Annasaheb Kirloskar

After completing schooling in his native place, at the age of twenty, Annasaheb moved to Pune to pursue further education.

His overwhelming interest, however, lay in theatre and he faced parental pressure for his continued disinterest in formal education.

Seven years later, he completed composition of his first prose play Shri Shankar Digvijay (श्रीशांकर दिग्विजय) for public presentation by Kolhapurkar Natak Mandali (कोल्हापूर नाटक मंडळी).

Kirloskar Natak Mandali founded by Anna Saheb in 1880 was the pioneer and breakthrough performing company in Marathi theater.

It toured through Maharashtra, Karnataka and Maratha princely states in North India under the British Raj at that time - Indore, Baroda, Gwalior etc.

The Mandali had several star singer-actors in its employ, including Bal Gandharva, Govindrao Tembe, Master Krushnarao, and Ganesh Bodas.