Gopal Sharman

Gopal Sharman (19 August 1935 – 16 June 2016[1]) was an Indian playwright known for his dramatic English version of The Ramayana,[2] which has been presented on stage more than 2,000 times.

Born in Calcutta, India, on 19 August 1935, Gopal was the sixth child of Buddhidhan Sharman, a medical doctor, and his wife Savitri.

Sharman started his working life as a journalist in Lucknow and Calcutta but shifted to Delhi in 1958, where he began writing on the performing arts for several major Indian newspapers.

He rose to prominence as a playwright and director with his very first production, Full Circle, a collection of stories and poems performed by his actress wife, Jalabala Vaidya.

The production was of contemporary India, mixing together poverty, classical Indian thought, comic asides, and cobweb-shrouded government departments.