Pu La Deshpande – The Wodehouse of Marathi Literature

Pu La Deshpande (Purushottam Lakshman Deshpande) was a renowned Marathi writer, humorist, and actor from Maharashtra, India. He was born on 8 November 1919 in Mumbai and passed away on 12 June 2000. He was known for his contributions to Marathi literature, especially his humorous writings and plays.

He started his career as a teacher, but he soon realized that writing was his true calling. He began his writing career as a journalist and later started writing short stories, plays, and novels. His writing style was unique, and his works were infused with humor and satire. He was also known for his mastery of the Marathi language, and his ability to convey complex ideas in a simple and witty manner.

His most famous works include his humorous essays and articles, which were published in various Marathi newspapers and magazines. These essays covered a wide range of topics, from politics to everyday life, and were immensely popular among Marathi readers. Some of his most popular collections of essays include “Batatyachi Chal” (Potato’s Movement), “Vyakti Ani Valli” (People and Relationships), and “Asa Mi Asami” (I am That Name).

Apart from his essays, Deshpande was also a prolific playwright. He wrote several plays, including “Teen Paishacha Tamasha” (The Spectacle of Three Coins), “Pudhcha Paaul” (Next Please), and “To Mee Navhech” (I am not Him). These plays were hugely successful, and are still performed in Marathi theaters today. Deshpande was not only a writer but also an accomplished actor. He acted in several Marathi plays and was also a popular television and film actor. He starred in several Marathi films, including “Gupchup Gupchup” and “Var Dhagala Lagli Kala”. He was also a popular television personality and hosted several TV shows, including “Pu La Deshpandeanchi Mati” (The Soil of Pu La Deshpande).

In addition to his literary and acting career, Deshpande was also a social activist. He was actively involved in various social causes and used his writing and public speaking skills to raise awareness about issues such as education and rural development.

Deshpande received several awards and honors for his contributions to Marathi literature and culture. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1990, and the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1987, for his book “Vyakti Ani Valli”. He was also awarded the Maharashtra Bhushan Award and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for his contributions to Marathi literature and theater.

Pu La Deshpande was a beloved figure in Maharashtra, and his contributions to Marathi literature and culture continue to be celebrated today. His unique writing style and sense of humor have influenced generations of Marathi writers and readers, and his legacy remains an important part of Marathi culture.

Dilip Kumar: A tribute to Acting Legend.

Today, July 7, will be a very sad day for Indian Cinema as it lost one of the most popular actors in its history, Dilip Kumar. The 98 year old actor took his last breath in Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai.

Mr. Dilip Kumar was born in Peshawar, Pakistan (at the time British India) and was one of the twelve children of his parents. Their family later shifted to Indian state of Maharashtra. Let us remember some of this memorable happenings from his life and pay a tribute to him for his extraordinary work for Indian Cinema.

1) Dilip Kumar and his Peshawar Home.

The ancestral home of Dilip Kumar in Peshawar.
(Photo Credits: Dilip Kumar/Twitter)

Dilip Kumar in his old interviews has revealed how his ancestral home in Peshawar was always special to him. On a visit to Pakistan, years after the India-Pakistan partition, Dilip Kumar reportedly fell to his feet and kissed the floor of this childhood home. He also remembered how he used to play and mingle with other friends and family at his home.

2) Joining Bollywood.

Dilip Kumar debuted in Hindi Cinema with the movie Jwar Bhata in 1944. After a string of failures in Indian Cinema, he gained popularity with his film Jugnu in 1947 alongside Noor Jehan which was also his first box office success. He became even popular with films like Shaheed and Mela in 1948.

3) Receiving the title “The Tragedy King”.

Dilip Kumar with Raj Kapoor and Nargis in Hindi film Andaaz in 1949.

1950s was completely a decade meant for Dilip Kumar in Hindi Cinema. His films such as Deedar, Hulchul, Naya Daur, Devdas, Paigham, Madhumati established his image as “Tragedy King” as these films has a tragic or mournful plot. Dilip Kumar also suffered from depression due to portraying many tragic roles and as a result his psychiatrist suggested him to take up light roles as well.

4) Honours and Recognitions

Dilip Kumar receiving Padma Vibhushan in 2015. (Photo Credits: Economic Times).

