List of Marathi people in the performing arts

Updated on Dec 25, 2024

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Cinema and Theatre

Film Directors

Deepak Kadam – Director of various Video Albums, Ad films, TV serials & Marathi Feature Films. His upcoming movie WAAKYA has been chosen from 280 films from 35 country for navi Mumbai international film festival-2014

Acharya Atre – His Marathi film, Shyamchi Aai (श्यामची आई) won the 1954 National Film Award for Best Feature Film, Received the First National Film Award

Amol Gupte – Bollywood director & actor, received award for best screen play for film "Taare Zameen Par"

Amol Palekar – Bollywood director & actor, received award for best actor of 1979 for film "Gol Maal"

Ashutosh Gowarikar – Director of Lagaan (nominated for Oscars, has bagged 5 filmfare, 7 international awards)

Anand Patwardhan – An Indian documentary filmmaker, known for his activism through social action documentaries on topics such as corruption, slum dwellers, etc.

Bhalji Pendharkar – Director, was associated with Prabhat Film Company, also received Dadasahab Phalke Award

Bhagwan Dada – Film director, producer and actor

Baburao Mistry – Wrote his own screenplays and he was also the First Indian filmmaker to adopt the method of Stenographic, this was the method Satyajit Ray adopted for Pather Panchali

Dadasaheb Phalke – Directed the first Indian feature film, the Father of Indian Cinema, directed 95 movies, 26 short films in a span of 19 years

Dinkar D patil – Had an illustrious career as a filmmaker for almost five decades, introduced Marathi Lavani folk dance in his films

Dadasaheb Torne- made first Indian film named Shree Pundlik in the year 1912

Dr. Jabbar Patel – Director, maker of classics films in marathi, received Nargis Dutt award for best feature film on National Integration

Madhur Bhandarkar – Bollywood director, Script Writer, producer, also 3 times recipient of national filmfare award for best director

Master Vinayak – Bollywood director

Mahesh Kothare – Bollywood director

Mahesh Manjrekar – Bollywood director, actor, screenwriter, producer,has won 2 star awards & 1 national award

N. Chandra (Chandrakant Narvekar) – Bollywood director

Nishikant Kamat – Director of movies like Dombivli Fast, Mumbai Meri Jaan and Drishyam

Paresh Mokashi – His film Harishchandrachi Factory was selected for Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film official entry to 82nd Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film

Prasad Oak – Marathi actor, film director, film producer, poet, singer, writer, singer

Sai Paranjpe – Director, scriptwriter & theatre personality, received Padma Bhushan in 2006

Raja Paranjpe – Had a career spanning over 40 years, also was associated with about 80 Marathi film and Hindi film

V Shantaram – Bollywood director, He directed his first film, "Netaji Palkar" in 1927. In 1929, he founded the Prabhat Film Company

Vishram Sawant – Bollywood director

Vishnupant Damle – Was an set designer, film director of Marathi Cinema, was also one of the co-founders for Prabhat Film Company

Kunal Deshmukh – Bollywood director

Sachin Pilgaonkar – Actor and director, started acting in films at the age of 4, directed several films & TV Soaps

Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni – Famous director of acclaimed Marathi films like Deool, Vihir and Valu

Abhinay Deo – Is an Indian film director,his first movie was Game and his second was Delhi Belly

Kavita Lad - Marathi Television and Theatre actress

Gauri Shinde – Bollywood director,she has made her directional debut through the highly acclaimed English Vinglish, which marks the comeback of actressSridevi

Sachin Kundalkar – Bollywood director,is a Marathi film director and screenplay writer,received the Best Screenplay for his film Gandha in 2009

Raja Nawathe-Bollywood director, Regarded as one of the finest female actors in the history of Hindi cinema,|190x190px]]

Film Actress

Antara Mali – Bollywood Actress

Ashwini Bhave – Bollywood Actress

Bhagyashree Patwardhan – Bollywood Actress, known for Maine Pyaar Kiya (1989)

Durgabai Kamat (1899–1997), first actress of Indian cinema, in Mohini Bhasmasur (1913), second movie of Phalke

Durga Khote – Famous actress, she marks the pioneering phase for women in Indian cinema, India Today names her among "100 people who shaped India"

Gauri Pradhan Tejwani – Television Actress

Kimi Katkar – Bollywood Actress

Kavita Lad - Actress

Amruta Khanvilkar – Well known Marathi actress as well as dancer who also appeared in Bollywood films.

