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Autobiographical work.
- GenresMarathiAutobiography
454 pages, Paperback
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About the author
P.K. Atre
32 books15 followersPrahlād Keshav Atre (Marathi: प्रल्हाद केशव अत्रे (13 August 1898 – 13 June 1969), popularly known as Āchārya Atre (Marathi: आचार्य अत्रे), was a multi-faceted Indian figure. He was a prominent Marathi writer, a poet, an educationist, a newspaper founder–editor of Maratha (a Marathi language daily whose head office and press was located at Coca-Cola gulley in Worli, Mumbai), a political leader, a movie producer–director–script writer and above all, a noted orator.
Atre's contributions to Marathi literature have been listed under Important works below. He was an outstanding humorist, and his writing style – whether he wrote humorous or serious material – was highly effective. He introduced parodistic poetry to Marathi language under the pseudonym Keshav Kumār. His book, zenduuchi Phule, is a collection of his parodistic poems.
Atre wrote seven plays; some of them had a humorous theme while others, a serious one. All of them received high public acclaim. His comedy-play, Moruchi Mavshi was later adapted into Hindi film, Aunty No. 1 (1998)
Atre's two autobiographical works, Mi Kasā Jhālo and Karheche Pāni, similarly received much public acclaim. Atre was the founder–editor of four Marathi newspapers.
Known for his straight forward views in his writing he was called 'Writer & Fighter of Maharashtra' by Former Indian President Dr.K.R.Narayanan.
Atre's worthy contributions in the Marathi movie world have been listed below. His movie Shyamchi Aai (1953) received an award as the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in 1953, while his movie Mahatma Phule (1955) received the President's Silver Medal.
Atre's contributions to Marathi literature have been listed under Important works below. He was an outstanding humorist, and his writing style – whether he wrote humorous or serious material – was highly effective. He introduced parodistic poetry to Marathi language under the pseudonym Keshav Kumār. His book, zenduuchi Phule, is a collection of his parodistic poems.
Atre wrote seven plays; some of them had a humorous theme while others, a serious one. All of them received high public acclaim. His comedy-play, Moruchi Mavshi was later adapted into Hindi film, Aunty No. 1 (1998)
Atre's two autobiographical works, Mi Kasā Jhālo and Karheche Pāni, similarly received much public acclaim. Atre was the founder–editor of four Marathi newspapers.
Known for his straight forward views in his writing he was called 'Writer & Fighter of Maharashtra' by Former Indian President Dr.K.R.Narayanan.
Atre's worthy contributions in the Marathi movie world have been listed below. His movie Shyamchi Aai (1953) received an award as the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in 1953, while his movie Mahatma Phule (1955) received the President's Silver Medal.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 2, 2017
विनोदी, जिज्ञासू, रोखठोक, धडाडी, कर्मयोगी अगदी सर्वच्या सर्व गुणांनी समृद्ध असलेले महाराष्ट्र राज्याचे अष्टपैलू शिल्पकार.
ह्या अवलीयाने विविध सामाजिक क्षेत्रात केलेल्या प्रचंड कामास तोड नाही.
ह्यांनी आयुष्यात यशाची शिखरे गाठण्याबरोबरच पाताळाचे चटकेही खाण्याचे अनुभव घेतले. समोर आलेल्या प्रत्येक चढउताराला अगदी जोमाने जगलेले व्यक्तीमत्व.
सुंदर अनुभव.
ह्या अवलीयाने विविध सामाजिक क्षेत्रात केलेल्या प्रचंड कामास तोड नाही.
ह्यांनी आयुष्यात यशाची शिखरे गाठण्याबरोबरच पाताळाचे चटकेही खाण्याचे अनुभव घेतले. समोर आलेल्या प्रत्येक चढउताराला अगदी जोमाने जगलेले व्यक्तीमत्व.
सुंदर अनुभव.
