Draft:Inspector Mahesh Jadhav

Inspector Mahesh Jadhav is a fictional protagonist character of Police detective in the Zapatlela film series directed by Mahesh Kothare, also created and portrayed the character. It was originally featured in 1989 film Thartharat. The character still one of the popular characters in the Marathi audiences.

Development
Mahesh Kothare was formerly criminal lawyer, so he was very close to the police and fascinated by the police. Taking inspiration from there, he himself played the character of Inspector Mahesh Jadhav. He had told in an interview that once he went to Ramdas Padhye's show of talking dolls. At that time he thought that "if this doll came alive, what would Lakshya do." Then Kothare made the film Zapatlela on Tatya Vinchu, in which character of Mahesh Jadhav was the protagonist in the film.

Earlier it was featured in the Thartharat in 1989 followed by Majha Chakula and then Zapatlela 2. In 2004, Kothare made guest appearance in Pachadlela as detective Inspector Mahesh Jadhav.

Zapatlela
Evil puppet Tatya Vinchu wants to enter Lakshya's body, causing Lakshya to lose his life. Before that, Jadhav eliminate Tayta Vinchu.

Zapatlela 2
The malevolent and possessed puppet Tatya Vinchu is searching for Aditya, the son of his murdered ventriloquist creator Lakshya Bolke, in an attempt to transform into a human.

In other films
Apart from Zapatlela series, the character is featured in Thartharat (1989), Majha Chakula (1994) and Pachadlela (2004).

Thartharat
Gangster Taklu Haiwan terrorises the village of Shrirampur. After being moved, he enlists the help of Lakshya, a local journalist, to help the town overcome its dread. He apprehends Taklu Haiwan in the end.

Majha Chakula
When young Adinath is kidnapped by Gidhad gang, Inspector Mahesh Jadhav rescues him and also defeats the Gidhad gang.

Pachadlela
Mahesh Kothare was made guest appearance in Pachadlela as Inspector Mahesh Jadhav

Legacy and impact
In majority of his films, Mahesh Kothare has played the fictitious Inspector Mahesh Jadhav. His catchphrase, "Damn It!" is well-known to Marathi viewers, and he is frequently referred to as the "Damn It King." This catchphrase inspired Mahesh Kothare to name his autobiography "Damn It Ani Barach Kahi". In an interview, Kothare claimed that he picked up the habit of saying "damn it" from G. M. Hardly's book when he was a college student.

The characters Inspector Mahesh Jadhav, Tatya Vinchu are considered as one of the iconic characters in Marathi entertainment industry.