40 Years- Acting Career of Mr Ashok Gowreea

Ashok Gowreea made his debut in the year 1981 with the Marathi Literary Circle at the age of 13 years. In 1984, he was awarded a special Jury Award in the context of the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the indentured labourers. In 1988, the same year he joined Teachers Training College, he was awarded the prestigious Best Actor Award in the role of a mad man for the play, “Teen Vede” written by Guruji Daiwoojee Paddia.

Ashok Gowreea got inspiration from Guruji Dawoojee Paddia from whom he not only learnt drama, but he was also his Marathi Educator for 6 years in the primary school. Ashok is also a philanthropist due to Guruji, who inducted him into social work. Guruji Paddia wrote more than 25 plays – Ashok is the only actor having participated in most of his plays. In the year 2007, Ashok restaged “Mee Challo Gangatiri”, the first play in Marathi in 1977 with Marathi Oopkaree Sabha, Mon Fertile Branch.

As from 1996, he chose to direct and act in plays from Maharashtra, India. This marked a turning point in his career. Most of his plays came in the final of the Marathi Drama Festival. To mention a few, “Vede Ware”, “Ekach pyala”, “Natsamrat” and “Char wazoon daha minitanni”. The play “Char wazoon daha minitanni” was translated into Creole by Ashok Gowreea himself and was staged by the New Invaders Club.

Our talented artist has won 6 times the Best Actor Award and 4 times the Best Director Award. During his 40 years career, he participated in short films by Mauritius Film Development Corporation several times. He acted in full-length plays in Bhojpuri, Hindi, and Marathi. He even wrote English plays for Primary School Students.

Ashok is the only artist who has performed for several associations, NGOs, and institutions for the past 40 years. To mention a few, he has performed for the Marathi Literary Circle, Oopkaree Sabha, Marathi Sahitya Parishad, Mahatma Gandhi Institute, MGSS Nouvelle France Employees Union, New Invaders Club, Sukhi Parivaar, Befrienders, APEIM, Grand Port District Council, and several other institutions.

As coordinator of Drama at the MGSS Nouvelle France since 2011, he prepared several students who got Best Actor, Special Jury Awards, etc. The first competition of the Inter MGI Drama Competition was won by the MGSS Nouvelle France.

In 2014, the “Association Sportive, Sociale et Educative” of New Grove approached Ashok to direct the play which was presented in the context of the ICAC Drama Competition, and the play won the first prize.

Presently, Ashok Gowreea is the Director of the two drama schools where he is preparing students in the field of drama.

In 2013, he was awarded a Diploma in Dramatic Arts by the MGI/RTI after following a 2-year course at the Rabindranath Tagore Institute.