Chandrakant Kulkarni | |
---|---|
Born | 1963 61) [1] Hamdapur, Maharashtra, India | (age
Occupation | Film director |
Spouse |
Chandrakant Kulkarni (born 1963) is an Indian director, script writer and actor associated with Marathi theatre and film. He is known for his works of directing the plays Wada Chirebandi, Dhyanimani, Gandhi Virudh Gandhi and most recently the remake of Hamidabaichi Kothi. He has also directed the acclaimed films Bindhaast (1999) and Tukaram (2012).
At the 61st National Film Awards, his film Aajcha Divas Majha won the award for Best Feature Film in Marathi. [2]
Chandrakant Kulkarni came to Mumbai from Aurangabad, Maharashtra, aspiring to work in the entertainment industry. After working on various plays Kulkarni directed the eight-hour-long trilogy play Wada Chirebandi written by Mahesh Elkunchwar in 1994. The play was written in three parts as Wada Chirebandi, Magna Talyakathi and Yuganta. Kulkarni directed the play under the production banner of "Awishkar" which was founded by director Arvind Deshpande and his actress wife Sulabha Deshpande. [3] [4] [5] The first part of the play was earlier directed by Vijaya Mehta in 1985. Kulkarni directed the whole trilogy after Elkunchwar completed it in 1994. In 2006, director Chetan Datar edited and staged it in a single play. [6] Kulkarni says that he has been attached to the play for 26+ years and directing it was one of his dreams. [7]
In 1995, Kulkarni directed the Marathi play Dhyanimani written by Prashant Dalvi. The play was later also adapted in Hindi after fifteen years as Bas Itna Sa Khwab Hai...! with lead roles played by Shefali Shah and Kiran Karmarkar and Vipul Shah as the presenter. Kulkarni has also directed this Hindi version. [8] [9]
In 1995–96 he directed the play Gandhi Virudh Gandhi which was written by Ajit Dalvi. The play was originally based on another Gujarati play of same theme by Dinkar Joshi. The play brought forth the conflicts between Mahatma Gandhi and his eldest son Harilal Gandhi and staged veteran actress Bhakti Barve and actor Atul Kulkarni as Mahatma. [10] Seeing the success of the play, Kulkarni also directed the Hindi version of it. Barve's role was played by actress Seema Biswas in the Hindi version. The play was later adapted into an English version Mahatma verses Gandhi directed by Feroz Abbas Khan. Later on, Khan adapted the line for his 2007 Hindi film Gandhi, My Father . [5]
Kulkarni presented monologues in the 2009 play Maunaraag which were based on essays written by Elkunchwar. [11] In 2011, he directed the play Adhi Basu Mag Bolu that discussed the trend of marriages breaking due to miscommunication. Written by Vidyasagar Adhyapak and starring Sanjay Narvekar in lead role, the play was produced by Lata Narvekar's Chintamani Productions. [12] Same year he also directed the remake of the play Hamidabaichi Kothi under the banner Herbarium run by actor Sunil Barve. The play was directed by Vijaya Mehta thirty-three years ago. [13] [14]
Kulkarni has also directed various popular plays like Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe , [15] Varyavarchi Varaat [16] and Batatyachi Chal [17] for their CD/DVD versions. He has about 65 plays to his credit.
Kulkarni stepped into films as an actor. His earlier roles include the one for the 1995 Marathi film Bangarwadi , directed by Amol Palekar based on the 1954 novel of the same name written by Vyankatesh Madgulkar. His first directorial venture was the much acclaimed 1999 film Bindhaast . Known for the all-women cast, the film was a thriller suspense and bagged numerous Maharashtra State Film Awards. [18] Kulkarni was presented with the Second Best Director Award and the film won the Third Best Film Award. [19] With Bindhaast, Kulkarni broke the Marathi film industry's slapstick-comedy trend of the 1980s and 90s. [20] The film was adapted by Priyadarshan in 2000 as Snegithiye in Tamil language. [21]
Kulkarni's next film Bhet released in 2002. The film was a yearning story of a mother (played by Prateeksha Lonkar) wanting to meet her son (played by Apoorva Korgave) who lives with her ex-husband (played by Atul Kulkarni) after the couple's divorce. [22] The film brought various awards for Prateeksha Lonkar [23] [24] and Atul Kulkarni. [25]
In 2005, Kulkarni directed the comedy Kaydyacha Bola , a satire on the judicial system with lead role played by Makarand Anaspure. His 2007 film Kadachit was a drama that marked the come back of actress Ashwini Bhave who also produced the film. With the 2008 film Meerabai Not Out , Kulkarni stepped into Bollywood. The film was based on the love of Cricket in India with lead title role played by Mandira Bedi. The film proved to be average. [26] [27] [28]
