Vidyadhar Gokhale
Vidyadhar S. Gokhale (Devanagari: विद्याधर गोखले) (1924–1996) was a political activist, a Marathi playwright, and an editor of a Marathi newspaper, Loksatta (लोकसत्ता), from Maharashtra, India. He was originally from Amravati.
Writing Career
He wrote novel Jhanjhawat (झंझावात ) and the following musical plays:
- Suvarna Tula (सुवर्णतुला) (1960)
- Panditraj Jagannath (पंडितराज जगन्नाथ) (1960)
- Mandarmala (मंदारमाला) (1963)
- Madanachi Manjiri (मदनाची मंजिरी) (1965)
- Jai Jai Gauri Shankar (जय जय गौरीशंकर)
- Bawannkhani (बावन्नखणी)
He formed Ranga Sharada Pratishthan (रंगशारदा प्रतिष्ठान) to stage the above plays.
He presided over Marathi Sahitya Sammelan in Satara in 1993.
Political Career
He had represented Mumbai North Central in 9th Lok Sabha in 1989-91 as Shiv Sena candidate. Throughout his life, he was affiliated with socio-political organizations like RSS, Hindu Mahasabha which are proponents of Hindutva ideology, and was associated with their leaders like Veer Savarkar, Pu Bha Bhave, Balasaheb Deoras.
Personal Life
He had married two sisters before polygamy was outlawed, and thus had two wives. Gokhale's grandson, Omkar Dadarkar, was among the upcoming singers in the early 2010s.