Shivaji of Marathi cinema dies at 73

PUNE, Aug 22: Veteran Marathi film actor Suryakant Mandre, who was renowned for his enactment of the role of Chhattrapati Shivaji, passed...

PUNE, Aug 22: Veteran Marathi film actor Suryakant Mandre, who was renowned for his enactment of the role of Chhattrapati Shivaji, passed away here this morning. He was 73 and is survived by his wife Sushila and three sons. The body of the actor, who hailed from Kolhapur, has been taken to his native place for the last rites.

The actor had complained of chest pain this morning and was rushed to a private hospital. But he passed away on the way to the hospital. Mandre made a foray into the Marathi cine world as a child when he acted in Dhruv which was produced in 1938.

There was no looking back afterwards for the actor who featured in over 100 films. Besides being a good cine actor, he had left a mark in the theatre and lierary worlds as well. His enactment of the role of Chhattrapati Shivaji is well remembered in the films Bahirji Naik produced in 1943, Jai Bhavani produced in 1947, Ganimi Kawa in 1981, Swarajyacha Shiledar in 1951 and Pavan Khind in 1956.

Mandre was a versatile actor who enacted all roles, including that of a comedian, with equal ease. Aamhi Jato Amuchya Gava produced in 1968, highlighted his acumen as a comedian. Among Mandre’s other best known films were Akher Jamla (1952), Stree Janma Hi Tujhi Kahani (1952), Shubh Mangal (1954), Sangte Aika (1959), Shikleli Bayko (1959), Mohityanchi Manjula (1963), Sadhi Mansa (1965) — a film which is remarkable for the fact that not a single actor or actress used make-up and Ashi Rangli Ratra (1970), among others.

Sangte Aika, incidentally, created a record by running for over 230 weeks. Mandre’s role in the film, Malhari Martand, produced in 1966-67, bagged him the State Government’s best actor award.

He had produced and directed one film Irsha in 1978. He had also acted in a few Hindi films like Karbhala and Shola Jo Bhadke. Mandre has left a mark in folk theatre with his acting in plays like Dasra Ujadla, Agryahun Sutka, Bebandshahi, Lagnachi Bedi and Tujhe Ahe Tujhapashi,” are a few other plays in which he acted. Besides acting, Mandre enjoyed painting and writing. His books Dhakti Pati, Kolhapuri Saaj and Vishwakarma have won the State Government and Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad awards.

Eminent personalities from the cine, cultural and social fields including Charudutt Sarpotdar, Vishwas Sarpotdar, Nilu Phule, Chittaranjan Kolhatkar, Babasaheb Purandare, Jayram Kulkarni and others paid their last respects to the veteran actor before his body was taken to Kolhapur.