Sukanya Kulkarni


Sukanya Kulkarni Mone is an Indian actress known for her work in Marathi and Hindi cinema, television, and theatre, and is widely regarded as one of the most respected figures in Marathi entertainment. With a career spanning over three decades, she has been acclaimed for her versatility and powerful portrayals of complex female characters across mediums. She has received numerous accolades, including two Maharashtra State Film Awards, a Karnataka State Film Awards, two Filmfare Awards Marathi, a Screen Award Marathi and a Zee Chitra Gaurav Puraskar.
Her artistic journey began on stage with the play Gauri Jhali Durga. She rose to national prominence for her role as Satyabati in Byomkesh Bakshi, and gained recognition in Marathi cinema with award-winning performances in Varsa Laxmicha, Putravati, Sarkarnama and the Kannada film Pathitha Pavani. She became a household name through memorable serials like Aabhalmaya, Julun Yeti Reshimgathi, and Ghadge & Suun. Alongside her screen work, she has had a prolific career in Marathi theatre, performing in acclaimed plays like Kusum Manohar Lele, Jhulwa, and Naagmandal. In recent years, she has starred in noted films like Ventilator and Baipan Bhari Deva, both of which earned her nominations for the Best Supporting Actress – Marathi|Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress].
She is married to actor-director Sanjay Mone, with whom she has a daughter.

Early life

Kulkarni, born on 23 December 1968 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, into a Marathi family, spent her early years in Dadar, completing her schooling at Balmohan Vidyamandir under the guidance of noted mentors Vidya Patwardhan and Sulabha Deshpande and later graduated from D. G. [Ruparel College of Arts, Science and Commerce|D. G. Ruparel College]. During this period, she trained in Bharatanatyam under her gurus Sucheta Bhide Chapekar and Smita Sathe Mahajan, and made her theatrical debut with the play Gauri Jhali Durga, which marked the start of her acting journey.

