Master of Melody: The Ram Marathe Story

Pandit Ramchandra Marathe's artistic career spanned approximately fifty-five years and was characterized by immense versatility. He was a highly versatile vocalist and a successful singer-actor on the musical stage. Beyond his vocal excellence, he was also an excellent accompanist and a solo tabla player. He also served as a music director for musical plays and bhāvgeet. Marathe was described as fair-complexioned, tall, well-built, extremely handsome, and as possessing great dignity.

Around 1968; when he was barely 44 years old, Pandit Ramchandra Purushottam Marathe chose Thane as his home, and from then on, the city became inseparably linked with his life and music. He lived in Thane till his last breath, enriching its cultural soil with his art, practice, and presence. For decades, Thane did not merely host a great musician; it quietly nurtured one of the greatest artists of his generation. Ram Marathe thus stands as a true jewel of Thane—an artist whose music elevated the city’s cultural stature and whose legacy continues to resonate far beyond its boundaries.

Early Life

Ram Marathe was born on October 23, 1924, in Pune, to father Purushottam Marathe and mother Mathurabai. His father ran an eating house in Pune to support his family. Young Ram completed his primary education at Bhave School, Pune. Recognizing the skills of young Ram, his father encouraged him to take early lessons in music. Unfortunately, his father passed away at an early age, and he was then raised by his mother.

His career began at an early age in the film industry, when he was just 14, working as a child artist. He acted in approximately 30–35 films across the Marathi and Hindi languages. He joined the Sagar Film Company in 1933 and subsequently joined the Prabhat Film Company in 1935, where he remained until 1940. His role of Krishna in Prabhat Film Company’s 1938 film Gopal Krishna, as well as his performances in films such as Admi (Hindi) and Manus (Marathi), were widely praised.

Extensive Musical Training

Pandit Ram Marathe was hailed as the undisputed supreme artist of his generation. Ram Marathe presented a powerful gayaki that followed the tradition of Pandit Bhaskarbua Bakhale. Those who had heard Bhaskarbua always vouched for Pandit Marathe’s singing style as closely resembling Bhaskarbua’s.

Pandit Marathe attributed his success to intense sangeet sadhana and determination. His training was remarkably broad, spanning multiple gharanas. He idolized Master Krishnarao Phulambrikar and worked closely with Ramkrishna Buwa Vaze as an accompanist.

He got his training in the Gwalior Gayaki for four to five years under Yashwant Buwa Mirashi alongside D. V. Paluskar. He then studied the Jaipur Gharana with Pandit Vamanrao Sadolikar, who refined his voice and style. Pandit Manoharji Barve guided him in ragas, jod ragas, and taan patterns.

Under the Agra Gharana stalwarts Pandit Jagannath Buwa Purohit and Ustad Vilayat Hussain Khan, he mastered Agra ragas, bandishes, and compositions. This diverse training shaped a composite style that blended Gwalior, Jaipur, and Agra traditions and demonstrated his depth.

Pandit Marathe embodied the style of khayal singing. His strengths included a high-pitched, well-rounded base voice, rhythmically rich bandishes, and intricate taans that reached the highest notes. Though personally calm, his singing temperament was distinctly aggressive.

Renowned as the “Badshah of jod ragas,” he mastered the art of raga blending through powerful voice control, vivid imagination, and seamless note transitions. He could present both common and rare jod ragas with ease. He composed around thirty to thirty-five bandishes.

The Music Theatre Career

Despite his dedication to classical singing, Marathe was persuaded to join the Marathi music stage around 1950 by the insistence of Bal Gandharva and Ganpatrao Bodas, an invitation his mother—who was a great admirer of Bal Gandharva—could not refuse. He started his stage career under the guidance of Natvarya Shri Ganapatrao Bodas.

Ram Marathe became a popular singer-actor after his debut in “Sangeet Saubhadra.” He acted as the main hero alongside Bal Gandharva (who played the heroine) in classics like “Swayamvar” and “Ekach Pyala,” among others. Bal Gandharva and Ganpatrao Bodas personally trained him for these roles and taught him all the songs. Marathe performed in twenty-five different plays, totaling 7,500 stage shows, in addition to approximately 3,500 classical concerts.

In the 1960s, he was central to the revival of the Sangeet Natak tradition through plays written by Vidyadhar Gokhale, such as “Sangeet Suvarntula” and “Sangeet Mandarmala.” He acted in both productions, composed two songs for “Suvarntula” (the most famous being “Kon Hi Sundara, Yaduvara”), and starred in the critically acclaimed “Mandarmala.” He acted in many traditional dramas, including “Sanshayakallol,” “Sangeet Manapman,” “Sangeet Vidyaharan,” and “Sangeet Jai Jai Gaurishankar.” He also composed for several plays, including “Sangeet Mandarmala” and “Sangeet Megh Malhar.”

Legacy

As a guru, Ram Marathe was deeply affectionate, treating his students like his own sons. He conducted intensive taalim for 15–20 days at a stretch, often teaching three to four hours each in the morning and evening. His lessons were vivid, as he brought to life the gayaki and nuances of masters like Bal Gandharva, Master Krishnarao, and Ustad Faiyaz Khan, making learning engaging and dynamic. To name a few of his esteemed students, they include Vishvanath Bagul, Ulhas Kashakkar, Pradip Natekar, Arun Kashalkar, his children, and many more.

Pandit Ram Marathe received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (Presidential Award) in 1988 for Marathi stage music (Natyasangeet). He was a top Grade classical artist for All India Radio/Doordarshan. He  received insufficient recognition from the government and the elite music world. Nonetheless, Marathe himself held no bitterness, remaining simply immersed in his music. He lived a happy married life with his wife Pratibha. The couple was blessed with two daughters and two sons — Mangal, Ratnaprabha, Sanjay, and Mukund. All the children were trained in classical music. Pandit Ram Marathe peacefully passed away on October 4, 1989.

His enduring musical legacy is evident today, as the current generation is influenced by his recordings and actively pursues research and doctorates on his gayaki.