PuLa DeshpandeOriginal Source: P. L. & Sunita Deshpande Collection
Purushottam Laxman Deshpande, affectionately known by his initials PuLa, was called "Maharashtra's Most Beloved Personality." He was a multifaceted personality revered in each of his several roles as an acclaimed author, playwright, orator, actor, director, musician, composer, harmonium player, singer, cultural leader and philanthropist.
PuLa’s Birthplace in Gavadevi, MumbaiOriginal Source: P. L. & Sunita Deshpande Collection
Born in a chawl in Mumbai, India, on 8th November 1919, PuLa spent his early years in the suburb of Mumbai, Parle, which at that time was a thriving hotbed for cultural activity.
In PuLa’s House with His Cultural IdolsOriginal Source: P. L. & Sunita Deshpande Collection
Some of PuLa's early influences and idols in the fields of performing arts, literature and music were Bal Gandharva, Ram Ganesh Gadkari, Rabindranath Tagore, and Charlie Chaplin.
"We have heard of a philosopher King, like the King Janaka, in the ancient times. But in Charlie Chaplin we met a Philosopher Clown. He was unbelievably successful in concealing a great store of wisdom and an intense feeling for the suffering humanity under the mask of a clown. To millions of his viewers he was ‘The Eternal Tramp’ – in search of food, shelter, and love; an underdog. He made us all laugh. But this was a different kind of laughter. This laughter cleansed and purified us from within. This was not a laughter which gives man a sense of superiority over the one at whom he laughs. He made us realize through his clowning ‘what man has made of man.’ He touched the innermost depth of our souls. That’s what all great art does to us. [...] To an average viewer he was a clown. To those who could get a deeper view of his art and philosophy he was a humanist; and to those who could reach still closer to the message he so very subtly gave through his films, he was a prophet."
– Speech by P.L. Deshpande on the occasion of Issue of Commemorative Stamp in honor of Charlie Chaplin at Film and TV Institute of India on 16th April, 1978.
Sunita DeshpandeOriginal Source: P. L. & Sunita Deshpande Collection
PuLa's wife, Sunita Deshpande, was a well-known personality in her own right, a freedom fighter, an actress and an award-winning writer. PuLa always credited her for her purposeful efforts to channel his creativity and nurture his productivity.
PuLa first entered the field of performing arts through the Marathi film industry. From 1947-1954 (and again in 1993), PuLa took part in over 25 movies in various capacities: lead actor, writer (story, screenplay, dialogue), music director, playback singer, and director.
One of his most celebrated films was Gulacha Ganpati (1954), known as 'sabkuch PuLa', since he was involved in all the capacities from lead actor and director to writer and music director. The songs in the movie, which he had composed, for the voices of Bhimsen Joshi, Vasantrao Deshpande, Manik Varma, and Asha Bhosle, became famous hits.
He was a versatile actor whose acting roles spanned across many walks of life from spiritual saints to absent-minded storekeeper. Many of the songs in which PuLa is seen on screen have been given playback by Sudhir Phadke.
PuLa Playing the HarmoniumOriginal Source: P. L. & Sunita Deshpande Collection
PuLa's life was fully emersed in all aspects of music. As a singer and music composer (for operas, dramas, poems, and films), he was known for his spontaneity, creativity, and deep knowledge spanning classical, semi-classical, and folk music. He was not only famous for his solo harmonium playing, but also accompanied the likes of Mallikarjun Mansur, Bhimsen Joshi, Vasantrao Deshpande, and Kumar Gandharva.
PuLa composed three musical operas (Bilhan, Amrut-Vruksha, and Sangeetika). While Bilhan and Amrut-Vruksha were performed over the All-India Radio, Sangeetika was performed single-handedly by PuLa in his one-man show.
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru with PuLa – Broadcast TelevisionOriginal Source: P. L. & Sunita Deshpande Collection
After spending a couple of years working at the All-India Radio in Mumbai, PuLa was part of the commission sent to BBC for training to introduce Television to India.
PuLa – Broadcast TelevisionOriginal Source: P. L. & Sunita Deshpande Collection
He was keen on bringing performing arts to the audio-visual mediums to reach wider audiences.
PuLa and Madhu Kadam in the Play 'Vatvat'Original Source: P. L. & Sunita Deshpande Collection
However, at heart, PuLa was a stage performer with a great rapport with his audience. He was a celebrated playright, stage actor, and play director.
Cartoon on PuLa’s Show by Bal ThackerayOriginal Source: P. L. & Sunita Deshpande Collection
His famous plays such as Vaaryaavarchi Varat, Vatvat, and Tujhe Aahe Tuza Paashi were known for drawing house-full crowds. Scenes from his plays and witty dialogues were always the talk of the town and often incorporated in everyday lexicon.
PuLa in His One-Man ShowOriginal Source: P. L. & Sunita Deshpande Collection
PuLa's most famous stage play was his almost 3-hour long one-man show Batatyachi Chawl, in which he created an entire society of fictional characters living in a chawl. The captivating interactions, arguments, challenges, and often herculian undertakings of an entire cast of quirky personalities were all performed by PuLa himself dressed in a scarf and coat, with nothing but a small wooden bench on stage. He performed this one-man show from 1961 to 1975.
