Lokshahir Vitthal Umap, one of Maharashtra’s versatile legendary folk artistes, died on stage on Friday evening after a massive cardiac arrest, shortly before his performance at the historic Deeksha Bhoomi ground.
The 80-year-old artist, a staunch Ambedkarite who spread the folk movement across the state, collapsed on stage while addressing a mammoth gathering at the launch of a new Marathi television channel, called Lord Buddha.
He was rushed in an unconscious condition to Spandan hospital
in Dhantoli, where doctors declared him brought dead, stunning the organisers and plunging the state into grief. His death leaves an irrecoverable void in the field, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan said in his condolence message.
“Jai Bhim,” Umap chanted thrice, after bowing to the statues of Dr Ambedkar and Gautam Buddha. While turning to bow to a Buddhist monk, he fell to the ground unconscious.
“He was unwell for some days and was running a fever even today,” Aman Kamble, the programme organiser, said. “When we went to Mumbai to invite him for the launch of the channel 15 days ago, he expressed happiness and agreed to come for the programme not just as a chief guest, but also to perform,” he said.
He flew into Nagpur this morning. “He told us this would perhaps be his last performance on stage,” he said. Both his sons rushed to Nagpur. His body is being flown to Mumbai for the last rites, sources said.
A singer, lyricist, writer, shahir, and actor, Umap’s versatility was sharpened by his tremendous social and progressive outlook. In some ways, he was an activist who propagated social equality through his art form.
He gave the state some of the most popular Koli songs, plays, shahiri, and devotional songs, among other literary and art contributions. He penned his life’s struggle in his autobiography Phu Bai Phu, Phugadi Phu. One of his most popular plays was Jambhul Akhyan, besides Bai daar ughad.
