Arun Kakade

🪔 About

Arun Kakade, born in Solapur, India, was a pivotal figure in Marathi experimental theatre, primarily based in Mumbai. He began his journey in the arts as an actor in the 1950s, considering Bhalba Kelkar of the Pune-based Progressive Dramatic Association as his first guru. He also had an extended association with Vijaya Mehta's troupe, Rangayan. Kakade's most indelible legacy is arguably his co-founding of Awishkar Theatre in 1971, alongside Arvind and Sulabha Deshpande. In 1974, Awishkar established a dedicated space for exploratory theatre at the Chhabildas School in Dadar, Mumbai. This venue became synonymous with experimental theatre for approximately two decades, nurturing a generation of theatremakers. Kakade was known as the "backbone" of this movement, taking on various crucial roles such as backstage manager, accounts person, publicity liaison, and production controller, all while maintaining a government job with the Customs and Central Excise Department. His dedication ensured the longevity and success of numerous productions, with Awishkar staging around 225 plays over nearly five decades. He was widely recognized for encouraging and promoting new talent in the theatre scene and was affectionately known as "Kakade kaka" by insiders. In 2014, he served as the president of the All India Marathi Natya Sammelan. Arun Kakade passed away at his Santa Cruz residence in Mumbai on October 9, 2019, at the age of 88. Awards & Honours: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Overall Contribution/Scholarship in Performing Arts (2012), Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META) Lifetime Achievement Award (2017).