Ram Ganesh Gadkari

Ram Ganesh Gadkari (1885, in Gujarat - 23 Jan 1919 in Saoner, near Nagpur) was a major Marathi writer of his day. He is best known for his dramas, and his poetry written under the name 'Govindagraj' (Govind's elder brother).

Gadkari was part of Kirloskar Natak Mandali where its manager Shankarrao Mujumdar took keen interest in him. Gadkari was an upcoming dramatist in 1910s but he was ambitious and also jealous. The company would perform two dramas every week, a minor one in mid-week and the major money-spinner on weekends. Gadkari vowed that he would turn playwright Khadilkar's popular weekend plays into mid-week plays. Bal Gandharva was atthe height of his powers this time and asked Gadkari to write a drama for him. Gadkari had noted Gandharva's taste for costly sarees and makeup. He told Gandgarva to be ready to act in torn clothes in his play. In the play Ekach Pyala, Gandharva had to play the character of Sindhu, who is a poor but devoted wife of a drunkard named Sudhakar, a character written with Ganpatrao Bodas in mind. Bodas was disappointed when his Sudhakar was completely dwarfed in the public imagination by Sindhu's pathos; this wasn't a result he and Gadkari had had in mind when the drama's plot was decided. The songs in the drama were written by Viththal Sitaram Gurjar, upon Gadkari's request, to be used temporarily. But they became permanent fixtures because Gadkari died without replacing Gurjar's songs.

Later Gadkari had to leave Kirloskar Naatak Mandali. When Master Dinanath, Chintamanrao Kolhatkar, and Krishnarao Kolhapure also broke away from it to form their Balwant Natak Mandali, Gadkari supported the new company. His last play 'Raj-sanyas' was left incomplete because of his death.

Gadkari's poems are perhaps better known than his famous plays. They exerted major influence in the decades following his death. He considered Shripad Krishna Kolhatkar, a humourist and playwright, to be his guru. Gadkari tried his hand at humour under the pen-name 'Balakram'.

References

http://www.thaneweb.com/features/features_036_gadkari.htm