Sumitra Bhave–Sunil Sukthankar
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Sumitra Bhave (12 January 1943 19 April 2021) and Sunil Sukthankar (born 31 May 1966) were an Indian
filmmaker Filmmaking or film production is the process by which a Film, motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, beginning with an initial story, idea, or commission. Production then continues through screen ...
duo working predominantly in
Marathi cinema Marathi cinema is the segment of Cinema of India, Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Marathi language, which is widely spoken in the state of Maharashtra. It is based out of Mumbai. It is the oldest film ind ...
and
Marathi theatre Marathi theatre is theatre in the Marathi language, mostly originating or based in the state of Maharashtra in India, and elsewhere with Marathi diaspora. Starting in the middle of the 19th century, it flourished in the 1950s and 1960s. Today, ...
. Bhave and Sukthankar had made seventeen feature films, more than fifty short films, and four TV serials; all of which had been written by Bhave. Sunil Sukthankar, a
Film and Television Institute of India The Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) is a film institute under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of the Government of India and aided by the Central Government of India. ...
graduate (1989) is also an actor and a lyricist. He has written more than 90 songs for their own films as well as various other Marathi and Hindi films. The duo had won various national and international accolades for the films '' Doghi'' (1995), '' Dahavi Fa'' (2002), '' Vastupurush'' (2002), '' Devrai'' (2004), '' Astu'' (2016) and '' Kaasav'' (2017). At the 64th National Film Awards, their feature film ''Kaasav'' won the prestigious President Golden Lotus National Award.


Personal life


Sumitra Bhave

Bhave was born on 12 January 1943 in
Pune Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...
. She completed her graduation from Fergusson College, Pune, and received a
master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...
in Political and Science Sociology from
Pune University Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), formerly the University of Pune, is a public state university located in the city of Pune, India. It was established in 1949, and is spread over a campus in the neighbourhood of Ganeshkhind. The uni ...
. She received another master's degree in Political Science and Sociology and a
Diploma A diploma is a document awarded by an educational institution (such as a college or university) testifying the recipient has graduated by successfully completing their courses of studies. Historically, it has also referred to a charter or offi ...
in Rural Welfare from the
Tata Institute of Social Sciences Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) is a multi-campus public university in Mumbai, India. It is Asia's oldest institute for professional social work education and was founded in 1936 in the then Bombay Presidency of British India as the S ...
, Mumbai, and later began her voluntary work for various organisations. She taught at the Karve Institute of Social Service, Pune, for a decade and later worked as a Project Manager for Community Aid and Sponsorship Program, Mumbai. Bhave has published various investigation and research papers on the subject. She worked as a Marathi language newsreader with
All India Radio All India Radio (AIR), also known as Akashvani (), is India's state-owned public broadcasting, public radio broadcaster. Founded in 1936, it operates under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Ministry of Information and Broa ...
, New Delhi. Bhave had a daughter, who is also a writer. On 6 April 2021, Bhave was admitted to Sahyadri Hospital in Pune for lung infection. She was suffering from
Interstitial lung disease Interstitial lung disease (ILD), or diffuse parenchymal lung disease (DPLD), is a group of respiratory diseases affecting the interstitium (the tissue) and space around the alveoli (air sacs) of the lungs. It concerns alveolar epithelium, pulm ...
which was detected earlier in March 2021. She died on the morning of 19 April 2021 due to respiratory failure and
lung fibrosis Pulmonary fibrosis is a condition in which the lungs become scarred over time. Symptoms include shortness of breath, a dry cough, feeling tired, weight loss, and nail clubbing. Complications may include pulmonary hypertension, respiratory fail ...
. At the time of her death, she was working on three films and their scripts.


Sunil Sukthankar

Sukthankar was born on 31 May 1966 in Karad. He completed his graduation in Commerce from Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce, Pune and joined the
Film and Television Institute of India The Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) is a film institute under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of the Government of India and aided by the Central Government of India. ...
to pursue a course in film direction. His diploma film was titled ''Anuttar''. As a theatre activist, Sukthankar wrote and directed several plays and street plays.


