And today the State gears up for an even bigger occasion. Deshpande, its most loved humourist, singer, poet, playwright, actor, director, music composer, film maker and above all an able commentator on life, better known as Pula and fondly remembered as bhai, turns 80 on November 8. His admirers in the State are busymaking arrangements for the year-long birthday celebrations of the man who by his inimitable literary and cinematic genius has reigned in the hearts of most Maharashtrians like no other litterateur has ever before.

``I am a performer,'' says Pula. And a performer he is, what with music compositions to films like Devbappa, Gulacha Ganpati, Dev Pavla, with his extremely popular one-man show Batatyachi Chaal, with lyrics for Doodhbhat, Devbappa and with scripts for films like Ghardhani, Phool Aur Kaliyan and Aaj Aur Kal. ``One can notice the performer in him even in his writings. He might not perform his Asa Mee Asa Mee anymore but the drama in it, along with the direction, comes across very naturally while reading it in text. Even my college-going daughter can visualise the movements of Asa Mee...,'' contemporary humourist, Mukund Taksale, told The Indian Express from Pune.

It is Pula's humour, his sparkling wit and his insight into the middle classlife that people remember more than any of his other, albeit equally tall, accomplishments. His literary masterpieces like Apurvaee and Vyakti Aani Valli, plays like Vayam Mottham Khottam, Tujhe Aahe Tujhapashi, Sunder Mee Honaar and Tee Phularanee besides others are, easily, the most appreciated of the literary and theatre activities over the years.

``His humour does not pinch, it tickles. It is never childish, it has a cartoonist's insight into it,'' celebrated Marathi stage actress, Bhakti Barve, who played the protagonist in Tee Phularani under Pula's direction has said. Taksale agrees. ``His humour is clean,'' he said.

Pu La has often been accused of poking fun at the middle class and at times on its lack of economic stability. In fact director Jabbar Patel in his film on Pula, Pula Vruttant that was screened recently, asks him about the accusation. Pula's honest reply is that he has never intended to hurt anyone and that he has always wanted to make peoplelaugh.

Something which he has been successful in doing, for he laughed and made at least five generations of Maharashtra laugh. He even had the press persons in splits, recently, when he twisted the shlok, Sarve sukhina santu, sarve sukhina niramaya to Sarve sukhina routina (routine) referring to the fact that he is under heavy medication for Parkinson's disease. But the unkind ailment has not been able dim Pula's wit. He continues to make people laugh and people continue to salute the versatility of his amazing capabilities.

Pula Bahuroopi 80

(All programmes organised under the title will tour Maharashtra.)