Projects
Bal Gandharva Plays
1938-1939
My mother “Aai” and father “Anna,” used to take me to watch the classic plays of Bal Gandharva, usually overnight, from 9 pm to the following day till 5 am! Bal Gandharva used to perform in different saris each time. I would ask Aai, “Kaal hi bai meli hoti na? Aaj mag jiwant kashi zali?” (Yesterday, that character was dead, so how is she alive today?) I used to think it was a new lady each time coming to perform! My elder sister got inspired to pursue a career in acting and singing because of Bal Gandharva.
We watched several plays by Bal Gandharva like Ayodhyecha Raja, Manoos, Kunku (Relevant to my Aai and Anna as they got married at age 13 and 16respectively), etc.
One day, my first music teacher Mr. Keshavrao Bhosle took Lalita and me to the residence of Bal Gandharva in Jalgaon. Lalita (9) wanted to be a stage actress, so he asked her to sing a song. But he told her that her voice had to be louder, as there were no microphones at the time. He was very welcoming and behaved very graciously with us, and offered us Pohe.
I tell everyone not to worry when I watch movies and listen to music late at night as I’ve been used to it since I was 4!
But then I also would get bored while watching Gangavataran, Bhakta Prahlad (IMDb), Shejari (Watch on YouTube), etc. I thought they were too violent! But as I got older, I ended up liking them.
Patankar Natak Mandali
Touring Dancer and Actor
Age 5-6, Six Month tour
My sister Lata and I used to dance in professional Marathi & Hindi theatrical plays with the famous “Patankar Natak Mandali.” We toured many of Aurangabad’s villages with this group as child artists.
Kathak & Manipuri, Rohini Wagle Institute
Group Dancer (with elder sister Lalita.)
Age 8-9, On & off tour to Pune.
When I started getting good at Kathak and Manipuri, Lata and I got a chance to perform with Rohini Wagle Institute. After Aurangabad, we used to tour mostly Pune from Mumbai from time to time.
Singer & Group Dancer (with elder sister Lalita.)
April-June 1947, Hotel Soona Mahal, Mumbai Presidency
https://www.cinemaazi.com/people/snehprabha-pradhan
I had an opportunity to work with the prominent film and stage actress Snehaprabha Pradhan. I applied for an ad in the local newspaper.
I clearly remember the first meeting between Snehaprabha and me:
(We talked in Marathi.)
Snehaprabha: Do you know anything about dancing?
Me (Confidently): Yes! I know Manipuri! (A dance form.)
Snehprabha: Please show me...
(I performed a short recital of the Manipuri dance without music.)
Snehaprabha: Oh my God! You are so good! Can you please teach me?!!
Me: Sure! I’ll teach you!
Snehaprabha: Are you alone or with anyone else?
Me: My sister also dances...
Snehaprabha: Why didn’t she come?
Me: She has a shoot.
Snehaprabha: Shoot? Bring her here! I will pay here too.
Along with dancing, I also liked to sing a Gujarati Garba song called:
"Vana Vagadana Vayara Vayare
Kano Ghoongariye Ghumato Gayere"
After hearing this song, she liked my voice and insisted that I also sing and dance with her, and I also joined the Garba.
So, this is how I became the first person to join the group. After a few days, my sister Lalita and the other dancers joined. We used to perform all seven days a week at the Hotel Soona Mahal in Marine Drive, Mumbai. This is how I worked as a professional singer & dancer for around 3 months, without a day of break!
Our recital usually began with a Garba dance, followed by my sister Lalita’s solo dance recital, and then one or two dance routines by the boys. After this, Snehaprabha would sing and dance together to her famous film songs. The songs were pretty popular, so we got a lot of applause from the public.
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We toured Kolhapur, the Mecca of film at the time, where she was very famous. Lalita and I were treated very nicely by her. I was missing out on all the Kolhapuri Non-veg delicacies because we were vegetarians. But then Snehaprabha introduced us to eggs! That began my journey toward including Non-Veg food in my diet. She also introduced us to rare delicacies like chocolate pudding on our first day there.
Snehaprabha was an extremely humble person. She invited us to her colossal house (Wada) on the second day in Kolhapur. Her aunt specially made thalipeeth with butter (a rare delicacy at that time) for us, and we were given special seating on a wooden Asana.
The next day, during her solo performance in the city, some people started hooting and creating a nuisance. She got so angry that she stopped the music then and there and just stood on the stage for 2 minutes in complete silence. The whole theatre had a pin-drop silence. She firmly told the audience, “I assumed the audience of Kolhapur would be very jovial. If you want, I’ll stop right here.”
This confrontation was highly unusual at the time. Everyone was stunned. In this uncomfortable silence, somebody from the audience exclaimed, “keep it up, keep it up!”
Snehaprabha completed the rest of the song and stopped the program.
What I witnessed on that day was an inspiration, which taught me the actual value of an artist and fearlessness to this day.
