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Hosi Vasunia
Born(1939-10-08)8 October 1939
Kobe, Japan
Died10 August 2005(2005-08-10) (aged 65)[1][2]
Mumbai, India
OccupationActor

Hosi Hormusji Vasunia (8 October 1939 – 10 August 2005), known popularly as Hosi Vasunia, was an Indian theatre personality and film and television actor. He acted in the English theatre in Bombay (now, Mumbai); he also appeared in Gujarati plays and in Hindi films and television. He was part of the flourishing of drama in Mumbai in the 1970s and 1980s and 1990s and continued the long tradition of Parsi theatre in India.[3][4][5]

Career

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Early life

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Hosi Vasunia was the younger son of Hormusji Pirojshaw Vasunia and Amy Hormusji Vasunia (née Amy Pestonji Tata).[6] His older brother was named Bomi.[1]

Hosi was born in Kobe, Japan, into an Indian Parsi family long involved in trade with China and Japan.[7] In the 1930s, the family firm had offices in Hong Kong and Canton under the name J. P. Vasunia & Co., and in Shanghai and Kobe under the name Vasunia & Co. The company handled the import and export of silk, cotton, and other commodities. Pirojshaw Jeejeebhoy Vasunia and E. F. Kavarana jointly established the Bombay office and gave it the name E. F. Kavarana & Co. Hosi Vasunia himself worked in the Bombay office of E. F. Kavarana & Co. for some years, before the family firm was disbanded.[8]

Early career

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Hosi Vasunia grew up in Mumbai and attended St. Xavier's School and Sydenham College.[2][7]

Vasunia credited a Spanish Jesuit priest in his school St. Xavier's for introducing him to the theatre.[7] An early appearance for Vasunia was in Princes (1970), a play written by Gieve Patel and directed by Pearl Padamsee. The play was reviewed as "a moving portrait of the dying fortunes of a proud Parsi family", and the cast also included Pearl Padamsee herself, Yasmin Richmond, Alyque Padamsee, and Erna Vatchaghandy.[9] Vasunia's first line in that play was "Chicken, top chicken!"[10][11] In 1971, Vasunia appeared in Cyrus the Great in a role (Cyrus' commander-in-chief) for which he received the first of many favourable reviews ("excellently portrayed"), in this case by the drama critic of the Times of India.[12]

The play that established Vasunia's arrival on the English stage in Bombay was Ah! Norman (adapted from Norman, Is That You? by Ron Clark and Sam Bobrick). Sam Kerawala, who later became a close friend and frequent collaborator, recommended Vasunia to the director Adi Marzban after recalling Vasunia's performance in a play from his Sydenham College days. Marzban cast him in Ah! Norman, and Vasunia's career was launched.[2] Ah! Norman enjoyed a great success (over 100 performances) and was revived several times.[13][14] That play, first performed in Mumbai in 1972, is "credited with having created a new theatre-going audience in the city".[15] Marzban was an early mentor for Vasunia, who appeared under his direction in several plays. Some years after Vasunia's death, he and Marzban were both remembered in the Hindustan Times as "two iconic Mumbai directors".[16]

Vasunia appeared in Loot, by Joe Orton, in 1971.[17] The play was revived, in 1984, with the film actor Amjad Khan acting alongside Vasunia.[18] The play returned to the Mumbai stage, a decade and more later, after the deaths of Amjad and Hosi, in a bilingual English and Hindi version.[19] Imtiaz Khan, Amjad's brother, remained the director across the different versions of the play.[17][18][19]

Subsequent career and production company

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Vasunia appeared regularly with Ruby Patel in a string of plays in the 1970s and 1980s. According to the director Vivek Vaswani, they acted together in "15 consecutive hits".[20] Vasunia also collaborated with Burjor Patel, Ruby's husband, and they together co-produced a number of successful plays under the banner "Hosi Vasunia Productions". Their first play was Don't Drink the Water, which was staged in 1979 and based on a script by Woody Allen; the production was directed by Pearl Padamsee.[21][22]

Although Vasunia was famous for comedy, he was responsible for "serious" theatre including such plays as All the King's Men (in which he was directed by Alyque Padamsee), Whose Life Is It Anyway?, Mass Appeal, Saint Joan, and Agnes of God.[23]

