Daji Bhatawadekar | |
---|---|
Born | 15 September 1921
Bombay,
Bombay Presidency, India |
Died | 26 December 2006
Mumbai,
Maharashtra, India | (aged 85)
Education | Wilson College, Mumbai |
Occupation(s) | Theatre artist, Film actor |
Awards |
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1965) Padma Sri (1967) |
Daji Bhatawadekar (stage name for Krishnachandra Moreshwar) [1] (15 September 1921 – 26 December 2006), was an Indian theatre personality and film and television actor. He was credited with the revival of Sanskrit and Marathi theatre in India. [1] [2] A winner of the Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 1965, [3] he was honoured by the Government of India in 1967, with the award of Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award for his contributions to the society. [4]
Daji Bhatwadekar was born on 15 September 1921 at Bombay then in the Bombay Presidency of British India. He received his schooling at Arya Education Society, Bombay. [5] He graduated from Wilson College, Mumbai and followed it up with by a post graduate degree (MA) in Sanskrit from Mumbai University. [5] He started his career with an office job but was drawn towards theatre and began involving with Mumbai Marathi Sahitya Sangh, a Mumbai-based literary association. [2]
Bhatwadekar acted in many Marathi, Sanskrit, Hindi and English language plays and was associated with actors such as Durga Khote and directors like Purushottam Laxman Deshpande and Herbert Marshall. [2] He also performed for Mumbai Brahman Sabha. [5] He was reported to have acted 78 different roles, some of them multiple times. [5] Tochi ek Samarth, Mitra, Hee Tar Premachi Khari Gammat Ahe, Lagnachi Goshta, Macbeth and Tuzha Ahe Tuzhpashi are some of his well-known plays. [2] [5] He also acted in a film, Vijeta (1982). He played characters, Nand Dulal Babu in the episode Makdi ka Ras [6] and Beni Madhav in the episode Veni Sanhar, [7] for the television series, Byomkesh Bakshi (1993), broadcast by Doordarshan.
A scholar in English and Sanskrit, [2] Bhatwadekar wrote a book on Sanskrit theatre, with emphasis on aesthetics ( rasa) and expression ( abhinaya). [5] He pursued his studies into his 70s and secured a doctoral degree at the age of 74. [5] He was a recipient of several awards such as Natya Bhooshan, Kala Guarav, Maharashtra Ratna and Nata Samraat. In 1965, he received the Sangeet Natak Akademi award for his contributions to Sanskrit theatre. [3] The Government of India honoured him with the civilian award of Padma Shri in 1967. [4] He lived in his ancestral home at Bhatawadekar Wadi along Charni Road in Mumbai. [5] Mumbai Marathi Sahitya Sangh observes the date of his death, 26 December, as Dr. Daji Bhatawadekar Memorial day. [8]