March 25, 2016
Prior to reading this autobiography, I knew P K Atre only as a speaker and that too only a humorous and a satirical one. After reading this book, I am now pleasantly surprised to discover the various facets of this versatile personality. Atre among all else has been a leading educationalist, news paper founder and editor. He also tried his stint in politics. Upon primary reading, the write up seems a work of an ego-maniac and a narcissist, but when the reader starts to peel the layers of Atre and exposes his hard work, consistency and dedication to his targeted causes, then the greatness of the man comes to forefront.
Though this book is written prior to his magnanimous 'Karheche Paani' ( 5 volumes of 400 pages), he has covered many phases of his life.
He touches upon his experiences as a student, poet, educationalist, playwright, film maker, victim of a scam, politician, socialist and speaker.
Must read for any Atre fan.
Though this book is written prior to his magnanimous 'Karheche Paani' ( 5 volumes of 400 pages), he has covered many phases of his life.
He touches upon his experiences as a student, poet, educationalist, playwright, film maker, victim of a scam, politician, socialist and speaker.
Must read for any Atre fan.
February 7, 2023
The essays that make up this memoir, each one dedicated to a separate aspect of the author’s repertoire (writer, playwright, newspaper editor and so on) have one thing in common – they show us why Maharashtra fell for ‘Acharya’ Pralhad Keshav Atre, no matter what he tried. That mix of precise observation, rapier wit and unabashed pugnacity still has the power to make the blood race.
His rise to fame, I learned, was on the heels of the publication of a book of poems lampooning the clique of the dimly-remembered Marathi poet Madhav Julian and its self-conscious, Persian-heavy Marathi. Atre was to never forget this early encouragement from the public to punch and punch hard. The later shift to journalism and politics were natural transitions, once he had mastered the bucking horses of trouble-making and rabble-rousing.
Atre’s version of his origins in 1910s Pune makes for engaging reading. Though he calls the city depressing and frustrating (“even the brothels would shut at 8 pm”), his description grips the reader. The town comes alive with the growl of Tilak, the studious sallies of Gokhale, vivid accounts of the best eateries and misal joints, and an astonishingly rich portrayal of the theatre and poetry scene, all seasoned with Atre’s sprinkles of wit and humour.
The politics chapter traces an arc that begins with Atre’s championing of the Congress during the freedom movement. In his Congress years, Atre utilised his popularity among the public to become a municipal councillor. He headed the party in Pune. When he was roughed up by Savarkar loyalists during a speech in a college, Gandhi even wrote him a letter of solidarity. Disillusionment set in with the Congress leadership’s endorsement of the decision to partition India, a volte face from what Gandhi and Nehru had said for so many years. This book was written in the 1950s, and naturally, the narrative stops there.
We narrowly miss out on Atre’s pivotal participation in the openly anti-Congress movement to create a state for Marathi speaking people – the ‘Samyukta Maharashtra andolan’. Books bearing Atre’s speeches, editorials and articles during this movement, heavy with tales of incarceration and gunshots – wounds to the Marathi psyche that are stitched up with Atre’s impassioned ripostes – are still in vogue. The brutal repression and colonial savagery of the persons who were meant to have supplanted the British deserves to be documented, read and spoken of, and Atre’s contributions belong in the canon of this genre. The best account of Atre’s role in the movement is his own magisterial chronicle in the autobiographical ‘Karhe che paani’ (The Water of the River Karha).
Even when he was a politician, Atre was foremost an artist. Which is why the theatre and film sections in the book are instructive. There was a gilded time when theatre reigned in India and fans like Atre would sit in adjoining restaurants to save the cost of a ticket while listening to performances. The enthusiast evolved into a maestro in his own right, writing plays that are still performed, decades later. Atre is never one for modesty, a fault he recognises in the book, but his self-praise when talking about the success of his plays is particularly nauseating. This narcissism is somewhat tempered when referring to his more middling success in the film industry – but he did receive the President’s gold medal for his iconic Marathi film ‘Shyam chi Aai’, another staggering achievement – and makes sure we know it.
