Gadgil was a prolific and multi-faceted writer, with published work in Economics, Literature, Biography, Literary Criticism and Travel Writing.
His short stories depict the lives of ordinary middle-class Maharashtrian people with subtlety, sensitivity and psychological depth.
(Note: May need additional information about his contributions as a short story writer) His first novella, Liliche Phool (1955) is an exploration of the themes of love, in all its forms, physical and emotional, in the life of a young actress.
Durdamya, another major work by Gadgil, is a biographical novel about Lokmanya Bal Ganagdhar Tilak, a political leader in the struggle for Indian Independence.
He loved Mumbai, studied its history, and wrote biographical profiles of many notable historical figures such a Dadabhai Naoroji, Walchand Hirachand and Vishwanath Narayan Mandalik, which have been published as monographs.
The biographical novel interweaves his life and works with the social, commercial and cultural evolution of the city in the 19th century, and incorporates as characters Indian and British figures such as Jamshedtjee Jeejeebhoy, Bhau Daji Lad, Governor Mountstuart Elphinstone, who helped shaped Mumbai into a modern metropolis.
His humorous series of books about Bandu Abjabuddhe, his wife Snehalata, and his friend Nanu are beloved and continue to be performed as one-act plays in colleges and community events in Maharashtra.
Crazy Bombay is a collection of essays, many written as a column for the Illustrated Weekly of India and is a humorous tribute to the city he loves and to its denizens.