One of Vasunia's last roles was opposite Sabira Merchant in The Rummy Game. The play, directed by Kerawala, was adapted by Bachi Karkaria from D. L. Coburn's Gin Game and was staged in Dubai, London, Antwerp, Dusseldorf, Paris, Chicago, and New York as well as numerous cities in India.[24] The play was revived in 2010 as The Game, with Alyque Padamsee in Vasunia's role.[25]

Film and other work

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Vasunia appeared in only a handful of films and preferred the theatre to film. According to Bhawana Somaaya, the editor of Screen, "Yash Chopra had offered him roles in his various films but he didn’t take them up."[26]

In 1989, Vasunia and Ronnie Screwvala founded the Dynasty Culture Club, which offered a range of entertainment such as theatre, cinema, music, and dance.[27] The Club put on regular events for members, who were charged an annual subscription. Vasunia, however, left the venture after some two years.[28] Screwvala also acted alongside Vasunia in several plays and spoke later of Vasunia's "good and tough and resilient side... Whatever the adversity there was always a smile on his face... He had the ability to constantly motivate people".[2]

Vasunia was closely associated for many years with the National Centre for the Performing Arts (N.C.P.A.) in Mumbai. He was a consultant to the organization, and many of his plays were staged in its theatres.[2]

Vasunia was also a consultant to the Indian Express group and the producer of its annual Screen Awards for excellence in Indian cinema.[26][29]

Reviews

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Of his role in Never Too Late (1977), the drama critic of the Times of India wrote, "Hosi Vasunia is dominant as usual . . . A great performance. Don't underrate his talent: despite his sustained tempo and voice power, he is a master of modulation, a thespian of genuine artistic merit, a man with a look that can freeze you or make you roar."[30] In following year, the paper's drama critic, reviewing Cactus Flower, said Vasunia was "now the tallest giant of the English stage", and added, "You can't beat this guy at verbal pratfalls, double-takes, a voice with a marvellous range and tone, an utterly mobile face which conveys a thousand expressions (not all at once)."[31] Vasunia was said to be "particularly stylish and impressive" in Deathtrap.[32] The reviewer of Tribute, in 1989, said that the play "should not be missed, especially for Vasunia's exuberant performance as Scottie Templeton".[33] Vasunia's flair and style were regularly regarded as distinctive and memorable. A reviewer of his female impersonation in Charley's Aunt said that Vasunia "strikes a delicious balance between high camp and inspired comic restraint". The review added that while there were "unintentional lapses into his own familiar stage persona", the role was nonetheless "one of his best achievements".[34]

Sabira Merchant, a fellow actor and close friend, said that he had the "perfect timing" for comedy.[35] In 2001, Merchant and Vasunia were themselves described, by Deepa Gahlot, as "two of the finest talents on the city's English stage".[36]

Legacy and awards

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Vasunia was the recipient of numerous tributes on his death. The Afternoon newspaper described him as "an amazing director, producer, and an impresario".[37] The actor and director, Feroz Khan, said, "Hosi was one of the finest actors in English theatre and his absence is going to be a huge loss to us. He was a friend, a colleague and more than anything he was the most charming and dependable person in the fraternity. We have lost a gentleman."[38] Vaswani said, "My comedy career started because Hosi agreed to direct the first play I produced. . . He was genuinely the nicest person in English theatre in Mumbai."[39] Farid Currim remembered him as "one of the most unselfish actors on Mumbai's English theatre circuit" and recalled "the way he'd drive the audience crazy in terms of laughter".[39] The actor Shernaz Patel said, "I grew up watching Vasunia on stage. I remember he would walk on the stage and the audience would start applauding."[26]

At a memorial for Vasunia, held at the N.C.P.A. on 23 August 2005, many of his old colleagues and friends recalled his achievements and character.[37] Alyque Padamsee spoke about his "joie de vivre, intensity and charisma", while Cyrus Broacha, who was given a career break by Vasunia in the play Brighton Beach Memoirs,[40] said that "he learned to embrace theatre as a community from his mentor".[2][41] In another appreciation, Somaaya said, "He was special and he knew it. That is why he never played it safe. He always expressed what he felt, without mincing words."[29]

He was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award by the theatre group Thespo posthumously, in December 2005, for "his dedication to the theatre as an actor and producer".[42]

Stage

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Actor

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Producer

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Hosi Vasunia was the producer or co-producer of the following plays.

