parallax background

Navrang Ruperi

A Journey of Three Decades!

I am very much happy and overwhelmed that Navrang Ruperi – Diwali issue is now An online Infotainment Website available 24x7 for our esteemed readers and well-wishers. Mother only can realize the labor pains and also showers love, affection, care while nurturing child and I can very well relate with this as I consider Navrang Ruperi as one of my children.

I started writing for local newspaper after obtaining degree of journalism from Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University in 1986 - 87. At that time Mr. Dhananjay Mandakhalikar who is now known as Dhananjay Kulkarni suggested me an idea about Diwali issue (Popularly known as Diwali Ank to Marathi readers) While working in Daily Ajintha on meager remuneration, the concept of Diwali issue began to develop. Friends like Sham Daga, Sudheer Sevekar, Kiran Deshpande, Arvind G. Vaidya were working with me. While serving at Vidnyanvardhini High School the work for ‘Rang Ruperi’ Diwali issue started.

As I was working with Ajintha newspaper I received help from Dadasaheb Potnis, Arvind Potnis, Vandan Potnis of Gaonkari group, Nasik as well as friend Dr. Ratnakar Pandit. Using colour scanning of Rasrang the ‘Rang Ruperi’ Diwali issue was started in 1987 with cover page photo of Jayaprada. This 70 pages issue included articles written by Dhananjay Mandakhalikar, Arvind Vaidya, Sham Daga, Sudheer Sevekar, Sudhakar Limkar, Kiran Deshpande, V. L. Dharurkar, Raveendra Joshi. A cine journalist had started the first film based Diwali issue in Marathwada. For its publication function Dr. Lakshman Deshpande, Moreshwar Save, Dr. Sudhakar Pawar were present. At the first instance 300 issues were sold out and 700 copies were given complimentary. Mr. Aniruddha Ashtputre who holds a higher post in Information and Public Relation Department of Maharashtra Government had helped me a lot for selling the issues at that time. Then in 1988 directly an offset issue was published with cover photo of Shridevi.

Initially for some years printing was continued in Jaihind printing press. Technology was advanced, but economic condition was not! So the work was going on considering the budget. After Shridevi, photos of Bhanupriya, Ashwini Bhave, Kishori Shahane were published on cover page. In 1992 Rang Ruperi received a new title ‘Navrang Ruperi’ from the concerned office at Delhi. In the same year my music special issue received advertisement of T Series about Anuradha Paudwal music album. That year I could give offset printed issue to readers and that is continued till today. From 1993 issues on various subjects started to be published. In 1993 ‘Heroes Special’ issue was published for the first time with cover photo of Amtabh Bachchan which was highly appreciated by the film lovers. In 1994 ‘Heroines Special’ issue was published with cover photo of Madhuri Dixit. Then next issues were based on Love Stories, Century of World Cinema, Families, Legends, Super Hits in Cine World, Singers, Music Directors, Lyricists, Comedy Actors etc. From the year 2001 my son Ajinkya Ujalambkar shouldered the responsibility of Diwali issues and kept changing the look of issues. He was criticized at the family level itself for publishing somewhat bold photo of Amisha Patel; however it was very much appreciated by the readers. There was a miracle in 2003 when movie ‘Mai Prem ki Diwani’ was released with star cast of Hritik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor and Abhishek Bachchan and I went to Mumbai at office of Rajashree Productions. I obtained information about the movie and also photographs of Kareena and prepared the issue with it.

In that year our issue was honoured with Best Diwali Issue award from Vidyaratna Pratishthan, Pune. It was unusual for a film based Diwali issue to get an award, but we made that possible! The award of 2004 encouraged us and gave inspiration. Since then we are being continuously honoured with various awards till the date. In 2010 we received Best Printing award from Maharashtra Rajya Mudran Parishad. It was given to ‘Print well’. In last decade we catered our readers with variety of subjects like birth centenary of K. L. Sehgal, 25 years of death of Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar entering in 81st year, 75 years of Hindi cinema, 75 years of Marathi cinema, new trends in Hindi movies, Memories of Shailendra, Amin Sayani, Memories of Radio Ceylon and much more. We made a request to legendary cine journalist and editor of ‘Rasrang’ Mr. Isak Mujawar and he started writing for us.

