Purushottam Karandak 2025: SP College Wins Top Honour with ‘Atlya Gathi’
Pune, 28th December 2025: Sir Parashurambhau College, Pune, won the prestigious Purushottam Karandak by securing first place in the grand finale of the Purushottam Karandak Play Competition organised by Maharashtriya Kalopasak. The college’s entry ‘Atlya Gathi’ impressed the jury to clinch the top honour. The winning team received a cash prize of Rs 5,001 along with a citation and a memento.
The Kumar Joshi Karandak for Best Experimental One-Act Play was awarded to ‘Thongya’, presented by Finolex Academy of Management and Technology, Ratnagiri. The team was awarded Rs 4,001 in cash, a citation and a memento.
As the results were announced, the auditorium reverberated with slogans such as ‘Har Har Mahadev’, ‘Pandharpur Warde Hari Vitthal’, ‘Purushottam Karandak Kunacha; SP Valyacha’, and ‘Aala Re Aala SP Aala’, as participants celebrated enthusiastically.
The grand finale of the competition was held at Bharat Natya Mandir from December 26 to December 28, 2025, with a total of 17 teams participating. The prize distribution ceremony took place on Sunday evening at Bharat Natya Mandir. Senior actor Mohan Joshi presented the awards. Maharashtriya Kalopasak Vice-President Suhas Joshi and judges Chandrashekhar Dhavlikar, Sanjay Pawar and Amit Phalke were present on the dais. Advocate Rajendra Thakurdesai announced the results.
The Shriram Karandak for second place was awarded to ‘Gvahi’, presented by Deshbhakt Ratnappa Kumbhar College of Commerce, Kolhapur, while the Pandit Vidyadhar Shastri Bhide Karandak for third place went to ‘Kahi Problem Ye Ka?’ by Annasaheb Magar College, Hadapsar, Pune.
Detailed Results:
Group First: Atlya Gathi – Sir Parashurambhau College, Pune
Group Second: Gvahi – Deshbhakt Ratnappa Kumbhar College of Commerce, Kolhapur
Group Third: Kahi Problem Ye Ka? – Annasaheb Magar College, Hadapsar, Pune
Best Experimental Play: Thongya – Finolex Academy of Management and Technology, Ratnagiri
Individual Awards:
Best Actor (Purushottam Narayan Gadgil Karandak): Abhishek Hiremathswami (Postman, Gvahi), Deshbhakt Ratnappa Kumbhar College of Commerce, Kolhapur
Acting Excellence – Male (Disha Foundation Karandak): Parth Patne (Vinayak, Gvahi), Deshbhakt Ratnappa Kumbhar College of Commerce, Kolhapur
Acting Excellence – Female: Akshara Bartakke (Mangala, Gvahi), Deshbhakt Ratnappa Kumbhar College of Commerce, Kolhapur
Best Voice Modulation (Vishwas Karandak): Shashwati Vazhe (Jui, Atlya Gathi), Sir Parashurambhau College, Pune
Best Director (Chaitanya Pranit Karandak): Advay Purkar, Shashwati Vazhe and Samarth Khaladkar (Atlya Gathi), Sir Parashurambhau College, Pune
Encouragement Awards for Acting were presented to Omkar Kapse, Aastha Kale, Pranjwal Padalkar, Sanyogita Chaudhary, Tanmay Raut, Ajit Desai, Gayatri Shinde, Renuka Salunke, Swapnil Ghoderav and Manas Elgunde for their respective performances.
Addressing the participants, chief guest Mohan Joshi advised aspiring theatre artists not to give up perseverance if they wish to build a career in theatre and to work relentlessly towards their goals.
Speaking on behalf of the judges, Chandrashekhar Dhavlikar said the evaluation process was a mix of highs and lows. He noted that while some thematic repetition was observed initially, later performances effectively addressed youth-centric and local issues. “All three judges felt that politicians should watch these one-act plays to understand the problems faced by the younger generation. However, whether they will attend remains a question,” he remarked.
Dhavlikar also praised the finalists for their rigorous rehearsals, strong planning, technical excellence and dedication, and expressed hope that more student playwrights would emerge from platforms like the Purushottam Karandak competition.
