Annasaheb Kirloskar
Encyclopedia
Balwant Pandurang Kirloskar (Devanagari
: बळवंत पांडुरंग किर्लोस्कर) (1843 - 1885), popularly known as Annasaheb Kirloskar, was a Marathi
playwright from Maharashtra
, India
.
Kirloskar was born on March 31, 1843 in Gurlhosur in Belgaum district
.
After some schooling in his native place, at his age 20 Kirloskar came to Pune
for further education. However, his overwhelming interest lay in theatre. Not enthused by his lack of interest in acquiring formal education, his father asked him within a year to return home.
To support himself, Kirloskar then worked for eight years as a school teacher in Belgaum
; he subsequently worked for a few years in the police department and then as a clerk in the revenue commissioner's office. Despite his lack of much formal education, Kirloskar was well-versed in Sanskrit
literature.
pioneered presentation of Marathi
plays by staging the play Seeta Swayamwar (सीतास्वयंवर), the Raja
of the princely state of Sangli
being then in attendance among the audience.
While working as a school teacher in Belgaum, Kirloskar established Bharatshastrottejak Mandali (भरतशास्त्रोत्तेजक मंडळी) in 1866. Seven years later, he completed composition of his first prose play Shri Shankar Digvijay (श्रीशांकर दिग्विजय) for public presentation by Kolhapurkar Natak Mandali (कोल्हापूर नाटक मंडळी). Around 1874, he founded Kirloskar Natak Mandali (किर्लोस्कर नाटक मंडळी).
In 1879, playwright and producer Trilokekar independently presented his musical play Nal-Damayanti (नल-दमयंती) to Marathi public. It was the first musical play on Marathi stage.
musical plays, Kirloskar felt inspired to produce a similar musical play in Marathi in a full-fledged manner. Accordingly, translating into Marathi the first four acts of Kalidas's renowned Sanskrit
play Abhidnyan Shakuntalam (अभिज्ञानशाकुंतलं), he presented them on stage in 1880 as a musical play titled Shakuntal (शाकुंतल).
The next year, he translated the remaining three acts of Abhidnyan Shakuntalam and staged the entire play. He himself acted in the play too.
Kirloskar incredibly included 198 musical pieces in his Marathi Shakuntal! They consisted of a mix of Hindustani
and Carnatic classical music, and lighter music.
Because of its multifaceted quality, Saubhadra surpassed even the high popularity of Shakuntal. Innumerable performances of these two plays have been presented by different performing groups to the Marathi audience since their premiere 130 years ago.
and Shripad Krushna Kolhatkar besides Kirloskar's Shakuntal and Saubhadra. It toured through Karnataka
, Maharashtra
, and Maratha
princely states in North India under the British Raj
at that time.The Mandali had several star singer-actors in its employ, including Bal Gandharva
, Govindrao Tembe, Master Krushnarao, and Ganesh Bodas.
Kirloskar Natak Mandali folded around 1935.
Bal Gandharva
's Gandharva Natak Mandali; Vasudeorao Dongre Dongre Mandali; Pandoba Gurav Yavateshwarkar's Waikar Sangeet Mandali; Janubhau Nimkar and Keshavrao Bhosale's Swadesh-Hita-Chintak Mandali, which evolved into Lalit-Kaladarsha Mandali; and Master Dinanath's Balwant Natak Mandali were the other main performing companies which were formed in Maharashtra after 1913.
Devanagari
Devanagari |deva]]" and "nāgarī" ), also called Nagari , is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal...
: बळवंत पांडुरंग किर्लोस्कर) (1843 - 1885), popularly known as Annasaheb Kirloskar, was a Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
playwright from Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Kirloskar was born on March 31, 1843 in Gurlhosur in Belgaum district
Belgaum district
Belgaum district is a district in the state of Karnataka, India. The city of Belgaum is the district headquarters in North Karnataka. By the 2011 Census of India, it had a population of 4778439...
.
After some schooling in his native place, at his age 20 Kirloskar came to Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
for further education. However, his overwhelming interest lay in theatre. Not enthused by his lack of interest in acquiring formal education, his father asked him within a year to return home.
To support himself, Kirloskar then worked for eight years as a school teacher in Belgaum
Belgaum
Belgaum is a city and a municipal corporation in Belgaum district in the state of Karnataka, India. It is the fourth largest city of the state of Karnataka, the first three being Bangalore, Mysore, Hubli-Dharwad....
; he subsequently worked for a few years in the police department and then as a clerk in the revenue commissioner's office. Despite his lack of much formal education, Kirloskar was well-versed in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
literature.
