Rajdutt & Dole selected for Padma awards on R-Day eve

Pune/Nagpur: Veteran Marathi film director Dattatray Ambadas Mayaloo alias Rajdutt, 93, was selected for Padma Bhushan and Dr Manohar Dole, who runs a charitable eye hospital in Narayangaon, was selected for Padma Shri award by the Union government on Thursday on the eve of the 75th Republic Day of India.The glittering list of Padma Award recipients from the state also includes Hormusji N Cama (literature & education-journalism), Ashwin Balachand Mehta (medicine), Ram Naik (public affairs) and Pyarelal Sharma (art), Kundan Vyas (literature & education-journalism). Padma Shri awardees include Uday Vishwanath Deshpande (sports), Zahir I Kazi (literature & education), Chandrashekhar Mahadeorao Meshram (medicine), Kalpana Morparia (trade & industry), and Shankar Baba Pundlikrao Papalkar (social work).Rajdutt was honoured for his contribution in the art field and Dole for his role in the medical field. “It gives me immense pleasure to know that I have been selected for the award. It’s indeed a big honour and I think it’s also an apt recognition for years of hard work and dedication to my passion and profession,” Rajdutt told TOI.Born in Dhamangaon in Amravati district, he was associated with RSS from an early age and spent two months in prison during the Emergency. Rajdutt acted in many plays during his school and college days.A stint with a Chennai-based children’s magazine helped Rajdutt find his life’s calling. On his illustrious journey, Rajdutt said, “After analysing my work, I would think I could have done better in some aspects. A true artist is never satisfied with his work. He always tries to improve on his last performance. Same was with me.”Thanks to his guru Rajabhau Paranjape, Rajdutt got access to Madras’ AVM Studio. He assisted Paranjape in 13 movies before his directorial debut with his Marathi blockbuster ‘Madhuchandra’ in 1967. For his moniker Rajdutt, Mayaloo took ‘Raj’ from his guru Rajabhau and Dutt from his own name Dattatray. He graduated from GS College of Commerce, Wardha.Dole runs a charitable eye hospital, founded in 1982 in memory of Late Mohan Thuse, a devoted young RSS social worker. The hospital was started in an old house with almost no financial resources under the guidance of reputed ophthalmic surgeon Dr Sudhir Kale from Pune. After 15 years, the state government made available 10,000 sq ft land for the hospital. The philanthropic Thuse family later donated 3,600sqft of land for the facility.In the beginning, Dole conducted 10 to 12 free eye camps every month in different areas of Junnar, Ambegaon, Khed and Shirur taluka of Pune district. Over the years, the foundation run by him has been providing ophthalmic care to the underprivileged rural and tribal people around Narayangaon and Pune.
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