Urmila Matondkar Indian Actress

Actress and politician Urmila Matondkar was born in India on February 4, 1974. She has won multiple awards, including the Filmfare Award and the Nandi Award, and is best known for her work in Hindi films, though she has also worked in Telugu, Malayalam, Marathi, and Tamil. She has developed a unique on-screen identity and is well-known for her dancing, acting, and style statements.

Following her childhood debut in the 1977 movie Karm, Matondkar rose to fame with Masoom (1983), and she went on to make a few more appearances. Her first leading part was in the commercially successful Malayalam film Chanakyan (1989), and she went on to play a leading role in Hindi cinema with Narsimha (1991). Following a temporary setback, Matondkar became a star with Rangeela (1995), a love drama directed by Ram Gopal Verma.

Matondkar went on to achieve success in the thriller Jungle (2000), the romantic comedy Khoobsurat (1999), the crime movie Satya (1998), and the drama Judaai (1997). Also, Urmila played the main role lady in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam films, such as Anaganaga Oka Roju (1997), Antham (1992), Gaayam (1993), Indian (1996), and Thacholi Varghese Chekavar (1995).

Urmila received praise from critics for playing a variety of strong characters in a number of psychological thrillers and horror movies, such as a violent avenger in Ek Hasina Thi (2004), a serial killer in Kaun (1999), an obsessive lover in Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya (2001), and a possessed woman in Bhoot (2003). She worked on indie art-house films during this time, including the dramas Tehzeeb (2003), Pinjar (2003), Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara (2005), and Bas Ek Pal (2006). Since then, she has done sporadic work, such as in the 2014 Marathi movie Ajoba.

Apart from his role in movies, Matondkar is active in a number of humanitarian causes and speaks out against the problems that women and children suffer. In addition to appearing as a talent judge on several dance reality series, including Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa (2007) and DID Super Moms (2022), she has taken part in theater productions and concert tours.

Early and personal life:

On February 4, 1974, Matondkar was born into a Hindu Maharashtrian family in Bombay (modern-day Mumbai) to Zhrikant and Sunita Matondkar. She attended Mumbai’s DG Ruparel College. On March 3, 2016, she wed Mohsin Akhtar Mir, a model and businessman from Kashmir.

Acting career:

Debut and work as a child artist (1977–88)

Matondkar debuted as a child performer in the 1977 film Karm, directed by B.R. Chopra. She later appeared as a child star in films such as Rahul Rawail’s Dacait (1987), Praveen Bhatt’s Bhavna (1984), K. Viswanath’s Sur Sangam (1985), Shreeram Lagoo’s Marathi film Zaakol (1980), Shyam Benegal’s crime Kalyug (1980), Shekhar Kapur’s drama Masoom (1983), and Kalpataru’s Bade Ghar Ki Beti (1989).

Adult debut and career beginnings (1989–1993)

She debuted with Kamal Haasan in the Malayalam hit Chanakyan, directed by T. K. Rajeev Kumar, in 1989. The 1991 action drama Narsimha, directed by N. Chandra, marked her Bollywood debut. The movie was successful. Matondkar portrayed Meenu S. Singh, the disobedient daughter of the city’s capitalist and goon lord Baapji (Om Puri). She later costarred with Shah Rukh Khan in Rajiv Mehra’s ghost comedy Chamatkar (1992). She starred opposite Nagarjuna in the Hindi-bilingual Drohi in the action-crime Antham, which was her first Telugu film. She portrayed the ornithologist Bhavna, who falls in love with Nagarjuna’s persona. Critics gave the movie favorable reviews when it was first released. The movie was the first of several projects she worked on with director Ram Gopal Verma. In 1993, Matondkar starred in the critically and financially unsuccessful films Shreemaan Aashique, starring Rishi Kapoor, and Bedardi, starring Ajay Devgn. Varma’s next work was the Telugu political thriller Gaayam (1993). The movie received great reviews, won six state Nandi Awards, and became a box office success. Matondkar won the Nandi Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance.

Stardom and public recognition (1994–98)

She became more well-known after costarring with Jugal Hansraj in the popular love drama Aa Gale Lag Ja in 1994.

Matondkar gained notoriety overnight and was nominated for her first Filmfare award for Rangeela.
By appearing in Varma’s musical romance Rangeela, one of the highest-grossing films of 1995, Urmilla made a name for herself as a prominent actress in modern Bollywood. The movie, which costarred Jackie Shroff and Aamir Khan, made ₹334 million at the box office. Matondkar portrayed the lively, carefree buddy of a street-toughened orphan named Mili Joshi, who aspired to be an actor. Rangeela gets 12 nominations at the 41st Filmfare Awards, such as Urmila’s first Best Actress nomination. The movie was shown in India’s International Film Festival. She costarred with Mohanlal in the Malayalam action film Thacholi Varghese Chekavar that same year. She portrayed Maya, a homicide witness who is under house arrest due to her parents’ restrictions.

