PUNE, Jan. 14 -- The deplorable condition of Pune's iconic Balgandharva Rangmandir has drawn sharp criticism from the theatre community and raised questions about the upkeep of one of the city's most prestigious landmarks. Marathi theatre actress Amruta Deshmukh drew attention to the poor condition of the auditorium when she shared her anguish on social media after performing in a play staged at Balgandharva Rangmandir on Sunday. She said she had been witnessing poor conditions at the auditorium for many productions now, and believed that many other artists are facing similar issues. Deshmukh claimed that the washrooms near the artists' rooms were extremely dirty. "The cleaning staff arrived barely five minutes before the play to clean the washrooms. There were no mats outside the washrooms and many basic facilities needed for artists were missing," Deshmukh said. She further said she was shocked that such conditions persist in what is one of Pune's oldest and most frequently used auditoriums. In a strongly worded Marathi post, Deshmukh questioned the Pune Municipal Corporation's (PMC's) apathy towards artists and audiences. She said artists come, perform with dedication and leave, and perhaps that is why they are taken for granted. She also highlighted the discomfort faced by audiences, questioning how a city that calls itself the state's cultural capital allows rats to crawl over sarees, mosquitoes to bite spectators and unhygienic conditions to prevail in a reputed theatre. "When will this situation change?" she demanded, tagging the PMC in her post. Taking a cue from Deshmukh, Babasaheb Patil, state president of the Nationalist Congress Party's (NCP's) film and cultural wing, too, strongly condemned the conditions of the theatre. He termed the state of Balgandharva Rangmandir 'extremely unfortunate' at a time when Pune prides itself on being a cultural city. Patil said artists perform with sincerity and audiences attend plays out of love for the theatre, but problems like rats, mosquitoes and lack of cleanliness show the civic administration's indifference. Patil also pointed out that the neglect is even more disturbing as it coincides with the hustle and bustle of the PMC elections. Repeated calls to Rajesh Kamthe, chief manager, PMC's cultural and building design department, remained unanswered....