Daya Dongre

Daya Dongre was an Indian actress.

Life and career

Daughter of Yamunatai Modak, who was an actress, Dongre was born on 11 March 1940 in Maharashtra. After completing school in Dharwad, Karnataka, she pursued her education in Pune and later joined Delhi's National School of Drama to formally study theatre. Although she could not complete her training at NSD due to marriage, Shekhar, her husband, convinced her to pursue acting.
At 16, Dongre made her stage debut in Rambha by Mo. G. Rangnekar, earning widespread acclaim for her natural acting. She appeared in films such as Umbartha, Navri Mile Navryala and Atmavishwas.
Dongre died in Mumbai on 3 November 2025, at the age of 85.