Babasaheb Purandare

Balwant Moreshwar Purandare, popularly known as Babasaheb Purandare is a writer and theatre personality from Maharashtra, India. He was awarded with Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian award on 25 January 2019. His works are mostly based on the events related to the life of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the 17th-century founder of the Maratha Empire; as a result he is termed as Shiv-Shahir. He is mostly known for his popular play on Shivaji Jaanta Raja which was popular not only in Maharashtra but also in Andhra Pradesh and Goa. Purandare has also studied the history of the Peshwas of Pune. He is also known for his significant contribution along with Madhav Deshpande & Madhav Mehere as senior party leaders in the early-1970s of Shiv Sena along with Balasaheb Thackeray. In 2015, he was awarded with Maharashtra Bhushan Award, Maharashtra's highest civilian award.