Nagpur: Ninety-four-year-old
Shakuntala Satpute was presented a lifetime achievement award by Maratha Samanvay Manch on Sunday at her residence in Giripeth. The award included a plaque and a certificate of honour and was presented by Yahodhara Raje Bhonsle. Satpute accepted the award with a thank you.
Known in the city as an artist and collector, Satpute is the daughter of well known artist Dadasaheb Dhanwatey, founder of Shivraj Fine Art Litho. Shakuntala, who passed the art diploma exam from J.J. School of Arts, Mumbai in 1966 with merit has more than 500 art works to her credit of which only 15 remain with the family and adorn the walls of their living room. “My mother’s works have been exhibited by Bombay Art, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and also at Trivandrum. She has also won a lot of awards including one given to her by Lalit Kala Akademi. Most of her works got sold,” informed her son Ramesh Satpute, also a stripling style artist of repute.
Known for innumerable greeting cards, magazine covers and calendars which she has designed from fifties up to seventies, she continued to paint till 2005 after which, “she would find it difficult to sit for long hours,” informs her son. Satpute loved to bring alive the lives of tribals in her pictorial compositions and one of her paintings was also picked by Air India. “She did not travel much but her mother Parvatibai Dhanwatey would always encourage her to pursue her interest,” informs Ramesh.
Besides being a painter, Shakuntala also authored three books of which one was an autobiography ‘Poornahuti’ and the other two were on the birds and wild life of Central India. “Her brothers would go on hunting expeditions on weekends and she accompanied them and observed wild life closely. The birds that she has written about were mostly spotted by her at farms owned by the family on Wardha Road and Chalisgaon,” informs Ramesh .
The autobiography which she penned in 1998 speaks about life in Nagpur, the areas around Mahal her memories of various leaders who would visit her home and the Karlekar Circus which used to perform in Nagpur.
Its only been three years since this award has been instituted. “She is the second person to receive it as last year we presented it to Pundalikrao Jamjar who was the chairman of Ganesh Tekdi temple and a freedom fighter. We select senior and illustrious persons for this award,” said Satish Girmakar of Maratha Samanvay Manch.
An exhibition of works of Dadasaheb Dhanwatey, Shakuntala and Ramesh Satpute will be organized at Shri Ram Sabha Gruha, Ram Nagar on July 15.
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