Seriously funny

The event was presided over by eminent writer,Yashwantrao Gadakh Patil,senior journalist,S.K Kulkarni,senior cartoonist,S.D Phadnis,senior poet Vithal Wagh,writer F.M.Shinde,popular comedian,Ashok Naygaonkar and Phutane. Cocktail,Safed Topi Lal Bati,and Changbal,all collections of Phutane’s sarcastic poetry, were released by energy minister,Sushilkumar Shinde at the event.

Drawing,poetry,films and politics have been Phutane’s passions. After a diploma in fine arts from Abhinav Kalavidyalaya in Pune,Phutane worked as an arts teacher in Marwadi Vidyalaya. Here is where he was inspired to enter the world of cinema with his first production,Saamna,a Marathi crime thriller which raked in three national awards. He has also directed movies like the 1978 movie Sarvasakshi,with Smita Patil in the lead role. His latest project is titled Suryanta,a film about the life of labourers in a sugar mill.

“A demarcation should always be drawn between reality and humour,or else one never can guess what might offend whom and cause undesirable trouble. Society can be quite volatile and any thought could trigger an adverse reaction,” says Phutane,adding,“I have always applied unbiased political and social criticism in my poems. I strongly believe that running away from problems only creates more problems. It is better to first recognise the issue and then discuss it and come up with a fair and democratic solution. This is why I address serious social and political issues in my work in a lighter tone,one that does not hit you in the face but makes your mind linger on it.”