Career

In 1985, while working as the Director of Research Project for Stree Vani, Bhave made a debut short film ''Bai'' (Woman) about a woman from the slums to display her strength to survive adversities. The film, produced by Stree Vani, was well received and went on to win the National Film Award for Best Non-Feature Film on Family Welfare at the 33rd National Film Awards. It was honoured for "its realistic portrayal of poor, oppressed housewife who succeeds in her determined effort to rehabilitate herself and realise her potential to be on her own". Her next short film ''Paani'', made in 1987, also fetched her another National Film Award. The film was adjudged the Best Educational / Motivational / Instructional Film at the
35th National Film Awards The 35th National Film Awards, presented by Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India to felicitate the best of Indian Cinema released in the year 1987. Ceremony took place in Apr ...
. Bhave later made several other short films like ''Mukti'' (1990), ''Chakori'' (1992), ''Laha'' (1994), and ''Three Faces of Tomorrow''. Bhave has received a Chitra Ratna Puraskar and Kamdhenu Award for literary contribution. After a career as a theatre activist, Sukthankar was introduced to Bhave through her daughter while she was making her debut short film ''Bai'' (1985). After completing his graduation and film direction course from the Film and Television Institute of India, he joined Bhave again as an assistant and worked on three short films.


Collaboration


1995—2009

In 1995, Bhave collaborated with Sukthankar as a director and made their film debut with a
Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India **Marathi people (Uttar Pradesh), the Marathi people in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Mar ...
film '' Doghi'' (''Two Sisters''). The film depicts a story about two sisters and their mother caught in rigid and superstitious social structure. The film received wide critical acclaim and won several awards including the Best Film at the 32nd
Maharashtra State Film Awards Maharashtra State Film Awards, one of the prestigious awards of Marathi cinema, are awarded by the Government of Maharashtra to Marathi language films and artists. They were first awarded in 1963. The Maharashtra State Film Awards are adjudicat ...
and the Best Film on Other Social Issues at the 43rd National Film Awards. Their next film ''Zindagi Zindabad'' (''Long live, Life!'') was made in Hindi in 1997. The film was based on a real-life story of a teenager who risked his own life to care for a person stigmatised by
HIV/AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...
. In 2002, two of the films made by Bhave and Sukthankar, both made in Marathi, '' Dahavi Fa'' (''10th F'') and '' Vastupurush'' (''Guardian Spirit of the House''), were released. The filmmaker duo initially approached the Children's Film Society to produce ''Dahavi Fa'' but the organization refused the script for not fitting "into their 'objectives'". The film was finally funded by their friends and was released under the duo's production company "Vichitra Nirmiti". Both films received wide critical acclaim; ''Vastupurush'' was awarded the Best Feature Film in Marathi at the 50th National Film Awards, ''Dahavi Fa'' was adjudged the Best Film at the 40th
Maharashtra State Film Awards Maharashtra State Film Awards, one of the prestigious awards of Marathi cinema, are awarded by the Government of Maharashtra to Marathi language films and artists. They were first awarded in 1963. The Maharashtra State Film Awards are adjudicat ...
, and the duo won the Best Director award. The duo considers ''Vastupurush'' as their "important and favourite film". In 2004, Bhave—Sukthankar made their next Marathi film '' Devrai'' (''Sacred Grove'') on the subject of
schizophrenia Schizophrenia () is a mental disorder characterized variously by hallucinations (typically, Auditory hallucination#Schizophrenia, hearing voices), delusions, thought disorder, disorganized thinking and behavior, and Reduced affect display, f ...
with Atul Kulkarni and Sonali Kulkarni playing the lead roles. The film was appreciated for its depiction of schizophrenia and performances of its leads, and won several awards upon its release including the Best Film on Environment Conservation / Preservation at the