Her first Tamil film was Indian (1996), directed by S. Shankar, in which she portrayed Sapna, the daughter of an RTO official. Additionally, it was dubbed and published in Hindi as Hindustani. At ₹150 million, it was the most expensive Pan-Indian film at the time, starring Kamal Haasan in two parts with Urmila and Manisha Koirala. Indian contains dances, foot-tapping tunes by A. R. Rahman, and two attractive women, Manisha Koirala and Urmila Matondkar, according to Nirupama Subramanian of India Today, who thought the movie was a commercial potboiler. Hindustani and India both achieved commercial success. Although it was not recognized, the movie was India’s official submission for the 1996 Academy Awards’ Best Foreign Language Film.

Raj Kanwar’s melodrama Judaai was Matondkar’s first release in 1997. The story of Kajal (played by Sridevi), who is seduced by riches and asks her husband Raj (played by Anil Kapoor), an honest engineer, to marry Janhvi (played by Matondkar), the wealthy daughter of his employer, is told in this remake of the 1994 Telugu movie Shubhalagnam. It is Urmila Matondkar who emerges victorious, according to the Indian Express. Her performance earned her a nomination for the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award, and the movie became a commercial hit.

Her subsequent films included the romantic drama Mere Sapno Ki Rani, starring Sanjay Kapoor, the action romance Aflatoon, starring Akshay Kumar, and the criminal comedy Daud, starring Sanjay Dutt. She then worked with Varma again on her third Telugu film, Anaganaga Oka Roju, which also starred J. D. Chakravarthy. The film follows the humorous experiences of an eloping couple who are fleeing their parents and become involved in a police and political mafia road chase for an incriminating audio clip that leads to them being suspected of a politician’s murder. The movie was well-reviewed and became a box-office success.

She was nominated for another Filmfare Best Actress award for her next release, the crime film Satya. Urmila’s status as a leading actress in Bollywood was firm when the film was well-performed by critics and a box office success. Satya appeared in the 70 Iconic Movies of Independent India list, the 100 Filmfare Days series, and CNN-IBN’s 2013 list of the 100 Best Indian Films of All Time. Both author and critic Shubhra Gupta’s 50 Films That Changed Bollywood, 1995-2015, and Rachel Dwyer’s 100 Bollywood Films mentioned it, calling it a masterpiece.

Professional expansion and success (1999–2003)

Of the six films that Matondkar released in 1999, four—Jaanam Samjha Karo, Hum Tum Pe Marte Hain, Mast, and Dillagi—were box office busts. Critics did, however, largely praise Matondkar’s performances; in a review of Jaanam Samjha Karo, Rediff wrote that Urmila is the only heroine who can compete with Karisma in terms of pelvic thrusts. That year, she starred as an unnamed figure in Varma’s psychological horror movie Kaun, opposite Manoj Bajpayee. She captivates the audience with a variety of quicksilver facial emotions, carrying off entire reels on her shoulders, according to Khalid Mohamed of The Times of India, who would subsequently cast her in Tehzeeb. She is completely realistic as the traumatized girl next door, despite her vulnerability and confusion. In the action-comedy Khoobsurat movie, Urmila played Sanjay Dutt’s character’s love interest.

In the 2000s, Matondkar gave several highly praised performances and displayed powerful, dramatic, and psychological aspects in her parts. Along with Fardeen Khan and Sunil Shetty, Matondkar rejoined Varma for the action film Jungle in 2000. When the chief of bandits begins to like her, she plays Anu, who is held captive by him. Bollywood Hungama’s Taran Adarsh commented that Urmila Matondkar is comfortable in a part that allows her to show off her skills. It is easy to pick out her sequences with Durga because they were brilliantly filmed. This film was a critical and financial triumph. Her next role was opposite Govinda in Kunwara, a romantic comedy directed by David Dhawan. The movie only made 182 million (US$2.2) at the box office, which was below expectations.

