Kolhapur (Maharashtra) Renowned film-maker Jabbar Patel has been named for the prestigious 'Principal R.K. Kanbarkar Award' instituted by Shivaji University, Kolhapur, an official said here on Tuesday.

The award, named in memory of the late Principal Kanbarkar, carries a cash prize of Rs 150,000, a citation, a memento and a certificate, said Vice Chancellor Devanand Shinde.

Addressing mediapersons here, Shinde said the award would be presented to Patel, 75, at a special function on April 13 at the university.

Born in Pandharpur, Solapur district, on June 23, 1942, Patel became a qualified doctor but decided to pursue a career in theatre and films, starting with experimental plays, writing and directing them right from college days.

He is credited with taking Marathi theatre and films to a different level with creations like the "Ghashiram Kotwal", an adaptation on Vijay Tendulkar's similarly titled play, which attracted record audiences through the years and is ranked as a classic in Modern Indian Theatre.

Later, he directed-produced several acclaimed films like "Samna", "Jait Re Jait", "Sinhasan", "Umbartha", "Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar", "Ek Hota Vidushak", "Yashwantrao Chavan - Bakhar Eka Vadalachi", "Mukta", "Musafir" and many others.

He also took part in many dramatic competitions and came in contact with top actors and founded the experimental group, 'Theatre Academy', besides acting in several plays himself.

Patel is also credited with making several documentaries and short-biographicals on various eminent personalities.

The late Kanbarkar, who served as the Vice Chancellor of SUK from 1980-1983, was a prominent social and academic figure in this erstwhile royal city of the Chhatrapati rulers of what is now Maharashtra.

After his demise in 2015, his wife Shalini Kanbarkar created an endowment of Rs 2.50 million to the SUK to set up the award which would be presented to eminent personalities from different walks of life or organisations.

The first recipient was eminent scientist and Bharat Ratna C.N.R. Rao in 2016, followed by the Rayat Shikshan Sanstha in 2017 and Patel for this year.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Mumbai (PTI): Off-spinner Washington Sundar stymied New Zealand’s progress with two vital strikes as the visitors reached 92/3 at lunch against India on the opening day of the third and final Test here on Friday.

Washington (2/26) added two more dismissals to bring his wicket tally to 13 in the series, maintaining consistent pressure on the Kiwi batters after pacer Akash Deep (1/22) gave India the first breakthrough.

At lunch, New Zealand had their hopes pinned on Will Young for a long haul who batted well to reach 38 not out (3x4s, 1x6s), with Daryl Mitchell (11 not out) at the other end.

Washington’s identical strikes to remove skipper Tom Latham (28) and in-form Rachin Ravindra (5) helped India pull things back in control in the second half of the session as New Zealand appeared to be consolidating on a day one wicket, which had something in it for all parties involved.

Coming off a 11-wicket match haul in second Test at Pune, Washington picked up rhythm soon after his introduction into the attack to keep testing the Kiwi batters' defence.

It did not take him long to strike, drawing the New Zealand captain out to defend but beating him with the drift and turn on a delivery that pitched in the line of stumps in his third over, Washington beat the bat’s outside edge to hit the off-stump.

Kiwi batting sensation Ravindra suffered a similar fate on the fifth delivery that he faced off the Indian spinner, who again got the ball to drift and turn past the outside edge and hit the off-stump.

Earlier, with not much initial movement off the surface assisting the Indian pacers, the ploy to go a little fuller in length seemed to work well as Mohammed Siraj trapped Devon Conway (4) in front of the wickets but a thick inside edge saved the opener in the third over.

However, Akash angled one into the left-hander which beat Conway’s bat to pin him out leg-before, with New Zealand also burning a review against the on-field call.

While Latham consolidated from there on, using the sweep shot to a good effect, Young once again showed his array of strokes and composite defence as a solid No 3 batter for the Kiwis.

Young went after anything that had width on offer to collect boundaries and having studied R Ashwin (0/20) quite well for the ace Indian spinner's first three overs, he did not have any hesitation in shimmying down the track to clear the ropes over midwicket.