On 2nd July 2020, The Government of Maharashtra announced that Marathi writer and playwright Ratnakar Matkari will be posthumously honoured with the Natvarya Prabhakar Panshikar award for his lifetime contribution to the theaters and arts.
Natvarya Prabhakar Panshikar award:
i.The Natvarya Prabhakar Panshikar award comprises a citation, a memento and a cash prize of Rs.5 Lakh.
ii.The committee headed by Amit Deshmukh, Minister of Culture, selected Matkari for the Natvarya Prabhakar Panshikar award 2019-2020 and the announcement was delayed due to Covid-19 pandemic.
Ratnakar Matkari:
i.He was well known for his contribution to Marathi literature in the form of short stories, plays and novels.
ii.He was a pioneer of the children drama movement in Marathi and he has written numerous novels for children.
iii.His plays for children include Albatya Galbatya, Nimma Shimma Rakshas and Achat Gawachi Aphat Mavashi.
iv.He was also a director and producer in the Marathi film industry and directed movies like Prem Kahani, State Lote, Lokakatha 78 among others.
v.He was a columnist in the 1970 and contributed to numerous newspapers and magazines.
vi.He was born on 17th November 1938 in Mumbai and passed away at the age of 81 due to coronavirus infection in Mumbai on 17th May 2020.
Awards:
i.He was the recipient of Dadasaheb Phalke award 1986 for his scripts and directorial merits.
ii.He received the Sangeet Natak Academy award in 2003.
iii.He won the Sahitya Akademi’s Bal Sahitya Puraskar in 2018 for his contributions in children’s literature.
About Maharashtra:
Capital– Mumbai
Chief Minister– Uddhav Thackeray
Governor– Bhagat Singh Koshyari
The famous Ajanta Ellora Caves, a UNESCO World heritage site is located in Aurangabad, Maharashtra.
