Kishore Pradhan

Kishore Pradhan is born in a well to do family in Nagpur on 1st Nov 1936. His father, late Shri Amrutrao Pradhan, alias Kakasaheb Pradhan was an eminent pharmacist and owned a very reputed pharmacy named Amrut Pharmacy in Nagpur. Both my parents were very progressive in their outlook and in those days –60 to 70 years back, his mother, Smt. Malati Amrut Pradhan wrote and acted in plays. He spent my childhood watching the rehearsals. He started working as a child artist on stage and radio.  

After completing M. A. (Econ ) He was selected as a Research Scholar in the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai. After completing his training there he joined then Glaxo Laboratories. After jumping from various managerial positions retired 28 years later in 1994. Since then he has devoted all his time to his hobby- acting. Today he is a full time professional artist.

While in school, he acted in the drama group of renowned playwrite and director late Shri Purushottam Darvekar. After coming to Mumbai, he started an amateur dramatic group called Nataraj. Here he acted and directed the play, Kaka Kishacha. That play won awards in all competition including, the Maharashtra state competition. He also won Best Director award. That play became extremely popular and in those days. They did over 200 performances. That play gave Kishore tremendeous popularity and an identity as an actor/director of farcical comedy. Even today, after over 30 years, people know him as Kaka Kishacha. With the phenomenal success of Kaka Kishacha, he started getting offers to act and direct plays on professional stage. He acted in about 40 dramas, of which half of them were directed by Kishore himself. 

After spending 25 years on marathi stage due to work pressures in office he decided to quit Marathi theatre (1987). Luckily, he got an opportunity to work on the english stage and since then he has acted in about 18 english plays, including the extremely popular, Bottoms Up. For the shows of english plays he visited a number of countries including U.K., U.S.A. ,the middle east, Dubai, Jakarta, Singapur, and Muscat.

Kishore have participated in TV programes since inception of television in Mumbai in 1972. He had participated as an actor and anchor in more than 100 TV programs. The variety entertainment program called Gajara anchored by his wife, Shobha and Kishore himself and small skits called Has Parihas are fondly remembered even today. As far as the films are concerned, he acted in a fewer marathi and hindi films mainly due to tight framework of my  job. However, of late he had an opportunity to work in popular hindi blockbusters like, Lage Raho Munnabhai (with Sanjay Dutt) Jab We Met (with Kareena Kapoor as a station master) and the recent record breaking marathi film, Me Shivajiraje  Bhosle Boltoy (with Sachin Khedekar as a bank manager) These roles were widely appreciated . He also worked in the english film, God Only Knows.

From Kishore Padhan's mouth "Looking back, I feel contended. I was never a guy with high ambitions. In whatever field I worked, I may not have reached the top, but I am happy with the moderate success I got. People all over have given me love, affection, dignity and respect. Nobody has ever, ever treated me badly. If there are some bad patches in my life, it is my destiny. Overall, god has given me much more than I deserve. What else a simple, common man should expect?"

Worked for about 28 years in various managerial positions in the multi-national company then called as Glaxo Pharmaceutical  Company  Ltd. Mumbai. Now retired

Marathi   Theatre  Acting on stage since childhood. After coming to Mumbai started working in professional theatre. His first  play, Kaka Kishacha ( 1970 ) was a great success and gave him an identity as a talented actor and director of farcical comedies and  brought him tremendeous popularity. Since then he acted/directed over 30 plays. 

Kaka kisha cha -Director: Kishore Pradhan-Cast: Kishore Pradhan, Shobha Pradhan, Kamlakar Nadkarni, Pushpa Verty

Jenwha yamala dulki lagate-Director: Sudha Karmarkar-Cast: Kishore Pradhan, Sudha Karmarkar, Shankar Ghanekar    

Ratra thodi songa phar-Director: Kishore Pradhan-Cast: Kishore Pradhan, Shobha Pradhan, Vijay Dutt 

Gharoghari matichya chuli- Director: Kishore Pradhan - Cast: Kishore Pradhan, Yeshwant Dutt

Preetichya re pakhara - Director: Kishore Pradhan - Cast: Kishore Pradhan, Raja Gosawi, Nayna Apte

Milali pari tari brahmachari - Director: Kishore Pradhan - Cast: Kishore Pradhan, Shobha Pradhan, Datta  Bhat, Baban Prabhu