The time I spent with Snehaprabha Pradhan and the days in Kolhapur was a life-changing experience.
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Snehaprabaha Pradhan and Lalita (Lata) became great friends after returning to Mumbai. Snehaprabha was highly educated. She was a lawyer, a student of medicine, a great orator, and a freedom fighter.
One day, Snehaprabha, Lata & I went to see an English film at the Strand Cinema. The day was Jan 30, 1948. Right before the interval, the picture suddenly stopped, and the news came on the screen that Mahatma Gandhi had been assassinated. We were in complete shock. Snehaprabha started crying uncontrollably. The whole cinema shortly became empty, but she was inconsolable. We somehow consoled her and took her out of the theatre. The next day, she wrote a unique eulogy published in all the leading Marathi and English newspapers. This is how sensitive she was.
It was a learning experience about how a sensitive person should interact with society.
Performances of self-composed songs by Various Poets
Composer and Singer
1972-1973, Various Locations like Kelkar College, Sahitya Sangha, etc.
I composed and recorded a lot of Marathi poetry by “Bha. Ra. Tambe” and performed the songs in a special concert. In the unique program chaired by another literary giant Vasant Bapat in Sahitya Sangh, I introduced the compositions of the poet Govind Trimbak Dareker. Dancer Kishore Kulkarni from Gokhale Wadi specially choreographed and performed the songs.
Around 1965-1966
We performed my compositions of the songs of Sane Guruji to entertain the prisoners, led by poet, artist & activist Ramchandra Inamdar ’Kavi Aniket’.
World Sanskrit Day
Group Performance
3 Aug 1974, Brahman Sabha, Dombivali
Kavi Aniket (Ramchandra, my husband) wrote a unique Sanskrit song that I composed called “Namostute.” I led a group performance consisting of my disciples.
Group Singing Competition, All India Radio
Prepared and performed group singing.
1982-1983, AIR Studios, Mumbai
C. Ramchandra, the famous music director, judged all the performances.
Sane Guruji Kathamala
One-hour special performances
1960 - 1989, Khopoli, Shivneri Fort, Bhiwandi, Bordi, Lonavala, etc.
My husband Ramchandra and I had nurtured a group of 15 artists, and we performed at many places. These artists included poets, storytellers, teachers, etc. I composed several songs written by Sane Guruji for these performances.
We also included newspaper reading sessions where we taught how to read a newspaper to the needy and its importance efficiently.
Group Performance on the occasion of the birthday of Sane Guruji, Doordarshan
Composer & Singer
24 DEC 1993, Worli Doordarshan
This group performance was commissioned, filmed, and telecast on Doordarshan, the only National Television Network in India.
Maharashtra Day
Honorary Special Performance
1 May 1994, Rotary Club, Dombivali
We prepared an unforgettable performance with a unique group that included my elder sister Lalita, daughter Manju, and senior disciple Savitri Shekhar. It was a uniquely re-composed version of the Maharashtra State Song “Bahu Asot Sundar Sampanna Ki Mahan, Priya Amucha Ek Maharashtra Desh Ha.”
Group Performances by Sane Guruji Kathamala
Composer, Arranger, Singer
1998-1999, Various locations like Brahman Sabha, Mulund Vidya Mandir, Anuyog Vidyalaya, etc.
On the occasion of India’s 50th Independence Year, we worked on a monumental event resulting from many years of my performing and composing music. We performed around 30 songs written by Vasant Bapat, Sane Guruji, and Kavi Aniket (Ramchandra) for 3 hours in 3 parts. Most of my students made the group.
In Brahman Sabha, we demonstrated how the women in rural Maharashtra used to sing these songs on ‘Jaata’ (Grinder) and do their daily chores. This performance of “Jatyavarchya Ovya” won great applause.
In Anuyog Vidyalaya, to go with the theme of Sane Guruji, we created a memorable visual experience using the theme of “Shyamchi Aai” of watercolour paintings by my husband, Ramchandra.
These events were very well received and became a talking point. At Anuyog Vidyalaya, when we came down from the stage, we were shocked to see the missing paintings! We tried hard to get them back for many years, but who has actual possession of them remains a mystery.
Activities at Gokhale Wadi
Composer & Singer
1960-1989, Gokhale Wadi
It took about six months for us to settle down at Gokhale Wadi. One day, my husband Ramchandra travelled to Nagpur. Nagpur is recognized worldwide for its oranges. While coming back, Ramchandra bought a huge basket full of oranges and distributed them to all the children. Little girls and boys all gathered at our house and enjoyed the oranges. From that day, everybody started frequenting our place. And that was when our journey of togetherness in all the cultural activities began.
At Gokhale Wadi, we were happy to host influential personalities such as;
V. R. Dhavale, Marathi writer.
Anna Tamhane, Freedom Fighter, writer & social worker.
Datta Tamhane, Freedom Fighter and social worker.
H. M. Marathe, Editor, Maharashtra Times.
Appa Sane, Freedom Fighter (Sane Guruji’s younger brother).
I witnessed and participated in cultural activities in the typical Indian middle-class Chawl residential system. It was a generation that aspired to instil the values of Indian freedom fighters like Gandhi, Nehru, Radhakrishnan, Sane Guruji, etc. We hoisted the Tricolor every year, and I taught and sang patriotic songs to everyone.
Navaratri:
We performed a traditional performance of "Bhondla" all nine nights. Ramchandra wrote it in Marathi, and I composed it. We created a modern version of the conventional Bhondla to make it relevant to the new generation. This is how it goes:
“Ale ale he amaldar
tyanna baherche dakhava daar”
- Kavi Aniket. (The pen name of Ramchandra.)
This poem was written in the traditional format of Bhondla for public awareness and for the new generation to understand modern values.
Dasra 1970:
The main entrance wall of Gokhale Wadi had a mural of Goddess Saraswati, painted by Ramchandra. I used it as a gathering point for boys and girls. They mostly recited a specially composed Saraswati prayer at 7 p.m. We performed it every single day throughout the year without any halt!
Goddess Saraswati has had an impact on me. I invoke the Goddess when performing and teaching music. We do a special ritual on the day of Dasra, gathering all the instruments and performing a special Pooja.
Ganpati Festival:
Ramchandra wrote a special aarti for the Bharat Mata, which I composed. Every year, we organized a performance in which every resident of Gokhale Wadi happily participated & sang it.
Gandhi Centenary 1979:
I recreated the same Gujarati song, ‘Vana Vagdana,’ which I used to perform professionally 32 years ago! As a 13-year-old child in 1947 with Snehaprabha Pradhan, just a few days before the independence of India! I choreographed a fascinating Garba performance of 22 girls. I performed the song live with the group.
I composed and performed another song by poet Vasant Bapat and choreographed the performance for another group of 8-10 girls. The concert was well-received, and I was honoured with a bust of Gandhi by the residents.
Anecdotes:
From time to time, a sound would come from nowhere,
"Dilli ka Qutub Minar dekho,
Agre ka Taj Mahal dekho,
Paisa phenko, tamasha dekho!”
A person arrived at the chawl with the Cinema Box! Everyone in the chawl would get excited and come out. All kids would line up with 4 anna’s in their hands to watch the film inside the box. My daughters Manju and Sonu too! I used to get angry and tell everyone it was a dirty box, but my father used to give 4 anna’s to the children. (I can’t stop laughing and giggling when I think of these days!)
In the early 1970s, we had opened a Math class in our 10’ x 10’ small room, where our neighbour Jayu used to teach. My husband taught social sciences, and I taught English grammar. We managed to live and host three classes at our small home for 6 months!
A boy, Kishore Kulkarni, used to dance exceptionally well, but everyone teased him only because he was a boy. I didn’t like this and stood by him while he pursued a career in dance. We participated and performed in all possible cultural activities at that time. I am happy now that he has become a famous choreographer and performer in the film industry.
I loved to cook and serve these cuisines to my family and guests who visit our home: Idli, Dosa, Poha, Medu Vada, especially cooked green tomatoes, etc. My speciality is Upma, and I was well-known in Gokhale Wadi for my recipe of Albi, inspired by the cuisine from Kerala. I also loved to make Besan Ladu, Gajar Halwa, Moong Dal Kheer, etc.
One day I was in the kitchen, preparing my favourite Albi; I was just off to do something else. A neighbouring girl was walking by and saw it cooking from the window. She casually picked one up and put it in her mouth, thinking they were modaks being made for the Ganpati festival! Gokhale Wadi was a very close-knit community. We seldom bothered about even locking our front door and were very informal with each other.
The Wadi of around 200 had only one connecting electricity wire. If even a tiny crow sat on it, the entire current would shut down! Till we find and bring our local electrician, the electricity would be gone entirely. I think today you can see that electrician at his villa in South Bombay!
Having a refrigerator was a big luxury at the time. Also, because of the constant disruptions in the electricity, it was almost useless to buy. So ice cream was a novelty for us, and we wanted to make it at home. One day, we rented an ice cream machine for a day. Jayu went and bought ice slabs from Kalyan, around 10 km away. We got 10-12 litres of milk, sugar, and vanilla essence. Fortunately, the ice cream turned out to be so satisfying for all of us. It was so vast that all our music students, neighbours, and friends had more than enough. We remember the unforgettable, unique taste to this day!
Activities at Nilje
Composer & Singer
22 March 2002 - 6 Feb 2017, Maitri School, Nilje
In 2002, after my husband Ramchandra retired, he decided to move to a village called Nilje, near Dombivali. He wanted to stay and continue his social work there, so he created a school called “Maitri” (Friendship), which eventually became a cultural hub in the village. It was also a significant change for me, as I moved to a village after living in Mumbai and Dombivali my entire life. I did notice that age had begun to take its course on my physical movements. But it didn’t affect my activities, and many like-minded young people slowly came into our social life.