Noted filmmaker Sumitra Bhave dead

    Pune, Apr 19 (PTI) Veteran film director and writer
Sumitra Bhave, known for her work in the Marathi cinema and
theatre, died in a hospital here on Monday following lung-
related ailments, director Sunil Sukthankar said.
    She was 78.
    Bhave was suffering from lung-related ailments for the
last two months.
    She breathed her last at a private hospital here in
Maharashtra on Monday morning, said Sukthankar, the noted
Marathi director who was associated with Bhave for the last 35
years.
    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, 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, Bhave and Sukthankar made their directorial
debut with "Doghi", which received the National Film Award.
    Her other notable works include "Devrai" (2004), "Gho
Mala 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.
    Sukthankar, who made 17 movies and several short films
with Bhave, said, "I worked with her for last 35 years and it
was just because of her determination and lovetowards 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.
    Bhave is survived by a daughter, who is also a writer.
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(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)