Sudhir Bhatt

Sudhir Bhat was a theatre producer of Indian origin. He was a well-known name in the Marathi Theatre. Sudhir Bhat was born in 1951. He was the founder of the renowned theatre group Suyog. Over a period of three decades, he produced more than 80 plays, which were performed nearly 17000 times, and eight of his plays even crossed the 1000 show mark. Sudhir is also a record holder for producing the most number of plays during the span of a career. Sudhir Bhat in association with Gopal Algeri, founded a theatre ensemble - Suyog on 1 January 1985, which set a record for producing the highest number of plays under one banner in Marathi theater. His play Moruchi Mavashi was a massive hit and brought him into the limelight. The play turned out to be a stepping stone for new actors like Pradeep Patwardhan Pradeep Patwardhan is a popular actor, who works i >> Read More... , Vijay Chavan Vijay Chavan was a Television actor in the Indian >> Read More... , and Prashant Damle.

He took Marathi plays beyond India and made them popular in the UK, the United States, and Europe. His career was not all smooth. While he faced criticism for conducting many business transactions during the Marathi play allocation dates and facing losses in some plays, he didn't abandon his passion for producing plays. He was encountered by many controversies as the head of the Natya Nirmata Sangh, and was referred as the 'contractor-producer' by many producers. Critics accused him of using his clout to gain prime slots and making theatre all commercial. However, he stood firm on his views regarding quality theatre, good marketing, and high production values. He was absolutely unapologetic about his brand of theatre and believed that it was a serious business that required a lot of effort.

Although he faced criticism, Sudhir Bhat's commercial success in the 90s brought a glimmer of hope to Mumbai's theatre scene, which was struggling at the time. As a wise businessman, he was able to overlook the losses that some of his plays incurred. Despite his focus on profits, he deserves recognition for producing unconventional plays that expanded the Marathi theatre universe. In 2003, he cast 75-year-old Shriram Lagoo in 'Mitra', a play about an upper caste widower who gets close to his female Dalit nurse, much to his family's disapproval. The play was performed 218 times on stage and had a full house most of the times. It was well-received in places like Dubai. 'Gandhi Virudh Gandhi' was another bold attempt to portray the controversial relationship between Mahatma Gandhi and his son Harilal Gandhi, which was a risky undertaking.

He was an expert at marketing his plays. For instance, his adaptation of PL Deshpande's life sketches 'Vyakti ani Valli' introduced a new generation to a comic masterpiece. The success of the play is attributed to the popularity of Deshpande. Some of his plays are: Uduni ja pakhara, Shrimant, Tarun Turk mhatare ark, Hasat khelat, Eka lagnachi gosht, Hich tar premachi gammat aahe, Char diwas premache, Be lalna raja (Gujarati), Brahmachari, Sundar mi honar, Kalam 302, Javai maza bhala, Karayalo gelo ek, Kashat kay laphdyat pay, Beimaan, Moruchi mavashi, Nishpap, Pritisangam, Ti phulrani, Wa guru, Gandhi viruddha Gandhi, Kirvant, Lagnachi bedi, Vyakti ani valli, Sandhyachhaya, Eka lagnachi gosht, Shri tashi sou, Zala ekdacha, Prema tuza rang kasa, Bhrmacha bhopla, and Ekda pahava karun. He passed away on November 14, 2013, due to a heart attack at Hinduja hospital.