For quality films & films with substance the name was enough. Along with Sukhtankar she wrote & directed 17 films. In 1995, with Doghi she was awarded ten awards in different categories. It was a simple story about two sisters which brought the issue of money, deprivation & a lot more. Without being preachy it hits the right notes.
In 2002, Dahavi Fa again bagged awards for best director & best film. Vastupurush, Devrai each dealt with a subject handled delicately, effectively. Nital explored the story of a girl with a flaw. She has patchy skin. The beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder but the prejudice runs deep.
Ek cup Chya, Samhita, Astu went on to bag 14 awards. The old man with dementia Meets an elephant, elephant owner. His confinement in his house makes him yearn for space. Mohan Agashe in the lead role with Amruta Subhash as never before. A lady taking care of her family with an elephant! She can take in an old man, what are our responsibilities that tie us down? A real eye opener.
The latest Kasav in 2017 bagged 6 awards with lot of praise. In 2019, Welcome home, Dithee & in 2020, The Disciple came up. Sometimes the films could not be released for the audience but screened privately due to financial issues. But that did not deter them to produce classy films.
Now comes the moment when Sukhtankar remains all alone to give life to his projects that have yet to see the light of the day. It is a great loss for him & for us who love good films.
We saw “Dahavi Fa” in Prabhat in Pune. I wanted my daughters to have the experience. After the film as we were exiting the movie hall, they wanted to know when they can watch it again! The people around were amazed at their reaction. I got my response. The viewing was worth it.
Asian Entertainment 