52nd National Film Awards The 52nd National Film Awards, presented by Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India to felicitate the best of Indian Cinema released in the year 2004. The selection process of ...
, Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress award at the 11th Screen Awards Marathi and the Award for Best Film with Social Message at the 42nd
Maharashtra State Film Awards Maharashtra State Film Awards, one of the prestigious awards of Marathi cinema, are awarded by the Government of Maharashtra to Marathi language films and artists. They were first awarded in 1963. The Maharashtra State Film Awards are adjudicat ...
. In 2006, two of Bhave—Sukthankar's Marathi films were released; ''Badha'' (''Possessed'') and ''Nital'' (''Crystal Clear''). While ''Badha'' depicts a story of a woman from the shepherd community battling depression due to the "
shamans Shamanism is a spiritual practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with the Spirit (supernatural entity), spirit world through Altered state of consciousness, altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of th ...
, stigma and superstition" in their community, ''Nital'' focuses on the stigma associated with the disease
vitiligo Vitiligo (, ) is a chronic autoimmune disorder that causes patches of skin to lose pigment or color. The cause of vitiligo is unknown, but it may be related to immune system changes, genetic factors, stress, or sun exposure, and susceptibili ...
in Indian society. ''Nital'' was adjudged the Best Film at the 44th
Maharashtra State Film Awards Maharashtra State Film Awards, one of the prestigious awards of Marathi cinema, are awarded by the Government of Maharashtra to Marathi language films and artists. They were first awarded in 1963. The Maharashtra State Film Awards are adjudicat ...
, and the duo won the Best Director award. In 2007, Bhave—Sukthankar made a short film in Hindi, ''Bewaqt Barish'' (''Untimely Rain''), financed by the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
and produced by Muktangan Mitra. The film focuses on the issues around HIV/AIDS, sex and sexuality and is based on the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief's work with rural and tribal community in the
Rajasthan Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...
and
Odisha Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
states of India. Two of the duo's Marathi films were released in 2009; '' Ek Cup Chya'' (''A Cup of Tea'') and ''Gho Mala Asla Hava'' (''This is the Husband I Want''). ''Ek Cup Chya'' depicts a story of a common man who challenges the Government authorities using the
Right to Information Act, 2005 Rights are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people according to some legal system, social convention, or ethical ...
, an act of the
Parliament of India The Parliament of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the supreme legislative body of the Government of India, Government of the Republic of India. It is a bicameralism, bicameral legislature composed of the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lok ...
that gives its citizens the right to access government records. The film was awarded the Third Best Film at the 2009 Maharashtra State Film Awards and Bhave—Sukthankar won the Best Director award. ''Gho Mala Asla Hava'' premiered at the
Pune International Film Festival The Pune International Film Festival (also known as PIFF) is an annual film festival held in Pune, a city in Maharashtra, India. Open to general public, the films are screened at National Film Archive of India, NFAI, INOX Leisure Limited, Inox ...
and is a comical representation of marital problems. Bhave had initially had plans to make it as a short film. The film marked the debut of actress
Radhika Apte Radhika Apte () (born 7 September 1985) is an Indian film and television actress. She began acting in theatre and made her film debut with a brief role in the fantasy drama ''Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi!'' (2005). Her first lead role was in the 2009 ...
, who had previously acted for the theatre.


