Jacob Rajan

{{Short description|New Zealand actor and playwright}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}

{{Use New Zealand English|date=January 2018}}

{{Infobox person

| nationality = Malaysian

| citizenship = New Zealand

| image = Jacob Rajan MNZM investiture.jpg

| image_caption = Rajan's investiture as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit by the governor-general, Sir Jerry Mateparae (right) on 23 May 2013.
In the 2013 New Year Honours, Rajan was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to theatre.{{cite web | url=https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/publications/new-year-honours-list-2013 | title=New Year honours list 2013|date=31 December 2012 | website=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet | access-date=10 January 2018}}

}}

Jacob Rajan {{post-nominals|country=NZL|MNZM|size=85%}} is a New Zealand playwright and actor. His highly successful plays include the trilogy Krishnan's Dairy, The Candlestick Maker and The Pickle King. Another work was The Dentist's Chair. In 2002, he received the prestigious Laureate Art Award.{{cite web |url=https://www.thearts.co.nz/artists/jacob-rajan |work=Arts Foundation New Zealand |access-date=18 April 2019 |title=Jacob Rajan}} All of Rajan's plays, except his first, Krishnan's Dairy, were originally produced for his theatre company, Indian Ink Theatre Company, and co-written with director/writer Justin Lewis, co-founder of Indian Ink.{{Cite book|title=Twenty New Zealand Playwrights|last1=Forster |last2=Plumb |first1=Michelanne |first2=Vivienne|publisher=Playmarket|year=2013|isbn=978-0-908607-47-1|location=Wellington|page=17}}

Rajan was born in Malaysia to Indian parents, and migrated to New Zealand when he was four years old. After studying science at the University of Otago, he went to teacher's college, then studied acting and at Toi Whakaari New Zealand Drama School.{{cite web |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/11-06-2022/the-unbeatable-legacy-of-krishnans-dairy |title=The remarkable legacy of Krishnan's Dairy |author=Sam Brooks |publisher=The Spinoff |date=11 June 2022 |access-date=11 June 2022}} He graduated in 1994 and has since appeared in different stage and screen productions as well as touring internationally.{{cite web | url=http://www.thearts.co.nz/artist_page.php&aid=67&type=bio | title=Extraordinary New Zealand Artists }} He appeared as Dr Ashwin Bhashar in the television soap Shortland Street.{{Cite web |title=Jacob Rajan |website=NZ On Screen|url=https://www.nzonscreen.com/profile/jacob-rajan/biography |access-date=2021-05-16 |language=en}}

With Justin Lewis, Rajan co-founded the Indian Ink Theatre Company in 1996. His most significant works are with this company and include the trilogy of plays which explore Indian themes, characters and stories. Krishnan's Dairy, The Candlestick Maker and The Guru Of Chai have been extremely popular plays in NZ. In 1999, Krishnan's Dairy won the Edinburgh Festival Fringe First award.{{Cite book |editor1=Laurie Atkinson |editor2=David O'Donnell |isbn=978-0-908607-45-7 |language=en |date=2013 |location=New Zealand |publisher=Playmarket |title=Playmarket 40: 40 years of playwriting in New Zealand}} The Pickle King won the same award in 2003. Other work includes Kiss the Fish.{{Cite news|last=Simei-Barton|first=Paul|date=2013-09-16|title=Theatre review: Kiss the Fish, Q Theatre|language=en-NZ|newspaper=New Zealand Herald|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11125064|access-date=2016-04-23|issn=1170-0777}}

Rajan says he "writes the stories that move him – they might happen to have Indian elements just because that's his frame of reference, but he doesn't set out to write Indian plays."

Rajan is a key member of The Kshetra Collective.{{Cite web |title=A Place To Stand |url=https://tiffanysingh.com/a-place-to-stand/ |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=Tiffany Singh Artist |language=en-NZ}}