Annasaheb Kirloskar

Who was Annasaheb Kirloskar?

Balwant Pandurang Kirloskar, popularly known as Annasaheb Kirloskar, was a Marathi playwright from Maharashtra, India.

Kirloskar was born on March 31, 1843 at Gurlhosur in Belgaum district to a Karhade Brahmin family. After completing schooling in his native place, at the age of twenty, Annasaheb moved to Pune to pursue further education. His overwhelming interest, however, lay in theatre and he faced parental pressure for his continued disinterest in formal education. His father pressurised him to return to his native Belgaum.

To support himself, Kirloskar then worked for eight years as a school teacher in Belgaum; he subsequently worked for a few years in the police department and then as a clerk in the revenue commissioner's office. Despite his lack of much formal education, Kirloskar was well-versed in Sanskrit literature.