Among his diverse feats, less remembered are Atre’s contributions in education. In his early 20s, he was appointed as headmaster of a badly-run school in Pune. Making the best of a bad hand, he was able to transform the standards at the institution, generating enough popularity and goodwill to engineer the removal of the existing trustees and have himself and his associates installed in their place. Under the new management, the school flourished, a new building was built, and a separate school for girls (a new concept) was also started. Atre would have gone on to become a stellar educationist, had politics and filmmaking not beckoned.
The book ends with an essay titled ‘Who am I’, which contains Atre’s analysis of his journey, and of life. The point of existence, he reckons, is to always pursue joy; to fill life’s cup with overflowing vitality. Like the conman protagonist of his famous play, ‘To Mi Navhech’, Atre lived multiple lives in his one life. It is difficult to replicate that polymath brilliance. But we too can learn from his example by intermittently shaking ourselves down, conquering our inertia and changing paths.
His rise to fame, I learned, was on the heels of the publication of a book of poems lampooning the clique of the dimly-remembered Marathi poet Madhav Julian and its self-conscious, Persian-heavy Marathi. Atre was to never forget this early encouragement from the public to punch and punch hard. The later shift to journalism and politics were natural transitions, once he had mastered the bucking horses of trouble-making and rabble-rousing.
Atre’s version of his origins in 1910s Pune makes for engaging reading. Though he calls the city depressing and frustrating (“even the brothels would shut at 8 pm”), his description grips the reader. The town comes alive with the growl of Tilak, the studious sallies of Gokhale, vivid accounts of the best eateries and misal joints, and an astonishingly rich portrayal of the theatre and poetry scene, all seasoned with Atre’s sprinkles of wit and humour.
The politics chapter traces an arc that begins with Atre’s championing of the Congress during the freedom movement. In his Congress years, Atre utilised his popularity among the public to become a municipal councillor. He headed the party in Pune. When he was roughed up by Savarkar loyalists during a speech in a college, Gandhi even wrote him a letter of solidarity. Disillusionment set in with the Congress leadership’s endorsement of the decision to partition India, a volte face from what Gandhi and Nehru had said for so many years. This book was written in the 1950s, and naturally, the narrative stops there.
We narrowly miss out on Atre’s pivotal participation in the openly anti-Congress movement to create a state for Marathi speaking people – the ‘Samyukta Maharashtra andolan’. Books bearing Atre’s speeches, editorials and articles during this movement, heavy with tales of incarceration and gunshots – wounds to the Marathi psyche that are stitched up with Atre’s impassioned ripostes – are still in vogue. The brutal repression and colonial savagery of the persons who were meant to have supplanted the British deserves to be documented, read and spoken of, and Atre’s contributions belong in the canon of this genre. The best account of Atre’s role in the movement is his own magisterial chronicle in the autobiographical ‘Karhe che paani’ (The Water of the River Karha).
Even when he was a politician, Atre was foremost an artist. Which is why the theatre and film sections in the book are instructive. There was a gilded time when theatre reigned in India and fans like Atre would sit in adjoining restaurants to save the cost of a ticket while listening to performances. The enthusiast evolved into a maestro in his own right, writing plays that are still performed, decades later. Atre is never one for modesty, a fault he recognises in the book, but his self-praise when talking about the success of his plays is particularly nauseating. This narcissism is somewhat tempered when referring to his more middling success in the film industry – but he did receive the President’s gold medal for his iconic Marathi film ‘Shyam chi Aai’, another staggering achievement – and makes sure we know it.
Among his diverse feats, less remembered are Atre’s contributions in education. In his early 20s, he was appointed as headmaster of a badly-run school in Pune. Making the best of a bad hand, he was able to transform the standards at the institution, generating enough popularity and goodwill to engineer the removal of the existing trustees and have himself and his associates installed in their place. Under the new management, the school flourished, a new building was built, and a separate school for girls (a new concept) was also started. Atre would have gone on to become a stellar educationist, had politics and filmmaking not beckoned.
The book ends with an essay titled ‘Who am I’, which contains Atre’s analysis of his journey, and of life. The point of existence, he reckons, is to always pursue joy; to fill life’s cup with overflowing vitality. Like the conman protagonist of his famous play, ‘To Mi Navhech’, Atre lived multiple lives in his one life. It is difficult to replicate that polymath brilliance. But we too can learn from his example by intermittently shaking ourselves down, conquering our inertia and changing paths.
