Vijay on himself…
Vijay Padaki is a psychologist and behavioural scientist by training, and founder-director of The P&P Group, a management resource centre that has programmes of consultancy, research and training in the areas of Organization and Institutional Development. Among his earlier assignments he headed the Human Resources Division of India’s oldest co-operative R&D institution, Ahmedabad Textile Industry’s Research Association (ATIRA), which also helped set up the first Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad.
Vijay has been active in the theatre for fifty years, joining Bangalore Little Theatre (BLT) in 1960, the year of its inception, and later serving the company in many capacities – as actor, director, trainer, writer, designer and administrator, including three stints as President.
He has written over 25 original plays. In addition, he has adapted or translated several other playscripts. Seagull Books has published a volume of two Gujarati plays translated by him. In 1993 Vijay won the award for the best contemporary play script instituted by The Hindu for the play Credit Titles.
My first contact with the Goethe-Institut…
It was when I was an intern at All India Institute of Mental Health (now NIMHANS). I enrolled in a German language course at MMB. (I didn’t complete the course!)
My first impressions…
Very professional! The new method of teaching a language had just been introduced, and I could quickly see the learning theory behind it.
The most important thing for you in your work with the Goethe-Institut…
Access to a fund of information – pre-internet days!
The most memorable incident…
Organising a reading of a Gunter Grass play that critiqued Brecht just when a Brecht exhibition was organised.
What makes the Goethe-Institut special…
The noticeable professionalism.
On cultural collaboration…
BLT was the first cultural partner of Goethe-Institut. In the early years of the Institute we were the only institutional partner! Of course we were both created in 1960 and are both celebrating the Golden Jubilee in 2010! So far our international cultural collaboration (including German collaboration) has been outside the Goethe-Institut. We have discussed ideas, but not got down to any specific project or programme. Perhaps there will be some collaboration in the future.
The essence of the Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan Bangalore in three words…
Enriching experience! (Two words should do)
