Overview

• Ratan Thiyam died at around 1:30 am on July 23 at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal after a prolonged illness.
• The Government of Manipur ordered a one-day state mourning on July 24 with flags flown at half-mast and no official entertainment.
• Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh hailed Thiyam as a leading light of the Theatre of Roots movement and a true luminary of Indian theatre.
• Thiyam founded the Imphal-based Chorus Repertory Theatre in 1976 and served as director of the National School of Drama in 1987–88, reshaping contemporary stagecraft.
• His five-decade career earned him top honours including the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1987 and the Padma Shri in 1989 for blending Manipuri traditions with modern narratives.