P. L. Deshpande

Infobox Writer
name = Purushottam Laxman Deshpande


caption =
birthdate = birth date|1919|11|8|df=y
birthplace = Mumbai
deathdate = death date and age|2000|6|12|1919|11|8|df=y
deathplace = Pune
spouse = Sunita Deshpande
education = M.A., L.L.B.
occupation = Writer, TV Producer/Director, Actor, Music Director

Purushottam Laxman Deshpande ( _mr. पुरुषोत्तम लक्ष्मण देशपांडे) (8 November 1918 – 12 June 2000) was a Marathi writer from Maharashtra in India. Apart from his writing, he was also well-known for his all-round achievements as an accomplished film and stage actor, music composer, harmonium player, singer and orator. He wrote in Marathi under the name "पु. ल. देशपांडे" ("P. L. Deshpande"), and was popularly known by just his initials "पु. ल. ("Pu. La.")". He was also affectionately called "Maharashtrache laadke vyaktimattva" or "the most beloved personality in Maharashtra".

Biography

Born in Mumbai (Bombay) to Laxman and Lakshmibai Deshpande, P. L. Deshpande received his college education at Fergusson College in Pune and Willingdon College in Sangli.

For some years, he 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. In 1946, he married Sunita Thakur, who is an accomplished author herself and has acted in some plays in the past. Wit was a hallmark of the writings of Deshpande. He wrote plays, essays, life sketches, short stories, novels, travelogues, screenplays for films, and movie lyrics. Deshpande took lessons in playing harmonium from Dattopant Rajopadhye of "Bhaskar Sangitalaya". He was proficient in Hindustani classical music and deep interest in Marathi musical theater. He was an accomplished music director and a singer.

He was also an admirer of Rabindranath Tagore, and learnt Bengali just so that he could read Tagore's Gitanjali in its original form.

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 "bhaavaanuvaad" (भावानुवाद), meaning "adaptation of the essence".

Plays:
* तुका म्हणे आता (Tuka Mhane Ata) – 1948
* पुढारी पाहिजॆ (Pudhari Pahije) – 1951
* अंमलदार (Ammaldar) – 1952...based on Nikolai Gogol's "Inspector General"
* भाग्यवान (Bhagyawan) – 1953
* तुझे आहे तुजपाशी (Tujhe Ahe Tujapashi) – 1957
* सुंदर मी होणार (Sundar Mi Honar) – 1958
* पहिला राजा/आधे अधूरे (Pahila Raja/adhe Adhure) – 1976...based on Jagadish Chandra Mathur's " Adhe Adhure"
* तीन पैशांचा तमाशा (Teen Paishancha Tamasha) – 1978...based on Bertolt Brecht's "The Three Penny Opera"
* राजा ओयदिपौस (Raja Oyadipaus) – 1979...based on Sophocles's "Oedipus Rex"
* ती फुलराणी (Ti Fulrani)...based on George Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalion"
* एक झुंज वार्याशी (Eka Jhunja Waryashi)

;One-Act Plays
* मोठे मासे आणि छोटे मासे (Mothe Mase ani Chhote Mase) – 1957
* विठ्ठल तो आला आला (Withthala To ala ala) -1961
* आम्ही लटिके ना बोलू (amhi Latike Na Bolu) – 1975

;Children's plays
* वयं मोठं खोटं (Wayam Motham Khotam) – 1956
* नवे गोकुळ (Nawe Gokul) – 1958

;Essays
* खोगीरभरती (Khogir Bharati) – 1949
* नस्ती उठाठेव (Nasti Uthathewa) - 1952
* बटाट्याची चाळ (Batatyachi Chal) – 1958
* गोळाबेरीज (Golaberij) – 1960
* असा मी असामी (Asa Mi Asami) – 1964
* ह(फ)सवणूक (Ha(pha)sawanuk) – 1968
* खिल्ली (Khilli) –
* कोट्याधीश पु. ल. (Kotyadhish Pu La.) –
* मराठी वाङ्मयाचा गाळीव इतिहास (Marathi Wangmayacha Galiw Itihas) –
* टेलिफोनचा जन्म (Teliphonacha Janma) –
* पोरवय (Porawaya) –