Ya ghar aplach ahe - Director: Kishore Pradhan - Cast: Kishore Pradhan, Shobha Pradhan, Ganesh Solankhi

Honeymoon zalach pahije - Director: Atmaram Bhende - Cast: Kishore Pradhan, Atmaram Bhende, Asha Potdar

Zakali bai sawwa lakhachi - Director: Kamlakar Sarang - Cast: Kishore Pradhan, Raja Gosawi, Lalan Sarang

Malkin malkin dar ughad- Director: atmaram bhende -  Cast: Atmaram Bhende, Neelam, Ramesh Bhatkar

Brahmachari asawa shejari  - Director: Shashikant Nikte  -   Cast: Kishore Pradhan, Shobha Pradhan, Raja Gosawi

Lage bandhe -  Director: Atmaram Bhende -Cast: Kishore Pradhan, Shobha Pradhan, Atmaram Bhende, Ashoo

Laila O laila - Director: Shshikant Nikte - Cast: Kishore Pradhan, Shobha Pradhan, Shashikant Nikte, Nayna Apte

Yours faithfully  - Director: Ramesh Pawar  - Cast: Kishore Pradhan, Ramesh Pawar, Shobha Arya

Tee pahtach bala - Director: Ravindra Diwekar - Cast: Kishore Pradhan, Shashi Nikte, Nayana Apte

Hands up  - Director: Sadashiv Amrapurkar - Cast: Kishore Pradhan Shobha Pradhan, Sadashiv Amrapurkar 

Palta bhui thodi - Director: Kishore Pradhan -  Cast: Vijay Kadam

Tatparya -  Director: P. Darwhekar - Cast: Kishore Pradhan, Shobha Pradhan,S. Dharmadhikari

Sambhav asambhav   - Director: Shobha Pradhan  - Cast: Kishore Pradhan, Shobha Pradhan, Ramesh Pawar                   

English  Theatre  Since 1989 he has acted in professional english theatre and acted in over 18 plays. Here too he gained hugh popularity as a comedian. He has performed in all major cities in India. Outside India, he has performed in United Kingdom, United States of America, Dubai, Singapur, Muscat, Bangkok and Indonasia.   

Best of bottoms up   (2007 - ongoing)  

Carry on heaven  (2006)  

Purush   (2006)  

Tamasha Mumbai eshtyle  (2004)  

Oh no not again  (2000)   [ Photos ] 

Monkey business  (1999)  

Circus  (1998)  

Mind ur stethoscope  (1997)  

Grandson of bottoms up  (1996)

Monkey Business   ( 1995)  

Its  all yours janab  ( 1993 - 94)  

Bindhast  (1991 - 92)  

World is weak  (1992)  

Carry on Bumbay   (1991)  

Last tango in heaven   (1989 - 90)  

Sons of bottoms up  (1987 - 88)  

Film :  He has acted in about 25 selected Marathi, Hindi and English movies. His roles in Lage Raho Munnabhai with Sanjay Dutt  , Jab We Met with Kareena Kapoor and Me Shivaji  Raje  Bhosle  Boltoy with Sachin Khedekar were highly appreciated

Marathi:  

One Room Kitchen

Uchala Re Uchala

Tyacha Baap Ticha Baap

Kashala Udyachi Baat

Warcha Majla Rikama Tyacha 

Baap Ticha Baap 

Lalbaug Parelß

Bhingri 

Navra maza brahmachari 

Shejari shejari

Ranapakhara  

Doctor  doctor

Nana mama 

Master eke master

Me shivaji raje bhosle boltoy

Ladi godi

Shikshanachya aicha gho

Navra Awali Bayko Lovely 

Shahanpan Dega Deva

Chhodo Kal Ki Baaten

Khichdi

City of Gold

Rules – pyarka superhit formula

Meerabai not out

Lage raho munnabhai

Jab we met

Masti express

Horn ok please

God only knows

Television  He has worked on television since the inception of Doordarshan in Mumbai in1972. The variety entertainment program called  Gajra  which he used to anchor along his wife, Shobha is remembered even today. Today he is regular presence on TV serials and other programs. His long career on television has transformed him into a popular household name.

TV  Commercials His modeling career has spanned over 15 years and he has gained a reputation as a popular character model