Maharashtra Artists Webpages

Shri. Milind Date  (Maharashtraweb.com Sponsor)

Pandit Hemant Pendse (Audio samples available on artist website)

Smt. Kalpana Zokarkar (Audio samples available on artist website) 

The arts of Maharashtra

Indian cinema began in Maharashtra: Dadasaheb Phalke's Raja Harishchandra (1913) was made in Mumbai, which is still the home of Hindi and Marathi films. Marathi theatre, the Lavani and Tamasha folk forms and Hindustani music thrive across the state. The state's Directorate of Cultural Affairs gives the Maharashtra State Film Awards and its cultural awards, and runs its theatre and music competitions.

India's national academies keep the record of its artists: the Sangeet Natak Akademi (music, dance and drama) and the Lalit Kala Akademi (painting and sculpture) give yearly awards and fellowships, and the Padma Awards site lists every Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan by state and field.

Sources: Sangeet Natak Akademi; Lalit Kala Akademi; Padma Awards, Ministry of Home Affairs; Directorate of Cultural Affairs, Government of Maharashtra.