Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said "the country has lost a towering, multi-faceted artiste" in the passing of Girish Karnad.
Describing Jnanpith winner and multi-lingual scholar Karnad, Fadnavis said he was astute in literature, theatre and films besides being an intellectual personality straddling different fields.
Over the years, he was honoured with some of the highest awards in different fields and renowned for his contributions including "Yayati", "Tughlaq", "Nagmandala", "Hayavadan", "Samskara", "Vamsha Vriksha" which brought him laurels.
Born in Matheran, in Raigad district of Maharashtra, Karnad's works connected ancient Puranic tales with contemporary issues and inspired people to think on them, said Fadnavis in his tributes.
"In Girish Karnad's demise, we have lost a sensitive artiste with a deep understanding of social issues in the country," said Maharashtra Congress President Ashok Chavan.
Nationalist Congress Party senior leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said the "outstanding contributions of Karnad to literature, theatre and films will always be remembered".
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray said Karnad's greatest contribution was to "weave together history and mythology and create an incredible momentum to highlight issues of contemporary India".
"He never wavered from taking a firm stand on any issue. Such accomplished and gifted artistes come rare and his presence will be deeply missed," Thackeray said.
Former Union Minister and former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said: "We have lost a true voice of dissent, torch-bearer for the freedom of arts and expression, and an actor who not just played various roles, but actually lived in it."
Actress and Congress leader Urmila Matondkar called Karnad "a great playwright and actor, more importantly a dedicated socio-political activist against religious fundamentalism" known for multiculturalism and free speech.
Congress leader and former actress Nagma said "Karnad was a fine actor, a simple man and a great artist" with whom she was fortunate to work in the Tamil-Hindi blockbuster, "Kadalan".
Terming him as "truly one of his kind," State Cultural Affairs Minister Vinod Tawde said Karnad's demise will be an unparalleled loss to Indian literature, theatre and film fraternity, and his legacy proudly reflects what he believed in with utmost integrity and impeccable honesty.
( With inputs from IANS )