Sumitra Bhave (12 January 1943  – 19 April 2021) andSunil Sukthankar (born 31 May 1966) were an Indianfilmmaker duo working predominantly inMarathi cinema andMarathi theatre. 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, aFilm and Television Institute 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 filmsDoghi (1995),Dahavi Fa (2002),Vastupurush (2002),Devrai (2004),Astu (2016) andKaasav (2017). At the64th National Film Awards, their feature filmKaasav won the prestigiousPresident Golden Lotus National Award.^[4][5]

Sumitra Bhave
Bhave,IFFI (2017)
Born	(1943-01-12)12 January 1943[1][a 1] Pune
Died	19 April 2021(2021-04-19) (aged 78)[2]
Occupation(s)	Filmmaker, theatre director and producer, screenwriter
Years active	1985–2021

Sunil Sukthankar
Sunil Sukthankar,IFFI (2017)
Born	(1966-05-31)31 May 1966 (age 59)[3][a 2] Karad
Occupation(s)	Director, actor, lyricist, writer
Years active	1983–present

Bhave was born on 12 January 1943 inPune.^{[1][a 1][a 3]} She completed her graduation fromFergusson College, Pune, and received amaster's degree in Political and Science Sociology fromPune University.^{[a 3]} She received another master's degree in Political Science and Sociology and aDiploma in Rural Welfare from theTata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, and later began her voluntary work for various organisations.^{[a 1]} 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.^{[a 3]} Bhave has published various investigation and research papers on the subject.^[6] She worked as a Marathi language newsreader withAll India Radio, New Delhi.^{[a 1]}

Bhave had a daughter, who is also a writer. On 6 April 2021, Bhave was admitted toSahyadri Hospital in Pune for lung infection. She was suffering fromInterstitial lung disease which was detected earlier in March 2021.^[7] She died on the morning of 19 April 2021 due to respiratory failure andlung fibrosis.^[8][9] At the time of her death, she was working on three films and their scripts.^[10]

Sukthankar was born on 31 May 1966 in Karad.^{[3][a 2]} He completed his graduation in Commerce fromBrihan Maharashtra College of Commerce, Pune and joined theFilm and Television Institute of India to pursue a course in film direction. His diploma film was titledAnuttar. As a theatre activist, Sukthankar wrote and directed several plays and street plays.^{[a 3][a 2][a 4]}

In 1985, while working as the Director of Research Project for Stree Vani, Bhave made a debut short filmBai (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 theNational Film Award for Best Non-Feature Film on Family Welfare at the33rd 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".^{[a 5]} Her next short filmPaani, made in 1987, also fetched her another National Film Award. The film was adjudged theBest Educational / Motivational / Instructional Film at the35th National Film Awards.^{[a 1]} Bhave later made several other short films likeMukti (1990),^[11]Chakori (1992),^[12]Laha (1994),^[12] andThree Faces of Tomorrow.^[11] Bhave has received a Chitra Ratna Puraskar and Kamdhenu Award for literary contribution.^[13]

After a career as a theatre activist, Sukthankar was introduced to Bhave through her daughter while she was making her debut short filmBai (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.^{[4][a 2]}

In 1995, Bhave collaborated with Sukthankar as a director and made their film debut with aMarathi filmDoghi (Two Sisters). The film depicts a story about two sisters and their mother caught in rigid and superstitious social structure.^[4] The film received wide critical acclaim and won several awards including the Best Film at the 32ndMaharashtra State Film Awards and theBest Film on Other Social Issues at the43rd National Film Awards.^{[a 6][a 4]} Their next filmZindagi 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 byHIV/AIDS.^[14] In 2002, two of the films made by Bhave and Sukthankar, both made in Marathi,Dahavi Fa (10th F) andVastupurush (Guardian Spirit of the House), were released. The filmmaker duo initially approached theChildren's Film Society to produceDahavi 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".^[6][15][13] Both films received wide critical acclaim;Vastupurush was awarded theBest Feature Film in Marathi at the50th National Film Awards,^{[a 2]}Dahavi Fa was adjudged the Best Film at the 40thMaharashtra State Film Awards, and the duo won the Best Director award.^{[a 7]} The duo considersVastupurush as their "important and favourite film".^[16]

