Source:Wikipedia
Purushottam Lakshman Deshpande (8 November 1919 – 12 June 2000, popularly known by his initials ("Pu. La.") or as P. L. Deshpande was a Marathi writer and humorist from Maharashtra, India. He was also an accomplished film and stage actor, script writer, author, composer, musician (he played the harmonium), singer and orator. He was often referred to as "Maharashtra's beloved personality".
Deshpandes works have been translated into several languages including English and Kannada.
Biography
Early life
Purushottam was born in Gaodevi area (Krupa Hemraj Chawl) in Mumbai in a Gaud Saraswat Brahmin family to Laxman Trimbak Deshpande and Laxmibai Laxman Deshpande.[citation needed] His maternal grandfather, Vaman Mangesh Dubhashi, was a poet and connoisseur of literature. He had translated Rabindranath Tagore's Gitanjali into Marathi under the title "Abhang Gitanjali".
The family used to stay at Kenway house (opposite Robert Money School), Proctor road, Grant Road. His family then moved to Jogeshwari within Mumbai where he stayed at the newly formed Saraswati Baug Colony until the age of 8 years. His first 8 years and Saraswati Baug is described in the story titled "Balpanicha Kaal Sukhacha" (translation: the happy days of childhood) in his book Purchundi. The family then moved to Vile Parle.
Education
Deshpande studied at Parle Tilak Vidyalaya.He attended Ismail Yusuf College after high school and then Government law college for LLB. Later he attended Fergusson College in Pune and obtained his Masters in Arts, (MA) in 1950. He also took lessons in playing harmonium from Dattopant Rajopadhye of Bhaskar Sangitalaya.
Personal life
His first wife (the former Ms. Sundar Divadkar from a family in Karjat) died soon after the wedding in the early 1940s. On 12 June 1946, Deshpande married his colleague, Sunita Thakur. Thakur was to go on to become an accomplished writer in her own right. The couple did not have any children.
Professional life
Both Deshpande and his wife served as teachers in Orient High School, Mumbai. He also worked for some years as a college professor in Rani Parvati Devi College Belgaum, Karnataka and Kirti College, Mumbai. He also worked for newly founded Doordarshan, the state owned Indian TV. He was the first person to interview the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on Indian television. He was seconded to the BBC for a year-long training. After which he spent some time in France and in West Germany. It was this specific period and stays in these countries that his later travelogue "Purvaranga" was to be based upon. His other travelogue include ”’’ Apoorvai" and Jave Tyanchya Desha.
Accomplishments
Pu La Deshpande was proficient Hindustani classical musician. He went on to gain fame as author, screenplay writer, actor, director, music director and singer. He participated in several philanthropist activities.
Death
Deshpande died in Pune, Maharashtra on 12 June 2000 due to complications from Parkinson's disease. He was aged 80. He was survived by his wife Sunita. He died on the 54th anniversary of their wedding.
Bibliography
Most of Deshpande's literary contributions are deeply rooted in Marathi language. Although he wrote across several genres, he was particularly well-known for his humorist literature. He produced several original works and also adapted of prominent works from other languages into Marathi. Prominent examples include the 1952 film अंमलदार (Ammaldar, based on Nikolai Gogol's Inspector General), the 1962 book काय वाट्टेल ते होईल (Kay Wattel Te Hoeel. Based on translation of Helen and George Papashvily's script of Anything Can Happen) etc. He referred to his adaptations as भावानुवाद (Bhawanuwad or paraphrasing) instead of the conventional "translation" or "adaptation".
Filmography
कुबेर (Kuber) – 1947: actor and playback singer
भाग्यरेषा (Bhagyaresha) – 1948: actor and playback singer
वंदेमातरम् (Wandemataram) – 1948: actor and playback singer
जागा भाड्याने देणे आहे (Jaga Bhadyane Dene ahe) – 1949: screenplay and dialogues
मानाचे पान (Manache Pan) – 1949: – story, screenplay, and dialogues; co-music director in collaboration with Ga Di Madgulkar
मोठी माणसे (Mothi Manase) – 1949: music director
गोकुळचा राजा (Gokulacha Raja) – 1950: Writer of Story, Screenplay, and Dialogues
जरा जपून (Jara Japoon) – 1950: Writer of Screenplay and Dialogues
जोहार मायबाप (Johar Maybap) – 1950: Actor
नवरा बायको (Nawara Bayako) – 1950: Music Director and Writer of Story, Screenplay, and Dialogues
ही वाट पंढरीची (Hi Wat Pandharichi) – 1950: Actor
पुढचे पाऊल (Pudhache Paool) – 1950: Actor and Writer of Screenplay and Dialogues in collaboration with Ga Di Madgulkar
वर पाहिजे (War Pahije) – 1950: Actor and Writer of Screenplay and Dialogues in collaboration with Achyut Ranade
देव पावला (Dewa Pawala) – 1950: Music Director
दूध भात (Doodh Bhat) – 1952: Music Director and Writer of Story, Screenplay, Dialogues, and Lyrics
घरधनी (Ghardhani) – 1952: Music Director and Writer of Screenplay, Dialogues, and Lyrics
नवे बिर्हाड (Nawe Birhad) – 1952: Writer of Story and Screenplay
माईसाहेब (Maisaheb) – 1952: Music Director and Writer of Screenplay and Dialogues
संदेश (Sandesh) [in Hindi] – 1952: Writer of Story, Screenplay, and Dialogues (translated by Mir Asgar Ali)
देवबाप्पा (Dewabappa) – 1952: Music Director and Writer of Story, Screenplay, Dialogues, and Lyrics
गुळाचा गणपती (Gulacha Ganapati) – 1953: Director, Music Director, actor, and Writer of Story, Screenplay, Dialogues, and Lyrics[9]
फूल और कलियाँ (Phool Aur Kaliyan) [in Hindi] – 1960: Story writer –
सुंदर मी होणार ([This novel was adopted to make Hindi movie Aaj Aur Kal [Aaj Aur Kal (1963 film)|Aaj aur Kal]]) [in Hindi] – 1966: Story writer –
चिमणराव गुंड्याभाऊ (Chimanarao Gundyabhau) – : Narrator
एक होता विदूषक (Ek Hota Vidushak) – 1993: Screenplay and Dialogues
Awards and recognitions
Punyabhushan – 1993
Padma Bhushan – 1990
Maharashtra Gaurav (Bahurupi) Award
Padma Shri – 1966[10]
Sahitya Akademi Award (Marathi for Vyakti Ani Valli) – 1965
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award – 1967
Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship – 1979
Maharashtra Bhushan Award – 1996
Kalidas Samman – 1987
Honorary Doctor of Literature Degrees from Rabindra Bharati University (1979), University of Pune (1980) and Tilak Maharashtra University (1993)
First interviewer to interview Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, for the then newly founded Doordarshan.
The "P. L. Deshpande Maharashtra Kala Academy" was established by the Government of Maharashtra in Mumbai to honour his contributions to Marathi literature – 2002
A garden, Pu. La. Deshpande Udyan (also known as "Pune-Okayama Friendship Garden"), in Pune was named after him in commemoration.
Social work
Pu La Deshpande donated and participated in several social and philanthropic causes.
Seed donation to Muktangan Deaddiction and Rehabilitation Center
Donation to IUCAA Muktangan Vidnyan Shodhika
Donation to Neehar, a hostel for the children of prostitutes
Donation for closed-door auditorium and an open theatre for the blind students at Baba Amte's Anandvan
Supporter of Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (Committee for Eradication of Superstitions), promoting cultivation of scientific temperament
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