PuLa Directing His Play 'Tee Phoolrani'Original Source: P. L. & Sunita Deshpande Collection
As a playwright, PuLa also adapted several famous plays into Marathi language and Marathi culture: Gogol's Inspector General, Shaw's Pygmalion, and Brecht's Three Penny Opera. These were not translations, but adaptions, and this important difference was greatly lauded by scholars and audiences alike.
Bhakti Barve in 'Tee Phoolrani'Original Source: P. L. & Sunita Deshpande Collection (Yaa Sama Haa Documentary)
Many of the soliloquies from his adaptations received great recognition, both for their language, direction, and acting. Bhakti Barve's soliloquy from Tee Phoolrani (adaptation of Shaw's Pygmalion) where the simpleton, uneducated flower girl dreams of exacting revenge, but ultimately showing mercy on her disciplinarian language instructor, was a rich presentation combining elements of music, dance, and poetry.
PuLa was perhaps most famous however as a prolific writer. His essays spanned a wide variety of genres: humor, satire, caricature, personal sketches (both fiction and non-fiction), thought-provoking articles, travelogues, and dramas. He published over 60 books.
His book Vyakti ani Valli, which received the Sahitya Akademi award, Batatyachi Chawl, and Asa Mi-Asa Mi, both of which he later performed on stage as highly acclaimed one-man shows, created fictional personalities that resonated and captured the Zeitgeist of Marathi culture and society of his time.
PuLa’s Biographical Piece on Babasaheb Purandare
It was through his biographical sketches that many readers got to know of prominent social workers, artists, musicians, and intellectuals. His essays gave insights on how to appreciate the contributions and personalities of these luminary figures across many fields.
PuLa’s Speech at Jagatik Marathi Parishad (1989)Original Source: P. L. & Sunita Deshpande Collection
PuLa was also extremely well-known for his oration. His flow, spontaneity, thought-provoking ideas, and humor thrilled many audiences. His speeches about art and culture are particularly revered.
PuLa Giving a SpeechOriginal Source: P. L. & Sunita Deshpande Collection
PuLa's oration was not just limited to entertainment, arts and culture. He gave many speeches as a social activist, e.g., galvanizing support against curbs on freedom of speech put during Emergency or speaking out against superstition (andha shradhaa). The social messages were both inspiring and encouraged self-discovery and reflection.
PuLa and Sunita Deshpande – 'Borkar Kavita Vaachan'Original Source: Dr. Shraddhanand Thakur
PuLa Deshpande and his wife Sunita Deshpande took it upon themselves to share their love of poetry by presenting some of their favorite poets' works.
A Program in NCPA PuLa Organized and PresentedOriginal Source: P. L. & Sunita Deshpande Collection
PuLa also helped shape institutions promoting cultural exchange such as National Center for Performing Arts (as the first Advisory Board member and later also the Honorary Director). At NCPA, he undertook important archival work and conceived and presented several programs to give exposure to regional music, drama, and poetry. PuLa was also active in the Sangeet Natak Akademi and was instrumental in conceiving and building the famous Bal Gandharva Theatre in Pune.
PuLa’s Speech at Muktangan Rehabilitation CenterOriginal Source: P. L. & Sunita Deshpande Collection
Practicing the idea of trusteeship, rather than ownership of one's earnings, PuLa and Sunita Deshpande always kept a simple lifestyle and made generous charitable donations to thoughtfully chosen social and cultural causes: Baba Amte's Anandwan for leprosy, Muktangan Center for addiction rehabilitation, Inter-University Academy of Astronomy and Astrophysics for science education, and Blood Bank to name just a few.
PuLa was the recipient of countless awards and recognitions: high civilian awards (Padmashri, Padmabhushan), cultural laurels (Saahitya and Sangeet Natak Akademi awards), three honorary doctorates...
PuLa passed away on June 12, 2000 in Pune. On his second death anniversary, the government of India issued a postal stamp in his honor.
PuLa Deshpande Udyan (Pune) Photograph by MV KulkarniOriginal Source: MV Kulkarni
There have been many tributes celebrating PuLa's life and work. The Maharashtra government named the new performing arts academy in Mumbai as PuLa Deshpande Maharashtra Kala Academy. Pune municipality opened up a garden, PuLa Deshpande Udyan, in his honor, and declared his house and the street where he lived as cultural heritage sites.
PuLa's centenary year (2018-19) was celebrated not only in Maharashtra, but by Marathi people all over the world, with various festivals, creation of a digital font of his handwriting, and publication of his audio books and of his correspondence with famous writers, poets, and musicians. The cultural legacy of this multifaceted personality lives on.
PuLa Deshpande Working on His Writing TableOriginal Source: P. L. & Sunita Deshpande Collection
"Writing is a constant search for someone who will understand you, who will laugh with you, or shed a tear with you. [...] I laugh: I laugh first at myself, and in return my readers and spectators also laugh at me first, and suddenly they realise that they have laughed at themselves, which I beleive is good for social health. [...] I love literature but I would like to love it a hundred times more. I am not an angry young man; I am a hungry young man. I want to read Kannada poems, [...], Tamil novels, Bengali plays, Telugu songs--I want to love literature in a hundred different ways. My only worry is that I cannot love it enough."
– Quote from Sahitya Akademi Award speech. Full transcription can be found in P.L. Deshpande's book Saathvan (1979)
His thoughts and outlook on life, arts, and culture is what continues to inspire generations.
Images courtesy P. L. & Sunita Deshpande Collection
Text and curation courtesy Ashutosh and Dinesh Thakur
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