Pransukh Nayak Biography 
Pransukh Nayak was a prominent theater personality of Gujarati drama who lived in the 20th century. During his life time, he has given 22,455 stage performances, earning a listing in the 1989 Guinness Book of Records. Same year he passed away, suffering from cancer. As a theater actor and director, he worked with many theater companies. He is a recipient of Gujarat State Akademi as Best Actor. For his outstanding contributions towards Gujarati theatre, he was awarded Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1974. The roles of a woman from Banaras in Kumali Kali and as Jivram Bhatt in Mithyabhiman are among his most memorable roles as a stage actor.
Pransukh Manilal Nayak was born on 23 April 1910 in Jagudan, Mehsana district of Gujarat at present. He was born into a family of traditional Bhavai actors, and most of his family members were stage actors, who earned a living on it. His father Manilal Mulchand was one of the prominent artists of his time, who owned a fan following crowd. Young Pransukh started appearing in plays at the age of 7, and he had primary education from his native school. Since younger days, he got drawn towards the performing skills of Jaishankar Bhojak, which prompted him to join theater at the age of 9. Since then he was fully active in theatre throughout his life.
Started with Jaishankar Sundari’s Bhavai troupe at the age of nine, he later worked with Deshi Natak Samaj, Aryaniti Natak Samaj, Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali etc. He played female character roles in the early phase of his career, when females didn’t work in theatre. By the age of 15, he became a popular ‘female’ actor in Mumbai circuit. Since then he shoot stars and rose to stardom, playing a magnificent role in ‘bringing up’ Gujarati theater in its glorious era. Apart from working as an actor, he has also acted as playwright as well as play director.
Published: July 28, 2018
Updated: July 28, 2018
