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Indian Express
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Hidden stories: how a reluctant performance paved way for Jyotsna Bhole to become a trailblazing Marathi actor
In July 1933, a radical piece of Marathi theatre was staged in Mumbai. Andhalyachi Shala (School for the Blind) was a vehicle for a group of intellectuals to cast a woman as a lead to oppose men playing women's roles in theatre. It was written by S V Vartak and produced by the group Natya Manwantar, whose member Keshav Vaman Bhole, better known as Keshavrao Bhole, was an eminent Marathi music director and critic. He had had only one woman in mind to play the lead, his wife and vocalist Durga Kelkar who came to be known as Jyotsna Bhole after their marriage. 'When my father asked her, she firmly said she wasn't interested… She wouldn't dream of diverting from her music,' says Vandana Khandekar, the couple's daughter. At Keshavrao's urging, Jyotsna took up the lead role – becoming a pioneer among women theatre actors. 'At the show's opening, the audience showed up with bhajjis in both hands, ready to haul these at the actors to show their disapproval. However, they saw the whole play without making a sound. They congratulated my mother and she loved the bhajjis so much, she ate everything the audience brought,' says Vandana. 'She could learn everything by ear' An exponent of Hindustani classical music and an eminent singer-actor, Jyotsna Bhole, whose death anniversary is on August 5, was a trailblazer. Her journey to winning the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and the Lata Mangeshkar Award, however, started from the small village of Bandivade in Goa where she was born on May 11, 1914, as one among 14 children. The musical heritage of her surroundings as well as her siblings' performances turned her towards the art form from an early age. 'When her sisters practised, she would sit and listen. She could learn everything by ear. It was her elder sister, Girijabai, who recognised her talent and brought her to Mumbai, where both girls trained under Vilayat Hussain Khan and later Khadim Hussain Khan of the Agra Gharana,' says Vandana. Jyotsna quickly rose to fame through school competitions and was invited to perform at the British Broadcasting Service Radio. After Class 4, she left school to dedicate herself to music. Hooked on Keshavrao Bhole's songs During the 1930s, Keshavrao was an up-and-coming musician and playwright in Mumbai's cultural scene, especially talented in bhavgeet music – a light classical form that blends poetry and music. 'The songs impressed Jyotsna and drove her crazy! It was something she had never heard before, and she was keen to learn them,' says Vandana. When Keshavrao was finally convinced to teach Jyotsna, it was the start of a relationship that would last a lifetime. They married in 1932, when Jyotsna was 18. The couple had four children, Kishor, Suhas, Anil, and Vandana. After her first play, Andhalyachi Shala, Jyotsna refused to act again, choosing to focus on her music and family. It was not until eight years later that she would return to theatre. When Keshavrao produced and directed a play, he encouraged Jyotsna to be his heroine. Stepping back into the shoes of an actor in 1941, she witnessed peak fame a year later, through her role in Kulavadhu, a play inspired by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House. 'She toured the country extensively. Keshavrao told her to pursue her passion and make a name. He promised to stay at home and take care of the family,' says Vandana. By the time Jyotsna left the state in the 1960s, she was among the most sought after singer-actors. Jyotsna takes the lead Despite her limited education, Jyotsna was inspired by her husband's works and wrote, composed, directed and acted in her musical, Aradhana. She published a letter book, Antarichya Khuna, composed of letters she had written to her daughter as she travelled to Britain and Europe, performing in places like London, Paris, and Germany without speaking much English. In 1988, her touching autobiography, Tumchi Jyotsna Bhole, was released in Marathi. At home, Jyotsna insisted on being the regular parent who was involved in her children's upbringing. 'Every Diwali, she would insist on making each sweet herself. Every birthday, she would throw parties for our friends,' Vandana recalls. The Jyotsna Bhole Swarotsav, a music festival held in her memory since 2008, saw its 14th edition hosted on June 26-27 this year. 'We celebrate the work she did for the Marathi Sangeet Rangabhoomi,' says Adhish Paigude, an organiser. The festival, which features musicians and artists inspired by Jyotsna, is organised by the Srujan Foundation and Nanded city. This year's artists include Kalapini Komkali, Jayateerth Mevundi, Shounak Abhisheki, and Yadnesh Raikar. 'To pay tribute at her festival with my violin means so much,' says Raikar, as Komkali adds, 'Without her songs, the morning never felt complete.' Antara Kulkarni is an intern with The Indian Express.
Indian Express
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
If we stay united, nobody will dare look at us with crooked eyes: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat
Two days after India witnessed one of the biggest terror attacks in several years, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday called for 'Sangha Shakti' (strength of unity) and said if we remain together, nobody will dare to look at us with crooked eyes. Pointing at the massive wave of anger across the country after the Pahalgam terror attack, Bhagwat said, 'People setting aside their caste, community and religion have come together to express their anger… The unity amongst people as Indians should become the mainstay and permanent nature and character… And if anybody dares, their eyes will be gouged.' Speaking at an award function in Mumbai where he gave the Lata Mangeshkar Award to Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman of Aditya Birla Group, to honour and acknowledge the immense contribution made by him in shaping India's growth story, the RSS chief observed that when people share sentiments and warmth it helps to keep the society connected together. 'In this era of 'Kaliyug', 'Sangha Shakti' is of immense significance. Staying together is the biggest strength. After the terror attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, there is a massive wave of anger in people across the country,' he said. 'Differences and separation lead to distances. When you hold to oneness it inculcates intimacy, togetherness and unity,' he said, adding that the world has only one religion and that is humanity and this religion of humanity is called Hindu religion. Speaking on the occasion, Birla said, 'I am deeply honoured to receive an award named after Bharat Ratna Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar. It is all the more overwhelming and proud moment to receive the award at the hands of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.' Reiterating the Mangeshkar family's commitment to Hindutva and cultural nationalism, Hridaynath Mangeshkar profusely thanked Bhagwat for attending the event as chief guest.
Time of India
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
State Marathi film awards postponed
Mumbai: In light of the gravity of the unfortunate incident in Pahalgam, the ceremony scheduled for April 25, organized by the Department of Cultural Affairs at Dome, NSCI, Worli, for the Lata Mangeshkar Award, the late Raj Kapoor and late V. Shantaram Lifetime Achievement and Special Contribution Awards 2024, along with the State Marathi Film Awards , has been postponed minister Ashish Shelar informed. The new date for will be announced in due course. tnn
