Murid-e-Shaque and Shahid-e-Naaz . Following differences with Khatau in 1904, he left the Alfred Company joined Framji Apu's Parsi Natak Mandali as a director. He produced Shakespeare's Cymbeline in Urdu as Meetha Zahar. He was married to Parvati, an illiterate girl from Kadi at an early age. They had a daughter named Saroj. He had a brief relationship with singer and dancer Gauhar Jaan whom he met around 1904–05 in Bombay and together they wrote and composed several hit songs like Pardesi Saiyyan Nena Lagake Dukh De Gaye, Sar Par Gagar Dhar Kar, Dilenadaan Ko Hum Samjhate Jayenge, Aan BaanJiya Mein Laagi. He was working on his new productionNarayan Prasad Betab's Zahari Saanp before he died on 18 July 1907 in Bombay following heart attack.
Literary career
Nayak's pen-name was Shivsambhu Sharmano Chiko. Nayak wrote a column for Amrita Bazar Patrika and Gujarati periodicals. Chiththa Lekhanmala column in Gujarati has some influence on the Indian independence movement. He wrote a play, Bharat Durdasha Natak about prevalent condition of India. His novel M. A. Banake Kyon Meri Mitti Kharab Ki? was about shortcomings of education system. His another novel, Mariyam was about a Muslim life. His incomplete and unpublished works are Sanskrit ane Farsi Bhasha no Paraspar Sambandh and Nadirshah. Apart from lyrics for songs for his plays, he wrote Gazals in Gujarati too.
Legacy
The Amrit Keshav Nayak Road behind Khadi Bhandar in Fort area of Mumbai is named after Nayak.
