Sumitra Bhave, known for her work in the Marathi cinema and theatre, died in a hospital in Pune on Monday following lung-related ailments, director Sunil Sukthankar said. She was 78. Sumitra Bhave was suffering from lung-related ailments for the last two months. She died at a private hospital here in Maharashtra on Monday morning, said Sunil Sukthankar, the noted Marathi director who was associated with Sumitra Bhave for the last 35 years. Sumitra Bhave had won several national and international awards for her work. After completing her education, she started working with a social welfare organisation and also worked as a teacher at the Karve Institute of Social Sciences in Pune.
Later, she also worked as a newsreader. In 1985, Sumitra Bhave made her first short film Bai, which was about a woman living in a slum and her survival against all odds. The film won several national awards. In 1995, Sumitra Bhave and Sukthankar made their directorial debut with Doghi, which received the National Film Award
Her other notable works include Devrai (2004), GhoMala Asala Hawa,Ha Bharat Maza, Astu - So Be It, Samhita, Welcome Home, Vaastupurush, Dahavi Fa and Kaasav, a National Award-winning film. Kaasav was also screened at the Mumbai Film Festival in 2016.
Sunil Sukthankar, who made 17 movies and several short films with Sumitra Bhave, said, "I worked with her for last 35 years and it was just because of her determination and love towards the art and films that we could do such huge amount of work." Even at this age, she had three different projects in her mind and their scripts were also ready, he said.
Sumitra Bhave is survived by a daughter, who is also a writer.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)