Theatre fraternity mourns Panshikar’s demise

Panshikar was well remembered for his drama production organisation Natyasampada,which was one of the most prolific theatre companies of his times.

Remembering him as a man with no hassles,Mohan Kulkarni,who runs a management firm Manoranjan Publicity,and who worked with Panshikar on many of his plays,says: “He used to frequent our house a lot when I was young as he had close ties with my father. His notable quality was that he was very soft-spoken and was always open to new ideas. In times of crisis,he would sit down with us and solve the issues in a systematic manner.”

Producer Sudhir Bhatt,who worked with him on several occasions,remembers him as someone who never had ego hassles with whoever he worked. “For someone to have worked for over 50 years in the theatre industry and have performed for thousands of shows itself is an achievement. There would probably not be a town or village in the state where he did not perform. In his later years,be it going to functions as a chief guest or even giving lectures,he never took money,never threw tantrums and always met everyone with a smile. That is who he was. That is who he will always be. Some people are just born to be children of the theatre. He was one of them. And it always reflected in each and every performance of his.”