Ram Gopal Bajaj is a noted Indian theatre director, academician, and a Hindi film actor. He has also been a faculty member and a former director of National School of Drama, New Delhi (1995 – September 2001).

He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2003 and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1996 for his contribution to theatre.

Biographie

Ram Gopal Bajaj was born on 5 March 1940 in Bajitpur Darbhanga. A very small child, he was adopted by the very big Marwari business family Bajaj of Nirmali Supaul in North Bihar and spent childhood there. He has three sons named Shanti Prakash Bajaj, Riju Bajaj (an Actor/Director) and Aseem Bajaj (a Cinematographer). Later he moved to Delhi, and graduated from National School of Drama (NSD) in 1965. After that remained in the faculty of National School of Drama for many years and later became its Director (November 1995 – September 2001). During his tenure as the head of NSD he has been credited to have started two theatre festival, Bharat Rang Mahotsava (National Theatre Festival) and Jashn-e-Bachpan (National Children Theatre Festival).

Over the years he directed numerous plays with the National School of Drama, NSD Repertory Company, starting with Surya Ki Antim Kiran Se, Surya Ki Pehli Kiran Tak in 1974, Jai Shankar Prasad’s Skand Gupta in 1977, followed by Quaid-E-Hayaat in 1989. His other noted production was Ashadh Ka Ek Din by Mohan Rakesh in 1992. He also remained the Chief of the National School of Drama, Repertory Company from 1988 to 1994.He also Translated Girish Karnad's Rakt Kalyan (Taledanda) in Hindi, first directed by Ebrahim Alkazi for National School of Drama rep., then by Arvind Gaur (1995) for Asmita Theater.