Leela Chitnis – First Indian Film Star to endorse popular soap brand "LUX", concession then only granted to top Hollywood heroines

Lalita Pawar-Noted actress in Indian cinema

Madhuri Dixit – Leading actress in Indian cinema in the 90s, Forbes named her among "Top 5 most powerful Indian Movie Stars"

Manjari Phadnis – Actress

Bhargavi Chirmule – Marathi actress worked in movies like Kass, One room kitchen.

Mamta Kulkarni – Bollywood Actress

Mayuri Kango – Bollywood actress

Mrinal Kulkarni – Model & Actress

Mugdha Godse – Model & Actress

Namrata Shirodkar – Bollywood Actress

Aditi Sarangdhar – Marathi actor known as Angry Young Woman

Nanda – actress

Nivedita Joshi – Actress

Nutan – Bollywood Actress (Tanuja's elder sister and shobhana samarth's daughter), role model for many Bollywood Heroines, received Padma Shri in 1974

Padmini Kolhapure – Bollywood actress

Pallavi Joshi – Bollywood actress

Priya Bapat- Leading Marathi Actress

Priya Tendulkar – Bollywood Actress, Social Activist, her father was eminent popular writer Vijay Tendulkar

Radhika Apte – actress

Reema Lagoo – Acted in various Marathi dramas, Marathi movies, Bollywood

Renuka Shahane – Bollywood actress

Sagarika Ghatge – Actress

Sarika – Actress, worked in more that 50 Hindi films, married to Kamal Hasan (Tamil Super Star)

Shakuntala Paranjpye – Actress

Shashikala Jawalkar – Bollywood actress who performed character roles in 60s & 70s.

Shilpa Shirodkar – Bollywood Actress

Shilpa Tulaskar – Television actress

Shobhana Samarth – Actress and mother of Nutan and Tanuja,

Shraddha Kapoor – Bollywood Actress

Smita Patil – Bollywood actress nominated for several filmfare & national awards, received Padma Shri in 1985

Sonali Bendre – Bollywood actress, acted in Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada films, received star screen best actress award in 2004

Sonali Kulkarni – Bollywood actress

Sulochana – Actress, received the "Dadasaheb Phalke Award" in 1973

Tanuja – Bollywood actress

Urmila Matondkar – Bollywood actress, started acting from the age of 9 and has acted in several Hindi, Telugu films

Vandana Gupte – Stage and television actress

Varsha Usgaonkar – Bollywood actress

Supriya Pilgaonkar – Actress

Vidya Malvade -Bollywood actress

Kajal Kiran- Bollywood actress of 70s

Jayshree Gadkar – Acted in several marathi films, also acted in Ramanand Sagar's TV Series Ramayana as Kaushalya, mother of Rama

Sandhya – Did popular films like Navrang, Do Aankhen Barah Haath, Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje, etc.

Ranjana Deshmukh – Was a popular Marathi actress

Beauty Queens & Super Models

Aditi Govitrikar – Model

Anusha Dandekar- MTV VJ and model

Madhu Sapre – Former Supermodel

Mugdha Godse – Bollywood Actress

Pooja Chitgopekar- Miss India Earth 2007 and later Miss Earth Air 2007

Rakhi Sawant – Model and actress

Ujjwala Raut – International ramp model

Film Actors

Ajinkya Dev – Bollywood Actor

Ashok Saraf – Leading Marathi actor

Atul Kulkarni – Bollywood actor, theatre artist, acted in several Marathi, Hindi, Kannada films, nominated for Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Actor for Marathi Film – Natarang

Bhanu Athaiya – Costume Designer. Recipient of Oscar for her work in the movie Gandhi

Bharat Jadhav – leading Marathi theatre performer

Dada Kondke – Revolutionised Marathi comedy

David Abraham Cheulkar – Jewish Bollywood character actor of the 60s who died in Toronto, Canada.

Dilip Prabhavalkar – Leading stage artist. Last seen as Gandhi in Lage Raho Munnabhai

Kanan Kaushal

Kuldeep Pawar – Actor

Kashinath Ghanekar - Veteran Stage Actor

Laxmikant Berde – Leading Marathi actor of 80s and 90s

Milind Soman – Model and actor

Mohan Agashe – Leading art film and Bollywood actor

Mohan Gokhale(1953–1999) – Mr. Yogi

Nana Patekar – Bollywood and leading stage actor

Omi Vaidya – Bollywood Actor

Rajnikant – Tamil/South Indian Cinema Superstar, second highest paid Asian actor after Jackie Chan