April 12, 2020
अत्रेंची वाणी आणि लेखन सुमधुर आहे हे पटले. पुस्तक हात घेतले कि आपण त्यांचा विश्वात ओढून घेतल्या जातो. अत्रेंनी एवढ्या सुबोध भाषे मध्ये त्यांचा प्रवासाचे वर्णन केले आहे कि वाचताना काही कष्टच पडत नाहीत. पुण्याला राहत असल्यामुळे त्यांच्या पहिल्या आयुष्यातले बरेच संवाद एकदम ओळखीचे वाटले. एखादा व्यक्ती एवढे सगळ्या पेशांमध्ये आणि भूमिकेमध्ये कसे लढला आणि प्रत्यकामधे उच्चनक गाठला हह्याचे मला अजून देखील कमाल वाटते. तास माझा वाचन मराठी मध्ये मोजकच आहे, त्या दृष्टी ने हे पुस्तक एखाद्या नवशिक्या वाचकाला खूप आवडेल मला खात्री आहे.
अत्रेंनी शेवटच्या प्रकरणामध्ये एक तुकोबांची वाणी लिहिली आहे ज्याने त्यांचा आयुष्याचा सारांश जणू कळून येतो.
"करू कवित्व काय नाही आता लाज
मज भक्तराज हसतील
अनुभविण कोण करी पाप
रितेचि संकल्प लाजवावे"
-- देवा, अजून मला पुरता अनुभव नाही. मग मी काय नुसता कवी होऊ? अन जगात मध्ये हसू करून घेऊ का रे?
अनुभव घेतल्या शिवाय माणसाचे/साहित्यिकाने आपले कष्ट लिहिण्यात व्यर्थ करू नये हे तथ्य आत्मसाद करावे असे अत्रे म्हणतात.
कृष्णाने जसे म्हणाले आहे कि कर्म हा जीवनाचा पाया आहे आणि ते चालू राहिलेच पाहिजे. वाचकाला पूर्ण पुस्कात वाचून झाल्या नंतर जेव्हा शेवटच्या अध्यायाये मध्ये हे शब्द वाचायला मिळतात तेव्हा त्याला लक्षात येते के अत्रेंनी जे यशाचे डोंगर मिळवलेत, जे लोकांनी त्यांचे गुणगान केले,अमाप लोकप्रियता मिळाली, आदर मिळवला, दबदबा बनवला हे सर्व फक्त आणि फक्त कर्म आणि अनुभवाने.
काही अध्याय मला फारच आवडले आणि समजा काही वाचकांना पूर्ण पुस्तक जरी वाचायला नसेल जमणार तरी हे अध्याय जरूर वाचावे.
४. मी शिक्षक कसा झालो ? - एखादा युवकामध्ये किती काम करायची शक्ती आणि इच्छा असावी ह्याचा उत्तम नमुना आहे हा.
५. मी आरोपी कसा झालो ? - अडचणीच्या काळामध्ये देखील मानसिक स्थिरथा कशी सांभाळायची ह्याचा अनुभव येतो आणि आपल्या स्वतःचे काही प्रसंग देखील आपल्याला या अध्यायातील संवादांशी जोडता येतात.
११. मी समाजवादी कसा झालो ?
१२. मी कोण आहे ?
अत्रेंचे वाचक वरती प्रभुत्व आहे हे नक्की. त्यांचे हे आत्मचरित्र नक्की वाचावे असे आहे. काही तूत काढावी असे जरी नसेल तरी काही ठिकाणी अत्रे आपले मनोगत व्यक्त करून त्यांचे वरच्या आरोपांचे स्पष्टीकरण देता आहेत व त्यांचा हेतू नुकसान भरपाई चा आहे असे वाटून राहते. त्यांचा वि स खांडेकरांवरचा वैरभाव काही भागांमध्ये वाचताना टोचतो आणि त्यांच्या त्या मंजुळ लेखी च्या वाह ला कुठे तरी कल्लोळ निर्माण होतो.