In 2012, Kulkarni's next venture was a biographical film Tukaram on the life of Varkari saint Tukaram. Kulkarni had been preparing for over three years on the film. [29] The film received good reviews from critics as well as audience with Skati Salgaonkar from DNA calling it "one of the best Marathi films of 2012". [30] Kulkarni was adjudged as the Best Director at the 19th Annual Colors Screen Awards and the film won the Best Film award. [31]
Kulkarni was born in Hamdapur in 1963. [1] He was married to the film actress Sonali Kulkarni for a brief time but later got divorced. [32]
Year | Title | Medium | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1994 | Wada Chirebandi | Play | ||
1996 | Gandhi Virudh Gandhi | Play | Marathi and Hindi versions | |
Chahul [33] | Play | |||
Yelkot | Play | |||
Doctor Tumhi Sudha... [34] | Play | |||
Sati | Play | |||
1995 | Dhyanimani [35] | Play | ||
Char Chaughi [36] | Play | |||
1999 | Bindhaast | Film | ||
Pimpalpaan | TV series | |||
2002 | Bhet | Film | ||
2005 | Kaydyacha Bola | Film | ||
2007 | Kadachit | Film | ||
2008 | Meerabai Not Out | Film | Hindi language | |
2009 | Maunraag | Play | ||
2009 | Carry On Pandu [37] | Film | Hindi language | |
2010 | Bas Itna Sa Khwab Hai...! | Play | Hindi version of his play Dhyanimani | |
2011 | Hamidabaichi Kothi | Play | ||
2011 | Adhi Basu Mag Bolu | Play | ||
2012 | Tukaram [29] | Film | ||
2013 | Aajcha Divas Majha | Film | ||
2014 | Dusari Goshta | Film | Fictional biopic of Sushilkumar Shinde [38] | |
2016 | Family Katta | Film | ||
2022 | Haravlelya Pattyancha Banglaa [39] | Play | ||
2022 | Charchaughi [40] | Play | ||
2022 | Sanjya Chhaya [41] | Play | ||
2024 | लंपन | TV Serial | Based On Marathi Book "वनवास" By प्रकाश नारायण संत. |
Year | Title | Credited as | Medium |
---|---|---|---|
1995 | Bangarwadi | Actor | Film |
2002 | Bhet | Co-producer | Film |
2005 | Kaydyacha Bola | Story and screenplay writer | Film |
2012 | Pipani | Actor Role: Narrator, Dnyaneshwar Tembhre | Film |
2019 | Mogra Phulaalaa | Actor | Film |
Vijay Dhondopant Tendulkar was an Indian playwright, movie and television writer, literary essayist, political journalist, and social commentator primarily in Marathi. His Marathi plays established him as a writer of plays with contemporary, unconventional themes. He is best known for his plays Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe (1967), Ghashiram Kotwal (1972), and Sakharam Binder (1972). Many of Tendulkar's plays derived inspiration from real-life incidents or social upheavals, which provide clear light on harsh realities. He has provided guidance to students studying "play writing" in US universities. Tendulkar was a dramatist and theatre personality in Maharashtra for over five decades.
Vijaya Mehta, is a noted Indian Marathi film and theatre director and also an actor in many films from the Parallel Cinema. She is a founder member of Mumbai-based theatre group, Rangayan with playwright Vijay Tendulkar, and actors Arvind Deshpande and Shriram Lagoo. She is most known for her acclaimed role in film Party (1984) and for her directorial ventures, Rao Saheb (1986) and Pestonjee (1988). As the founder member of theatre group, Rangayan, she became a leading figure in the experimental Marathi theatre of the 1960s.
Mahesh Elkunchwar is an Indian playwright and screenplay writer in Marathi language with more than 20 plays to his name, in addition to his theoretical writings, critical works, and his active work in India's Parallel Cinema as actor and screenwriter. Today along with Vijay Tendulkar, he is credited as one of the most influential and progressive playwrights not just in Marathi theatre, but also in Indian theatre. In 2014, he was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, the highest honour in performing arts in India.
Atul Kulkarni is an Indian actor, producer and screenwriter who works in Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, English, Odia and Telugu language films. Kulkarni won the National Award for the Best Supporting Actor for the films Hey Ram and Chandni Bar. He is also the president of Quest, a research-action organization concentrating on enhancing quality of education. He left his study in engineering at College of Engineering, Pune while he was in his first year. He is known for his performances in films like Hey Ram, Chandni Bar, Rang De Basanti (2006), Natarang (2010) among others. He has also written the screenplay of Laal Singh Chadda, the official remake of Forrest Gump.
Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe is a Marathi play written by Indian playwright Vijay Tendulkar in 1963 and first performed in 1967, directed by Arvind Deshpande, with Sulbha Deshpande as the main lead. Film received National Film Award for Best Marathi Feature Film At 19th National Film Awards. Sulabha Deshpande Won Maharashtra State Film Award for Best Actress.
