Purushottam Laxman Deshpande

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from P L Deshpande)
Jump to: navigation, search
Purushottam Laxman Deshpande
8 November 1919
Born
Mumbai
12 June 2000 (aged 80)
Died
Pune
Writer, Actor, Music Composer, Film and TV
Occupation
Producer and Director
Education M.A., LL.B.
Spouse(s) Sunita Deshpande

Purushottam Laxman Deshpande (Marathi: पुरषोतम लकमण देशपाडे) (8 November 1919 - 12 June
2000) was a Marathi writer from Maharashtra, India. He was popularly known by his initials पप.
प. ("Pu. La.").

Deshpande was also an accomplished film and stage actor, music composer, harmonium player,
singer, and orator.[1]

Contents
[hide]

• 1 Biography
• 2 Literary accomplishments
o 2.1 One-act plays
o 2.2 Plays
o 2.3 Children's plays
o 2.4 Light Hearted Books
o 2.5 Novels
o 2.6 Biography
o 2.7 Collections of life sketches
o 2.8 Travelogues
o 2.9 Other works
 2.9.1 A list of some of the humorous essays
• 3 One-Man Stage Shows
• 4 Movies
• 5 Awards and recognitions
 • 6 References

• 7 External links

Biography
Pu La Deshpande was born on 8 November 1919 in Girgaon in Mumbai to Laxman and
Lakshmibai Deshpande. His family moved to Mumbai and then to Pune and settled there, for job
purpose. He received his college education at Fergusson College in Pune and Willingdon College
in Sangli.

In 1946, Deshpande married Sunita Thakur, who is an accomplished author herself and has acted
in some plays in the past.

For some years, Deshpande worked as a college professor and a school teacher before embarking
on his career in writing and in the multiple fields of acting, directing, and composing music in
the world of movies.

Deshpande took lessons in playing harmonium from Dattopant Rajopadhye of Bhaskar

Sangitalaya. He was proficient in Hindustani classical music and was an accomplished music
director and singer. Being a proficient writer, he wrote screenplays and lyrics for several marathi
films and was also music director for some marathi films. Purshottam Deshpande died in 2000
aged 80 of Alzheimer's disease.[2]

Literary accomplishments
Deshpande was a prolific writer and produced numerous original works as well as adaptations of
works from other languages into Marathi. He preferred to identify his Marathi adaptations of
plays and novels in other languages as bhawanuwad (भावानुवाद), meaning "adaptation of the
essence". Most of his writings are deeply rooted in Marathi language which some consider as his
command over the language while some others consider it as a shortcoming. He is best known
for his wit and his detailed observation and ability to put it succinctly. He was awarded a Sahitya
Academy award for his book Vyakti Ani Valli.

One-act plays

• मोठे मासे

Plays

• तुका महणे आता (Tuka Mhane Ata) – 1948

• पुढारी पािहजॆ (Pudhari Pahije) – 1951
• अंमलदार (Ammaldar) – 1952...based on Nikolai Gogol's Inspector General
 • भागयवान (Bhagyawan) – 1953
• तुझे आहे तुजपाशी (Tujhe Ahe Tujapashi) – 1957
• सुंदर मी होणार (Sundar Mi Honar) – 1958
• पिहला राजा/आधे अधूरे (Pahila Raja/adhe Adhure) – 1976...based on Jagadish Chandra
Mathur's Adhe Adhure
• तीन पैशाचा तमाशा (Teen Paishancha Tamasha) – 1978...based on Bertolt Brecht's The
Three Penny Opera
• राजा ओयिदपौस (Raja Oyadipaus) – 1979...based on Sophocles's Oedipus Rex
• ती फुलराणी (Ti Fulrani)...based on George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion
• एक झुंज वार् ‍याशी (Eka Jhunja Waryashi)

Children's plays

• वयं मोठं खोटं (Wayam Motham Khotam) – 1956

• नवे गोकुळ (Nawe Gokul) – 1958
• खोगीरभरती (Khogir Bharati) – 1949
• िखलली (Khilli)
• कोटयाधीश पु. ल. (Kotyadhish Pu La.)
• मराठी वाङमयाचा गाळीव इितहास (Marathi Wangmayacha Galiw Itihas)
• टेिलफोनचा जनम (Teliphonacha Janma)
• पोरवय (Porawaya)

Light Hearted Books

• नसती उठाठेव (Nasti Uthathewa) - 1952

• बटाटयाची चाळ (Batatyachi Chal) – 1958
• गोळाबेरीज (Golaberij) – 1960
• असा मी असामी (Asa Mi Asami) – 1964
• ह(फ)सवणूक (Ha(pha)sawanuk) – 1968

Novels

• काय वाटेल ते होईल (Kay Wattel Te Hoeel) – 1962...based on Helen and George
Papashvily's Anything Can Happen
• एका कोळीयाने (Eka Koliyane) – 1965...based on Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and
the Sea
• कानहोजी आंगे (Kanhoji Angre)(Translation of English novel "Maratha Admiral Kanhoji
Angre" by Manohar Malgoankar)

