Dilip Prabhavalkar

Dilip Prabhavalkar (born 4 August 1944)^[1] is an Indian Marathi actor, director, playwright and author. He has a career spanning over five decades in Hindi and Marathi theatre, television and movies.^[2] He was awarded the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Mahatma Gandhi in the 2006 Hindi film Lage Raho Munna Bhai.

Dilip Prabhavalkar
Prabhavalkar in 2015
Born	(1944-08-04) 4 August 1944 (age 80) Bombay, Bombay Province, British India
Nationality	British Indian (1944-1947) Indian (1947-present)
Alma mater	Ramnarain Ruia College (B.sc.) Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (M.sc. & Diploma)
Occupation(s)	Actor, author
Years active	1972 - present
Spouse	Neela Prabhavalkar ​ (m. 1973)​
Awards	2 National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor
Honours	Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2010) Bal Sahitya Puraskar (2011)
Website	www.dilipprabhavalkar.com

Early life

Born in Mumbai, Dilip Prabhavalkar obtained a bachelor's degree in Chemistry from Ramnarain Ruia College, Matunga. He gained his master's degree in Biophysics and a diploma from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, before working for a pharmaceutical company.^[1] He joined as a partner in a video production unit. During this period, he performed as an actor in several children's and experimental plays staged at Chhabildas. In 1991, he decided to give up this dual existence of working and doing plays simultaneously and chose acting as a career.

Career

Acting

He started performing as an actor in children's plays and experimental plays. His first major performance was in Lobh Nasava Hi Vinanti, a play written by Vijay Tendulkar and directed by Arvind Deshpande, which was well received.^[3] He went on to star in various plays including Vaasuchi Sasu, Sandhyachaya, Naatigoti, Javai Maza Bhala, Kalam 302 and Ghar Tighanche Have. He debuted on Marathi television by playing Chimanrao in the television serial Chimanrao Gundyabhau. He went on to star in television shows like Turtur and Shriyut Gangadhar Tipre.^[1][2] He also played various characters in Hasva Fasvi, a Marathi play.^[4][5]

He is known for his versatility and is known for transforming himself into the characters he plays. He gained recognition for his various comedic and dramatic film roles, notably in Ek Daav Bhutacha (1982), Zapatlela (1993) and Chaukat Raja (1991).^[6][7] In 1991, he decided to choose acting as a career. In children's and amateur theatre, Prabhavalkar was associated with Ratnakar Matkari's group and performed in all the plays staged by the troupe. His performances of a simpleton in Prem Kahani and Vidur in Aranyak — a play based on the Mahabharat — were awarded prizes at the Maharashtra State Drama Festival.

Prabhavalkar starred in the Bollywood movie Encounter: The Killing as an old gangster, Punappa Avade in 2002.^[8] He portrayed Mahatma Gandhi in the 2006 hit Lage Raho Munna Bhai.^[9] He reprised his role in the Telugu remake called Shankar Dada Zindabad. From the experimental stage, Prabhavalkar very easily moved to the professional stage in 1976, and since then has acted in plays from slapstick to light comedy, family drama, and melodrama, to serious discussion plays dealing with contemporary issues.

Prabhavalkar was recently seen in Faster Fene, a movie inspired by the popular Marathi book series of the same name, authored by B. R. Bhagwat, who he portrays in the film. The film is about a young boy who uncovers an educational scam using his detective prowess. In 2018, he did a talk show called Chimanrao Tey Gandhi, where he narrated the process behind each of his roles.^[10]

Writing

In 1994, he wrote a play titled Chuk Bhul Dyavi Ghyavi.^[11] He has authored 28 books and has also won a Sahitya Akademi Award for his children’s book, Bokya Satbande.^[5]

