Renowned Marathi writer Veena Deo passed away on 29th October 2024. She was 76. Veena Deo was daughter of late G. N. Dandekar well known Marathi writer from Maharashtra and mother of popular Marathi actress Mrinal Kulkarni.

Dr. Veena Deo had worked as Head of Marathi language department at Shahu Mandir Mahavidyalaya in Pune. She did teaching and research here for almost 32 years. She was awarded PhD for handling various topics of Marathi literature, besides writing books on these subjects.

She also wrote the biography (‘Aashaq Mast Fakir’) of her father G. N.  Dandekar, for which she received Lalit Sahitya Nirmiti award from State Government. She also received other awards including ‘Veena Morya Gosavi Lifetime award’ from Sairang Pratishthan. Through her own Mrunmayee Prakashan, she published rare literature of her father.

While paying tributes to her departed mother on social media, Mrinal Kulkarni said, “Actually there is no power to express anything right now. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who gave love to mom during her difficult times and rushed to her phone frequently. Me and Madhura because of you, I were able to accomplish a difficult job by keeping a smiling face. Mom loves flowers. Till the end she lived with a happy smile on her face just like the same flowers. Even though she is missed, she will always be with her as the big friends and the priceless artwork she wrote.”