Raghuvir Khedkar
A tamasha artist, son of Kantabai Satarkar, who formed the All-India Tamasha Parishad during the pandemic, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.
Raghuvir Khedkar has spent more than forty years in tamasha, Maharashtra’s popular folk theatre, and became the voice of its artists when the pandemic shut them down. In 2026 he was named for the Padma Shri in the field of art, from Maharashtra [1].
Carrying on the troupe
Khedkar was born on 4 August 1961 [2]. He carried forward the tamasha troupe started by his mother, Kantabai Satarkar, managing it and performing in it [2]. He is known as a songadya, the witty jester who narrates the show [2]. He has served as president of the Maharashtra State Dholki Phad Tamasha organisation [2].
Speaking up
When Covid-19 stopped performances, many tamasha artists, often elderly and poor, went hungry [2]. Khedkar campaigned for financial help and drew the media’s attention to their plight [2]. In 2021 he led the formation of the All-India Tamasha Parishad, uniting 130 troupe owners and artists, and was elected its president [2]. His citation calls it the first collective organising of tamasha artists since 1949 [2].
He has performed at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi and for the Sangeet Natak Akademi [2]. His honours include the state’s Patthe Bapurao award and a lifetime award from Savitribai Phule Pune University [2].
Sources
- [1] Padma Awards 2026: list of awardees — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Accessed 11 October 2026.
- [2] Padma Awards 2026 investiture ceremony brochure: citation for Raghuvir Khedkar — Press Information Bureau, Government of India. Accessed 12 October 2026.
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