;Novels
* काय वाट्टेल 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"
* कान्होजी आंग्रे (Kanhoji Angre) –

;Biography:
* गांधीजी (Gandhiji) – 1970

;Collections of Life Sketches
* गणगोत (Ganagot) – 1966
* व्यक्ती आणि वल्ली ("Wyakti ani Walli") (life sketches of imaginary personalities) – 1966
* गुण गाईन आवडी ("Guna Gaeena awadi") – 1975
*रविन्द्रनाथ : तीन व्याख्याने ("Ravindranath : Teen Wyakhyane") –

;Travelogues
* अपूर्वाई (Apurwai) - 1960
* पूर्वरंग (Purwarang) - 1963
* जावे त्यांच्या देशा (Jawe Tyanchya Desha) – 1974
* वंगचित्रे (Wyanga Chitre) - 1974

'A List of Some of the Humorous Essays
* एका रविवारची कहाणी (Eka Rawiwarchi Kahani)
* बिगरी ते मॅट्रिक (Bigari Te Matric)
* हरी तात्या (Hari Tatya)
* पुणेकर, मुंबईकर, का नागपूरकर? (Punekar, Mumbaikar, Ka Nagpurkar?)
* म्हैस (Mhais)
* मी आणि माझा शत्रुपक्ष (Mi ani Majha Shatrupaksha)
* पाळीव प्राणी (Paliwa Prani)
* पानवाला (Panwala)
* काही नवे ग्रहयोग (Kahi Nave Grahayog)
* माझे पौष्टिक जीवन (Majhe Paustik Jeewan)
* पेस्तन काका (Pestan Kaka)
* रावसाहेब (Raosaheb)
* सखाराम गटणे (Sakharam Gatane)
* नामू परीट (Namu Parit)
* उरलासुरला (Urala Surala)

(Cartoons by Vasant Sarwate accompanied some of the humorous works of P. L. Deshpande)

Movies

* कुबेर (Kuber) – 1947: Actor and Playback Singer
* भाग्यरेषा (Bhagyaresha) – 1948: Actor and Playback Singer
* वंदेमातरम् (Wandemataram) – 1948: Actor and Playback Singer
* जागा भाड्याने 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 पाहिजे (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 बिर्हाड (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
* देवबाप्पा (Dewabappa) – 1958: Music Director and Writer of Story, Screenplay, Dialogues, and Lyrics
* फूल और कलियाँ (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
* चिमणराव गुंड्याभाऊ (Chimanarao Gundyabhau) – : Narrator
* एक होता विदूषक (Eka Hota Widushaka) – 1993: Writer of Screenplay and Dialogues

One-Man Stage Shows

* बटाट्याची चाळ (Batatyachi Chal)
* असा मी असामी (Asa Mi Asami)
* हसविण्याचा माझा धंदा (Hasawinyacha Majha Dhanda)
* वा-यावरची वरात (Waryawarachi Warat)

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

* पुण्य भूषण (Punya Bhushan)
* महाराष्ट्र भूषण (Maharashtra Bhushan)
* महाराष्ट्र गौरव (बहुरूपी) (Maharashtra Gaurawa (Bahurupi) Award)
* Sahitya Akademi Award
* Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
* पद्मश्री (Padma Shri) – 1966
* पद्मभूषण (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 Garden" in Pune has been named after him.

External links

* [http://www.puladeshpande.net/ Pula Deshpande Official Site]
* [http://cooldeepak.blogspot.com/ पु.ल.प्रेम Blog for Pula Deshpande fans]
* [http://www.geocities.com/pldeshpande/ Pula Deshpande: A tribute]
* [http://www.ideasnext.com/marathimusic/Kathakathan/index.htm Kathakathan-Recital of his works by himself]
* [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20000715/ai_n14329780/pg_1 Obituary: P. L. Deshpande] in The Independent, London.
* [http://groups.google.co.in/group/p-l-deshpande P L Deshpande Group Collection]