In 2004, Bhave—Sukthankar made their next Marathi filmDevrai (Sacred Grove) on the subject ofschizophrenia withAtul Kulkarni andSonali 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 theBest Film on Environment Conservation / Preservation at the52nd National Film Awards,^{[a 3]} 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 42ndMaharashtra State Film Awards.^{[a 8][a 9]} In 2006, two of Bhave—Sukthankar's Marathi films were released;Badha (Possessed) andNital (Crystal Clear). WhileBadha depicts a story of a woman from the shepherd community battling depression due to the "shamans, stigma and superstition" in their community,Nital focuses on the stigma associated with the diseasevitiligo in Indian society.^[17][18]Nital was adjudged the Best Film at the 44thMaharashtra State Film Awards, and the duo won the Best Director award.^{[a 10]}

In 2007, Bhave—Sukthankar made a short film in Hindi,Bewaqt Barish (Untimely Rain), financed by theEuropean Union and produced by Muktangan Mitra. The film focuses on the issues around HIV/AIDS, sex and sexuality and is based on theOxford Committee for Famine Relief's work with rural and tribal community in theRajasthan andOdisha states of India.^[19] Two of the duo's Marathi films were released in 2009;Ek Cup Chya (A Cup of Tea) andGho 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 theRight to Information Act, 2005, an act of theParliament of India that gives its citizens the right to access government records.^[20] The film was awarded the Third Best Film at the 2009Maharashtra State Film Awards and Bhave—Sukthankar won the Best Director award.^{[21][a 11]}Gho Mala Asla Hava premiered at thePune International Film Festival and is a comical representation of marital problems. Bhave had initially had plans to make it as a short film.^[22] The film marked the debut of actressRadhika Apte, who had previously acted for the theatre.^[23]

In 2010, the duo made the Hindi language feature-cum-documentary filmMor Dekhne Jungle Mein (To Look for a Peacock in the Jungle). The film was produced by theBAIF Development Research Foundation and was inspired by their "Wadi" project. It focuses on urban youth involvement in rural development and rehabilitation of tribal families.^[24][25] Bhave—Sukthankar's 2011 Marathi filmHa Bharat Majha (This is My India) depicts the contrast in the Indian society who support the2011 Indian anti-corruption movement started by activistAnna Hazare but continue to practice small corrupt acts in their daily lives.^[16] The film was awarded the Best Marathi Film at the 10thPune International Film Festival.^{[a 12]} The duo made a Marathi film in 2013,Samhita (The Script). The film received positive reviews for its story, direction, music, and performances.^[26] It received two awards at the60th National Film Awards, and Bhave was awarded for the Best Screenplay at the 11thPune International Film Festival.^{[a 13][a 14]} Their next Marathi film,Astu (So Be It), dealt with the subject ofAlzheimer's, 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 wonBest Dialogue at the61st National Film Awards.^{[a 15]} Though the film was completed in 2013, it did not find any distributor and was released throughcrowdfunding in 2016.^[27]

In 2015, the duo made a short film in Hindi,Phir Zindagi (Life Again) which deals with topic oforgan donation.^[28] Their upcoming Marathi filmKaasav depicts the issue of depression among youngsters in relation to the life and nesting cycle ofolive ridley sea turtles.^[13][29] The film was awarded theBest Feature Film at the64th National Film Awards.^{[a 16]}Kaasav (Turtle) became the fifthMarathi film to win in this category.^[30] The film was also awarded the Best Film at the 55th Maharashtra State Film Awards.^{[a 17]}

In 2019, Bhave's next filmDithee premiered at thePune International Film Festival. Bhave had been working on this film for many years but the project could not start due to lack of producers.^[31] Bhave lended her voice to the character of Sindhubai Jadhav in the 2020 filmThe Disciple directed byChaitanya Tamhane. 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.^[32]

• All films are in theMarathi language unless noted otherwise.

• Sumitra Bhave–Sunil Sukthankar atIMDb
• Sunil Sukthankar atIMDb