The next year, Matondkar played the role of an infatuated lover named Ria in Rajat Mukherjee’s critically acclaimed romantic thriller Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya. She received a lot of praise for her performance, and many commentators praised her for displaying a wide range of emotions. In a favorable review, Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama stated that Urmila Matondkar is the “real hero” of the movie and will ultimately take home all the awards. She flawlessly embodies intensity, love, hate, relentlessness, and obsessive behavior in her strongest performance to date. And to Urmila’s credit, we are able to sympathize with her pitiful character, even though it becomes more bizarre as the film progresses.Matondkar was characterized by Planetbollywood.com as follows: Urmila is the film’s star and she is really amazing. She will undoubtedly receive nominations for best actress or, in certain situations, best villain for the movie. She not only looks stunning, but she also behaves in such a way that it will leave you stunned. Her performance will undoubtedly win you over even if you despise the rest of the movie! Her final two moments in the movie are just breathtaking. Stand up, ladies and gentlemen, and cheer this outstanding performance! The movie made ₹281 million (US$3.4 million) at the box office, making it a success. For her performance, Matondkar was nominated for multiple Best Villain awards, including a Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role.

Matondkar starred in the drama Om Jai Jagadish in 2002 with an ensemble cast that included Waheeda Rehman, Anil Kapoor, Fardeen Khan, Mahima Chaudhary, Abhishek Bachchan, and Tara Sharma. She portrayed Neetu, the main character’s love interest (portrayed by Fardeen Khan). Commercially, the movie was a failure. Her second book was Deewangee, a psychological thriller written by Anees Bazmee. She portrayed Sargam, a well-known singer who is the target of the antagonist and protagonist’s struggle. The movie, which costarred Akshaye Khanna and Ajay Devgan, did well at the box office and was praised by reviewers.

As usual, the heroine does little more than look cute in the first half and be afraid in the second, according to Rediff writer Deepa Gumaste, who also lauded the three stars’ performances. The fact that she is meant to be the focus of the tension in the movie is another issue. To be fair, Urmila Matondkar does a good job playing her role. Bhoot, a supernatural horror film, was her maiden release in 2003. She portrayed the ghost-possessed character Swati. The film is unquestionably Urmila Matondkar’s, according to Taran Adarsh, who praised her performance. It would be a terrible disservice to her work to say that she is excellent. There are just amazing sequences when she gets possessed. No other performance should receive an award if this one doesn’t. It outperforms all competitors. “As the troubled wife, Matondkar is consistently excellent – controlled and persuasively vulnerable – evoking your concern and empathy,” Khalid Mohamed remarked. She is actually Bhoot’s greatest achievement.

She won multiple Best Actress honors at numerous award shows, such as the Bollywood Movie Awards, Zee Cine Awards, and Star Screen Awards, in addition to her first Filmfare Award under the Best Actress (Critics’ Choice) category. In recognition of her accomplishments in Bollywood, she was nominated for another Filmfare Award for Best Actress and won the national Rajiv Gandhi Award for her performance in the movie. The movie made ₹224 million (US$2.7 million) at the box office, making it a success.

In Khalid Mohammed’s criminal thriller Tehzeeb (2003), she received more critical praise for her performance as the titular character, a girl with a tense relationship with her mother. According to Rediff’s comment, she has done a great job portraying the emotionally damaged Tehzeeb, who finds it difficult to communicate her emotions, even to her husband. She solely shows her affection to her sister, who has a mental illness. In the critically praised Pinjar (2003), she subsequently portrayed Puro, a North Indian girl who enjoys a happy existence but has her hopes of a bright future dashed when she is abducted by Bajpayee’s character one evening against the backdrop of the 1947 India partition. Variety’s Derek Elley provided a review and commentary on the movie. As one of the finer Bollywood depictions of this still-controversial topic, “Pinjar” is a beautifully shot drama about the struggles of a Hindu woman during the 1947 Partition. A little shaky structure is made up for by strong performances, particularly from main actress Urmila Matondkar and her Muslim partner Manoj Bajpai.

Critical acclaim and decrease in workload (2004–present)

Ek Hasina Thi, The film, which was Sriram Raghavan’s first feature, is about a deluded woman named Sarika Vartak (played by Matondkar) who gets arrested and imprisoned for having connections to the criminal underworld due of her lover (played by Khan) then escapes from prison to exact revenge on him. Critics gave the movie favorable reviews when it came out, and Matondkar’s acting was praised.”An author-backed role ensures that Urmila gets to do everything just right,” the Deccan Herald said. She’s a complete delight, whether it’s sparring with Karan while planning his downfall or kicking a bully into shape in the gloomy prison where she is a prisoner. The shift from ignorance to knowledge is something she does with ease. She is quite energetic and seductive. The movie was a box office hit. At the Filmfare, Screen, Zee Cine, and IIFA ceremonies, Matondkar was nominated for her performance. At the New York Asian Film Festival, the movie made its debut.