Ramesh Bhatkar – Actor

Ritesh Deshmukh – Bollywood actor

Shriram Lagoo- Marathi and Bollywood actor

Sachin Khedekar – Bollywood actor movies Subhas Chandra Bose, Astitva

Sadashiv Amrapurkar – Bollywood and marathi film actor

Sanjay Narvekar- Marathi and Bollywood actor

Shivaji Satam – Actor

Shreyas Talpade – Bollywood actor

Swanand Kirkire – Bollywood lyricist

Vikram Gokhale – Reputed actor

Viju Khote – Bollywood Actor

Vijayendra Ghatge – Bollywood Actor

Sudhir Joshi – Late Marathi actor, acted in several marathi films

Rakesh Bapat – Bollywood actor, also holds the title of Grasim Mr. India

Sayaji Shinde – Marathi, Bollywood,Tollywood actor & film producer

Sachin Pilgaonkar- The Bachchan of Marathi

Indian classical musicians

Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande (10 August 1860 – 19 September 1936) – Indian classical musicologist and reformer

Vishnu Digambar Paluskar – Singer of gwalior gharana, reformer of Indian Classical Music.

Shrikrishna Narayan Ratanjankar – (31 December 1899 – 14 February 1974) – Indian classical musicologist, Vocalist, composer,Padmabhushan 1957.800 compositions under Abhinav Geet Manjari.

Hirabai Badodekar (1905 – 20 November 1989) – Renowned Indian Hindustāni classical music singer, pioneer of concerts by women artists in India. Kirana Gharana

Sureshbabu Mane – Vocalist of Kirana Gharana.

Kesarbai Kerkar – Title of Soorshri (Legendary Singer from Jaipur Gharana)born at Keri in Goa

Mogubai Kurdikar – Singer from Jaipur Gharana born at Kurdi Goa.

Bal Gandharva – (1888–1967) was one of the greatest Marathi singers and stage actors

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi (4 February 1922 – 24 January 2011)- Indian vocalist in the Hindustani classical tradition, recipient of the Bharat Ratna

Prabha Atre – (born on 23 September 1932). Indian Classical Vocalist, awarded Padmabhushan, Sangeet Natak Akademi award.

C. R. Vyas – (9 November 1924 – 10 January 2002)- Indian vocalist in the Hindustani classical tradition, recipient of the Padma Bhushan. He was renowned for singing khyal style.

Satish Vyas – Santoor player, recipient of the Padma Shri.

Kishori Amonkar (born 10 April 1931) – Classical singer.

Vasantrao Deshpande – Classical singer

Jyotsna Bhole – singer, actor.

Veena Sahasrabuddhe – Classical vocalist

Ajay Pohankar – Classical vocalist

Ulhas Kashalkar – Noted Hindustani Classical Vocalist

Uday Bhawalkar – Dhrupad vocalist

Ashwini Bhide – Classical Vocalist

V G Jog – Violin (Instrument)

Arati Ankalikar-Tikekar – Classical singer

Smt. Shruti Sadolikar-Katkar

Sanjeev Abhyankar – Classical singer

Sudhir Phadke (25 July 1919, Kolhapur – 29 July 2002) – Marathi music composer, composed music for "Geet Ramayan"

Hridayanath Mangeshkar – Music director

Vasant Desai – Music director Hindi/Marathi films

Shrinivas Khale- Music director

C. Ramchandra(or Ramchandra Chitalkar) (1918–1977) – Hindi film music director

Datta Naik – Hindi film music director

Sameep Kulkarni - Classical and Fusion Sitarist

Laxmikant Kudalkar (1937–1998) – of the duo Laxmikant-Pyarelal

Arun Paudwal – Music Director of Marathi Cinemas

Ram Kadam (1916–1997)– Marathi music composer (Pinjra (1972), Sangte Aika (1959))

Ajay Atul – Music Composer brothers (Natrang)

Sneha Khanwalkar – known for her film scores

Singers

Lata Mangeshkar – Is the first Indian Singer to enter Guinness Book of World Records from 1974 to 1991 for having made most recordings in the world

Asha Bhosle – Playback singer

Hridaynath Mangeshkar – Playback singer, was awarded Padmashri by Government of India in 2009

Manik Varma – Classical singer, was awarded Padmashri by Government of India in 1974

Sudhir Phadke (25 July 1919, Kolhapur – 29 July 2002) – Marathi music composer and singer

Suresh Wadkar – Playback singer

Hema Sardesai- Bollywood playback singer

Sadhana Sargam – Bollywood playback singer

Shridhar Phadke – Marathi music composer and singer, son of Sudhir Phadke

Devaki Pandit – singer

Sanjivani (singer)

Meena Mangeshkar – Playback singer

Sudesh Bhosle - Bollywood playback singer

Bela Shende – Playback singer

Kaushal Inamdar – Music composer, director

Anupama Deshpande – Playback singer

Sandeep Khare – Poet and singer.