Vandana Gupte is an Indian actress known for her work in Marathi stage productions along with television and film productions.
Satish Vasant Alekar is a Marathi playwright, actor, and theatre director. A founder member of the Theatre Academy of Pune, and most known for his plays Mahanirvan (1974), Mahapoor (1975), Atirekee (1990), Pidhijat (2003), Mickey ani Memsahib (1973), and Begum Barve (1979), all of which he also directed for the Academy. ‘’ Ek Divas Mathakade एकदिवस मठाकडे ‘’ (2012) and ‘’ ठकीशी संवाद Thakishi Samvad’’ (2024) these two recent plays were directed by Nipun Dharmadhikari and Anupam Barve respectively. Along with Mahesh Elkunchwar and Vijay Tendulkar he is considered among the most influential and progressive playwrights in modern Marathi and Indian theatre.
Natarang, also spelled Natrang, is a 2010 Indian Marathi-language drama film directed by debutant Ravi Jadhav and starring Atul Kulkarni and Sonalee Kulkarni. Composer duo Ajay–Atul composed the original score and songs of the film.
Neena Kulkarni is an Indian actress who is known for her work on Marathi and Hindi films, television and stage productions. She has received several awards including a National Film Award, Maharashtra State Film Awards and three Filmfare Awards Marathi.
Shanta Gokhale is an Indian writer, translator, journalist and theatre critic. She is best known for her works Rita Welinkar and Tya Varshi.
Paresh Mokashi is an Indian filmmaker, producer, actor and Theatre director-producer; working predominantly in Marathi cinema and Marathi theatre. He started working as a backstage worker for theatre and did few minor roles for plays as well as films. Mokashi made his directorial debut for theatre with the Marathi play, Sangeet Debuchya Mulee in 1999. He continued to work for theatre and made his directorial debut for cinema with the 2009 Marathi feature film, Harishchandrachi Factory. The film depicts the making of India's first full-length feature film, Raja Harishchandra (1913), made by Dadasaheb Phalke. The film was acclaimed critically and won several awards. It was also selected as India's official entry to 82nd Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category.
Jitendra Joshi is an Indian actor and reality show host who predominantly works in Marathi cinema. He is well known for his lead role as Sant Tukaram Maharaj in the 2012 marathi movie Tukaram. He starred as constable Katekar in the hit Netflix television series Sacred Games.
Tukaram is a 2012 Marathi biopic on the life of Saint Tukaram, who was a 17th-century Varkari saint, spiritual poet and devotee of Vitthala. The film was directed by Chandrakant Kulkarni.
Amruta Subhash is an Indian actress who works in Marathi and Hindi films, television, and theatre. She is a graduate of the National School of Drama, New Delhi. She has received several awards, including a National Film Award, two Filmfare Awards, and a Filmfare OTT Award.
Sulabha Deshpande was an Indian actress and theatre director. Apart from Marathi theatre and Hindi theatre in Mumbai, she acted in over 73 mainstream Bollywood films. She also performed in art house cinema such as Bhumika (1977), Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastaan (1978), and Gaman (1978) as a character actor, along with numerous TV series and plays. A leading figure in the experimental theatre movement of the 1960s, she was associated with Rangayan, and personalities like Vijay Tendulkar, Vijaya Mehta, and Satyadev Dubey. In 1971, she co-founded the theatre group Awishkar with her husband Arvind Deshpande, and also started its children's wing, Chandrashala, which continues to perform professional children's theatre. In later years, she acted in serials such as Jee Ley Zara, Ek Packet Umeed, Asmita and in films such as English Vinglish (2012).
Sanjay Surkar was a Marathi film director. He won three National Film Awards for the films Rao Saheb (1996), Tu Tithe Mee (1998) and Gharabaher (1999) in Best Feature Film in Marathi category. Along with films, Surkar had also worked in television and theatre.
Umesh Kamat is an Indian actor and model, who predominantly works in Marathi-language regional films, television series, plays and TV commercials. Kamat has been recipient of Maharashtra State Film Awards for film Samar - Ek Sangharsh.
Samidha Guru is a Marathi theatre, film and television actress from Nagpur, India. She has received Maharashtra State's Best Actress Award for the movie Kapuskondyachi Goshta. She also received MMW Gaurav Awards for Best Actress for the play Get Well Soon.
Vastupurush: The Guardian Spirit of the House is a 2002 Indian Marathi film directed by filmmaker duo Sumitra Bhave–Sunil Sukthankar and produced by National Film Development Corporation of India. It is about Bhaskar, who rises above his poor financial conditions and devotes himself to the poor people for his mother believes that their generations have been cursed by the Vastupurush for doing wrong to people of lower castes. The film won several awards on release including the Best Feature Film in Marathi at the 50th National Film Awards and eight awards at the 40th Maharashtra State Film Awards in 2003.