She portrayed the lead in the horror film Naina in 2005. The movie centers on Matondkar’s character, who discovers she has the ability to look into the supernatural after getting an eye transplant. At the 2005 Cannes Film Festival, the movie made its debut in the Marché du Film section. In Jahnu Barua’s art drama Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara, she subsequently played the role of Trisha Chaudhary, the devoted daughter of Professor Uttam Chaudhary, who was portrayed by Anupam Kher. Rediff said, “Her credibility as a versatile actress is further established in her reserved albeit realistic delivery of emotions.” The film was favorably acclaimed by critics.

Matondkar took home her second Best Actress Bollywood Film Award. She costarred alongside Ashmit Patel and Dimple Kapadia in Pankaj Parashar’s romantic film Banaras: A Mystic Love Story in 2006. Critics did not like the movie, and Raja Sen said: And then there’s Urmila. Let’s begin with the positive. She looks amazing, stunning and refreshingly gorgeous. That’s all. This actress has put a lot of effort into becoming respected, but both the character and the movie are inconsistent. Onir’s Bas Ek Pal (2006) was her subsequent publication.

Her next release, costarring Himesh Reshammiya, was the thriller Karzzzz (2008), which was a remake of Karz (1980). Despite the film’s significant critical and financial failure, Matondkar received recognition for her performance as Kamini and for bringing her unique style to the part. She reunited with Sanjay Dutt for EMI that same year. She narrated the part of Begum in the animated comedy Delhi Safari in 2012.

In 2014, Urmila worked on her first Marathi film, Ajoba. She played Purva Rao, a conservationist who goes leopard hunting. This is just one more gem in her crown, according to Daily News and Analysis. She has a hint of aggression and rebellion in her portrayal of Purva. All of them, however, are underlying themes in Purva’s behavior. Matondkar makes a cameo in a song from the dark comedy Blackmail (2018) after a four-year break.

Off-screen work

Along with her acting career, Matondkar has been in a number of stage productions and award events that were broadcast on television. She provided vocals for Asha Bhonsle’s album Asha and Friends Vol. 1 in 2007, and she joined Bhonsle in a duet called Mehbooba Dilruba. She appeared with Jeetendra and Shiamak Davar as a talent judge for the second season of Sony Entertainment’s dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa later that year. “I’m thrilled to be able to be a part of this show,” she said, describing her experience judging Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. For the first time, I was in front of the audience and participants. No cues, no printed lines, and no second chances were present. For you, it either worked or it didn’t.

Matondkar hosted the singing reality show Waar Parriwar on Sony TV in 2008. In 2012, she was a member of the jury for Zee Marathi’s Dance Maharashtra Dance, in which Maharashtra dancers showcased their skills in various dance traditions.

She has supported women’s concerns in India and has been active in various philanthropic organizations during her time in Bollywood. In order to promote the Angeli Foundation, a nonprofit organization that aims to empower girls in India, Matondkar and Parineeti Chopra walked for Manish Malhotra in London, England, in February 2013. She has strutted the catwalk for designers Rohit Verma and Manish Malhotra.

Political career:

Matondkar became a member of the Indian National Congress on March 27, 2019. She ran unsuccessfully in the 2019 Lok Sabha Election from the Mumbai North constituency. She resigned from the party on September 10, 2019, blaming trivial internal politics. She joined the Shiv Sena on December 1, 2020, in front of Uddhav Thackeray, the party president. Shiv Sena wanted to represent the party with a well-known voice and face who was fluent in Hindi, Marathi, and English.

Artistry and media image:

Critics have called Matondkar one of the most gifted performers, and her dancing abilities have won her accolades. Her work was lauded by film critic Subhash K. Jha in 2016.

According to film reviewer Sukanya Verma, Matondkar is an actress who plays impromptu and with thought. She went on to say, “The audience remembers her because of her captivating personality.” She is a style-forward actress with a good deal of depth.

“Urmila’s attractiveness enthralled me, from her face to her form. She was divine in every way,” director Ram Gopal Varma said, summarizing how she influenced him. I made Rangeela mostly to immortalize Urmila’s beauty on film and establish it as a standard for sex icons. “She consistently broke Bollywood clichés about how heroines should appear on screen and was ahead of her time” stated Saurav Bhanot of Scoop Whoop. The 90s Bollywood heroine was reinvented by Urmila alone with Rangeela.

In a Rediff interview, Matondkar explained how she approaches acting:

By playing various parts that bridge the gap between popular and off-the-beaten-path cinema, I have always attempted to keep my life interesting. I suppose my roles have been adventurous and fortunate. With a fair degree of style, I wish to play all kinds of roles. Being a decent mix of flair and substance is what I aim to be.

Following the triumph of Bhoot, Pinjar, and Tehzeeb, Matondkar was listed among the top Bollywood actresses in Rediff’s annual list in 2003.

Urmila Matondkar Movie List

Television Shows of Urmila Matondkar