Early Years: He was born Baburao Krishnarao Mestri in 1890 in Kolhapur. He taught himself to paint and sculpt in academic art school style. He and his artist cousin Anandrao Painter between 1910 and 1916 were the leading painters of stage backdrops in Western India doing several famous curtains for Sangeet Natak troupes and also for Gujarati Parsee theatres.
Early Career: He turned to cinema first as exhibitors while trying to assemble his own camera. Anadrao however died in 1916 and Painter and his main disciple V.G. Damle eventually put together a working camera in 1918. He set up the Maharashtra Film Company in Kolhapur in 1919.
Early Career: Baburao's first film Sairandhri, 1920, attracted the attention of the then censor board for its graphic depiction of the slaying of Keechak by Bhima. Finally it had to be deleted but the film won both critical and commercial acclaim spurring Painter on to more ambitious projects.
Success: As early as 1921-22 he was the first to issue programme booklets, complete with details of the film and photographs. He also painted himself tasteful, eye-catching posters of his films.
Success: Netaji Palkar, 1927, directed by V. Shantaram and Karna, 1928, directed by Damle and Fatehlal were huge hits. However after a few more silent films, the Maharashtra Film Company pulled down its shutters with the advent of sound.
Last Days: Baburao was not particularly keen on the talkies for he believed that they would destroy the visual culture so painfully evolved over the years. He returned to painting and sculpture. He died in 1954.