Veteran Actress Sulbha Deshpande Passes Away

Mumbai: Cinema, stage and television actress Sulbha Deshpande breathed her last on Saturday, at the age of 79. She was a strong Bollywood actress too with films like Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyun Aata Hai (1980), Ijaazat (1987), Virasat (1997) and the more recent English Vinglish (2012) in her bag.

However, one can’t judge Deshpande with her performances on screen only. She was ‘one of the key forces behind the renaissance in Marathi Theater in 1980s’ too. A recipient of the 1987 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Hindi-Marathi theatre acting, Sulbha Deshpande’s death was mourned throughout the industry. Reports are that personalities like Lata Mangeshkar, Rishi Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit Nene and Anil Kapoor took to twitter to express their condolences.

Sulbha started her career as a teacher in Chhabildas High School, Dadar, Mumbai. She came in contact with theatre in this time only when she asked noted theatre director and author Vijay Tendulkar to write few plays for her students.

This continued with Sulbha, along with Vijaya Mehta, Shriram Lagoo and Arvind Deshpande, later her husband, initiated the theater movement in the 1960s. Till then, she acted in scores of movies in both Hindi and Marathi language, earning critics’ acclaim and audience approval simultaneously.

Her prominent films were Bhumika, Gaman, Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyo Aata Hai, Vijeta, Virasat, English Vinglish and Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastan where Deshpande was seen in a stronghold. Her prominent stage acting was seen in Marathi plays like Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe, Sakharam Binder, Baba Harvale Aahet and more. She will be remembered for her roles in TV serials like Rishtey, Badalte Rishte, Tanha and Mrs. Tendulkar among others.

In 1971, Sulbha, along with her husband Arvind started Awishkar- a theatre group with branch named Chandrashala to train kids for professional performances. Sources said that Deshpande’s last rites took place at her Mumbai home on Sunday.