Satish Alekar

Some Lesser Known Facts About Satish Alekar

• Satish Alekar is an Indian playwright, actor, and theatre director who mostly works in the Marathi film and theatre industry.

• A few months after his birth, his family shifted to Pune, a centre of Marathi culture in Maharashtra.

• While in college, Alekar joined a theatre group and experienced stage for the first time. Soon, he started enjoying theatre and actively took part in plays.

• During one of his plays, the theatre director Bhalba Kelkar spotted him. Kelkar was so impressed by his performance that he offered Alekar to join his Progressive Dramatic Association.

• In 1972, he started working at B. J. Medical College, Pune, as a Biochemistry professor. He worked there till 1996.

• Meanwhile, he wrote the play ‘Micki Aani Memsaheb’ (1973).

• In 1974, he wrote and directed ‘Mahanirvan — The Dread Departure,’ a black comedy that revolves around the story of a dead man and how his family deals with such a huge loss. The play became immensely popular. It is considered one of the classics of the Indian stage. As of 2021, the play has been performed more than 400 times.

  

• Subsequently, he went on to write plays like ‘Mahapoor’ (1975), ‘Begum Barve’ (1979), ‘Shanwar Raviwar’ (1982), ‘Dusra Samana’ (1987), ‘Atireki’ (1990), ‘Ek Divas Mathakade’ (2012), and ‘Thakishi Sanvad’ (2020).

• He has also scripted a few one-act Marathi plays like ‘Memory’ (1969), ‘Bhajan’ (1969), ‘Ek Zulta Pool’ (1971), ‘Dar Koni Ughadat Naahi’ (1979), and ‘Bus Stop’ (1980).

• Some of his adapted one-act plays include ‘Judge’ (1968), ‘Valan’ (1980), ‘Alshi Uttarvalyachi Gosht’ (1999), ‘Nashibvan Baiche Don’ (1999), ‘Supari’ (2002), and ‘Karmaachari’ (2009).

• As a theatre artist, he has acted in the Marathi plays ‘Ek Zulta Pool’ (1971), ‘Mahanirvan’ (1974), ‘Begum Barve’ (1979), ‘Shanwar Raviwar’ (1980), and ‘Boat Futli’ (1982).

  

• In 1977, he wrote the script of the Marathi feature film ‘Jait Re Jait.’ Jabbar Patel directed the film. It won a National Award for Best Feature Film in Marathi. Later, Alekar scripted the dialogues for the Marathi feature film “Katha Don Ganpatravanchi” (1996).

• In 1981, he made his Marathi film debut with the film ‘Akriet.’ Subsequently, he appeared in the Marathi films ‘Umbartha’ (1982), ‘Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’ (1991), ‘Ek Hota Vidushak’ (1992), ‘Dhyas Parva’ (2001), ‘Kadachit’ (2007), ‘Chintoo’ (2012), ‘Aajachaa Diwas Maazaa’ (2013), and ‘Welcome Zindagi’ (2015).

  

• In 1984, he made his Hindi film debut with the film ‘Ye Kahani Nahi’ as a supporting actor.

• Some of his Hindi films (as an actor) include Dumkata (2007), Aiyaa (2012), Dekh Tamasha Desk (2014), and Thackeray (2019).

  

• In 1985, Satish directed the Hindi TV serial ‘Dekho Magar Pyar Se’ for Doordarshan.

• Alekar launched the book ‘The Dread Departure’ in 1989. The book is an English translation of Alekar’s Marathi play ‘Mahanirvan’ and was translated by Gauri Deshpande. Later, he launched a book titled ‘Begum Barve’ (2003) which was an English translation of his Marathi play ‘Begum Barve.’ The book was translated by Shanta Gokhale.

  

• From 1996 to 2009, Alekar worked as a professor and Head Centre for Performing Arts at the Lalit Kala Kendra, University of Pune.

• The Tisch School of Arts, New York University, invited Satish in 2003 to teach its students a course on the Indian Theatre.

• In 2005, he was invited by The Department of Theater and Films Studies, the University of Georgia, to direct an English production of his Marathi play ‘Begum Barve.’

• In 2008, a 90-minute film titled ‘Natakkar Satish Alekar (Playwright Satish Alekar)’ was made on Alekar’s life by Atul Pethe.

• In 2009, Oxford University Press, Delhi, compiled the English translations of his plays into a book titled ‘Collected Plays of Satish Alekar.’

  

• The same year, an English version of his play ‘Micky And Memsahib’ was performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Riddle’s Court The Holy Cow Performing Arts Group in Edinburgh, Scotland.

• From 2009 to 2011, Alekar was appointed as an Honorary Director at the University of Pune for a program supported by Ratan Tata Trust. In September 2013, he was nominated as a ‘Distinguished Professor (Performing Arts) on the campus’ by the University.

• Alekar used to write a fortnightly column named ‘Gagnika’ in Marathi for the Sunday edition of Loksatta in 2015. In the column, he described his journey as a Performing Artist since 1965.

• After the column got popular among the audience, Satish launched a book titled ‘Gagnika.’

• As of 2021, many of his students are working in the Indian film and television industry.

• Alekar has been featured in many Marathi web series like ‘Smile Please’ (2019), ‘Panchak’ (2019), and ‘Pet-Puran’ (2021).

  

• In 2021, he played the role of BR. Sheshrao Wankhede in the Hindi-language sports film “83.”

• Alekar has endorsed many popular brands like Tata Sky, Honda Amaze, New York Life Insurance, Red Label Tea, Snapdeal, and Fiama Di Willis Body Wash.

• In his spare time, Satish likes to read, travel, and spend time with his family.

• His plays have been translated into many Indian languages including Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Dogri, Kannada, Gujarati, Rajasthani, Punjabi, and Konkani.

• The National School of Drama and Sahitya Akademi, Delhi, included Alekar’s plays in the National Anthologies in 2001.

• He has collaborated with many international institutions for play translation projects.

• Alekar mostly writes his scripts in his native language Marathi.

• In an interview, Alekar was asked about the reason for declining the post of director at the National School of Drama, Delhi, and accepting the offer to work at Lalit Kala Kendra in Pune. Alekar replied,
  

  Well, the work at Lalit Kala Kendra was more challenging, primarily because, at that time the arts faculty wasn’t available in Maharashtra. In retrospect, I do believe that my job at the Pune institution allowed me to return something back to the State, which has given me so much. Now that I have retired from the institution, I have more time in hand. In fact, I am writing a new play called Monologues, but I am not sure when it will be completed.”

• During an interview, when Alekar was asked about the idea behind his play Mahanirvan, Satish said,
  

  Today, the concept of death is different because it has come close to us. We are watching it every day, without fail, on every channel and on mobile phones, either from social violence, terrorism or disease. Films have become more violent. When I was younger, one’s experience of death was less common and was sacred. If there was a death, the whole atmosphere would totally change in office and home. Now, people are in a rush to resume a normal life. Even if the bereaved are feeling a sense of loss, they continue with family affairs, office and everyday life.”