Dilip Kumar has received several awards and recognitions in his life. He received Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan, the third highest and second highest civilian honours of India in the years 1994 and 2015 respectively. He also received Nishan-e-Imtiaz, the highest civilian honour of Pakistan in 1998. He’s the one of the few actors with highest number of Filmfare awards with about 8 Filmfare awards. He also received Dada Saheb Phalke award in 1994.

Although Mr. Dilip Kumar passed away leaving all of us with a heavy heart, he’ll forever remain immortal in all hearts. Very few have been able to achieve what he has achieved in his life and that’s what we should be remembering always!

Farewell to reel life MS Dhoni.

Another sad thing happened, the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput left his fans into shock. Born on January 21, 1986, hailing from Patna Bihar. He was a well-known dancer and actor, popularly known for his remarkable role as MS Dhoni. He died on June 14, 2020. The actor committed suicide, the reason is said to be depression.
Swapped to acting- He was pursuing his bachelor’s degree at Delhi Technological University, an idea of opting for a career in acting rose up when he enrolled for dance classes. As soon as his classmates were interested in attending drama classes, this enthusiasm of his fellow mates made Sushant to join drama classes. And that’s where he found his ambitions towards acting.”I found the experience liberating. I realized that I could communicate with the audience. I
knew I wanted to do this forever.” Soon after his joining, he became a part of Davar’s familiar dancers.
● In 2005 he was chosen as a background dancer at 51st Filmfare Awards.
● In 2006 he went to Australia with the same dancing group for the opening ceremony of CommonWealth games.
● Till then he was fed up with engineering and was happy and successful in drama and dance classes, so he dropped out of engineering and opted dancing and acting as his career.
● To give a lift to his dreams, he headed to Mumbai and joined Nadira Babbar’s Ekjute theatre. During this course of time, he starred in a TV advertisement for Nestle Munch.
● In 2008, he got an opportunity to audition and ended up being Preet Juneja in Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil.
● 2009 was a fortunate year for him, Rajput began starring in Pavitra Rishta. His work was extremely appreciated and won three major television awards for the best male actor and most popular actor.
● In 2010, Sushant was a part of dance reality show Zara Nachke Dikha 2 and another dance-based reality show, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 4. He was doing these shows while he was shooting for Pavitra Rishta.
● In 2011 he decided to quit Pavitra Rishta.
● In 2013 he auditioned for Abhishek Kapoor’s Kai Po Che! and was assigned as one of the lead actors. The movie was based on Chetan Bhagat’s novel The 3 Mistakes of My Life. The movie came out to be a great success. To his acting, Rajeev Masand wrote: “…it’s Sushant Singh Rajput, making his film debut as Ishaan, who it’s hard to take your eyes off. The actor has an indescribable presence and it’s clear from his confidence and distinct likeability that a star is born.”

Later he was filmed in Shudh Desi Romance(2013), then a significantly minor role in PK (which
was a highest-grossing film), Detective Byomkesh Bakshy(2015), M.S. Dhoni: The Untold
Story(2016) for which he was nominated for Filmfare awards for Best actor, Raabta(2017),
Kedarnath(2018), Sonchiriya(2019), Chhichhore(2019). He was working for Dil Bechara but due
to pandemic, it was halted.

On June 14 actor Sushant Singh was found dead. The reason came out to be a suicide. The reports also say he was suffering from depression from the last 6 months, though no suicide note is found yet. Also, Karan Johar blamed himself for not being in touch with the actor. His former manager Disha Salian also died on June 9, just 5 days before the demise of actor Sushant. In the movie Chichore, he portrayed a beautiful theme “Suicide as not an option to handle troublesome situations” but ended up dealing with the same.

Film Industry lost another magnificent actor!

His smiling face will be missed.

Mental Health is Important- Actor Shushant Singh Rajput commits suicide

The person who started his journey as a television actor on zee tv to starring in his first bollywood movie movie kai po che had successfully transitioned from television to films, making a mark for himself.

Don’t concentrate on ‘how to get there’, instead enjoy the getting there.
Shushant Singh Rajput

The very own famous Actor Sushant Singh Rajput, 34 was found dead in his house in Mumbai’s Bandra on the morning of June 14. Acoording to police his body was found hanging and The actor was found dead at his sixth floor appartment in Bandra (West). While the police have confirmed that he has died by suicide,and more information on his sudden demise will be divulged soon but no ‘note’ was found from his residence.

Sushant Singh Rajput’s death comes days after his former manager Disha Salian reportedly died by suicide. Rajput had tweeted his shock at the news on social media.

