Marathi
playwright
Ratnakar
Matkari
breathed
his
last
on
May
17,
2020,
at
the
age
of
81.
He
was
diagnosed
with
the
Novel
Coronavirus
(COVID-19)
and
was
admitted
to
a
hospital
in
Mumbai.
According
to
The
Hindu,
Ratnakar
Matkari
went
through
a
routine
health
check-up
at
the
Godrej
Hospital.
However,
he
tested
positive
for
COVID-19,
and
was
transferred
to
the
Seven
Hills
Hospital.
Mourning
his
demise,
Maharashtra
Chief
Minister
Uddhav
Thackeray
tweeted,
"We
have
lost
a
precious
gem
from
the
world
of
literature.
He
wrote
for
children
and
for
grown-ups
as
well."
He
added,
"His
immense
contribution
in
various
forms
such
as
plays,
short
stories,
novels
has
enriched
the
world
of
Marathi
literature."
महाराष्ट्राच्या
साहित्य
विश्र्वातील
अमुल्य
असे
एक
साहित्य
'रत्न'
निखळले,
अशा
शब्दांत
मुख्यमंत्री
उद्धव
बाळासाहेब
ठाकरे
यांनी
ज्येष्ठ
साहित्यिक,
नाटककार
रत्नाकर
मतकरी
यांना
श्रद्धांजली
वाहिली
आहे.
रत्नाकर
मतकरी
गेल्याची
बातमी
मनाला
खूप
वेदना
देऊन
जाणारी
आहे.
Ratnakar
Matkari
was
a
celebrated
playwright
in
Marathi
literature.
His
first
one-act
play,
Wedi
Manase,
was
aired
on
All
India
Radio
in
1955,
when
he
was
just
a
teenager.
He
has
over
90
plays
to
his
credit,
around
20
of
them
are
children's
plays.
Aranyak,
Dubhang,
Lokakatha
78,
Ashwamedh,
Ghar
Tighanche
Hawe,
Jawai
Maaza
Bhala,
Chaar
Diwas
Premache,
Indira,
and
Khol
Khol
Paani
are
some
of
his
most
popular
plays.
Matkari
is
also
credited
for
writing
a
number
of
short
stories,
essays,
and
his
theatre
autobiography,
Maaze
Rangaprayog.
He
favoured
exploring
the
suspense
thriller
genre
through
his
plays
and
stories.
One
of
his
books,
Gahire
Paani,
was
converted
into
a
television
serial.
Ratnakar
Matkari's
film
Investment
had
won
the
Best
Marathi
Feature
Film
award
at
the
60th
National
Film
Awards.
The
playwright
is
survived
by
his
wife
Pratibha,
son
Ganesh,
and
daughter
Supriya
Vinod.