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{{notability|1=Biographies|date=March 2026}}
{{Draft article|nomove=yes}}
{{Short description|Indian writer (1903–1977)}}
{{One source|date=January 2026}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = Vinayak Sadashiv Sukhthankar
| image = Sukhthankar Vinayak Sadashiv.png
| birth_date = 3 March 1903
| birth_place = [[Colvale]], [[Portuguese India]] (now [[Goa]], India)
| death_date = {{death date and age|1977|9|18|1903|3|3}}
| death_place = [[Mumbai]], [[Maharashtra]], India
| occupation = Writer, screenwriter, folklorist
| language = [[Marathi language|Marathi]], [[English language|English]], [[Tamil language|Tamil]]
| genre = Regional fiction, folk literature, children's literature
| notable_works = ''Sahyadrichya Paithyashi'', ''The Tales and Tellers of Goa''
| awards = Gold medal at Gomantak Sahitya Sammelan (1975)
}}

'''Vinayak Sadashiv Sukhthankar''' (3 March 1903 – 18 September 1977) was a prominent writer from [[Goa]], recognized for pioneering regionalist fiction in [[Marathi literature]]. His work extensively documented the rural life and folklore of the Goan countryside.

== Early life and education ==
Sukhthankar was born on 3 March 1903 in [[Colvale]], Goa. He completed his primary Marathi education up to the fourth grade in [[Panaji]], followed by middle school at Saraswat Vidyalaya in [[Mapusa]]. He initially pursued Portuguese education through the [[Liceu Nacional Afonso de Albuquerque|Lyceum]] in Panaji but later decided to switch to an English-medium curriculum. To facilitate this, he moved to [[Dharwad]] to attend a government school.<ref name="Vishwakosh1999"/>
He pursued higher education at [[Fergusson College]] in [[Pune]]. Additionally, he completed a six-month specialized course in milk production.<ref name="Vishwakosh1999">{{cite wikisource |editor-first1=Tanaji |editor-last1=Halarnkar |editor-link1=Tanaji Halarnkar |others= |title=Konkani Vishwakosh |trans-title=Konkani Encyclopaedia |wslink=Page:Konkani Vishwakosh - Volume 4 Released.pdf/888 |type= |edition= |series= |pages=888–889 |volume=4 |year=1999 |publisher=[[Goa University]] |location=Goa |language=gom |wslanguage=gom }}</ref>

== Literary career ==
Sukhthankar primarily indulged in folk literature (''lok-sahitya''). His travels through the villages of Goa provided the inspiration for his regional stories. In 1926, he published his first story, titled ''Katu Kartavya''. His 1939 collection, ''Sahyadrichya Paithyashi'' (At the Foot of the Sahyadris), is regarded by critics as the first authentic regional story collection in Marathi literature due to its vivid portrayal of the Goan landscape and social life.<ref name="Vishwakosh1999"/>

He contributed poetry and prose to several notable periodicals, including ''Anand'', ''Chitramayjagat'', ''Purusharth'', and ''Ratnakar''. Under the influence of [[Shridhar Venkatesh Ketkar]], he wrote ''Govyatil Janpadgani'' (Folk Songs of Goa) for the magazine ''Vidyasewek''. His other prose works include a biography of the Portuguese poet [[Luís de Camões]]. In 1974, he published an English book titled ''The Tales and Tellers of Goa'', which explored the state's oral traditions.<ref name="Vishwakosh1999"/>

=== Children's literature ===
Sukhthankar wrote multiple books for children. He published a representative collection of children's poems titled ''Vasanti'' and wrote educational books such as ''Hasta Khelta'' and ''Buddhivikas''. He also authored biographies for young readers on several prominent people, including:<ref name="Vishwakosh1999"/>
* [[Rabindranath Tagore]]
* [[Leo Tolstoy]]
* [[Sister Nivedita]]
* [[Swami Rama Tirtha]]
* [[Swami Vivekananda]]
* [[Mahatma Gandhi]]
* [[Jawaharlal Nehru]]

== Work in film and other languages ==
Sukhthankar also worked as a screenwriter. His story "Jai-Jui" was adapted into the film ''Devdasi'' by Orient Pictures Corporation. Although he wrote screenplays for "Mahapurachi Shikvan" and "Peshwaitlo Ramshastri" intended for production by [[Bombay Talkies]] and [[V. Shantaram]] of [[Prabhat Film Company|Prabhat]], these projects did not reach completion.<ref name="Vishwakosh1999"/>
He served as a co-writer for the screenplay of the film ''Bahot Din Huya'', produced by [[S. S. Vasan]]. During a period spent in [[Madras]] around 1962, he contributed to Tamil, [[Telugu language|Telugu]], Hindi, and English periodicals. He notably wrote a 15-chapter novel on [[Ramshastri Prabhune]] for the publication ''Andhrapattika'', which was later released in book form.<ref name="Vishwakosh1999"/>

== Works ==
* ''Katu Kartavya'' (Short story, 1926)
* ''Sahyadrichya Paithyashi'' (Story collection, 1939)
* ''Vasanti'' (Children's poetry collection)
* ''Govyatil Janpadgani'' (Prose/Research)
* ''The Tales and Tellers of Goa'' (English book, 1974)
* ''Hasta Khelta'' (Children's literature)
* ''Buddhivikas'' (Children's literature)
* ''Ramshastri'' (Novel, published by Andhrapattika)
* Biography of [[Luís de Camões]]
* Biographies of Tagore, Tolstoy, Nivedita, Rama Tirtha, Vivekananda, Gandhi, and Nehru
* ''Bahot Din Huya'' (Film screenplay, co-writer)
* ''Jai-Jui'' (Story adapted for the film ''Devdasi'')<ref name="Vishwakosh1999"/>

== Death and recognition ==
In 1975, Sukhthankar was honored with a gold medal at the Gomantak Sahitya Sammelan for his contributions to literature. He died in Mumbai on 18 September 1977.<ref name="Vishwakosh1999"/>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sukhthankar, Vinayak Sadashiv}}
[[Category:1903 births]]
[[Category:1977 deaths]]
[[Category:Writers from Goa]]
[[Category:People from Portuguese India]]

Vinayak Sadashiv Sukhthankar - Revision history

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