Marathi film industry loses talented actor

With Akshay Pendse’s (33) death, apart from Marathi film industry, small screen and theatre world, Sri Vinayak Mitra Mandal in Narayan Peth, also lost an enthusiastic member who participated in all activities of the mandal.

Gopal Tiwari, a former corporator who headed the Sri Vinayak Mitra Mandal for 15 years, said Akshay was a lovable small boy in the old Gore wada which later became Akshayshree Society.
Tiwari recalled that Akshay was not only an actor but was also a tabla player who used to perform solo during the Ganesh festival. He also used to demonstrate his acting skills.

Akshay was elder among two brothers and was older by four years to Tanmay. His father Vinayak Pendse was an MSEB employee who had passed away in an accident 20 years ago in Mumbai.
Born on November 12, 1979, Akshay studied at Nutan Marathi Vidyalay (NMV High School) in the city and had completed MA from the Lalit Kala Kendra of University of Pune. He left for Mumbai to pursue a career in acting. He was cast by Amol Palekar for his film Kairi, based on a short story with the same title penned by none other than legendary short story writer GA Kulkarni.

Akshay was cast for a role in Dhyasparva again by Amol Palekar and was based on the life and work of Late Raghunath Dhondo Karve, who worked for propagating family planning against all odds.

Akshay also acted in Marathi film Uttarayan which won the President’s gold medal and has a record of running housefull for 43 weeks.