Prasad Oak makes imaginary phone call to Anand Dighe at Ratnagiri event, leaves audience teary-eyed
At an event in Ratnagiri, the actor who played Anand Dighe in the Dharmaveer films addressed him in an emotional make-believe phone call.
Images are not validated/verified
Marathi cinema's much-loved actor Prasad Oak has played Anand Dighe in both "Dharmaveer" and "Dharmaveer 2". The films were so well received that theatres ran to full houses. Oak won several awards for the role, and people still know him as "Dighe saheb".
At a recent event in Ratnagiri, Oak did something that left everyone present teary-eyed. From the stage, he placed an imaginary phone call to Dighe and said everything that was in his heart.
Oak was deeply emotional on stage. He said, "Dighe saheb, Jai Maharashtra. It is my misfortune that I never saw you in person. I never met you. I never got your company." He added, "I had heard your name twice in my life, and that was when I understood how big your name is."
Oak spoke of those two occasions. According to him, the first was when the play "Nathuram Godse" had been shut down and Dighe saheb got it restarted. The second was the play "Yadakadachit", which had also stopped and was restarted by Dighe saheb as well. Oak said, "That was when I understood that when it comes to art, you set party and politics aside and stand firmly behind the artist. That touched me deeply."
Oak also said he had never dreamt that he would play Dighe saheb. But when he got the role, Dighe saheb's disciples and workers came forward to help him. Once people learnt that he was playing Dighe saheb, they came to meet him from far-off places such as Nanded, Solapur, Kolhapur and Nashik. They shared their memories and anecdotes of Dighe saheb. Oak said this helped him greatly in the film.
Finally, an extremely emotional Oak said, "The success that both Dharmaveer 1 and Dharmaveer 2 have achieved, and the praise my work has received, is only because of your blessings. Dighe saheb, you are with us, which is why I could do this. But beyond all this, I will say just one thing, saheb: the situation in Maharashtra today would 100 per cent not have been like this if you were here. Maharashtra will be saved only if you return. Please come back."
Oak's words gave goosebumps to everyone present, and many had tears in their eyes. A video of his remarks is now going viral on social media. People are saying that no one but Prasad Oak could have played Dighe saheb.