Director

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  • A Thousand Clowns[104]
  • Caught on the Hop[57]
  • Are You Lonesome Tonight?[105]
  • The French Cuckoo[75]
  • Barefoot in Mumbai[77]

Filmography

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Television

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Obituary: Death". The Times of India. 11 August 2005. p. 8.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Gandhi, Parinaz M. (7 January 2006). "Theater's Sunshine Boy". Parsiana.
  3. ^ Marfatia, Meher (14 August 2015). "Parsis once dominated English theatre". mint. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
  4. ^ Maqsood, Zofeen (2 December 2017). "Is Parsi Theater on the Verge of Extinction?". Little India. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
  5. ^ Vaidyanathan, P. V. (Winter 2003). "On stage and screen". FEZANA Journal. 16 (4): 75–76. Excerpted from "The Dream Merchants", The Indian Express, 29 August 2003.
  6. ^ "Deaths (Amy Hormusji Vasunia)". The Times of India. 17 August 1962. p. 2.
  7. ^ a b c Doctor, Geeta (March 1991). "Audiences want to be entertained". Parsiana. 13 (9): 108–110.
  8. ^ The details of the family's involvement in the import & export trade given here can be found in Peters, Thos. (ed.). Who's Who in India. Poona. pp. 295, 776–77. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  9. ^ a b ""Princes" a moving perceptive play". The Times of India. 24 April 1970. p. 6.
  10. ^ "The World's A Dining Table". Upper Crust. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  11. ^ Padamsee, Alyque, with Arun Prabhu (1999). A Double Life: My Exciting Years in Theatre and Advertising. New Delhi: Penguin India. p. 263.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) Online here.
  12. ^ a b "Cyrus the great seen as a great ruler". The Times of India. 28 August 1971. p. 5.
  13. ^ Baradi, Hasmukh (2004). Lal, Ananda (ed.). The Oxford Companion to Indian Theatre. New Delhi: Oxford University Press. p. 563.
  14. ^ Patel, Burjor (2 March 1987). "Bombay's King of Laughter". The Times of India. p. 17.
  15. ^ Gokhale, Shanta (2003). "The Dramatists". In Mehrotra, Arvind Krishna (ed.). A History of Indian Literature in English. London: Hurst and Company. p. 347. ISBN 9781850656807. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  16. ^ Sharma, Aasheesh (13 July 2014). "The irresistible love for adult comedies". The Hindustan Times. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  17. ^ a b c "Deadpan humour makes "Loot" an entertainer". The Times of India. 12 November 1971. p. 5.
  18. ^ a b "Enterntainment: Dance, Drama, Music". The Times of India. 24 October 1984. p. 2.
  19. ^ a b Chakrabarti, Sujata (29 June 2010, updated 21 November 2013). 'Loot' returns to Mumbai, DNA India. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  20. ^ Phulan, Vikram (18 May 2020). "Ruby Patel, first lady of the Parsi Gujarati stage". The Hindu. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  21. ^ a b c d e Patel, Burjor (19 April 2014). "Runaway hits, fragile egos: Highs and lows in artiste's life". DNA India. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  22. ^ Patel, Burjor (5 April 2014). "Setting a trend of weekend English theatre in Bombay". DNA India. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  23. ^ Detailed citations for these plays appear under the section §Stage on this page, below.
  24. ^ Karkaria, Bachi (14 August 2005). "When the curtain calls". The Times of India. p. 18. Archived from the original in August 2005. Retrieved on 17 September 2022.
  25. ^ Talati-Parikh, Sitanshi (27 August 2010). "Of Age and Time". sitanshi talati-parikh. Retrieved 18 September 2022. Also published in Verve magazine, Nerve, August 2010.
  26. ^ a b c Anand, Swati (11 August 2005). "Ain't no sunshine when he's gone: Actor Hosi Vasunia dead". The Indian Express. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  27. ^ "Revue". The Times of India. 18 February 1989. p. A8.
  28. ^ Torquato, Ronita (4 July 1992). "Culture on subscription". The Times of India. p. A2.
  29. ^ a b Somaaya, Bhawana (14 August 2005). "He was special and he knew it". www.expressindia.com. Archived from the original on 16 September 2022. Retrieved on 16 September 2022
