Bhau Padhye

{{Short description|Marathi writer}}

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Prabhakar Narayan alias Bhau Padhye (1926–1996) was an Indian writer who wrote in Marathi. Padhye is regarded as one of the foremost writers to have emerged in not just modern Marathi literature but also Indian literature, at large.{{Cite web|url=http://bhaupadhye.blogspot.com/2010/06/blog-post_24.html?m=1|title=भाऊ पाध्ये Bhau Padhye: 'राडा'ची प्रस्तावना|date=24 June 2010}}{{Cite web|url=http://bhaupadhye.blogspot.com/2010/10/blog-post_28.html?m=1|title = भाऊ पाध्ये Bhau Padhye: चित्र्यांचा एक मजकूर|date = 28 October 2010}}{{Cite web|url=http://bhaupadhye.blogspot.com/2010/06/blog-post_30.html?m=1|title=भाऊ पाध्ये Bhau Padhye: भाऊचा अखेरचा धक्का|date=October 2010}}{{Cite web|url=http://bhaupadhye.blogspot.com/2010/06/blog-post_28.html?m=1|title = भाऊ पाध्ये Bhau Padhye: 'टीकास्वयंवर'मधला उतारा|date = 29 August 2010}}{{Cite web|url=http://bhaupadhye.blogspot.com/2010/08/blog-post.html?m=1|title = भाऊ पाध्ये Bhau Padhye: फुल्याफुल्यांच्या वादग्रस्त वाङ्मयाचा जनक|date = 25 August 2010}} Dilip Chitre once commented that Padhye is a writer "who deserves a permanent place in World Literature".

During his lifetime, Padhye had a long ending tussle with publication of his books. Nevertheless, his novels Barrister Aniruddha Dhopeshvarkar, Vasunaka, Rada are regarded as classics of modern Marathi literature. Padhye was also known for his short stories. A collection of his short stories was edited by Dilip Chitre. Another collection of his selected short stories was edited by Rajan Gavas.

His third published novel Vasunaka (Devanagari: वासूनाका) polarized critics in Maharashtra. Writers including Vijay Tendulkar, Durga Bhagwat hailed the novel for its originality and its portrayal of humanism. On the other hand, critics like Acharya Atre shamed the novel for its vulgarity.

Padhye graduated in Economics from the University of Mumbai in 1948. During 1949-51, he worked as a full-time volunteer for a labour union. He worked next as a teacher in King George High-school at Dadar, L. Kaduri High School at Mazgaon, and B. S. Ezikel High School at Sandhurst Road, all in Mumbai, for a year each. Then he worked for four years as a clerk in Spring Mill at Wadala in Mumbai before starting his career as a journalist, sequentially in Hind Mazdoor, Nava Kal, and Nava Shakti dailies.

His columns were published in different Marathi magazines, including Rahasyaranjan, Abhiruchee, Manoos, Sobat, Dinank, Kridangan, and Chandrayug.

In 1989, Padhye suffered an attack of paralysis.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}

He was married to Shoshna Mazgoankar, a labour union activist