Career

Kulkarni made her screen debut in 1987 with a brief role in the Marathi comedy Premasathi Vattel Te, followed by a supporting role in K. Viswanath’s Hindi film Eeshwar, where she played Anil Kapoor’s sister—a role she was offered on the recommendation of her mentor, Sulabha Deshpande. She went on to appear in Marathi films like Chambu Gabale and Eka Peksha Ek, opposite Laxmikant Berde.
The early 1990s marked a pivotal phase in her career as she entered television with Vijaya Mehta's medical drama Lifeline on DD National, portraying a rape survivor. Her major breakthrough arrived with the iconic series Byomkesh Bakshi, directed by Basu Chatterjee. In this highly acclaimed show based on Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay’s novels, she portrayed Satyabati Bakshi, the wife of the titular detective, which brought her widespread recognition.
In 1992, Kulkarni made her Kannada film debut in Aruna Raje’s Pathitha Pavani, her performance was well received and awarded the Karnataka State [Film Award for Best Supporting Actress]. That same year, she starred in the Marathi film Jagavegali Paij opposite Ajinkya Deo, playing a school teacher who sacrifices her love for his betterment, and also took on a negative role in Taichya Bangadya. Her major breakthrough in Marathi cinema came in 1994 with Varsa Laxmicha, where she portrayed a naïve, newlywed village woman, a performance that won her the Filmfare [Award for Best Actress – Marathi|Filmfare Award Marathi for Best Actress]. That year, she also appeared in the popular television series Shanti, playing a young woman struggling with depression caused by the absence of her mother.
Continuing her success, she delivered a critically acclaimed performance in Putravati, a film about a troubled marriage, infertility struggles, and family rejection. Her portrayal won her the Maharashtra State Film Award for Best Actress, a Screen Award, and a Filmfare nomination. She reunited with Ajinkya Deo in Shrabani Deodhar’s political drama Sarkarnama, won her second Filmfare Award for Best Actress. From 1999 to 2003, she played Professor Sudha Joshi in the widely acclaimed television series Aabhalmaya on Alpha TV, depicting a woman whose husband has an extramarital affair and a daughter with another woman. The show was both critically acclaimed and popular with audiences. She continued to appear in popular serials including Vadalvaat, Agnishikha, and Eka Lagnachi Dusri Goshta, consistently earning praise.
Alongside her screen career, Kulkarni has made significant contributions to Marathi theatre, collaborating with prominent figures such as Dr. Shriram Lagoo, Ashok Saraf, Dr. Girish Oak, Vijay Kenkre, and Vasant Kanetkar. She went on to perform in acclaimed productions such as Kusum Manohar Lele, based on real story of a woman who is under false hopes; Jhulwa, about nuanced exploration of rural and gender issues were widely appreciated; and Naagmandal, based on Girish Karnad’s mythological exploration of identity and desire. Her work in plays like Ti Phulrani, ''Charchaughi, Janmagath, Lekure Udand Jhali, Akhercha Sawal, and Selfie demonstrated her versatility and deep-rooted presence in Marathi theatre, with roles ranging from deep psychological dramas to contemporary social commentaries.
On television, she earned accolades for her portrayal of Maai in Zee Marathi’s Julun Yeti Reshimgathi, the strong-willed matriarch of the Desai family. Her performance alongside Lalit Prabhakar and Prajakta Mali won her the Zee Marathi Utsav Natyancha Awards for Best Mother and Best Mother-in-law in 2014. She continued to star in several successful serials including Chukbhul Dyavi Ghyavi, Ghadge & Suun, and Aga Aga Sunbai Kay Mhanta Sasubai?.
In cinema, she made a appearance in Ram Gopal Varma’s Rakta Charitra, where she played Radhika Apte’s mother. In 2016, she starred in the family drama Ventilator, directed by Rajesh Mapuskar and produced by Priyanka Chopra. Her portrayal of a spiritually inclined sister with a deep emotional bond to her ailing father was praised by both critics and audiences. Critic Gulshankumar Wankar of Hindustan Times wrote, “Kulkarni Mone and Jitendra Joshi play their characters of Gaju Kaka’s children to perfection.” The film was a critical and commercial success, grossing over worldwide, and earned her a Filmfare Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Kulkarni’s biggest commercial success to date came with Baipan Bhari Deva, directed by Kedar Shinde and co-starring Rohini Hattangadi, Vandana Gupte, Shilpa Navalkar, Suchitra Bandekar, and Deepa Parab. The film, exploring the emotional complexities and shared bond of six sisters, became a cultural blockbuster and grossed over worldwide, making it the second-highest-grossing Marathi film of all time. Her performance was hailed by critics, with Maharashtra Times reviewer Kalpeshraj Kubal praising her "incredible energy" on screen. She received several award nominations, including Filmfare, Maharashtra State Film Award and Maharashtracha Favourite Kon?, and won the Zee Chitra Gaurav Puraskar for Best Actress.
In 2024, she appeared in three films: Janma Runn, a socially-driven family drama inspired by real-life events, in which she portrayed a mother who files an FIR against her son for abandoning his parents; Nach Ga Ghuma, directed by Paresh Mokashi, where she played the role of Mukta Barve's mother; and Bai Ga, in which she appeared as one of the wives of Swapnil Joshi’s character. Notably, Nach Ga Ghuma'' became the highest-grossing Marathi film of the year.

Personal life

Kulkarni met veteran Marathi actor and director Sanjay Mone through mutual acquaintances, and despite a nine-year age difference, the two developed a close bond and married in 1998, after which she adopted the surname Mone and became professionally known as Sukanya Kulkarni Mone
The couple’s journey was marked by resilience, as a few years into their marriage, Kulkarni suffered an accident resulting in partial paralysis of her right limb, and during several months of bed rest, she also faced thyroid-related issues and significant weight gain. Although doctors advised against conception and both her husband and mother-in-law discouraged it, she remained steadfast in her desire to become a mother, ultimately taking what she described as “a last chance” and giving birth to Julia, whom she calls her "miracle child." Julia is currently pursuing higher education in Australia, specializing in animal science with a major in wildlife biology, and has made her acting debut by portraying the younger version of her mother’s character in the 2023 Marathi film Baipan Bhaari Deva.

Television

Web series

Anuradha as Prabhavati

Theatre

Gauri Jhali DurgaJhulwaJanmagathKusum Manohar LeleNaagmandalTi PhulraniCharchaughiLekure Udand JhaliAkhercha Sawal
  • ''Selfie''