Veteran Marathi actor and Lavani artiste Madhu Kambikar died in Pune on Monday at the age of 73, after a prolonged illness. She had suffered a paralytic stroke that left her battling multiple health complications in recent years.
Kambikar was one of Maharashtra's most recognisable folk performers, whose dancing and screen presence made her a household name across the state over a career spanning more than four decades.
From Tamasha Troupe to Film Studio
Born on July 28, 1953, in Malegaon Khurd village in Beed district, Kambikar's training came on the road, performing with a travelling tamasha troupe long before cameras entered her life. That grounding in Lavani, Maharashtra's energetic folk dance form, shaped everything that followed. She went on to build a career that crossed folk theatre, commercial stage productions, television serials and cinema.
A Body of Work Audiences Remember
Her breakthrough came with Shaapit, which earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Marathi) along with a Maharashtra State Award. She won another State Award for Hech Majha Maher, and the state's Best Supporting Actress honour for Raosaheb. Her filmography also includes Raghumaina, Ek Hota Vidushak, Zapatlela, Debu and Yeu Ka Gharat, and she appeared in Hindi films such as Sutradhar, Yeshwant and Hum Dono. Her other recognitions include the Hansa Wadkar Special Award and the Lavani Kalavant Award in 2007.
Tributes Pour In
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis called her death extremely heartbreaking in a post on X, saying her roles in films such as Hech Majha Maher, Raghumaina, Ek Hota Vidushak, Zapatlela, Debu and Yeu Ka Gharat would remain etched in the memory of audiences forever. He praised how she blended acting and dance to popularise folk art forms rooted in rural life, and said her more than four decades of contribution to Marathi entertainment would always be remembered. The Maharashtra Directorate General of Information and Public Relations also shared an official tribute.
Fellow Lavani artiste Megha Ghadge, who worked with Kambikar in Dombari, wrote an emotional tribute, calling her 'my friend, my Lavani' and recalling how the sound of her ghungroos and her vivid screen presence held audiences captive for years, singling out her performance in Ek Hota Vidushak as unforgettable. Ghadge noted that Kambikar kept performing through years of illness, and said her art would outlive her.
Sources:
Madhu Kambikar Death News: Marathi Actress Madhu Kambikar Dies at 73 - Indian Express
Veteran Marathi Actor Madhu Kambikar Dies At 73 In Pune - NDTV
Kambikar was one of Maharashtra's most recognisable folk performers, whose dancing and screen presence made her a household name across the state over a career spanning more than four decades.
From Tamasha Troupe to Film Studio
Born on July 28, 1953, in Malegaon Khurd village in Beed district, Kambikar's training came on the road, performing with a travelling tamasha troupe long before cameras entered her life. That grounding in Lavani, Maharashtra's energetic folk dance form, shaped everything that followed. She went on to build a career that crossed folk theatre, commercial stage productions, television serials and cinema.
A Body of Work Audiences Remember
Her breakthrough came with Shaapit, which earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Marathi) along with a Maharashtra State Award. She won another State Award for Hech Majha Maher, and the state's Best Supporting Actress honour for Raosaheb. Her filmography also includes Raghumaina, Ek Hota Vidushak, Zapatlela, Debu and Yeu Ka Gharat, and she appeared in Hindi films such as Sutradhar, Yeshwant and Hum Dono. Her other recognitions include the Hansa Wadkar Special Award and the Lavani Kalavant Award in 2007.
Tributes Pour In
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis called her death extremely heartbreaking in a post on X, saying her roles in films such as Hech Majha Maher, Raghumaina, Ek Hota Vidushak, Zapatlela, Debu and Yeu Ka Gharat would remain etched in the memory of audiences forever. He praised how she blended acting and dance to popularise folk art forms rooted in rural life, and said her more than four decades of contribution to Marathi entertainment would always be remembered. The Maharashtra Directorate General of Information and Public Relations also shared an official tribute.
Fellow Lavani artiste Megha Ghadge, who worked with Kambikar in Dombari, wrote an emotional tribute, calling her 'my friend, my Lavani' and recalling how the sound of her ghungroos and her vivid screen presence held audiences captive for years, singling out her performance in Ek Hota Vidushak as unforgettable. Ghadge noted that Kambikar kept performing through years of illness, and said her art would outlive her.
Sources:
Madhu Kambikar Death News: Marathi Actress Madhu Kambikar Dies at 73 - Indian Express
Veteran Marathi Actor Madhu Kambikar Dies At 73 In Pune - NDTV