Marathi theater history
In 1843, the same year in which Kirloskar's was born, Vishnudas BhaveVishnudas Bhave
Vishnudas Bhave, विष्णुदास भावे in Marathi, was the leading dramatist of Maharashtra in India. The first play in Marathi "Sita Swayamvar" was staged first in Sangli 1843 by Vishnudas Bhave. In this venture, Vishnudas Bhave was fully supported by Rajasaheb Chintamanrao Patwardhan. After the success...
pioneered presentation of Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
plays by staging the play Seeta Swayamwar (सीतास्वयंवर), the Raja
Raja
Raja is an Indian term for a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya varna...
of the princely state of Sangli
Sangli
Sangli is a city in the state of Maharashtra of India. Sangli is known as the Turmeric city for its vast production of Turmeric. Sangli is situated on the banks of river Krishna and is the largest market place for Turmeric in Asia and houses many sugar factories, which it is also noted for...
being then in attendance among the audience.
While working as a school teacher in Belgaum, Kirloskar established Bharatshastrottejak Mandali (भरतशास्त्रोत्तेजक मंडळी) in 1866. Seven years later, he completed composition of his first prose play Shri Shankar Digvijay (श्रीशांकर दिग्विजय) for public presentation by Kolhapurkar Natak Mandali (कोल्हापूर नाटक मंडळी). Around 1874, he founded Kirloskar Natak Mandali (किर्लोस्कर नाटक मंडळी).
In 1879, playwright and producer Trilokekar independently presented his musical play Nal-Damayanti (नल-दमयंती) to Marathi public. It was the first musical play on Marathi stage.
Shakuntal
Watching elaborate UrduUrdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
musical plays, Kirloskar felt inspired to produce a similar musical play in Marathi in a full-fledged manner. Accordingly, translating into Marathi the first four acts of Kalidas's renowned Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
play Abhidnyan Shakuntalam (अभिज्ञानशाकुंतलं), he presented them on stage in 1880 as a musical play titled Shakuntal (शाकुंतल).
The next year, he translated the remaining three acts of Abhidnyan Shakuntalam and staged the entire play. He himself acted in the play too.
Kirloskar incredibly included 198 musical pieces in his Marathi Shakuntal! They consisted of a mix of Hindustani
Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music is the Hindustani or North Indian style of Indian classical music found throughout the northern Indian subcontinent. The style is sometimes called North Indian Classical Music or Shāstriya Sangeet...
and Carnatic classical music, and lighter music.
Saubhadra
One year later, in 1882, Kirloskar presented on stage his musical Saubhadra (सौभद्र). This play too contained well over 100 musical pieces, and once again he acted in the play.Because of its multifaceted quality, Saubhadra surpassed even the high popularity of Shakuntal. Innumerable performances of these two plays have been presented by different performing groups to the Marathi audience since their premiere 130 years ago.
Ram Rajya Wiyog
In 1884, Kirloskar presented to the audience the first three acts of his musical Ram Rajya Wiyog. Before he could finish writing the planned remaining three acts of this play, he died in 1885 at age 42.Marathi theater companies
Kirloskar Natak Mandali was the prime performing company in Maharashtra until 1913. After Kirloskar's death, it presented plays of Govind Ballal DevalGovind Ballal Deval
Govind Ballal Deval was a Marathi playwright from Maharashtra, India.Deval was born in 1855 in a village in the Kokan region of Maharashtra, but he spent his childhood in Haripur near Sangli...
and Shripad Krushna Kolhatkar besides Kirloskar's Shakuntal and Saubhadra. It toured through Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, and Maratha
Maratha
The Maratha are an Indian caste, predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. The term Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people;...
princely states in North India under the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
at that time.The Mandali had several star singer-actors in its employ, including Bal Gandharva
Bal Gandharva
Narayan Shripad Rajhans , better known as Bal Gandharva was one of the greatest Marathi singers and stage actors. He was famous for his roles of female characters in Marathi plays, since women were not allowed to act on stage during his time....
, Govindrao Tembe, Master Krushnarao, and Ganesh Bodas.
Kirloskar Natak Mandali folded around 1935.
Bal Gandharva
Bal Gandharva
Narayan Shripad Rajhans , better known as Bal Gandharva was one of the greatest Marathi singers and stage actors. He was famous for his roles of female characters in Marathi plays, since women were not allowed to act on stage during his time....
's Gandharva Natak Mandali; Vasudeorao Dongre Dongre Mandali; Pandoba Gurav Yavateshwarkar's Waikar Sangeet Mandali; Janubhau Nimkar and Keshavrao Bhosale's Swadesh-Hita-Chintak Mandali, which evolved into Lalit-Kaladarsha Mandali; and Master Dinanath's Balwant Natak Mandali were the other main performing companies which were formed in Maharashtra after 1913.
External links
- http://www.kamat.com/indica/music/natya_sangeet.htm