Krushnaji Prabhakar Khadilkar

Krushnaji Prabhakar Khadilkar Biography

Krushnaji Prabhakar Khadilkar was a Marathi writer, also known as "a prominent lieutenant of Lokmanya Tilak”. He has served as the editor of Kesari, Lokmanya and Navakal. Khadilkar in the beginning of his career wrote prose-plays and later became a well established writer through plays like Svayamvara - which had songs based on Indian classical music. Thus in his 15 plays, he became successful endow ancient Hindu legends and tales with contemporary political significance. Khadilkar along with Bal Gandharva are regarded as the architects of fgolden era of Marathi theater. In 1921, after Tilak's death, when Lokmanya was founded by admirers of Tilak, Khadilkar became its editor. But he resigned the psot in 1923 because of his support of Gandhi's position in division of nationalist political opinion.

Khadilkar was born on November 25, 1872 in Sangli. He completed his first novel at the age of 15 and the next year, he wrote his first play. He completed B.A. degree in 1892 from Deccan College in Pune. He was closely associated with Sanskrit and English plays during his college days. In 1897, Khadilkar joined the editorial staff of Bal Gangadhar Tilak's daily Kesari. His ideas and literary style so closely matched with Tilak. During 1908-1910, Khadilkar served as the chief editor of Tilak's English daily Maratha and was on the editorial board of Kesari.

Khadilkar was a part of plot that envisioned the invasion of India by King of Nepal. After Tilak's death in 1920, Khadilkar worked as the editor of daily Lokamanyaring 1921-23. In 1923, he founded daily Nava Kal which supported Gandhiji. Khadilkar presided over Marathi Sahitya Sammelan at Nagpur in 1933. A few of his noted plays include - Savai Madhavrao Yancha Mrutyu, Bhaubandaki, Satwa Pariksha, Prem, Kanchangadachi Mohana, Widyaharan and Menaka.

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Updated: February 18, 2014