पण ह्या मधून अत्रे हे देखील आपल्या सारखेच समाजातले सहप्रवासी आहेत ह्याची जाणीव होते. अनुभवातून कसे शिकावे आणि ज्या क्षेत्रात काम करू तिथे उत्कृष्टच काम करू हा निश्चय आत्मसाद करायाला हवा हे अत्रे सांगून जातात.
"हे काही माझे चरित्र नाही. आयुष्यातील आकर्षणाचे हे संशोधन आहे." - आचार्य अत्रे
अत्रेंनी शेवटच्या प्रकरणामध्ये एक तुकोबांची वाणी लिहिली आहे ज्याने त्यांचा आयुष्याचा सारांश जणू कळून येतो.
"करू कवित्व काय नाही आता लाज
मज भक्तराज हसतील
अनुभविण कोण करी पाप
रितेचि संकल्प लाजवावे"
-- देवा, अजून मला पुरता अनुभव नाही. मग मी काय नुसता कवी होऊ? अन जगात मध्ये हसू करून घेऊ का रे?
अनुभव घेतल्या शिवाय माणसाचे/साहित्यिकाने आपले कष्ट लिहिण्यात व्यर्थ करू नये हे तथ्य आत्मसाद करावे असे अत्रे म्हणतात.
कृष्णाने जसे म्हणाले आहे कि कर्म हा जीवनाचा पाया आहे आणि ते चालू राहिलेच पाहिजे. वाचकाला पूर्ण पुस्कात वाचून झाल्या नंतर जेव्हा शेवटच्या अध्यायाये मध्ये हे शब्द वाचायला मिळतात तेव्हा त्याला लक्षात येते के अत्रेंनी जे यशाचे डोंगर मिळवलेत, जे लोकांनी त्यांचे गुणगान केले,अमाप लोकप्रियता मिळाली, आदर मिळवला, दबदबा बनवला हे सर्व फक्त आणि फक्त कर्म आणि अनुभवाने.
काही अध्याय मला फारच आवडले आणि समजा काही वाचकांना पूर्ण पुस्तक जरी वाचायला नसेल जमणार तरी हे अध्याय जरूर वाचावे.
४. मी शिक्षक कसा झालो ? - एखादा युवकामध्ये किती काम करायची शक्ती आणि इच्छा असावी ह्याचा उत्तम नमुना आहे हा.
५. मी आरोपी कसा झालो ? - अडचणीच्या काळामध्ये देखील मानसिक स्थिरथा कशी सांभाळायची ह्याचा अनुभव येतो आणि आपल्या स्वतःचे काही प्रसंग देखील आपल्याला या अध्यायातील संवादांशी जोडता येतात.
११. मी समाजवादी कसा झालो ?
१२. मी कोण आहे ?
अत्रेंचे वाचक वरती प्रभुत्व आहे हे नक्की. त्यांचे हे आत्मचरित्र नक्की वाचावे असे आहे. काही तूत काढावी असे जरी नसेल तरी काही ठिकाणी अत्रे आपले मनोगत व्यक्त करून त्यांचे वरच्या आरोपांचे स्पष्टीकरण देता आहेत व त्यांचा हेतू नुकसान भरपाई चा आहे असे वाटून राहते. त्यांचा वि स खांडेकरांवरचा वैरभाव काही भागांमध्ये वाचताना टोचतो आणि त्यांच्या त्या मंजुळ लेखी च्या वाह ला कुठे तरी कल्लोळ निर्माण होतो.
पण ह्या मधून अत्रे हे देखील आपल्या सारखेच समाजातले सहप्रवासी आहेत ह्याची जाणीव होते. अनुभवातून कसे शिकावे आणि ज्या क्षेत्रात काम करू तिथे उत्कृष्टच काम करू हा निश्चय आत्मसाद करायाला हवा हे अत्रे सांगून जातात.
"हे काही माझे चरित्र नाही. आयुष्यातील आकर्षणाचे हे संशोधन आहे." - आचार्य अत्रे
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