Veteran theatre actor Prabhakar Ambone honoured on 75th birthday

Nagpur: Veteran stage actor Prabhakar Ambone, whose versatility and dedication enriched the theatre scene in Nagpur, and the wider Vidarbha region, was felicitated on the occasion of his 75th birthday in a grand ceremony held on Saturday at Kavivarya Suresh Bhat Hall.The felicitation ceremony, jointly organised by Shefali Unit and Natvarya Prabhakar Ambone Mitramandal, witnessed the presence of several prominent figures from literature, theatre, and media. Former president of the Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, Dr Ravindra Shobhane, who chaired the event, hailed Ambone as a "refined actor and an intellectual reader" who played a vital role in shaping Vidarbha's theatrical identity."I wrote many plays and always hoped that one of them would be performed by Ambone. He eventually directed my play Robinhood, and the finesse he brought to the stage was extraordinary. His journey from Nagpur's theatre scene to becoming a cultural icon is something we should all take pride in," said Dr Shobhane.Present as special guests were Maharashtra Times Nagpur Editor Shripad Aparajit, Padma Shri awardee and Zhadipatti theatre stalwart Dr Parshuram Khune, actor Ajay Patil, Marathi Natya Parishad vice president Naresh Gadekar, veteran theatre personalities Dr Ranjan Darvekar and Bapu Chanakhekar, filmmaker Sanjeev Kolte, IMA Nagpur President Dr Rajesh Savarbandhe, and others.On this occasion, a special commemorative booklet on Ambone's life and contributions was released. He and his wife Vatsala were honoured with a shawl, coconut, and memento. Renowned artist Suryakant Mangrulkar also presented a portrait of Ambone.Responding to the honour, Ambone expressed deep gratitude to his mentors Arvind Pathak, Madhu Bhaiya Joshi, and Kishore Kulkarni. "The love of theatre and the blessings of audiences brought me this far. I dedicate this celebration to all fellow artists and theatre lovers. Above all, it is the unwavering support of my wife Vatsala that always helped me," he said emotionally.Addressing the gathering, Shripad Aparajit appreciated Ambone's mentoring of new talent and called him a true theatre devotee. Dr Parshuram Khune emotionally described Ambone as a "divine presence" in his artistic journey.Prior to the felicitation, a tribute was paid to late actor Dr Vilas Ujwane. Naresh Gadekar announced that Ambone would be honoured with the Jeevan Gaurav Puraskar during the upcoming All India Marathi Theatre Conference to be held from April 24 to 27.BOXClassic Play ‘Purush' StagedAhead of the felicitation, a performance of the acclaimed two-act play Purush, written by Jaywant Dalvi, was presented by Arunoday Natya Sanstha and Shefali Unit. Prabhakar Ambone played the lead role, supported by Vatsala Ambone Polkamwar, Sanjay Walivkar, Vaidehi Chavare-Soitkar, Atul Shebe, Sushma Ojha, and Jayant Allewar. Kishore Battase, Anagha Shebe, Pranoti, Satish Kalbande, and Anil Indane managed technical support.