Heisnam Kanhailal

{{short description|Indian theatre director}}

{{Use Indian English|date=May 2014}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Heisnam Kanhailal

| image = Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship to Shri Heisnam Kanhailal, at the investiture ceremony of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships and Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards-2011, at Rashtrapati Bhavan.jpg

| caption = Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship to Shri Heisnam Kanhailal, at the investiture ceremony of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships and Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards-2011, at Rashtrapati Bhavan

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1941|1|17|df=y}}

| birth_place = Manipur, India

| death_date = {{dda|2016|10|6|1941|1|17|df=y}}

| death_place = Imphal, Manipur, India

| other_names =

| occupation = Art theatre

| years_active =

| spouse = Sabitri Heisnam

| partner =

| website =

}}

Heisnam Kanhailal (17 January 1941 – 6 October 2016) was an Indian art theatre personality.{{cite news |title=Manipur's Heisnam Kanhailal for Tanveer Sanman award |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_manipur-s-heisnam-kanhailal-for-tanveer-sanman-award_1620251 |newspaper=DNA |quote=..Manipur's Heisnam Kanhailal for Tanveer Sanman award ...|date=2 December 2011 }} For his work, he was awarded the Padma Shri civilian award in 2004 and the Padma Bhushan civilian award in 2016 by the Government of India.{{cite web|title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Communications and Information Technology |url=http://india.gov.in/myindia/padmashri_awards_list1.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120429180512/http://india.gov.in/myindia/padmashri_awards_list1.php |archive-date=29 April 2012 |df=dmy-all }} He was the founder-director of Kalakshetra Manipur, a theatre laboratory established in 1969 that explores a new vocabulary in the existing language of theatre.

Kanhailal was born in Keisamthong Thangjam Lairak, Imphal.

Kanhailal was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in Direction in 1985, given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama.{{cite web|url=http://www.sangeetnatak.org/sna/awardeeslist.htm |title=SNA: List of Akademi Awardees |publisher=Sangeet Natak Akademi Official website |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217185616/http://www.sangeetnatak.org/sna/awardeeslist.htm |archive-date=17 February 2012 |df=dmy-all }}

In December 2011, he was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Ratna Award, the highest ranked and most valued Akademi award.

Kanhailal was married to Sabitri Heisnam, his theatre associate and a fellow Padma Shri awardee.{{cite web | url=http://www.e-pao.net/epSubPageExtractor.asp?src=features.Profile_of_Manipuri_Personalities.Donny_Luwang.Heisnam_Kanhailal_Theatre | title=Heisnam Kanhailal | publisher=E Pao | date=27 July 2009 | access-date=January 22, 2016}} He died after an illness in Imphal on 6 October 2016.[http://scroll.in/latest/818433/theatre-veteran-heisnam-kanhailal-dies-after-brief-illness Theatre veteran Heisnam Kanhailal dies after brief illness]