Pune, May 19: Noted Marathi playwright Vijay Tendulkar passed away here this morning. He was 80.

Tendulkar was suffering from myasthenia gravis, a debilitating muscular disorder. He has been undergoing treatment at the Prayag Hospital here for the past five weeks.

Born on January 6, 1928, Tendulkar was a leading movie and television writer, literary essayist, political journalist and social commentator. He was most known for his plays, Shantata! Court Chalu Ahe (1967), GhAshiram Kotwal (1972) and Sakharam Binder (1972).

Tendulkar won Maharashtra State Government awards in 1956, 1969 and 1972, and Maharashtra Gauruw Puraskar in 1999.

He was honoured with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1970, and again in 1998 with the Academy's highest award for "lifetime-contribution", the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship.

In 1984, he received Padma Bhushan award for his literary accomplishments.

In 1977, Tendulkar won the National Film Award for Best Screenplay for his screenplay of Shyam Benegal's movie, Manthan (1976). He has written screenplays for some of the important art movies, such as Nishant, Akrosh, and Ardh Satya. (ANI)