Marathi film industry lost another gem this morning. Prominent film director and National Film Awards winner Sumitra Bhave breathed her last today morning in Pune. According to reports, Sumitra was undergoing treatment at Sahyadri hospital for a lung infection. Her COVID-19 test report was negative. 

Filmmaker Sunil Sukthankar told a leading daily that her lung infection was irreversible and was admitted to the hospital for 10 days. Sumitra was 78 years old. "Her lung infection had spread in the last few days. She was admitted in the hospital for the past 10 days. She has been working on a project with Mohan Agashe on ‘the happy lives of old people’ until January, when her health deteriorated. The infection was irreversible," Sunil told. 

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Sumitra made her directorial debut in 1985 with Bai. The film bagged the 'National Film Award for Best Non-Feature Film on Family Welfare' at the 33rd National Film Awards. Later, she won another National Award under the 'Best Educational/ Motivational/ Instructional Film' for the film Paani at the 35th National Film Awards. Apart from this, she directed films like Chakori, Laha, Three Faces of Tomorrow, and Gautam's Mother. She directed Radhika Apte's debut Marathi film Gho Mala Asla Hava (2009).

(Source: Hindustan Times)