Kashinath Ghanekar

Kashinath Ghanekar (14 September 1930 – 2 March 1986 ) was a popular stage and Film actor also a dental surgeon. a gynaecologist and obstetrician. His first marriage was childless and ended in divorce. He subsequently married a much younger woman, Kanchan, the daughter of Marathi actress Sulochana Latkar. This marriage was harmonious. After his death Kanchan penned a biography titled Nath Ha Maza, meaning "such was my husband".

Career Ghanekar was the first superstar of the Marathi stage with a lot of glamour, and he was the highest paid star from the years 1960 to 1980. He appeared in Marathi films in the 1960s. In addition to Marathi stage and movies, he appeared in Hindi movies such as Abhilasha opposite Nanda and Dadi Maa where he played the role of the son of Ashok Kumar and Bina Rai.

The role that made him a popular actor was that of Sambhaji in the play Raigadala Jevha Jaag Yete (When Raigad Awakens) written by the play writer, Vasant Kanetkar. The most notable character played by him was "Lalya" in the play Ashroonchi Zhali Phule. Some of the other noted plays he acted in are: Ithe Oshalala Mrutyu, Garambicha Bapu, Anandi Gopal, Shitu, Tujhe Aahe Tujpashi, Sundar Mi Honar and Madhumanjiri.

The film Madhuchandra (in 1968) made Ghanekar, a noted stage actor, a major Marathi film star. One of his most popular films in Marathi is the mystery movie Ha Khel Savlyancha with Asha Kale.

Death and legacy Ghanekar died of a heart attack during one of the tours of his plays, at his hotel room at Amravati.

The Dr. Kashinath Ghanekar Natyagruha, a modern theater with an auditorium, was built by the Thane Municipal Corporation. In November 2018, Ani... Dr. Kashinath Ghanekar a Marathi-language feature film was released; starring Subodh Bhave as Dr Ghanekar, Sonali Kulkarni, Sumeet Raghavan, Vaidehi Parashurami, Prasad Oak, Nandita Dhuri, Anand Ingale and Mohan Joshi in prominent roles. It is a biographical drama directed by Abhijeet shirish Deshpande.

Theatre Below is a list of stage plays where Ghanekar played a significant role. Year mentioned is when the Play was first performed on a public stage.

Year Name of Play Role 1952 ShituShitu Tujhe Aahe TujpashiAcharya Sundar Mi HonarMaharaj Madhumanjiri Laxmi Aali Ghara 1962 Raygadala Jevha Jaag Yete Chh. Sambhaji Maharaj 1963 Ashroonchi Zhali Phule Lalya 1968 Ithe Oshalala MrutyuSambhaji Maharaj 1972 Garambicha BapuBapu Guntata Hriday He 1976 Anandi GopalGopalrao Joshi

Filmography Year FilmRole Notes 1953 Dharma PatniMohanDebut 1963 Pahu Re Kiti VaatKashi 1964 Maratha Tituka MelvavaBhavya PathlaagBalasaheb Panse 1965 PadchayaRajaLaxmi Aali GharaLaxmi's husband 1966 Daadi MaaSomuHindi film 1967 MadhuchandraDinu Khare 1968 EkatiSurekha's husband Preet Shikva MalaVasanta AbhilashaDr. Ajay SinghHindi film 1970 Dev ManoosPrasad Garambicha BapuBapu Manla Tar DevDoctor 1971 Ajab Tuje SarkarSachya JhepRavindra Phanse1974Gupt GyanProfessorHindi film 1975 Ghar Gangecha KathiJayshree's husband 1976 Ha Khel Sawalyancha Dr. Shekhar Thorat 1978 Chandra Hota SakshilaShridhar