  30. ^ a b "'Never Too Late' provides gorgeous fun". The Times of India. 24 October 1977. p. 4.
  31. ^ a b "Near-professional production of "Cactus Flower"". The Times of India. 12 December 1978. p. 4.
  32. ^ a b c ""Deathtrap" intriguing entertainment". The Times of India. 20 January 1980. p. 4.
  33. ^ a b c Kapoor, Nanhee (30 July 1989). "Exuberant performance by Vasunia". The Times of India. p. 17.
  34. ^ a b c Merchant, Jiten (25 March 1990). "Conventional, clean and funny". The Times of India. p. 17.
  35. ^ a b c Merchant, Sabira (11 August 2005). "Death of a Theatreman". The Times of India. p. 5.
  36. ^ a b c Gahlot, Deepa (15 November 2001). "The Rummy Game – theatre at its best". The Times of India. pp. A5. Also archived online. Retrieved on 16 September 2022.
  37. ^ a b "Hosi Vasunia's condolence meeting held at NCPA". 24 August 2005. Formerly at cybernoon.com, the official website of The Afternoon Despatch & Courier. Archived from the original. Retrieved on 22 September 2022.
  38. ^ "Ho-Ho Hosi!". 12 August 2005. Formerly at cybernoon.com, the official website of The Afternoon Despatch & Courier. Archived from the original. Retrieved on 16 September 2022.
  39. ^ a b "Sunshine Boy". The Times of India. 13 August 2005. pp. A2.
  40. ^ Brijnath, Rohit (11 August 1997). "Cyrus Broacha: Meet the MTV veejay with the coolest show in town". India Today. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  41. ^ "Stage artistes take a bow for Sunshine Boy of theatre". 25 August 2005. Formerly at www.expressindia.com. Archived from the original. Retrieved on 16 September 2022.
  42. ^ "The Evolution of Thespo: 1999–2008". Mumbai theatre guide. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  43. ^ "Classified Ads". The Times of India. 8 April 1970. p. 5.
  44. ^ "Classified Ad". The Times of India. 24 September 1973. p. 2.
  45. ^ "Entertainment (Dance, Drama, Music)". The Times of India. 29 March 1974. p. 2.
  46. ^ "Darling, Adi has done it again!". The Times of India. 10 January 1977. p. 6.
  47. ^ a b Mathew, M. V. (10 September 1979). "Hilarity unlimited: Woody Allen play". The Times of India. p. 4.
  48. ^ de Noronha, Leslie (25 June 1981). "A Flea In Her Ear: Drama Review". The Times of India. p. 3.
  49. ^ a b c d "Entertainment: Dance, Drama, Music". The Times of India. 9 December 1981. p. 4.
  50. ^ "Entertainment: Dance, Drama, Music". The Times of India. 23 January 1982. p. 4.
  51. ^ "Entertainment: Dance, Drama, Music". The Times of India. 5 February 1984. p. 4.
  52. ^ "Entertainment: Dance, Drama, Music". The Times of India. 11 July 1986. p. 2.
  53. ^ a b "Entertainment". The Times of India. 23 June 1982. p. 6.
  54. ^ a b "Entertainment: Dance, Drama, Music". The Times of India. 21 November 1983. p. 2.
  55. ^ a b "That's Entertainment: Dance, Drama, Music". The Times of India. 14 December 1983. p. 6.
  56. ^ a b Gangadhar, V. (26 December 1983). "Honest attempt to recreate a legend". The Times of India. p. 3.
  57. ^ a b c "Entertainment: Dance, Drama, Music". The Times of India. 11 April 1985. p. 2.
  58. ^ a b "That's Entertainment: Theatre". The Times of India. 31 October 1986. p. 3.
  59. ^ a b Rahman, M. (28 February 1987). "Musicals take over English language theatre in Bombay". India Today. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  60. ^ a b c "Entertainment: Theatre". The Times of India. 30 September 1987. p. 6.
  61. ^ a b "That's Entertainment: Theatre". The Times of India. 17 August 1990. p. 9.
  62. ^ "By a humorist, on a humorist". The Times of India. 8 April 1991. p. 8.
  63. ^ Sharma, Partap (2 June 1991). "The Crowning Game". The Times of India. p. A6.
  64. ^ Merchant, Jiten S. (28 June 1991). "Laboured schizophrenia". The Times of India. p. 8.
  65. ^ a b "Theatre". The Times of India. 24 January 1992. p. 10.
  66. ^ Merchant, Jiten S. (25 March 1993). "True to the spirit of folk tradition". The Times of India. p. 10.
  67. ^ "Natarang Pratishthan Brochure Catalogue". Natarang Pratishthan. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  68. ^ a b "Theatre". The Times of India. 26 November 1993. p. 10.
  69. ^ Merchant, Jiten S. (23 February 1995). "Wit and vitriol". The Times of India. p. 10.
