[1] Ganesh was born in Shevgaon village, Ahmadnagar district, India in 1880.
He was an amateur actor in school, but his official entry in theatre took place in 1895 when he joined the Kirloskar Natak Mandali.
Though Bodas did not have proper training in classical music, he developed a very good musical sensibility when G. B. Deval coached him for minor female roles in the Mandali's plays such as Kirloskar's Sanbhadra, Deval's Samshaykallol, S. K. Kolhatkar's Mukanayak (as Speechless Protagonist) in 1901, and Khadilkar's Manapaman (Honour and Dishonour) in 1911.
He did a wide variety of roles, mythological to social and serious to comic.
His characterizations included the farcical Phalgunrao in Samshaykallol, Krishna in Khadilkar's Sivayamvar (Choice of Groom) in 1916, and the alcoholic Sudhakar in Gadkari's Ekach pyala (Just One Glass) in 1919.