Pune: Kalaawant Dhol Tasha Pathak, bringing together the energy of traditional percussion and the glamour of the Marathi film industry, has carved a space for itself over the years. Its members, including popular actors Siddharth Jadhav, Saurabh Gokhale, Anuja Sathe, Shruti Marathe, Tejaswini Pandit and others, often use the platform for social causes.Going beyond just playing traditional instruments during Ganeshotsav, the troupe honours and felicitates real-life heroes of society and expresses its gratitude for their social service with financial aid. This year, the pathak extended its support to Pratapgad Search and Rescue Team, Mahabaleshwar Trekkers and Sahyagiri Trekkers, Murbad, who work tirelessly to rescue people in distress and respond to critical situations in the unrelenting Sahyadris.Gokhale, an actor and a founding member of the pathak, said like-minded people from the Marathi film and TV industry came together to form the dhol-tasha troupe. “On the foundation day of the pathak in 2014, we had decided that a part of whatever honorarium or remuneration we receive for playing dhol-tasha will go for the maintenance of the musical instruments and equipment, and the remaining will be spent on social causes and cultural programmes. We have been following this tenet from day one,” he said.“Earlier, we did not earn as much and it took the troupe five to six years to start receiving enough remuneration. Till then, the members were putting money from their own pockets for the maintenance and social causes,” Gokhale said.The pathak was made into a trust in 2024 and has been involved in various initiatives over the years.Speaking about the decision to support non-profits with aid, Gokhale said many organisations in various fields do extraordinary work, but do not get the recognition they deserve. “Kalaawant members have a presence across both traditional and social media, and we felt we could use our reach and influence to help these organisations connect with a wider audience. So, we decided to make our platform available to showcase their work and draw attention of more people,” he said.“These organisations need support and visibility. We hope that by bringing their work to people’s attention, others will come forward to help them. Many people genuinely want to contribute but don’t know whom to approach or how to reach those who need help. Our platform helps bridge the gap and connect the right people with the right groups,” he said.Kalaawant Trust committee members collectively decide on the organisation to support each year. “We usually hear about their work first, then look into what they do and assess whether they need the support and recognition. We try to reach out to groups whose work often goes unnoticed, who need greater visibility and support the most,” Gokhale added.Mohan Damle, a film producer and another founding member of the pathak, said the troupe now had over 150 members. “In 2013, we had a dhol-tasha pathak performance during a movie promotion. The sounds and beats of the traditional instruments were surreal and we had an urge to do something of our own. So, Kalaawant was born the next year,” he said.The pathak plays for Kasba Ganapati and Tambdi Jogeshwari mandals regularly. This year, the troupe also performed in front of the Lord Shrimant Ganapati Bappa Devalai in Phuket, Thailand.Kalaawant Trust also organises various social initiatives such as Kalaawant Vyakhanmala, a lecture series; Kalaawant Nagarik Gaurav Puraskar to honour unsung local heroes; and Kalaawant Karandak, a performing arts competition exclusively for Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) school students.
