Madhu Kambikar


Madhu Kambikar is an Indian performing folk art artist, theatre actor and film and TV personality, from Maharashtra. Kambikar went onto establish herself as one of the leading actress of the 80s. In a career spanning over four decades, she has worked in over 75 films and has received several accolades including a Filmfare Marathi Award and six Maharashtra State Film Awards.

Personal life

She was born in Malegaon, a village in Beed district, 28 July 1953 in the Kolhati community. She dropped out of school and used to follow her father himself a performing artist to shows. She herself became a performer at a very young age. She is the aunt of the late Kishor Shantabai Kale.
On 27 November 2016, she fell unconscious on stage during a lavani-tamasha performance at Yashwant Natya Mandir, Matunga and was hospitalised.

Folk and contemporary theatre

She acted in about a dozen folk plays, including:
  • Dadu Indurikar's "Gadhavacha lagna"
  • Shankar Patil's "Bhangadishivay pudhari nahi"
  • Ashok Paranjape's "Ude ga Ambe ude"
  • Vasant Sabnis' "Viccha mazi puri kara"
  • Atmaram Sawant's "Mujra ghya sarkar"
  • Ashok Patole/ Suyog's "Kashi me rahu tashich"
  • Her own "Sakhi mazi lavani" directed by Upendra Limaye
She has acted in 22–25 contemporary plays, amongst them are:Tumcha amcha sem astaVastraharan

Accolades