Satish Vasant Alekar, known as Satish Alekar, is an Indian actor, theater director and playwright who predominantly works in the Marathi film and theater industry. He is best known for his Marathi plays Mahanirvan (1974), Mahapur (1975), Atireki (1990), Pidhijaat (2003), Miki Ani Memsahib (1973) and Begum Barve (1979).
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Satish Alekar was born on Sunday, 30 January 1949 (age 72 years; as in 2021) in Delhi. Their zodiac sign is Aquarius. When he was a few months old, his family relocated to Pune (where he grew up), the center of Marathi culture in Maharashtra. He studied at The Deccan Education Society (DES) New English School, Ramanbagh, Pune and completed his B.Sc. Went to Fergusson College, Pune to do. After completing his graduation, Satish joined the University of Pune to pursue a master’s degree in Biochemistry. Alekar first experienced the stage when he was in college. Later, he joined a theater group and actively participated in theater plays. Director Bhalba Kelkar saw him in one of his plays and, impressed by his performance, offered him to join his (Kelkar’s) Progressive Dramatic Association.
Physical Appearance
Height (Approx): 5′ 8″
Hair Color: Half Bald (Salt and Pepper)
Eye color: Aqua
Family
parents and siblings
There is not much information about his parents.
wife and children
Satish married Anita Alekar on 22 February 1976. His wife died on 13 March 2007. The couple has a son named Mikin.
livelihood
teaching
Satish Alekar worked as Biochemistry Professor at BJ Medical College, Pune from 1972 to 1996. In 1996, he joined the Center for Fine Arts, University of Pune as Professor and Head of the Center for Performing Arts. He worked there for about 13 years and resigned from his post in 2009. He was then appointed as Honorary Director at the University of Pune for a program supported by the Ratan Tata Trust from 2009 to 2011. The university honored him by naming him ‘Distinguished Professor (Performing Arts)’ on campus in September 2013. Many of his students are working in the film and television industry in Mumbai (as of 2021).
playwright
In 1973, Satish wrote the play ‘Miki Aani Memsahab’, which was well received by the audience. After this Alekar wrote and directed ‘Mahanirvana’. Staged in 1974, Mahanirvana is a black comedy that revolves around the story of a dead man and how his family goes about his funeral. The play became an instant hit.
Satish Alekar’s play Mahanirvana
In 1975 he wrote the play ‘Mahapur’. After this, he wrote the scripts of plays like ‘Begum Barve’ (1979), ‘Shanwar Sunday’ (1982), ‘Doosra Samana’ (1987), ‘Atireki’ (1990), ‘Ek Divas Mathkade’ (2012). ‘Thakishi Dialogue’ (2020).
Begum Barve
Some of his Marathi one-act plays include ‘Memory’ (1969), ‘Bhajan’ (1969), ‘Ek Zulta Pool’ (1971), ‘Dar Koni Ughadat Nahi’ (1979), and ‘Bus Stop’ (1980). , He has also adapted various one-act plays including ‘Judge’ (1968), ‘Valan’ (1980), ‘Alashi Uttaravlyachi Gosht’ (1999), ‘Nashibvan Batche Don’ (1999), ‘Supari’ (2002) , Are included. and ‘Staff’ (2009).
acting
plays
Satish started his career as a theater artist in 1971 with the Marathi play ‘Ek Zulta Pool’. In the play he played the role of a young man. After this he acted in the Marathi dramas ‘Mahanirvan’ (1974), ‘Begum Barve’ (1979), ‘Shanwar Sunday’ (1980) and ‘Boat Footley’ (1982).
A picture from Satish Alekar’s play Mahanirvana
hindi movies
Satish made his Hindi film debut in 1984 with the film “Yeh Kahani Nahi”, in which he played a supporting role. Subsequently, he appeared in Hindi films such as Dumkta (2007), Aiya (2012), Dekh Tamasha Desk (2014), and Thackeray (2019).
Satish Alekar in Aiya
In 2021, he was cast in the Hindi-language sports film “83”. He played the role of BR. Sheshrao Wankhede in the film.
Marathi movies and web series
He debuted in Marathi film in 1981 with the film ‘Aakrit’. After this he did ‘Umbartha’ (1982), ‘Dr.’ Worked in many Marathi films like. Babasaheb Ambedkar’ (1991), ‘Ek Hota Vidushak’ (1992), ‘Dhyas Parv’ (2001), ‘Kadachit’ (2007), ‘Chintu’ (2012), ‘Aajcha Divas Maza’ (2013), and ‘Welcome ‘Zindagi’ (2015).
In 2019, he was featured as Appa Joshi in the web series ‘Smile Please’. After this he was seen in the Marathi web series ‘Panchak’ (2019) and ‘Pet-Puraan’ (2021).
Satish Alekar in Smile Please
television commercial
Satish Alekar has been featured in TV commercials of many popular brands like Tata Sky, Honda Amaze, New York Life Insurance, Red Label Tea, Snapdeal and Fiamma De Willis Body Wash.