Sushant made his debut with Kai Po Che in 2014 and later starred in films such as PK, Kedarnath, Shuddh Desi Romance and MS Dhoni: The Untold Journey. He was last seen in Netflix’s Drive. He made his acting debut with Zee TV serial Pavitra Rishta.

“Hum haar jeet, success failure mein itna ulajh gaye hai … ki zindagi jeena bhool gaye hai … zindagi mein agar kuch sabse zyada important hai … toh woh hai khud zindagi” ~ a dialogue from his movie’ Chhichore’

He garnered applause for almost all his films. MS Dhoni, in which he played the former Indian cricket team captain, was among the most successful film of 2016. He garnered critical acclaim for his role in Dibakar Banerjee’s 2015 movie, Detective Byomkesh Bakshy.

The talented actor made us smile in theatres by playing the endearing Mansoor Khan in Kedarnath opposite debutante Sara Ali Khan. The film, like his previous others, turned out to be a success at the box office. It released in December 2018.

Sushant’s next, Dil Bechara, was slated to hit the silver screens on May 8 this year. The film’s release was deferred due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Dil Bechara introduces Sanjana Sanghi and is the Hindi remake of Hollywood blockbuster, The Fault in Our Stars, which is based on John Green’s novel of the same name.

B-town went into shock as the news of his death was confirmed. From industry colleagues, to friends and fans who started furiously posting pictures with the late actor, everyone is recalling their memories and association. Film-maker Kunal Kapoor was one of the first ones to take to Twitter and he recalled having met the actor just before the lockdown begun, and found the news of his death as incredulous.

Mental health is a serious issue and its high time our society takes it seriously and stop treating it as a taboo.Nothing is more important than an individuals life.A man who’s career was doing fine committed suicide as per the reports

Just when you think it cant get any worse, his year takes step further.The man who started Chhichore – a movie that beautifully dealt with how to battle suicidal thoughts. We never knew that very person will commit suicide. We just never know what a person is going through .We will not only remember you as Anni from chichore or Dhoni but also as an artist. May your soul rest in peace.

Indian Cinema: A Hostage to Controversies

Bollywood never runs out of issues that capture the nation’s headlines. Anyone who is a Bollywood fan knows that controversies and cinemas go hand in hand. The issues can be related to anything to everything in a movie, be it, the cast of the film or their personal beliefs to their personal lives, everything revolves around it.

Every time there is a movie that will attract politicians, certain communal groups or even the Indian censor board and it is not easy for a film to go down the throat of the sensitive people.

Over 63 movies have faced controversies by different communities since 2008 according to an internet source. The reasons range from religious (PK gained criticism for the projection of Hindu God in a manner unacceptable to people), political (Ae Dil Hai Mushkil was in the fire for casting a Pakistani actor, Fawad Khan), historical (Bajirao Mastani was accused of distorting facts related to the ruler Peshwa Bajirao and his wives) and community (Ek Thi Daayan has a report filed against it for the projection of witches in a bad light).
Lately, filmmakers have been struggling to make movies, a smooth run but the protestors have it all. Be it blackmailing to burning down the school bus, nothing seems to be enough for the haters to calm down their ‘pride’ and ‘ego’.
Moreover, there was a threat to chop off Deepika Padukone’s nose referring to the epic Ramayana where chopping off nose was a punishment.
Madhur Bhandarkar, a filmmaker said “Let’s accept that making historical and political films is a problem in India,” who refers to an old experience with Indu Sarkar (July, 2017) as a nightmare.
Nonetheless, the truth remains that the real issues that need peoples’ concern are lacking behind and are considered shameful to talk about.
We show rejection, intolerance for a movie being released who casts a Pakistani actor. Why? Was this reaction to be made over the issues like dowry, poverty or even women protection?
The humor is getting lost and people are becoming a hard rock statue that reacts only when it opposes ‘their’ sentiments or beliefs.

The thought needs to change, let the 1.3 billion people decide whether the movie is worth it or not.
Chief Justice Dipak Misra says”Cinemas are an inseparable part of the right to free speech and expression, States cannot issue notifications prohibiting the screening of a film.”
A movie despite controversies and hatred of certain groups still remains purely INDIAN, purely BOLLYWOOD that has the hard work of lakhs of people who worked day and night to get good results not anger and anguish of people.
Let’s think whether the ”VIRODH PRADARSHAN” is fair enough on part of being an Indian and a responsible human being.

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