While living and working at Aurangabad fortunately I found many journalists and writer friends cooperating me like Subhash Jadhav, Shashikant Kinikar, Dwarkanath Sanjhgiri, Vasant Bhalekar, Kamlakar Nadkarni, Sham Daga, Ajit Pradhan, Padmakar Pathak, Sulabha Teranikar, Kailas Zodge, Dileep Thakur, Harshada Vedpathak, Shantaram Mankikar, Pralhad Awalaskar, Sadanand Gokhale, Subhash Bhurke, Prakash Kamat, Bandu Yadnyopavit, V. B. Deshpande, Praveen Davane, Chandrashekhar Joshi, Madhu Potdar, Poet Peter John, Y. M. Pathan, Abhay Paranjape, Mangala Khadilkar, Suresh Chandwankar. Now new generation has also started writing. New writers from Pune Mumbai have joined the team of Navrang Ruperi and have made the issue a combination of old and new style.

New journalists are singing songs of new times and the writer friends from my generation are playing old melodies. With all new & old we have completed a journey of 25 years. Dhananjay Kulkarni (Mandakhalikar) is writing since the first issue. Contribution of Vijay Padalkar, Pradeep Bhide (Guest Editor) has been always very valuable.

In this journey Potnis family of Daily Gaonkari means grandfather Dadasaheb, his son Arvindrao, his son Vandanrao Potnis helped me a lot for printing work. Thereafter, I received help from Jaihind press, Skyline Printing Press, Prateek Offset, Saniya Offset. I am also grateful for the help from Vinayak Bhale, Shrikant Kulkarni, Pramod Pardeshi, Vijay Nyayadhish, Anwar, Nitin Alkari, Mrs. Vaishali Alkari, Sanjay Bansode, Govind Bhavsar. Family of ex MP Moreshwar Save has been always very supportive from the beginning. I also received co-operation from directors, managers of movie theaters in Aurangabad.

My wife Mrs. Hema Ujalambkar has been a backbone support for me. From 2005 my son Ajinkya is handling the workload. Late Sukhram Hivrale, Late Sudhakar Pawar, Dr. Ratnakar Pandit, Dr. V. L. Dharurkar, Dr. Sudheer Gavhane, Dr. Suresh Puri have a lion’s share in the journey. I had witnessed many movie based issues that started and were constrained to close. But I saw the only dream of publishing movie based Diwali issue and starved with hard work for its success day and night. As on today also ‘Navrang Ruperi’ is the only passion for me.

Today, it’s an era of digital technology and hence Navrang Ruperi is coming in the form of a fulltime website for movie lovers. It will be a website providing all the entertainment material, information and updates about Hindi/ Marathi movies, plays/ dramas, television content, OTT platform. Here cine lovers would get quality content and articles on old and new movies, drama theater, movie reviews, interviews, up to date information and news from cine world and much more.

You will also get connecting links for authentic accounts of Navrang Ruperi on Facebook, Instagram, Tweeter and YouTube. You will get links of all articles when you will like, follow and subscribe them. After subscription of YouTube you will be able to watch all videos also. We will try our best to make available all kinds of information as soon as possible for readers. Maintaining the legacy of Navrang Ruperi we will definitely give quality articles in future also.

I am sure that all our writers from Pune, Mumbai, Aurangabad, Nasik, Kolhapur and all major cities of Maharashtra will definitely continue their contribution for us. As said by Joker of Raj Kapoor I can only say that, ‘Kal khel me ham ho na ho, gardish me tare rahenge sada. Bhuloge tum bhulenge wah, par ham tumhare sada rahenge’. The God is great and kind enough that He gave me opportunity to see website of my Diwali issue ‘Navrang Ruperi’. I know your best wishes are always with us. I am happy that now the fragrance of cine journalism from the soil of Marathwada will be spread all over the world.