Other work
In 1977, Alekar wrote the script for the Marathi feature film “Jait Re Jait”. The film was directed by Jabbar Patel and received the National Award for Best Feature Film in Marathi. Satish also wrote dialogues for the Marathi feature film “Katha Don Ganapatravanchi” (1996). Alekar also directed a Hindi TV serial “Dekho Magar Pyar Se” for Doordarshan in 1985. In 1989, Alekar launched the book ‘The Dread Departure’, an English translation of his Marathi play ‘Mahanirvan’. The translation was done by Gauri Deshpande.
After this he launched a book named ‘Begum Barve’ (2003). This book is the English translation of his Marathi play ‘Begum Barve’ and was translated by Shanta Gokhale.
In 2009, English translations of his plays were published by Oxford University Press, Delhi as Collected Plays of Satish Alekar.
In 2015, Alekar wrote a fortnightly column in Marathi titled ‘Gagnika’ for the Sunday edition of Loksatta. This column was based on Satish’s journey as an artist since 1965. This column became very popular among the readers. Given the popularity the column received, on 30 April 2017, Alekar launched a book titled ‘Gagnika’. In 2018, he became a part of the 90-minute acting reading program ‘Aparichit Pu La’ on the lesser-known writings of popular Indian writer PL Deshpande.
Awards, Honors and Achievements
- His collection of short plays “Zulta Pool” received the award for the best collection of short plays from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. of Maharashtra in 1974.
- His play ‘Mahanirvan’ was awarded the Late Ram Ganesh Gadkari Award by the State of Maharashtra in 1975.
- Alekar received a fellowship from the Asian Cultural Council, New York in 1983 to study theater in the US.
- She received a fellowship from the Ford Foundation in 1988 to study the Theater of South Asia.
- In 1992, Satish received the Nandikar Award in Calcutta.
- Satish received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for playwriting from the Sangeet Natak Akademi, Delhi in 1994.
- He was awarded the State Award for Best Actor in a Comedy Role for the Marathi film ‘Katha Don Ganapatravanchi’ in 1997.
- Satish was awarded the V Va Shirwadkar Award for playwriting by Natya Parishad, Nashik in 2007.
- He received the Lifetime Achievement Award by the All India Marathi Natya Parishad, Mumbai in 2012.
- Satish was awarded the “Padma Shri” by the then President of India, Pratibha Patil in 2012.
- He received the Balraj Sawhney Memorial Award in 2013 for his contribution as an actor, director and playwright for over 40 years.
- Alekar was awarded the Aarti Prabhu Award by Baba Vardam Theatres, Kudal, Distt. Sindhudurg in 2014.
- Satish was awarded the Tanveer Samman in 2017. Tanveer Samman is a prestigious award for lifetime contribution to the field of theatre, instituted by Dr. Shriram Lagoo through Roopvedh Pratisthan, Pune.
Satish Alekar receiving Tanveer Award
- She received the Advocate Trimbakrao Shirole Award for Best Non-Fiction by Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad, Pune in 2018 for her book Gaganika.
Favorite
- Playwrights: Vijay Tendulkar, Girish Karnad, Mohan Rakesh, Badal Sarkar
Facts/General Knowledge
- In his spare time, Alekar enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with his family.
- Satish’s plays have been translated into many languages like Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Dogri, Kannada, Gujarati, Rajasthani, Punjabi and Konkani.
- In 2001, Alekar’s plays were included in the national anthology by the National School of Drama and Sahitya Akademi, Delhi.
- In 2003, Alekar was invited by New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts to teach a course on Indian theatre.
- In 2005, the Department of Theater and Film Studies of the University of Georgia invited Satish to direct the English production of their Marathi play ‘Begum Barve’.
- In 2008, Atul Pethe made a 90-minute film on the life of Satish Alekar titled ‘Natakkar Satish Alekar (Playwright Satish Alekar).’
- Satish writes his scripts in his native language Marathi.
- He has collaborated on several international drama translation projects.
- In 2009, the Holy Cow Performing Arts Group presented an English version of his play Mickey and Memsahib in Edinburgh, Scotland during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival at Riddles Court.
- Alekar’s play ‘Mahanveeran’ is considered one of the classics of the Indian stage and has been performed more than 400 times in 47 years.
- During an interview, when asked his reason for rejecting the post of Director at the National School of Drama, Delhi and choosing to work at the Lalit Kala Kendra in Pune, Satish said,
Well, working at the Fine Arts Center was more challenging, mainly because, at that time, arts faculty was not available in Maharashtra. Looking back, I believe that my job at the Pune Institute allowed me to give back to the state that has given me so much. Now that I have retired from the institute, I have more time. Actually, I’m writing a new play called Monologues, but I’m not sure when it will be finished.
- While talking about his play Mahanirvana in an interview, Alekar said,
Today the concept of death is different because it has come closer to us. We are seeing it every day, without fail, on every channel and mobile phone, whether it is social violence, terrorism or disease. Movies have become more violent. When I was younger, the experience of death was less common and sacred. If any death had occurred, the entire atmosphere of office and home would have changed. Now, people are in a hurry to resume normal life. Even though the bereaved are feeling a sense of loss, they still remain engaged in family matters, office and everyday life.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn