Neena Kulkarni

Neena Kulkarni (née Joshi) is an Indian actress who is known for her work on Marathi and Hindi films, television and stage productions. She has received several awards including a National Film Award, Maharashtra State Film Awards and three Filmfare Awards Marathi.

Neena Kulkarni
Born	Neena Joshi 1954 or 1955 (age 69–70)
Occupations	Actress producer director
Years active	1977–present
Spouse	Dilip Kulkarni ​ ​ (m. 1980; died 2002)​
Children	2

Early life

Kulkarni was born in 1954 or 1955. Her parents were both doctors. She attended Canossa Convent High School and Elphinstone College, Mumbai. She was married to Dilip Kulkarni until his death in 2002.^[1]

Career

She began her acting career in the 1970s on the Marathi professional stage and Hindi experimental stage, along with fashion shows and modelling simultaneously. She met Pt Satyadev Dubey, her first guru, and went on to be a part of several Hindi productions under his direction. Mohan Rakesh's Adhe Adhure, Shankar Shesh's Mayavi Sarovar and Willie Russell's Educating Rita are a few of her prominent plays.^[1] During this time she offered films by V. Santaram and Shakti Samanta for Anuraag, but she rejected those offers to focus on theatre.

Dr. Vijaya Mehta chose her to play Shabbo in Anil Barve's Hamidabai Chi Kothi in 1978, and thus began her long journey with Bai into the remarkable world of Marathi theatre with Mahasagar and Savitri. She continues to assist Bai in her workshops. Mahasagar, Akasmat, Dhyani Mani, Vatvat Savitri, Dehabhaan, Prem Patra and Chaapa Kaata are some more of her successful award-winning (Natya Darpan, State Awards, Natya Parishad recognition Marathi plays.

She directed the play Mahasagar in 2011, Educating Rita, Mahatma Versus Gandhi and Wedding Album - English plays. Her prominent feature films are Savat Mazi Ladki (state award best actress^{[citation needed]}) Aai, Uttarayan, and the film Shevri which she produced and won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Marathi.^{[citation needed]}

She gained wider recognition for her performance in the Marathi film Bioscope and won Filmfare Award Marathi for Best Supporting Actress.^{[citation needed]}

For her performance in the Marathi film Mogara Phulala directed by Shravani Deodhar, which earned her second Filmfare Award Marathi for Best Supporting Actress.^{[citation needed]}

She won her third Filmfare Award Marathi in category of Critics Award Best Actress for her film Photo Prem.^{[citation needed][2]}

She is also known for her roles in the Hindi films including Badal, Nayak, Paheli, Guru, Hungama, Rann, Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai, Hasee Toh Phasee and Ghayal: Once Again .^[3]

She is a column writer for Loksatta, called Antarang. She wrote for 3 years, and has been published as a book by the same name. She is also known for television show Yeh Hai Mohabbatein.

She is also known for her International projects : The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Rani (an 8 part series in the French language telecast on channel France Deux) Noces, a French Film shot in Luxembourg and premiered in Paris in Feb 2017. Her latest foray into digital content through a web series Breathe and short films Cuddly and Maa has won her much appreciation. Her latest release is the Short film Devi.

She is also starred in thefilm Kulkarni Chaukatla Deshpande, directed by Gajendra Ahire and Photoprem' directed by Aditya Rathi and Gayatri Patil.(Indian Panorama entry in IFFI and Marathi Competition entry in PIFF). Her upcoming films include Sachin Kundalkar’s Pondicherry and Mohit Takalkar’s Medium Spicy.^[4]