–Ashok Ujalambkar

Founder Editor, Navrang Ruperi


Our Journey

1987-timeline

1987


Varhadkar Laxman Deshpande at the launch of Navrang Ruperi Diwali Issue
1988-timeline

1988


Poet F.M. Shinde at the launch of 2nd issue of Navrang Ruperi
1992-timeline

1992


Pandit Nathrao Neralkar, Gopal Sakrikar, V.L. Dharurkar and Arvind Vaidya at the launch of Navrang Ruperi

1993-timeline

1993


Actor Yashwant Deshmukh with Shyam Daga, Sadanand Pande and Arvind Vaidya at 1993 Navrang Ruperi launch
1994-timeline

1994


Lokmat's Rajendra Darda at the launch of Navrang Ruperi-1994 issue
1996-timeline

1996


Then Police Commissioner of Aurangabad Ulhas Joshi and Vasant Kumbhojkar at the launch of Navrang Ruperi-1996 issue

1997-timeline

1997


Then Principal of Deogiri College R.R. Borade at the launch of Navrang Ruperi-1997 issue
1998-timeline

1998


Then Police Commissioner of Aurangabad Shripad Kulkarni at the launch of Navrang Ruperi-1998 Issue
2000-timeline

2000


Rotarian Laxman Pethe with Nandkishore Muley at the launch of Navrang Ruperi-2000 Issue

2001-timeline

2001


Shayar Bashar Nawaz at the Launch of Navrang Ruperi-2001 Issue with Prakash Malkhare and Abhay Bapat.
2002-timeline

2002


Actor Dilip Ghare with Rtn PDG Prafulla Mirajgaonkar of ICD at the launch of Navrang Ruperi-2002 Issue
2003-timeline

2003


Author and Stage Actress Anuya Dalvi with Adv. Narhari Kakde at the launch of Navrang Ruperi-2003 Issue

2005-timeline

2005


Then Police Commissioner of Aurangabad Uddhav Kamble with Pradip Kulkarni at the launch of Navrang Ruperi-2005 Issue
2007-timeline

2007


Assistant Director of Library Mr. Munde with Prakash Naik and Vijay Nyayadhish at the launch of Navrang Ruperi-2007 Issue
2008-timeline

2008


Then Assistant Divisional Commissioner Mr Muglikar with Resident DM Mr Shelke at the launch of Navrang Ruperi-2008 Issue

2009-timeline

2009


Popular Singer Ashalata Karalgikar with Mr Karalgikar at the launch of Navrang Ruperi-2009 Issue
2013-timeline

2010


Then GM of SBH Ajoy Naqib with Dr Nandkumar Ukadgaonkar and Sunil Kasture at the launch of Navarng Ruperi-2010 Issue
2011-2-timeline

2011


Minister Eknath Khadse with MLA Shaikh, Prashant Desarada and MLA Shrikant Joshi at the launch of Silver Jubilee Issue of Navrang Ruperi-2011 at Aurangabad

2015-timeline

2011


Actress Mala Sinha with Pradip Bhide, Puja Samant and Divakar Gandhe at the launch of Silver Jubilee Issue of Navrang Ruperi-2011 at Mumbai
2010-timeline

2011


Arun Dutt (Son of Actor Guru Dutt) with Dhananjay Kulkarni and Krupashankar Sharma at the launch of Silver Jubilee Issue of Navrang Ruperi-2011 at Pune
2011-1-timeline

2013


Inock Daniels with Vilasdutt Raut, Shrikant Kulkarni, Madhu Potdar, Narayan Phadke, Krupashankar Sharma, Prakash kamat, Dhananjay Kulkarni and Anil Pendse at the launch of Navrang Ruperi-2013 Issue

2011-3-timeline

2015


Leela Gandhi with Dhananjay Kulkarni, Vijay Nyayadhish and Narayan Phadke at the launch of Navrang Ruperi-2015 Issue.

Navrang Ruperi Diwali Issue Award

  • Vidyaratna Pratishthan. Pune-2003
  • Shabdasagar UdyogVedh, Pune-2004
  • UdyogVedh, Pune-2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2012
  • Rotary Club, Pune Parvati Lokmanya Nagar-2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
  • Sahitya Vichar Manthan, Kalyan-2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
  • Sant Bahinabaai Pratishthan, Thane-2007
  • Sahitya Darval Manch, Dadar-2008
  • AksharRang Vyaspith, Kalyan-2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
  • NilNanda Foundation, Andheri, Mumbai-2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
  • Maharashtra Rajya Mudrak Sangh 3rd Award for Best Printing-2010
  • Marathi Vruttapatra Lekhak Sangh-2011
  • Karveer Kashi Foundation, Kolhapur-2013
  • Patra Saransh, Indore-2013