Deewar, Pakeezah art director Marutirao Kale passes away at 92 due to coronavirus complications

Veteran art director Marutirao Kale is no more. The 92-year-old artist recently passed away in Mumbai due to coronavirus-related complications. Kale was tested positive on 7 May, post which he was hospitalised. He breathed his last on 26 May, his daughter Meena Kapadia said. Talking to Indian Express, Meena said, “My father had tested positive for Covid-19 on 7 May, we had admitted to Holy Family Hospital in Bandra, but he passed away on the night of 26 May”. Kale had designed the sets for Subhash Ghai’s hit film Saudagar which released in 1991. While talking to ABP News about his death, Ghai said, “Marutirao Kale was a very talented and veteran art director. It’s so sad that he passed away like this”. Before getting into the field of art direction, Kale worked as a carpenter on sets of various Bollywood films including Mughal-e-Azam. The London Film Production Ltd then picked him as an assistant art director. Later, he also worked as an independent art director. Iman Dharam was his first film as an independent art director. In a career spanning more than forty years, he worked as an art director for more than 100 Hindi films. As the Chief Art Director, he designed the sets for various successful films like Disco Dancer, Dance Dance, Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki, Commando, Saudagar, Ajooba among others. Prior to this, he worked as an assistant art director for various films including Roti Kapda Aur Makaan, Razia Sultan, Deewar featuring Amitabh Bachchan, Meena Kumari’s Pakeezah, Do Anjaane, Kabhie Kabhie, and Sunil Dutt-starrer Mera Saaya.