Filmography

Films

Year	Title	Role	Language	Notes
1982	Ek Daav Bhutacha	Master	Marathi	[6]
1987	Chhakke Panje	Raja Bairagi	Marathi
1989	Dharla Tar Chavtay	Dr. Pralhad Tonage	Marathi
1991	Chaukat Raja	Nandu	Marathi	[7][12]
1992	Ek Hota Vidushak	Chief Minister	Marathi
1993	Zapatlela	Tatya Vinchu	Marathi
1995	Khilona Bana Khalnayak	Tatya Bichu	Hindi
	Beqabu	Behrupiya Raja's Friend	Hindi	-
1996	Katha Don Ganpatravanchi	Ganpatrao	Marathi
1998	Sarkarnama	Cultural Minister	Marathi
1999	Ratra Aarambh	Shridhar Phadke	Marathi
2002	Encounter: The Killing	Ponappa Awadhe	Hindi	[8]
2003	Chupke Se	Megha's father/Income Tax officer	Hindi
2004	Aga Bai Arrecha!	Shriranga Deshmukh's father	Marathi
	Pachadlela	Inamdar Bhusnale	Marathi
2005	Paheli	Kanwarlal, Bhanwarlal's brother	Hindi
2006	Shiva	Chief Minister	Telugu
	Lage Raho Munna Bhai	Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi	Hindi	Won the National Award for Best Supporting Actor
2007	Shankar Dada Zindabad		Telugu	Remake of Lage Raho Munna Bhai
2008	Sarkar Raj	Rao Saab	Hindi
	C Kkompany	Sadashiv Pradhan	Hindi
	Full 3 Dhamaal	M.K Dandy	Marathi
	Valu	Pandit	Marathi
2009	Bokya Satbande	Mr. Bhilwandi	Marathi	Based on book Bokya Satbande written by himself.
	Sankat City	Ganpat Gajanan Jagirdar	Hindi
2010	Jhing Chik Jhing	Kavi	Marathi
2011	Deool	Appa Kulkarni	Marathi
	Morya		Marathi
2012	Shala	Appa	Marathi
	Gola Berij	Antu Barva	Marathi
2013	Narbachi Wadi	Naroba	Marathi
	Postcard	The Old Man	Marathi
	Ramchandra Purushottam Joshi	Ramchandra Purushottam Joshi	Marathi
	Zapatlela 2	Tatya Vinchu	Marathi
2014	Poshter boyz	Jagan Deshmukh (Appa)	Marathi
2015	Slam Book	Ajoba	Marathi
	Nagrik	Manikrao Bhosale	Marathi
2016	Ganvesh	Vinayakrao Deshmukh – Education Minister	Marathi
	Family Katta	Madhukar Sabnis (Bhai)	Marathi
2017	Faster Fene	Bhaskar Ramachandra Bhagwat	Marathi
	Zhalla Bobhata		Marathi	[13]
	Dashakriya	Patresavkar	Marathi	[14]
2018	Pimpal	Arvind	Marathi	[15]
	Me Shivaji Park		Marathi
2019	Dithee	Santu	Marathi	[16]
2024	Panchak	Anant khot	Marathi	[17]
2024	Aata Vel Zaali	Shashidhar Lele	Marathi

Television

Title	Role	Language	Channel	Notes
Chuk Bhul Dyavi Ghyavi	Rajabhau	Marathi	Zee Marathi
Shriyut Gangadhar Tipre	Aaba	Marathi	Zee Marathi	[18]
Zopi Gelela Jaga Zala	Dinoo	Marathi
Kaam Phatte	Wadkar	Marathi
Chal Navachi Vachal Vasti	Ghadyalkaka	Marathi
Salsood	Bhargav	Marathi	Doordarshan
Raja Raje	Raje	Marathi	Doordarshan
Chimanrao Gundyabhau	Chimanrao	Marathi	Doordarshan	Telecasted in 1977-79 and based on book Chimanrao Charhat written by C. V. Joshi
Gubbare	Deshpande	Hindi	Zee TV
Modern Love Mumbai	Nazrul	Hindi	Amazon Prime Video
The Secret of the Shiledars	Dr Krishnakant	Hindi	Disney Hotstar

Theater

• Double role as Anna and the mother-in-law in Pradeep Dalvi's farce Vasuchi Sasu.
• The Old Rajabhau in Chook Bhool Dyavi Ghyavi, a light comedy written by Prabhavalkar.
• The caring, possessive father in Ratnakar Matkari's drama Jawai Maza Bhala.
• The senile Nana in Jaywant Dalvi's Sandhyachhaya.
• The double role of the debonair, flirtatious Raje and a local constable in Prof. Toradmal's Kalam 302 (adaptation of Sleuth).
• The alcoholic barrister in Ratnakar Matkari's Ghar Tighancha Hava (a play on the life of Tarabai Modak).
• The nondescript but determined common man in P. L. Deshpande's Ek Zunj Waryashi (an adaptation of The Last Appointment).
• The father of a disabled son in Jaywant Dalvi's Natigoti.
• Six characterisations in Hasvaphasvi, a comedy written by Prabhavalkar.
• A buck-toothed apparently harmless man who in reality is a twisted, evil man in Salsood.
• A naive, innocent schoolteacher who is assisted by a ghost in Ek Dav Bhutacha.
• A disabled professor in "Waah Guru".
• Tatyasaheb in Patra Patri ^[19] directed by Vijay Kenkre

Awards

• 1972 - Best Amateur Actor ("Prem Kahani") Maharashtra State Award.
• 1992 - Maharashtra State Award for best actor for his portrayal of a disabled boy in the film Chaukat Raja.
• 1999 - Filmfare Best Actor Award(Marathi) for the film Ratraaarambh
• 2006 - Bal Gandharva Puraskar
• 2006 - National Film Award for best supporting actor in Lage Raho Munnabhai ^[20][9]
• 2008 - National Film Award for best supporting actor in Shevri, a Marathi film.^[21]
• 2010 - Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for his contribution as an actor to Indian Theatre.^[22]
• Natavarya Mama Pendse Puraskrut Natasamrat Ganpatrao Bhagwat Puraskar
• 2015 - Suvarnaratna Awards(Best Actor)
• 2019 - PIFF Distinguished Award for Outstanding Contribution to Indian cinema. ^[23]