Noted actor, singer Prasad Sawkar passes away at 97

Special Correspondent

Panaji: The illustrious Goan actor-singer of Marathi musical stage Pandit Prasad Sawkar passed away on Wednesday at the age of 97 at his Tonca-Caranzalem residence in the city.

He is survived by two sons and other family members.

The funeral will be held on June 18 at the St Inez crematorium at 10.30 am.

Sawkar acted in a number of musical plays like ‘Panditraj Jagannath’, ‘Suvarnatula’, ‘Saubhadra’, ‘Manapman’, ‘Mandarmala’, ‘Jai Jai Gaurishankar’ and ‘Katyar Kaljat Ghusli’, besides others.

He also worked in a few Marathi films such as ‘Pedgaoche Shahane’ and ‘Gora Kumbhar’.

The highly respected stalwart received awards like Padma Shri, Jeevan Gaurav Award from the Maharashtra government and Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Vishesh Puraskar for his lifelong dedication and exemplary contributions to Marathi theatre and cinema.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant condoled the death of Sawkar. In his message, he said, “A bright star which illuminated the Marathi stage for a long time is sadly no more.”

State BJP president Damodar Naik expressed deep grief over the demise of Sawkar, calling it “a great loss to Indian music and theatre”.

State Congress president Girish Chodankar in his tributes said  Sawkar was “a towering figure in Indian music and theatre who  enriched generations through his mastery of classical, semi-classical and devotional music.”

Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte said that Sawkar’s remarkable contribution to the preservation and promotion of our rich cultural and musical heritage will continue to inspire generations of artists and music lovers.

“Through his timeless performances and invaluable contribution to Sangeet Natak, he enriched India’s cultural landscape and brought pride to Goa,” he added.