  70. ^ a b "Theatre". The Times of India. 24 February 1995. p. 28.
  71. ^ a b "Who we are". Balancing Act Productions. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  72. ^ a b "Event Index". The Indian Express. 8 May 1997. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  73. ^ "Nautch girl's bent of mind". The Indian Express. 19 June 1997. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  74. ^ Chowdhury, Nandita (4 August 1997). "Begum Sumroo promises to be a play for all seasons". India Today. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  75. ^ a b c Assomull, Sujata (15 July 1998). "A flirtatious farce". The Indian Express. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  76. ^ "Theatre". The Times of India. 7 August 1998. p. A7.
  77. ^ a b Kalra, Nonita (14 July 1999). "Casting a spell". The Indian Express. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  78. ^ "ie". The Times of India. 21 October 2001. pp. A10.
  79. ^ Gahlot, Deepa (27 October 2005). "Playwrights galore". The Times of India. p. A7.
  80. ^ "Mahabanoo Mody-Kotwal presents an evening of laughs in Delhi". India Today. 23 July 2001. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  81. ^ Shedde, Meenakshi (11 March 2001). "We have a better time after 40 than people half our age". The Times of India. p. 5.
  82. ^ Gahlot, Deepa (28 August 2004). "Play on, Mumbai". The Times of India. p. A11.
  83. ^ a b The Times of India, 10 June 2005, p. A9, and 1 July 2005, p. A8.
  84. ^ "Entertainment: Dance, Drama, Music". The Times of India. 6 February 1984. p. 2.
  85. ^ Gangadhar, V. (16 August 1986). "Slick performance enlivens 'Agnes . . .'". The Times of India. p. 5.
  86. ^ "That's Entertainment: Theatre". The Times of India. 22 August 1986. p. 3.
  87. ^ "Entertainment: Theatre". The Times of India. 18 April 1988. p. 6.
  88. ^ "Entertainment: Theatre". The Times of India. 5 January 1989. p. 18.
  89. ^ "That's Entertainment: Theatre". The Times of India. 9 June 1989. p. 17.
  90. ^ "Classified Ad". The Times of India. 27 September 1991. p. 11.
  91. ^ "Entertainment". The Times of India. 12 June 1991. p. 18.
  92. ^ "Classified Ad". The Times of India. 30 August 1992. p. 6.
  93. ^ "For the Children, By the Children". The Times of India. 5 December 1992. pp. A3.
  94. ^ "Entertainment: Theatre". The Times of India. 11 February 1993. p. 22.
  95. ^ Marfatia, Meher (16 July 1995). "'Handling any classic is a challenge'". The Times of India. p. 11.
  96. ^ "Must see, Must do: Theatre". The Times of India. 17 November 1995. p. A8.
  97. ^ "Curtain rises (advertisement)". The Times of India. 24 August 1996. p. 7.
  98. ^ Zaveri, Saloni (20 November 1997). "Daring to CARE". The Times of India. p. A6.
  99. ^ "Pick of the week". The Indian Express. 26 November 1997. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  100. ^ Mitter, Swapna (28 January 1998). "Loved that scene, now pass the ravioli". The Times of India. p. A1.
  101. ^ "Must see, Must do". The Times of India. 27 February 1998. p. A7.
  102. ^ "Hosi Vasunia Productions' Trip the Light, Fantastic!". The Poona Music Society. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  103. ^ "Entertainment". The Times of India. 9 November 2001. p. A14.
  104. ^ "That's Entertainment: Theatre". The Times of India. 19 February 1982. p. 4.
  105. ^ "Entertainment: Dance, Drama, Music". The Times of India. 18 November 1986. p. 4.

Sources

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India Today magazine, https://www.indiatoday.in/.

The Indian Express, https://indianexpress.com/

Parsiana magazine. The publication is archived at https://www.parsiana.com/ (subscription required).

The Times of India, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/. The digital archive may be consulted at ProQuest Historical Newspapers (subscription required).

Gokhale, Shanta, "The Dramatists", in A. K. Mehrotra (ed.), A History of Indian Literature in English. London: Hurst and Company, 2003.

Lal, Ananda (ed.), The Oxford Companion to Indian Theatre. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2004.

[edit]
  • Hosi Vasunia at IMDB
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