NFAI receives collection of films by Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukthankar

National Film Archive of India, Pune recently received a huge collection of films made by filmmaker duo, Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukhthankar. The collection was handed over by Sunil Sukthankar and Chinmay Damle to Prakash Magdum, Director, NFAI.

The duo significantly contributed to Marathi cinema with many noted short films, documentaries, TV shows and feature films. Be it Sumitra Bhave’s first short film Bai (1985) or the recent ones Kaasav (2017) and Dithee (2019), almost each and every film by the duo has won numerous national and international accolades. Their cherished filmography includes short films like Paani (1987), Mukti (1990), Chakori (1992), and highly admired films like Doghi (1995), Dahavi Fa (2002), Vastupurush (2002), Devrai (2004) and Astu (2016).

Collection of films made by Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukhthankar

The collection received today consists of 35mm prints of feature films Dahavi Fa (2002), Badha (2006), Ha Bharat Majha (2012) and short film Zid (2004). 16mm prints of feature film Zindagi Zindabad (1997) and short films Bai (1985), Paani (1987), and Laha (1994).

A 16 mm film Kishan ka Udan Khatola made by another veteran filmmaker and film society activist Vijaya Mulay is also part of the collection.

The major chunk of the collection feature cassettes of films, in different magnetic media formats like DigiBeta, Betacam, Umatic, DLT Tapes, DV, MiniDV, and VHS formats.

Film titles by Sumitra Bhave

The titles include duration wise six various versions of the short film Karta, a film based on the life of renowned Industrialist Shantanurao Kirloskar, feature films Zindagi Zindabad (1997), Devrai (2004), Ek Cup Chya (2009), and Mor Dekhne Jungle Mein (2010), short films Mukti (1990), Chakori (1992), Laha (1994), Zid (2004), Bewaqt Barish (2007), Mamta Ki Chhaon Mein, Ekalavya, Samvad and Sarashi, documentaries Parting with Pride, Gautam Chya Aaichi Shala and Pilgrims of light and TV show episodes of Katha Sarita (2011), Akherachi Ratra and Bhais Barabar.

Sunil Sukthankar said, “NFAI has been part of our filmmaking journey and I am glad that these films would now be preserved at its facility. I hope the material would be digitised so that it can be accessible to the new generation.”

Earlier in 2014-15, the filmmaker duo had deposited 35mm prints of some of their films and in 2018, on Sumitra Bhave’s 75th birthday, she donated original handwritten screenplays of ten of her films to NFAI.

“I am really happy that this major collection of the National Award-winning director duo would be preserved at NFAI. I had discussed this with Bhave last year but unfortunately, she passed away. Their filmography, covering many important subjects of the society, is a valuable social documentation of the era,” said Prakash Magdum, Director, NFAI.