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Language	Notes
1987	Mirch Masala	Pepper factory worker	Hindi
1992	Hach Sunbaicha Bhau	Suman (Tarde)	Marathi
1993	Savat Mazi Ladki	Seema Madhukar Hirve		Maharashtra State Film Award for Best Actress Nominated Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Marathi
	Ghayaal	Lalita Ramchandra Hire
	Taichya Bangdya	Vidya
1994	Purush	Madhura	Hindi
1995	Aai	Sumitra A. Pradhan	Marathi	Nominated - Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Marathi
1996	Daayraa	Widow	Hindi
1997	Hasari	Mother	Marathi
1999	Daag: The Fire	Sushila Singh	Hindi
2000	Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke	Amrit Y. Grewal
	Badal	Soni's mother
	Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani	Laxmi
2001	Nayak: The Real Hero	Daksha Rao Gaekwad
	Hum Ho Gaye Aapke	Mrs. Gupta
	Rahul	Mrs. Sharma
2002	Kehtaa Hai Dil Baar Baar	Kamla Patel
	Kuch Tum Kaho Kuch Hum Kahein	Sunanda Singh
	Kyaa Dil Ne Kahaa	Esha's mother
	Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai	Gayatri Sharma
	Ab Ke Baras	Prerna
	Kya Yehi Pyaar Hai	Rachna Patil
2003	Hungama	Jeetu's mom
	Dum	Saraswati Shinde
2004	Inspector Kiran	Accomplice
	Ishq Hai Tumse
	Pachhadlela	Ravi's mother	Marathi
	Saatchya Aat Gharat
	Uttarayan	Durgi		Zee Chitra Gaurav Puraskar for Best Actress Maharashtra State Film Award for Best Actress
	Ab... Bas!	Shivani 'Aai'	Hindi
2005	Sarivar Sari	Aayi	Marathi
	71⁄2 Phere: More Than a Wedding	Rati Pant	Hindi
	Paheli	Mrs. Bhanwarlal
	Kyaa Kool Hai Hum	Shanti - Kiran's mom
	Yehi Hai Zindagi	Sharda Rao
	Aamhi Asu Ladke	Shalini Buddhisagar	Marathi
2006	Shevri			Also producer of the film National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Marathi
	Shaadi Karke Phas Gaya Yaar	Ayaan's grandma	Hindi
	Humko Deewana Kar Gaye	Amrit H. Malhotra
	Ho Sakta Hai!	Shakuntala
	Nital		Marathi
2007	Raqeeb		Hindi
	Guru	Sujata's Mother
	Balirajache Rajya Yeu De		Marathi
2008	Bhoothnath	Nirmala	Hindi
2009	Gho Mala Asla Hava	Savitri's mother	Marathi
	Gandha	Janaki
2010	Rann	Lata V. Malik	Hindi
	Mission 11 July	Police Commissioner's wife
	Ved Laavi Jeeva		Marathi
	Mee Sindhutai Sapkal	Bai
2011	Sahi Dhandhe Galat Bande	Tai
	Sharyat	Gayatri Devi
	The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel	Gaurika	English
2012	Uproot	Laxmi	Hindi	Short film
2013	Anumati	Madhu	Marathi
	Chasing the Rainbow	Sita	English	Short film
	Dilli Gang	Sujata	Hindi
2014	Hasee Toh Phasee
	Swami Public Ltd.		Marathi
2015	Gour Hari Dastaan: The Freedom File	Mrs. Apte (Freedom Cell)	Hindi
	Hunterrr	Mandar's mother
	Cuddly	Mother		Short film
	Bioscope		Marathi	In segment "Dili E Nadaan" Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Marathi
2016	Ghayal Once Again	Mrs. Joe D'souza	Hindi
	A Wedding	Yelda Kazim	French / Urdu
2017	Vaas	Kamal	Marathi	Short film
2019	Mogra Phulaalaa	Sunil's Mother		Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Marathi
	Kulkarni Chaukatla Deshpande	Mother
	Bhai: Vyakti Ki Valli	Vijaya Mehta
2020	Devi	Savitri	Hindi	Short film
	AB Aani CD	Varsha Deshpande	Marathi
	Raabta	Neena	Hindi	Short film
	Dafan	Dr. Vaze		Short film
2021	Photo Prem	Maee	Marathi	Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress – Marathi
	Godavari	Bhagirathi Deshmukh
2022	Pondicherry	Aai
	Medium Spicy	Meena Tipnis		Nominated -Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Marathi
	Dagina	Sasubai		Short film
	Three of Us	Mrs Kurankar	Hindi
2023	Shastry Viruddh Shastry	Urmila Shastry
2024	The Signature	Madhu		ZEE5 film

Theatre

• Guntata Hruday He (1972)
• Dehbhaan
• Hamidabai chi Kothi
• Dhyani Manee
• Naagmandal
• Sambhog Se Sanyas Tak
• Chhapa Kata as Uttara Bhagwat
• Mahatama Vs Gandhi
• Educating Rita
• Mahasagar as Champu
• Vat Vat Savitri
• Aai ch Ghar Unhacha
• Prem Patra
• Doctor Tumhi Suddha

Television

• Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai (2006) as Guest
• Kammal (2002–2003) as Rinni Sanyal/Raina Bose
• Kayamath (2007–2009) as Mrs. Shah / Dadi
• Mathemagic co-host with Benjamin Gilani on Doordarshan
• Baa Bahoo Aur Baby (2007) as Asha Ben (Guest appearance)
• Meri Maa (2011–2012) as Pratibha's mother-in-law
• Ek Packet Umeed (2008) as Ambika Dharamraj
• Devyani (2013) as Manjula Vikhe-Patil
• Yeh Hai Mohabbatein (2013–2019) as Madhavi "Madhu" Iyer^[5]
• Adhuri Ek Kahani (2004–2008) as Kalyani Kedarnath Patwardhan
• Ados Pados (1985) as Champakali
• Swarajya Janani Jijamata (2019–2021) as Rajmata Jijabai
• Raja Shivchatrapati (2008–2009) as Badi Begum
• Saarrthi (2004–2005) as Kumud Goenka
• Breathe (2018) as Juliet Mascarenhas
• The Good Karma Hospital (season 3) (2019)
• The Kapil Sharma Show to promote Devi
• Swamini (2019–2020) as Tarabai^[6]
• Unpaused: Naya Safar (2022)
• Yed Lagla Premach^[7]
• Ankakee (2001)
• Lajja (2010–2014)
• Rani (2011) as Queen Mother
• Unch Majha Zoka (2012–2013) as Aaji

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Work	Result	Ref.
2006	54th National Film Awards	National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Marathi	Shevri	Won

References

1. Pawar, Yogesh (23 September 2017). "I haven't stopped hungering: Neena Kulkarni on her 40 year long career". DNA India.
2. "6th Planet Filmfare Marathi Awards 2021: Complete winners' list". The Times of India. 1 April 2022. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
3. "Neena Kulkarni: Movies, Photos, Videos, News, Biography & Birthday | eTimes". The Times of India.
4. "Kulkarni Chaukatla Deshpande poster: Sai Tamhankar resembles a girl next door in new poster". Pune Mirror. Archived from the original on 21 August 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
5. Das, Arti (8 October 2018). "Neena Kulkarni on her long acting journey: 'You have to be a caterpillar to become a butterfly'". Scroll.in.
6. स्वामिनी'मध्ये नीना कुळकर्णी साकारणार महत्त्वपूर्ण भूमिका
7. "Yed Lagla Premach Serial | येड लागलं प्रेमाचं | Cast, Vishal Nikam, Pooja Birari, Star Pravah | Exclusive 2024 - Rang Marathi". Rang Marathi. 18 March 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2024.

External links

• Neena Kulkarni at IMDb
• Neena Kulkarni at TV Guide
• Neena Kulkarni at Rotten Tomatoes
• Neena Kulkarni at Bollywood Hungama