National Award-Winning Filmmaker Sumitra Bhave Passes Away At 78

Popular Marathi director and writer Sumitra Bhave passed away today (April 19, 2021) in Pune, due to age-related ailments. She was 78. The Kaasav director had been admitted to a private hospital for treatment.

Sumitra Bhave was a part of several award-winning films like Kaasav, Samhita, Astu, Welcome Home, Vaastupurush, Dahavi Fa, Devrai and some more. Sumitra and director Sunil Sukthankar are considered as the greatest contributors in changing the landscape of Marathi cinema. Their latest collaboration Kaasav received the Golden Lotus Award (Swarna Kamal) National Film Award for Best Feature Film at the 64th National Film Awards.

Notably, Sumitra Bhave had also lent her voice as a narrator to Chaitanya Tamhane's last outing The Disciple, which was executively produced by Gravity director Alfonso Cuaron.

Apart from being a filmmaker and writer, Sumitra Bhave was also a social activist. Her demise is indeed a big loss to the Indian film industry.

May her soul rest in peace!