Urmila Matondkar

Urmila Matondkar

Urmila Matondkar (born 4 February 1974), is an Indian actress. Known for her work in Hindi films, in addition to Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Marathi cinema, she has received numerous accolades, including the Filmfare Award and the Nandi Award. Establishing a career with a variety of character types, her film roles contributed to a new on-screen persona for a Hindi film actress, in which she was known for her acting, intense style and dancing skills. After making her debut as a child in the 1980 Marathi film Zaakol, Matondkar made her Hindi film debut with Kalyug (1981). She gained wide recognition with Masoom (1983), following which she appeared in few other films. Her first adult role came with the Malayalam film Chanakyan (1989), and her first adult role in Hindi cinema came with the action drama Narsimha (1991), both of which were commercial successes. After a brief setback, Matondkar established herself as a leading actress of Bollywood with the romantic drama Rangeela (1995), following which she achieved further success with the drama Judaai (1997), the crime film Satya (1998), the romantic comedy Khoobsurat (1999), and the thriller Jungle (2000). She also achieved success in Telugu and Tamil cinema with starring roles in Antham (1992), Gaayam (1993), Indian (1996) and Anaganaga Oka Roju (1997). She garnered critical recognition for portraying a range of intense psychological characters, including a serial killer in the 1999 thriller Kaun, an obsessive lover in the 2001 thriller Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya, a possessed woman in the 2003 horror Bhoot and a violent avenger in the 2004 thriller Ek Hasina Thi. Later, Matondkar collaborated with independent filmmakers in art-house projects, including, the dramas Tehzeeb (2003), Pinjar (2003), Naina (2005), Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara (2005), Bas Ek Pal (2006) and the Marathi film Ajoba (2014). In addition to acting in films, Matondkar is involved with several humanitarian causes and is vocal about issues faced by women and children. She has participated in concert tours and stage shows, and featured as a talent judge for various dance reality shows, including Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa.

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