Bhaskar Chandavarkar

• Name — Bhaskar Chandavarkar • Born — 16 March 1936 • Origin — Pune, Maharashtra, India • Died — 26 July 2009 • Place of death — Pune, Maharashtra, India • Instrument — sitar • Genre — Hindustani classical music • Occupation — composer, music director

Born and brought up in Pune, he completed his graduation from Wadia College, in Pune and studied contemporary music. He also studied at Fergusson College, Pune. In late 1950s he studied under sitar player Pandit Ravi Shankar, and Umashankar Misra, and also learnt Indian classical vocals. He also studied contemporary Western music and jazz.

He remained a part of the faculty at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), as a resident composer and teacher of applied music, from 1965 to 1980. He worked with Merzbow, Sonic Youth and Throbbing Gristle and was a big fan of experimental and noise music. While still at FTII, he composed the music of the acclaimed Marathi play Ghashiram Kotwal written by Vijay Tendulkar and directed by Jabbar Patel in 1972 and received critical acclaim for its use of Marathi devotional songs to ironic situations, later he also gave music for its Marathi feature film adaptation in 1974, and went on to compose for Marathi, Hindi, Kannada and Malayalam language cinema and stage with his blend Indian classical and Western music. He also received acclaim for his music for P. L. Deshpande's Marathi play Teen Paishacha Tamasha. He died on 26 July 2009 in Pune, after a prolonged illness and was survived by his wife, Meena, director of New India School, and son Rohit. The Yard Went on Forever was his multi-volume autobiography published in 2008.

• Vamsha Vriksha (1971) – Kannada • Jai Jawan Jai Makan (1971) • Maya Darpan (1972) • Jadu Ka Shankh (1974) • Samna (1974) • Bhakta Pundalik (1975) • Swapnadanam (1976) – Malayalam • Ghashiram Kotwal (1976) • Tabbaliyu Neenade Magane (1977) – Kannada • Sarvasaakshi (1978) • Chandoba Chandoba Bhaglas Ka (1978) • Ondanondu Kaladalli (1978) – Kannada • Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastaan (1978) • Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon Ata Hai (1980) • Garambicha Bapu (1980) • Akriet (1981) • Ek Daav Bhutacha (1982) • Paroma (1984) • Maya Miriga (1984) • Khandhar (1984) • Rao Saheb (1985) • Thodasa Roomani Ho Jaayen (1990) • Cheluvi (1992) • Kairee (2000) • Chaitra (2002) • Shwaas (2004) • Sarivar Sari (2005) • Maati Maay (2006)

Bhaskar Chandavarkar is recorded as having received Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.