Honorary Director, D.A.T.E. (Developing Awareness Through Entertainment

Fields of operation: Life coaching & Mental Health, Films & Theater

 Audio-Visual Literacy and Cinema for Health

Winner of numerous national and international awards and accolades, both as actor and medical doctor he began his career in a government hospital, shunning the lucrative pleasures and perks of private practice to devote equal time to his love for acting. Widely acknowledged as one of the finest stage and screen actors, in a career spanning more than five decades, Dr. Agashe has scaled new heights in cinema under the directorial brilliance of legends like Satyajit Ray, Mira Nair, Shyam Benegal etc. But his greatest contribution to the Indian Theatre has been overseas tours of contemporary Indian Theater from 1980 to 1990 and his pioneering work in introducing concept of Grips Theatre Berlin in India in 1986 which today has become a self-sustained movement.                                                                

He was awarded Homi Bhabha Fellowship (1984-86) to study Art & therapy and conferred ‘Padma Shri’ by President of India in 1990 and Sangeet Natak Academy Award in 1996.  

As an Honorary Director of "Theatre" Academy - Grips Project" he produced in collaboration with Grips Theatre, Berlin and Goethe Institute, Pune excellent entertaining yet meaningful realistic plays which opened a new chapter in the Theatre for Children and Youth in India. His seminal contribution to the Indo-German Cultural Collaboration was recognized by Germany with two Official Decorations of the German Government.

Prestigious ‘Bundesverdienskreuz’ (The Cross of Order of Merit) from the President of Federal Republic of Germany in 2002 & ‘The Goethe Medal’ by the President of Goethe Institute in 2004. 

On the medical side, his pioneering work as Professor of Pyschiatry at B.J Medical College and project to strengthen the Mental Health Education and Services translated into a new Mental Health Policy in his native state of Maharashtra and a State Level Maharashtra Mental Health Institute (MIMH) was set up in Pune in 1991 of which he was the Founder Director-Professor.

He also initiated the psychosocial rehabilitation of the 1993 Latur earthquake victims and was the Principal Investigator of a five year Research Project to study the Health Consequences of Natural Disaster with a Focus on Mental Health, at the Advance Centre Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) set up at MIMH, Pune,

He was also the Principal Investigator of an Indo-US joint Research Project on ‘The Cultural Disorders of Fatigue and Weakness’ along with Dr. Mitchell Weiss at MIMH

He was invited on Deputation by the I & B Ministry of the Central Government and was appointed as the Director of Film & Television Institute of India (FTII) from 1997 to 2002 because of his experience in the field of Education and his good standing in Films and Theater.

After his retirement in July 2005, he was appointed as an Adviser in Mental Health to the Government of Maharashtra (2006-2009) for his good standing the field of Mental Health

Since 2010 till to date he combines his skills and experience in the field Health, Education, Films and Theater to produce and present Issue based and Quality Entertainment to promote Health Education and Social Awareness. 

At present he is  

Health & Medial Consultant and 

Honorary Director of D.A.T.E. (Developing Awareness Through Entertainment)

In last few years he has received awards like Pune Pride, Nandikar, Cineplay Icon of the Year plus several awards for acting and few Life Time Achievement Awards from Pune University, Natya Parishad, Pune etc. 

In the past, he has been

President, Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Natya Sammelan 2012 at Baramati, Maharashtra

Director, Film and Television Institute of India, Pune (April 1997-April 2002)

Director-Professor,  Maharashtra Institute of Mental Health, Pune. 

Professor and Head, Department of Psychiatry, B.J. Medical College and Sassoon General Hospitals, Pune (1991-March 1997 and July 2002- July 2005)

Honorary President, Maharashtra Cultural Center, Pune

Honorary President of Theatre Academy, Pune (1985-1991)

Executive Board Member, Children Film Society, Mumbai

Non-official Director on the Board of National Film Development Corporation (NFDC 1985-1987)

Theatre Consultant to Indian Council for Cultural Relations (1987)