Kashinath Ghanekar
Dr. Kashinath Ghanekar was a popular stage actor and dental surgeon.
Early life
Ghanekar was born at Chiplun and completed schooling there itself.Personal life
He married twice. He was married to Irawati M. Bhide, a gynaecologist and obstetrician. His first marriage was childless and ended in divorce. He subsequently married a much younger Kanchan, the daughter of Marathi actress Sulochana Latkar. This marriage was in every way harmonious. After his death, Kanchan penned a biography titled "Nath Ha Maza" meaning "such was my husband."Career
Kashinath was the first superstar of the Marathi stage with a lot of glamour, and he was the highest paid star from the years 1960 to 1980. He appeared in Marathi films in the 1960s. In addition to Marathi stage and movies, he appeared in Hindi movies such as Abhilasha opposite Nanda and Dadi Maa where he played the role of the son of Ashok Kumar and Bina Rai.The role that made him a popular actor was that of Sambhaji in the play "Raigadala Jevha Jaag Yete" written by the play writer, Vasant Kanetkar. Most notable character ever played by him was "Lalya" in the play Ashroonchi Zhali Phule. Some of the other noted plays he acted in are - Ithe Oshalala Mrutyu, Garambicha Bapu, Anandi Gopal, Shitu, Tujhe Aahe Tujpashi, Sundar Mi Honar, Madhumanjiri etc.
The film Madhuchandra made Ghanekar, a noted stage actor, a major Marathi film star.
Death
Dr. Kashinath Ghanekar died due to a heart attack during one of the tours of his plays, at his hotel room at Amravati.Cultural Depictions
is a modern theater with an auditorium built by the , which is situated at Hiranandani Meadows, Near Ghodbunder Road, Vasant Vihar, Thane West, Maharashtra 400607.In other media
In November 2018, a Marathi-language feature film was released; starring Subodh Bhave as Dr Ghanekar, Sonali Kulkarni, Sumeet Raghavan, Prasad Oak,Nandita Dhuri, Anand Ingale and Mohan Joshi in prominent roles. It is a biographical drama directed by Abhijeet Deshpande.
Theatre
Below is a list of stage plays where Kashinath Ghanekar played a significant role. Year mentioned is when the Play was first performed on a public stage.| Year | Name of Play |
| 1952 | Shitu |
| 1952 | Tujhe Aahe Tujpashi |
| 1952 | Sundar Mi Honar |
| 1952 | Madhumanjiri |
| 1952 | Laxmi Aali Ghara |
| 1962 | Raygadala jevha jaag yete |
| 1963 | Ashroonchi Zhali Phule |
| 1968 | Ithe Oshalala Mrutyu |
| 1972 | Garambicha Bapu |
| 1972 | Guntata Hruday He |
| 1976 | Anandi Gopal |