Rabilal Tudu
A Santali playwright from Bardhaman whose play Parsi Khatir won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2015, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.
Rabilal Tudu wrote plays in Santali for the stage and for radio, many of them about his community’s language and life. He was named for the Padma Shri in 2026 in the field of literature and education, from West Bengal [1], and died in June 2026, before the award was presented [2].
A banker who wrote
Tudu was born on 21 December 1949 and graduated from Kalna College in 1972 [2]. He worked in the office of the Accountant General, West Bengal, from 1974 to 1977, and later as an assistant manager at the Central Bank of India [2]. He began writing while working in the bank [2].
The plays
His plays include Bir Birsha, Somaj Bairi and Sardi Sengel, which draw on Santali folklore and social conflicts [2]. Many were staged locally or made into radio serials in the 1990s and 2000s, and some are taught in university courses on Santali drama [2].
His best-known play, Parsi Khatir, is about the crisis facing the Santali language today [2]. It won the Sahitya Akademi Award for Santali in 2015 [2]. He also served on the Sahitya Akademi’s Santali advisory board [2].
The West Bengal government gave him the Banga Bhushan in 2022 [2]. He died on 4 June 2026 [2].
Sources
- [1] Padma Awards 2026: list of awardees — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Accessed 11 October 2026.
- [2] Padma Awards 2026 investiture ceremony brochure: citation for Rabilal Tudu — Press Information Bureau, Government of India. Accessed 12 October 2026.
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