Shirin Darasha
Indian educator, playwright, feminist
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Early life and education
Shirin Darasha was born to a Parsi family and raised in Bombay, India.
On graduating (matriculation) from Queen Mary School, Bombay she attended St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, studying for a Bachelor's in Psychology. On completion, she studied further to earn her master's degree in psychology, also from Bombay University. To pursue further studies abroad, Shirin Darasha was awarded the Fulbright scholarship. She completed her master's degree in education from East-West Center, Hawaii.
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Career as playwright
Darasha was a talented playwright who focused on themes and personalities associated with twentieth century Indian history. Her popular play "Madam Cama" was first staged in 1988. In 1990, during the Fifth World Zoroastrian Congress, a special performance of the play was included in the proceedings. The play was also televised on Doordarshan. In her plays, Darasha challenged social conventions that resulted in women being stereotyped. She was particularly caustic about matrimonial advertisements; she dealt head-on with the Indian preference for "light complexions" and made a characteristic case for how "dark skin" was beautiful. Darasha's collaborations with Pearl Padamsee in various stage productions in Mumbai were well known and widely admired.
Career as principal
After working, at Hindi Vidya Bhavan and The Bombay International School, Darasha was appointed as Principal of J.B. Petit School in 1972. She was also known for encouraging her students to be more open as her front door donned the sign "Please Do Disturb". She incorporated what she learned from the performing arts into her teachings and used the concepts of drama to instill confidence in her pupils.
Darasha was elated when her J.B. School Debate Team won the all-India Debate Competition hosted by the Foundation for Universal Responsibility of His Holiness the Dalai Lama; the prize was a trip for the whole debate team and for Darasha to visit the Dalai Lama at his ashram and have a private audience with him. This was particularly appropriate given Darasha's interest and identification with Buddhism.This was particularly appropriate given Darasha's interest and identification with Buddhism. In February 1988, Zoroastrian community magazine Parsiana ran an article entitled "The 'Principal' of Drama" which focused on her lifelong passion for the stage. In her interview, she declared that she did not consider herself religious, though she had Buddhist leanings.
Death
At the age of 73, Shirin Darasha died of pulmonary fibrosis. She was cremated, and her funeral was attended by hundreds of students and teachers who had been taught, mentored and inspired by her over the decades.