Purushottam Laxman Deshpande, popularly known by his initials or as P. L. Deshpande, was a Marathi writer and humorist from Maharashtra. He was also an accomplished film and stage actor, script writer, author, composer, musician, singer and orator. He was often referred to as "Maharashtra's beloved personality".
Vijay Dhondopant Tendulkar was an Indian playwright, movie and television writer, literary essayist, political journalist, and social commentator primarily in Marathi. His Marathi plays established him as a writer of plays with contemporary, unconventional themes. He is best known for his plays Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe (1967), Ghashiram Kotwal (1972), and Sakharam Binder (1972). Many of Tendulkar's plays derived inspiration from real-life incidents or social upheavals, which provide clear light on harsh realities. He has provided guidance to students studying "play writing" in US universities. Tendulkar was a dramatist and theatre personality in Maharashtra for over five decades.
Vishnu Vaman Shirwadkar, popularly known by his pen name, Kusumāgraj, was a Marathi poet, playwright, novelist and short story writer, who wrote of freedom, justice and emancipation of the deprived.
Vasant Shankar Kanetkar was an Indian Marathi-language playwright and novelist from Maharashtra.
Kamleshwar Prasad Saxena, known mononymously as Kamleshwar, was a 20th-century Indian writer who wrote in Hindi. He also worked as a screenwriter for Indian films and television industry. Among his most well-known works are the films Aandhi, Mausam, Chhoti Si Baat and Rang Birangi. He was awarded the 2003 Sahitya Akademi Award for his Hindi novel Kitne Pakistan, and the Padma Bhushan in 2005.
Gangadhar Gopal Gadgil was a Marathi writer & academic from Maharashtra, India. He was born in Mumbai in 1923. After receiving a master's degree in economics from the University of Mumbai, he worked as a professor of economics at Sydenham College and also a few other colleges in Mumbai. He was the first principal of well known Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics from 1964-71. Gadgil was a prolific and multi-faceted writer, with published work in Economics, Literature, Biography, Literary Criticism and Travel Writing. The U.S. Library of Congress South Asian Literary Recordings Project has recordings of his reading from six of his books. They have also acquired sixty-five of his books for their collection.
Devan was a 20th-century Indian writer who wrote in Tamil, known for his witty and humorous stories.
Ratnakar Ramkrushna Matkari was a Marathi writer, a movie and play producer/director, and a self-taught artist from Maharashtra, India.
Shakuntala Paranjpye was an Indian writer, actress and a prominent social worker. She was a member of Maharashtra Legislative Council during 1958–64, and served as nominated member of Rajya Sabha during 1964–70. In 1991, she was awarded Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, as recognition of her significant contributions in colonial and post colonial period particularly pioneering work in the field of family planning.
Dalip Kaur Tiwana was one of the foremost novelists and short-story writers of contemporary Punjabi literature. She won awards, both regional and national, and was a widely translated author. She retired as Professor of Punjabi, and Dean, from Punjabi University, Patiala. She is widely credited as a tour-de-force in the creation of the contemporary literature in the Punjabi language.
Satish Vasant Alekar is a Marathi playwright, actor, and theatre director. A founder member of the Theatre Academy of Pune, and most known for his plays Mahanirvan (1974), Mahapoor (1975), Atirekee (1990), Pidhijat (2003), Mickey ani Memsahib (1973), and Begum Barve (1979), all of which he also directed for the Academy. ‘’ Ek Divas Mathakade एकदिवस मठाकडे ‘’ (2012) and ‘’ ठकीशी संवाद Thakishi Samvad’’ (2024) these two recent plays were directed by Nipun Dharmadhikari and Anupam Barve respectively. Along with Mahesh Elkunchwar and Vijay Tendulkar he is considered among the most influential and progressive playwrights in modern Marathi and Indian theatre.
Narayan Ganesh Goray was a socialist leader and Marathi writer from Maharashtra, India. He served as the 9th High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom from 1977 to 1979
Shruti Marathe is an Indian actress known for her works in Marathi and Tamil films and television.
Priyadarshan Jadhav is a Marathi actor, director, producer and screenwriter. He is known for his role in Ravi Jadhav's Timepass 2 (2015) as Dagadu.
Shubhangi Gokhale is an Indian Marathi and Hindi theatre, film and television actress. She is the wife of late Hindi/Marathi actor Mohan Gokhale who played the title role on the Doordarshan show Mr Yogi. She has completed more than 300 shows of the popular play Sakhar Khallela Manus along with Prashant Damle, and has had roles in film and television. She is currently playing the role of Kusumavati Dhale-Patil in Colors Marathi's Raja Rani Chi Ga Jodi and Shaku Khanwilkar in Zee Marathi's Yeu Kashi Tashi Me Nandayla.
Madhugandha Kulkarni is an Indian film, theatre and television personality.
Ashwini Ekbote was an Indian theatre and screen actress and a classical dancer. She began her acting career in the Marathi theatre.
Yashwant Dev was a Marathi poet and composer from Maharashtra, India. He has contributed scores for many Marathi and Hindi movies.
Anand Balwant Patil is a Marathi and English creative writer, postcolonial, comparatist, culturalist translator –scholar from Maharashtra –Goa, India. Starting with his debut rural novellas and research on the ‘Western Influences on Marathi Drama 1818-1947’ Patil set new trends in rural fiction. His Icchamarn is the compendious epic novel on a village. It is regarded as a masterpiece of gramin (rural) fiction. He is the recipient of four Government of Maharashtra Awards for extraordinary literary works and also other thirteen literary awards. He is the founder of Aranyanand Shikshan, Sahitya va Sanskriti Pratisthan and Anand Granthsagar Prkashan.
