In English:
Narayan Shripad Rajhans, better known as Bal Gandharva (1888 - 1967) was one of the greatest Marathi singers and stage actors. He was famous for his roles of female characters in Marathi plays, since women were not allowed to act on stage during his time.
Bal Gandharva got his name after a performance in Pune as an aspiring singer. Lokmanya Tilak, the great freedom fighter and the grand old man of the Indian independence movement was in the audience, and after the performance, reportedly patted Rajhans on the back and said that Narayan was a "Bal Gandharva" which means "Young Gandharva".
Read more..In Marathi:
नारायण श्रीपाद राजहंस (१८८८-१९६७) : बालगंधर्व या नावाने अधिक लोकप्रिय असलेले विसाव्या शतकाच्या सुरवातीच्या काळातील मराठी रंगभूमी आणि चित्रपटांतील अभिनेते, गायक आणि नाट्यनिर्माते. रंगभूमीवर स्त्रिया अपवादानेच अभिनय करीत असतानाच्या काळात आपल्या हुबेहुब रंगवलेल्या स्त्री-भूमिकांमुळे बालगंधर्वांनी मोठी लोकप्रियता मिळवली. नाट्यगीतांसह ख्याल, ठुमरी, गझल, दादरा, भक्तिगीते यांसारख्या गायन प्रकारांवरही त्यांचे विलक्षण प्रभुत्व होते.
