Amritsar, Jan. 24 -- Noted Punjabi playwright and founder of Punjab Naatshala Jatinder Singh Brar passed away on Saturday following prolonged illness, leaving behind a rich legacy of lifelong service to theatre and art. He was 81.

According to his family, Brar was under treatment at a private hospital in Amritsar and breathed his last on Saturday morning.

A Punjab Gaurav awardee and a recipient of countless other honours, Brar was born into a rural background, to a father of strong principles and a strict temperament.

Initially knowing nothing about the fundamentals of drama, he staged his first play, "Dormitory", while still in school in 1965. After completing his schooling, he studied mechanical engineering and wandered in the search...