Chandrakant Kulkarni

At the 61st National Film Awards, his film Aajcha Divas Majha won the award for Best Feature Film in Marathi.

• Name — Chandrakant Kulkarni • Born — 1963 • Birthplace — Hamdapur, Maharashtra, India • Occupation — Film director

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. 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. Kulkarni says that he has been attached to the play for 26+ years and directing it was one of his dreams. 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. 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. 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. Kulkarni presented monologues in the 2009 play Maunaraag which were based on essays written by Elkunchwar. 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. 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. Kulkarni has also directed various popular plays like Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe, Varyavarchi Varaat and Batatyachi Chal for their CD/DVD versions. He has about 65 plays to his credit.

Kulkarni was born in Hamdapur in 1963. He was married to the film actress Sonali Kulkarni for a brief time but later got divorced.

• Year — Title — Medium — Notes • 1994 — Wada Chirebandi — Play • 1996 — Gandhi Virudh Gandhi — Play — Marathi and Hindi versions • Chahul — Play • Yelkot — Play • Doctor Tumhi Sudha... — Play • Sati — Play • 1995 — Dhyanimani — Play • Char Chaughi — 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 — 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 — Film • 2013 — Aajcha Divas Majha — Film • 2014 — Dusari Goshta — Film — Fictional biopic of Sushilkumar Shinde • 2016 — Family Katta — Film • 2022 — Haravlelya Pattyancha Banglaa — Play • 2022 — Charchaughi — Play • 2022 — Sanjya Chhaya — 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