Sheer dedication towards folk art, faith in life and love for the creative field has helped Prof Dr. Ganesh Chandanshive to take traditional folk art from Maharashtra on an international level. Hailing from the family of Tamasha artiste in the remotest village near Jalna district in Maharashtra, it was surely not a cake walk for this professor who always kept faith in hard work.

His father Sampatrao Madhavao Chandanshive was a teacher by profession but also use to sing in the traditional folk theatre Tamasha carrying ahead the family tradition of Tamasha artistes.

He said, “Tamasha being our family tradition, the art form that I inherited was hereditary. I love folk arts, compile the traditional songs and also teach youngsters. It was due to my father that I learned Tamasha and I am really thankful to be born in the family that inherits folk art as a culture.”

After sudden death of his father, it was difficult for his mother to support the family and Dr Ganesh started taking up any work that would have fetched him some money. Right from taking care of the cattles to working in the hospital, Chandanshive did not shy away from working anywhere but as he worked made sure to keep the art in himself alive. He always sang in Tamasha and at the same time did not gave up on the education.

His love for art bagged him a degree in theatre studies from Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar University, Aurangabad. While he studied simultaneously he also participated in the youth festivals where he represented the University on state and national level and successfully bagged many trophies and accolades.

His love for singing traditional folk forms and acting in traditional Tamasha theatre helped him to achieve success internationally.

After he was appointed at University of Mumbai’s Lok Kala Academy in 2005 as an assistant professor to impart the education of traditional folk forms, his career took a flight and there was never looking back.

As he taught in the university and took his knowledge ahead to the youngsters, he also received an opportunity to work with talented artistes in India. Well known percussionist Taufiq Quereshi used Dr Chandanshive’s voice in his album ‘Forest’ and after this project Dr Chandanshive also sang his first song for Bollywood in the movie Shaitan. After completing his PhD in folk arts his love for folk art also received an academic importance.

A recipient of Pandit Bismillah Khan Award from Government of India’s Sangeet Natak Akademi Dr Ganesh Chandanshive said, “Apart from an artiste, I also wish to study folk art and PhD was one of the elements of my aim. I look forward to do more in depth research in the field of folk art as I feel that it is a culture that will never die.”

Prof Dr Ganesh Chandanshive also received an opportunity to present his research paper at Oxford University and also performed the traditional Gondhal in front of the academicians across the world.

He has also sang and penned songs in the famous movie Bajirao Mastani. He said, “It is the love for traditional art that has helped me to reach the music lovers. I am also a part of Shankar Mahadevan’s concert My Country My Music. But I make sure that I present folk art in its purest form as I believe in taking ahead the true tradition.”