Vijay Tendulkar, who towered over the Marathi literary field for over four decades, was no stranger to controversies.

'We never understood Vijay Tendulkar'

His remarks in the aftermath the post-Godhra communal carnage in Gujarat that 'if he had a pistol, he would shoot Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi' [Images], evoked mixed reactions with Modi supporters burning his effigies while others lauded him for the anti-Modi tirade.

Later, when asked if it was not strange that someone known as a strong voice against death penalty had a death wish for Modi, Tendulkar said 'it was a genuine and spontaneous anger, which I never see as a solution for anything. Anger doesn't solve problems.'

From our archives: Vijay Tendulkar on rediff

Ghashiram Kotwal, a Marathi play written by Tendulkar in 1972, was considered by many as his response to the rise of the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra.

The play, a political satire, was based on the life of Nana Phadnavis (1741-1800), the prime minister in the court of the Peshwas. It portrayed how men in power give rise to ideologies to serve their purposes, and later destroy them when they become useless.