Pune: Eminent Marathi playwright Vijay Tendulkar died today morning at his residence in Pune after prolonged illness. He was 80 years old. He was undergoing treatment for myasthenia gravis He had been unwell for the past two months. A Padma Bhushan awardee, Vijay Tendulkar was born on January 6, 1928 and was a leading Indian playwright, movie and television writer, literary essayist, political journalist, and social commentator primarily in Marathi.

He is most known for his plays, Shantata! Court Chalu Âhe (1967), Ghashiram Kotwal (1972), and Sakharam Binder (1972). He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and honoured with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship for lifetime achievement. In 1977, Tendulkar won the National Film Award for his screenplay of Shyam Benegal's movie "Manthan". He also wrote the screenplays for other critically acclaimed films like "Nishant", "Akrosh" and "Ardh Satya".

For the past five decades, Tendulkar was a highly influential dramatist and theater personality in Maharashtra.