Milind Ingle – Marathi and Hindi music composer & singer

Aarya Ambekar – Singer

Vaishali Samant – Singer

Usha Mangeshkar – Singer

Prajakta Shukre – Singer

Abhijeet Sawant – Singer

Rahul Vaidya – Singer

Shalmali Kholgade – Singer

Nihira Joshi – Singer

Arun Date – Singer

Modern music

Avdhoot Gupte – Music Composer, Singer

Salil Kulkarni – Music Composer, Singer (Aggobai Dhaggobai)

Sandip Khare – Poet, song Writer and singer (Ayushyawar bolu kahi, Diwas Ase Ki)

Milind Date – Flautist, composer, Known for his collaborations with many international artists and flamboyant performances.

Gaurav Dagaonkar – Music Composer, also does Rock, Pop, as music director his first release Lanka

Karsh Kale – New age musician, fusion, electronica from USA.

Applied Arts - Fashion, Photography, Art Direction,Advertisement

Gopi Kukde – Advertising Genius & the brainchild of Onida Devil

M.V. Dhurandhar – Notable Painter & Postcard artist

Nitin Chandrakant Desai – Art Director, First Indian to receive the Genie Award for his film Such a Long Journey

Pralhad Anant Dhond – Who later on joined as a teacher and in 1958 became the Dean of Sir. J. J. School of Art

Prof. Sambhaji Kadam – Painter, he has also studied Musicology, especially the "Shruti" intervals or the micro-tonic intervals in Indian music

Bhanu Athaiya – She is the First Indian to win the Academy Award for Costume Design for the film Gandhi in the year 1982

Ram V. Sutar – Sculptor, His first work of note was the 45 feet Chambal monument at the Gandhi Sagar Dam, in Madhya Pradesh, received Padmashri in 1999

V. S. Gaitonde – Painter, received First prize at the Young Asian Artists Exhibition, Rockefeller Fellowship and Padma Shri in 1971

Gautam Rajadhyaksha – Was one of India's leading fashion photographer

Atul Kasbekar – Is the First Indian to win the prestigious International Food and Beverage Creative Excellence Awards (FAB Awards) 2005, held at London

Historians

Govind Sakharam Sardesai – Historian and writer

Vithal Krishnaji Khedkar – Was one of the founders of Prarthana Samaj in Bombay & original author of a book later published The Divine Heritage of the Yadavas

Ninad Bedekar – Historian and writer

Vishwas Patil – "Panipatkar", recipient of Bhartiya Parishad Award, Gadkari Award & several other prestigious awards

Datto Vaman Potdar – Due to vast knowledge he was called as Dr. Johnson of Maharashtra or a living encyclopaedia,The Government of India had honoured Potdar with the title Mahamahopadhyaya (महामहोपाध्याय) in 1946, and Padma bhushan in 1967.

Vishnushastri Krushnashastri Chiplunkar – His articles introduced reader to "Western" tradition of literacy criticism

Vishwanath Kashinath Rajwade – He was considered to be the first in real sense to undertake an immense research of Maratha history

Dattatraya Ganesh Godse – Historian, playwright, art critic, he received a Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1988

Tryambak Shankar Shejwalkar, was the first historian to study the Third Battle of Panipat

Vasudev Vishnu Mirashi – For his vital contribution to the Indian history he was honoured with the title Mahamahopadhyaya (महामहोपाध्याय) by the British Indian Government in 1941. He was also awarded Padmabhushan in 1975 by the President of India.

Anant Sadashiv Altekar – In 1947 Altekar was elected the First Chairman of the Numismatic Society of India

Shridhar Venkatesh Ketkar – His doctoral thesis was later published as The History of Caste in India (volume 1), which determines the date of Manusmriti

Babasaheb Purandare – Historian who researched Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

Annabhau Sathe – He was a founder member of the Lal Bawta Kalapathak of the Communist Party in Maharashtra, people conferred the epithet Lok Shahir

Devadatta Ramakrishna Bhandarkar - Indian archaeologist & epigraphist.Carmichael Professor of Ancient Indian History and Culture in the University of Calcutta.

References

List of Marathi people in the performing arts Wikipedia

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