Veteran art director Marutirao V. Kale passed away on 26th May in Bombay due to COVID-19 complications. He was 92. He had tested positive for COVID-19 on 7th May, following which he was admitted to Holy Family Hospital. He developed complications after some days and breathed his last on the night of 26th May.
In a career spanning four decades, Marutirao Kale designed the sets of and worked in the art department of more than 100 films, some as independent art director and others as assistant/associate art director. Notable among the films he worked on are Mera Saaya, Pakeezah, Amitabh Bachchan’s Deewaar, Purab Aur Pachhim, Roti Kapada Aur Makaan, Kabhi Kabhie, Disco Dancer (art director), Immaan Dharam (art director), Ajooba (art director), Subhash Ghai’s Saudagar (art director) etc. He started out as a carpenter on film sets. He worked in this capacity on Mughal-E-Azam (1960). For many years before he turned independent, he worked as assistant to art director Desh Mukherjee.
