The place most frequented by dramatis personae!

Located in the most crowded area of the city, Budhwar Peth, Jadhav Natya Sansar is a very atypical shop where even a pauper can become a king! One might wonder how. The place hires out costumes to dramatis personae. Suits, salwar-kurtas, toupees, wigs, beards and moustaches - you get anything and everything here! Flutes, drums, swords, crowns, almost anything is available on hire! Finding your way to the place is not very difficult. It's immediately on the right side of the road off the Dagduseth temple. A narrow staircase takes you to the shop situated on the first floor of a very old Wada, the Walvekar Wada.The owner, Vishwasrao Jadhav, who runs the shop, reminisces: "My father Madhavrao Jadhav was into dramatics and many a time it used to be very difficult for him and his co-artists to get the required attire. It was then that the idea to set up a place where one could hire costumes cropped up. Initially it all started amongst friends, so much so that the place was known as the 'friends' club'. Later it was open to outsiders." He further elaborates, "At times, however, the borrowed goods were never returned and it became mandatory for Baba to keep some amount as deposit. Consequently, he turned it into his profession."

The shop was started in 1948 at the present location. Being the only such shop for quite a while, the shop has catered to the needs of famous theatre personalities like Jabbar Patel, Mohan Agashe, Satish Alekar among others. The shop also provided outfits for the renowned play 'Ghashiram Kotwal'.

-Vaishali Deshpande