Biography

• गाधीजी (Gandhiji) – 1970

Collections of life sketches

 • गणगोत (Ganagot) – 1966
• वयकती आिण वलली (Wyakti Ani Walli) – 1966
• गुण गाईन आवडी (Guna Gaeena Awadi) – 1975
• रवीनदनाथ : तीन वयाखयाने (Ravindranath : Teen Wyakhyane)

Travelogues

• अपूवाई (Apurwai) – 1960

• पूवररगं (Purwarang) – 1963
• जावे तयाचया देशा (Jawe Tyanchya Desha) – 1974
• वंगिचते (Wanga Chitre) – 1974

Other works

• एक शूनय मी (Ek Shunya Mee)

• िचतमय सवगत (Chitramay Swagat)
• पु. ल : एक साठवण (Pu. La. : Ek Sathawan)
• दाद (Daad)
• मैत (Maitra)
• मुकाम शातीिनकेतन (Mukkam Shantiniketan)
• िददल (Dwidal)
• चार शबद (Char Shabd)
• अघळ पघळ (Aghal Paghal)
• आपुलकी (Apulaki)

A list of some of the humorous essays

• एका रिववारची कहाणी (Eka Rawiwarchi Kahani)

• िबगरी ते मॅिटक (Bigari Te Matric)
• हरी तातया (Hari Tatya)
• मुंबईकर, पुणेकर का नागपूरकर? (Mumbaikar, Punekar Ka Nagpurkar?)
• महैस (Mhais)
• मी आिण माझा शतुपक (Mi Ani Majha Shatrupaksha)
• पाळीव पाणी (Paliv Prani)
• पानवाला (Panwala)
• काही नवे गहयोग (Kahi Nave Grahayog)
• माझे पौिषक जीवन (Majhe Paustik Jeewan)
• पेसतन काका (Pestan Kaka)
• रावसाहेब (Raosaheb)
• सखाराम गटणे (Sakharam Gatane)
• नामू परीट (Namu Parit)
• उरलासुरला (Urala Surala)
• नारायण (Narayan)
• अंतू बरवा (Antu Barva)
One-Man Stage Shows
• बटाटयाची चाळ (Batatyachi Chal)
• असा मी असामी (Asa Mi Asami)
• हसिवणयाचा माझा धंदा (Hasawinyacha Majha Dhanda)
• वा-यावरची वरात (Waryawarachi Warat) - A large part of this play is one man show.

Movies
• कुबेर (Kuber) – 1947: Actor and Playback Singer
• भागयरेषा (Bhagyaresha) – 1948: Actor and Playback Singer
• वंदेमातरम् (Wandemataram) – 1948: Actor and Playback Singer
• जागा भाडयाने देणे आहे (Jaga Bhadyane Dene ahe) – 1949: Writer of Screenplay and
Dialogues
• मानाचे पान (Manache Pan) – 1949: - Writer of Story, Screenplay, and Dialogues; and 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 पािहजे (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 िबर् ‍हाड (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)
• गुळाचा गणपती (Gulacha Ganapati) – 1953: Director, Music Director, Actor, and Writer of
Story, Screenplay, Dialogues, and Lyrics
• देवबापपा (Dewabappa) – 1958: Music Director and Writer of Story, Screenplay, Dialogues,
and Lyrics
• फूल और किलया (Phool Aur Kaliyan) [in Hindi] – 1960: Writer of Story and Screenplay
• आज और कल (aj aur Kal) [in Hindi] – 1966: Writer of Story and Screenplay
• िचमणराव गुंडयाभाऊ (Chimanarao Gundyabhau) – : Narrator
• एक होता िवदूषक (Eka Hota Widushaka) – 1993: Writer of Screenplay and Dialogues
[3]
==Plots of plays==

• सुंदर मी होणार (Sundar Mi Honar):

The play highlights the struggle of a middle-aged woman who is unable to walk because of an
ailment. She is a daughter of a King or Zamindar of a small princely state in India. The play
captures the conflict between her father and her brothers, and depicts changes in their lives after
the British Raj took over their princely state. A poet, who is a pen friend of the protagonist, helps
her gain confidence which enables her to start walking again.

• तुझे आहे तुजपाशी (Tujhe ahe Tujapashi):

The play casts criticism on authoritarian religious leaders and also depicts the positive and
colorful view of life and generous spirit of a character in the play, which is in stark contrast to
that of another character, an authoritarian religious leader. In the end, the latter recognizes the
shallowness of his life.

Awards and recognitions

• पुणय भूषण (Punya Bhushan)
• महाराषट भूषण (Maharashtra Bhushan)
• महाराषट गौरव (बहुरपी) (Maharashtra Gaurawa (Bahurupi) Award)
• Sahitya Akademi Award (Marathi) - Vyakti Ani Valli (1965)
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
• पदशी (Padma Shri) – 1966
• पदभूषण (Padma Bhushan) – 1990

• P. L. Deshpande was the first interviewer to interview Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first
Prime Minister of India, for the then newly founded Doordarshan.
• A cultural center, P. L. Deshpande Kala Academy at the Ravindra Natya Mandir in
Mumbai, has been named after him.
• A garden, Pu. La. Deshpande Udyan, in Pune has been named after him.