Babasaheb Purandare

Balwant Moreshwar Purandare, popularly known as Babasaheb Purandare, was an Indian historian and writer of books and plays from Maharashtra, India. His works are mostly based on the life of Shivaji, the 17th-century founder of the Maratha Empire; as a result he is called Shiv-Shahir. He is mostly known for his popular play on Shivaji, Jaanta Raja. Purandare also studied the history of the Peshwas of Pune. In 2015, he was awarded the Maharashtra Bhushan Award, Maharashtra's highest civilian award. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian award on 25 January 2019.