Annasaheb Kirloskar

Balwant Pandurang Kirloskar (Devanagari: बळवंत पांडुरंग किर्लोस्कर) (1843 - 1885), popularly known as Annasaheb Kirloskar, was a Marathi playwright from Maharashtra, India.

Kirloskar was born on March 31, 1843 at Gurlhosur in Belgaum district to a Karhade Brahmin family. After completing schooling in his native place, at the age of twenty, Annasaheb moved to Pune to pursue further education. His overwhelming interest, however, lay in theatre and he faced parental pressure for his continued disinterest in formal education. His father pressurised him to return to his native Belgaum.

To support himself, Kirloskar then worked for eight years as a school teacher in Belgaum; he subsequently worked for a few years in the police department and then as a clerk in the revenue commissioner's office. Despite his lack of much formal education, Kirloskar was well-versed in Sanskrit literature.

In 1843, the same year in which Kirloskar's was born, Vishnudas Bhave pioneered presentation of Marathi plays by staging the play Seeta Swayamwar (सीतास्वयंवर), the Raja of the princely state of Sangli being then in attendance among the audience.

While working as a school teacher in Belgaum, Kirloskar established Bharatshastrottejak Mandali (भरतशास्त्रोत्तेजक मंडळी) in 1866. Seven years later, he completed composition of his first prose play Shri Shankar Digvijay (श्रीशांकर दिग्विजय) for public presentation by Kolhapurkar Natak Mandali (कोल्हापूर नाटक मंडळी). Around 1874, he founded Kirloskar Natak Mandali (किर्लोस्कर नाटक मंडळी).

In 1879, playwright and producer Trilokekar independently presented his musical play Nal-Damayanti (नल-दमयंती) to Marathi public. It was the first musical play on Marathi stage.

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