2010—2021

In 2010, the duo made the Hindi language feature-cum-documentary film ''Mor Dekhne Jungle Mein'' (''To Look for a Peacock in the Jungle''). The film was produced by the BAIF Development Research Foundation and was inspired by their "Wadi" project. It focuses on urban youth involvement in rural development and rehabilitation of tribal families. Bhave—Sukthankar's 2011 Marathi film ''Ha Bharat Majha'' (''This is My India'') depicts the contrast in the Indian society who support the 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement started by activist
Anna Hazare Kisan Baburao "Anna" Hazare (; born 15 June 1937) is an Indian social activist who led movements to promote rural development, increase government transparency, and investigate and punish corruption in public life. He was awarded the Padma Bhu ...
but continue to practice small corrupt acts in their daily lives. The film was awarded the Best Marathi Film at the 10th
Pune International Film Festival The Pune International Film Festival (also known as PIFF) is an annual film festival held in Pune, a city in Maharashtra, India. Open to general public, the films are screened at National Film Archive of India, NFAI, INOX Leisure Limited, Inox ...
. The duo made a Marathi film in 2013, ''
Samhita Samhita (IAST: ''Saṃhitā'') literally means "put together, joined, union", a "collection", and "a methodical, rule-based combination of text or verses".
'' (''The Script''). The film received positive reviews for its story, direction, music, and performances. It received two awards at the 60th National Film Awards, and Bhave was awarded for the Best Screenplay at the 11th
Pune International Film Festival The Pune International Film Festival (also known as PIFF) is an annual film festival held in Pune, a city in Maharashtra, India. Open to general public, the films are screened at National Film Archive of India, NFAI, INOX Leisure Limited, Inox ...
. Their next Marathi film, '' Astu'' (''So Be It''), dealt with the subject of
Alzheimer's Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...
, and is about a Sanskrit scholar who is suffering from it. The film was appreciated for its depiction of the disease and performances of its leads, and won several awards. Bhave won Best Dialogue at the 61st National Film Awards. Though the film was completed in 2013, it did not find any distributor and was released through
crowdfunding Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising money from a large number of people, typically via the internet. Crowdfunding is a form of crowdsourcing and Alternative Finance, alternative finance, to fund projects "withou ...
in 2016. In 2015, the duo made a short film in Hindi, ''Phir Zindagi'' (''Life Again'') which deals with topic of
organ donation Organ donation is the process when a person authorizes an organ (anatomy), organ of their own to be removed and organ transplantation, transplanted to another person, #Legislation and global perspectives, legally, either by consent while the d ...
. Their upcoming Marathi film '' Kaasav'' depicts the issue of depression among youngsters in relation to the life and nesting cycle of
olive ridley sea turtle The olive ridley sea turtle (''Lepidochelys olivacea''), also known commonly as the Pacific ridley sea turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Cheloniidae. The species is the second-smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in t ...
s. The film was awarded the Best Feature Film at the 64th National Film Awards. ''Kaasav'' (''Turtle'') became the fifth
Marathi film Marathi cinema is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Marathi language, which is widely spoken in the state of Maharashtra. It is based out of Mumbai. It is the oldest film industry in India an ...
to win in this category. The film was also awarded the Best Film at the 55th Maharashtra State Film Awards. In 2019, Bhave's next film ''Dithee'' premiered at the
Pune International Film Festival The Pune International Film Festival (also known as PIFF) is an annual film festival held in Pune, a city in Maharashtra, India. Open to general public, the films are screened at National Film Archive of India, NFAI, INOX Leisure Limited, Inox ...
. Bhave had been working on this film for many years but the project could not start due to lack of producers. Bhave lended her voice to the character of Sindhubai Jadhav in the 2020 film '' The Disciple'' directed by
Chaitanya Tamhane Chaitanya Tamhane (born 1 March 1987) is an Indian filmmaker, known for the 2014 Marathi courtroom drama ''Court''. It was announced as India's official submission for the 88th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category. The ...
. The film is about a young aspiring classical singer and Jadhav is a veteran singer of yester-years whose only audio recordings are now available.


Filmography


Short films and TV serials


Feature films

*


Awards


Notes


References


Awards


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sumitra Bhave-Sunil Sukthankar Film directors from Maharashtra Indian women screenwriters Marathi film directors Indian filmmaking duos 20th-century Indian people 21st-century Indian people 20th-century Indian women artists 21st-century Indian women artists Women artists from Maharashtra Best Dialogue National Film Award winners Producers who won the Best Feature Film National Film Award Directors who won the Best Feature Film National Film Award Directors who won the Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation National Film Award Directors who won the Best Film on Other Social Issues National Film Award