Vishnudas Bhave

Vishnu Amrut Bhave (1818 – 9 August 1901), widely known as Vishnudas Bhave, was an Indian theatrical pioneer recognized as the father of Marathi theatre. He established the first drama troupe in Maharashtra to perform plays structured around a definite theatrical concept. Born in Sangli, he staged the first Marathi-language play Sita Swayamvar in Sangli in 1843. Bhave states that this play was inspired by the Yakshagana Bhagavata Mela of Karnataka and the music was composed in Karnataki style.

Early life Bhave was born in 1818. He served as an employee under Shrimant Chintamanrao, also known as Appasaheb Patwardhan, the ruler of the princely state of Sangli. Bhave possessed a strong personal interest in composing stories and poems.

In 1842, a drama troupe named 'Bhagavat' from Karnataka arrived in Sangli. After witnessing their performances, Appasaheb Patwardhan envisioned creating similar theatrical productions in the Marathi language with certain refinements. The ruler entrusted this developmental task to Bhave.

Vishnudas Bhave Gaurav Padak

In memory of Bhave, the Akhil Bharatiya Natya Vidyamandir instituted the Vishnudas Bhave Gaurav Padak, first awarded to Bal Gandharva in 1959. It subsequently became an annual honour presented in Sangli on 5 November (Marathi Rangbhumi Din).