Acclaimed Hindi and Marathi film, theatre and television actress Sulabha Deshpande passed away today at her Mumbai residence at the age of 79.
The news saddened fans as well as people from the entertainment fraternity, who began sending condolence messages for the noted artiste on social media.
Deshpande’s association with the performing arts began decades ago when she was a school teacher at the Chhabildas High School in Dadar (West) in central Mumbai. At the time, she collaborated with playwright Vijay Tendulkar to prepare plays for her students.
She went on to became one of the prominent members of the golden Marathi theatre movement of the 1960s in Maharashtra along with her husband Arvind Deshpande, Tendulkar, Dr Shriram Lagoo and Vijaya Mehta.
From there, it was a matter of time before she ventured into Marathi films. She made her film debuted with the cinematic version of Tendulkar’s play of the same name, Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe in 1971. Later, she also starred in a number of acclaimed Hindi films.
Some of Deshpande's better known films include Jait Re Jait (1977), Bhumika (1977), Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastan (1978), Gaman (1978), Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon Aata Hai (1980), Ijaazat (1987), Ghar Ho Toh Aisa (1990), Vihir (2009), and English Vinglish (2012). She was last seen in the Marathi film Nagrik (2015).
Her husband Arvind Deshpande died in January 1987.