Then there was a fan who sent Rs 4,000 from Nagpur when our Shamiyana theatre was gutted in fire,' recalls Deepti. There was one fan called Vitthalpant Thombre, who once gave Nana Rs 1,200 to repay a debt when he saw the moneylender present at every show to recover money collected from the sale of tickets. My father also enjoyed unstinted love and support of the audience. 'During such times, Nana (Jayaram) and Aai used to sing in individual concerts and the fee they received was used to repay the debt. Needless to say, debts were a constant companion in life. 'It was an unwritten rule that our troupe had to have a new musical every six months, irrespective of the success or failure of the previous one,' says Deepti.

He had the adventurous spirit to bring in around 25 new musicals, including 'Ekhadyacha Nashib', Mumbaichi Manasa', 'Anantphandi', and even C T Khanolkar's 'Abhogi'. Shiledar, who was fortunate to have a likeminded partner in wife, Jayamala, did not confine himself to staging the 17 to 18 tried and tested musicals. He encouraged youngsters like Bal Kolhatkar to write Sangeet Nataks on different subjects and never got disappointed or felt like giving it all up when the new plays did not click,' says daughter Deepti Bhogle, who herself has acted in several of his plays with sister Keerti.

His love for Sangeet Natak was so unshakable that he never staged a play that had only prose. 'He was not bothered about money and was among the rare actors who never ever checked the box office collection before stepping on the stage. They continued staging musicals such as Sangeet Saubhadra, Manapmaan, Sanshaykallol, Swayamvar, Draupadi and Ekach Pyala. When theatres were closing down or being converted into cinema halls, he bought a tent and converted it into a 'Shamiyana' theatre for his troupe. Shiledar's contribution to Marathi musicals is immense, especially because he nurtured the tradition with steadfast devotion even when Sangeet Natak fell on bad days. This will include a performance of the classic musical Sangeet Saubhadra by Marathi Rangabhoomi, Pune, a troupe established by Shiledar in 1949, at Balgandharva Rangmandir on Sunday. As Shiledar's birth centenary starts from Sunday, his daughters have planned a yearlong nostalgic trip down memory lane. Be it a houseful show or an auditorium with barely 25 spectators, Jayaram Shiledar ensured that the audience got what they had come for - a feast of Natya Sangeet with no short cuts. PUNE: He was an actor and vocalist who personified dedication when it came to Marathi Sangeet Natak (musical drama).

Marathi drama in pune today