Sulabha Deshpande facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sulabha Deshpande
Born	1937 Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Died	4 June 2016(2016-06-04) (aged 78–79) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Nationality	Indian
Occupation	Actress director
Years active	1960s–2016
Spouse(s)	Arvind Deshpande

Sulabha Deshpande (Marathi: सुलभा देशपांडे; 1937 – 4 June 2016) was a talented Indian actress and theatre director. She worked in many Marathi theatre and Hindi theatre plays in Mumbai. She also acted in over 73 mainstream Bollywood films.

Sulabha Deshpande was known for her roles in special "art house" films like Bhumika (1977) and Gaman (1978). She also appeared in many TV shows and plays. She was a key person in the experimental theatre movement of the 1960s. She worked with famous theatre artists like Vijay Tendulkar and Vijaya Mehta. In 1971, she started a theatre group called Awishkar with her husband, Arvind Deshpande. They also created Chandrashala, a special part of Awishkar for children's theatre, which is still active today. Later in her career, she acted in popular TV shows like Jee Ley Zara and films such as English Vinglish.

Early Life and Education

Sulabha Deshpande was born and grew up in Mumbai, India. She went to Siddhartha College in Fort, Mumbai. After that, she earned a degree in education.

Her Amazing Career

Sulabha Deshpande began her career as a teacher at Chhabildas Boys' High School in Dadar, Mumbai. While teaching, she asked the famous writer Vijay Tendulkar to write some plays for her students. This was the start of her journey in theatre.

Starting in Theatre

Soon, she became a pioneer in the experimental theatre movement of the 1960s. She joined a group called Rangayan. This group was founded by Vijaya Mehta, Vijay Tendulkar, Arvind Deshpande, and Shriram Lagoo. Sulabha quickly started her acting career. She first gained fame by winning state-level awards for her plays like Madhlya Bhintee.

After Rangayan broke up, Sulabha and her husband, Arvind Deshpande, along with Arun Kakade, started their own theatre group called Awishkar in 1971. She showed her great acting skills in 1967 by playing the main role of Leela Benare in Vijay Tendulkar's famous play Shantata! Court Chalu Ahe. She later played the same role in the 1971 film version of the play. This film role helped her become well-known in movies.

Working in Films and TV

After her success in theatre, Sulabha Deshpande worked a lot in both Hindi cinema (Bollywood) and Marathi cinema. She worked with important directors like Shyam Benegal during the rise of Indian "new wave cinema" in the 1970s and 1980s.

Awishkar and Children's Theatre

The Awishkar theatre group was based at the Chhabildas Hall in Chhabildas Boys' High School. This location helped start the "Chabildas theatre movement" for amateur theatre. Awishkar also holds workshops for adults and trains young people.

Sulabha Deshpande soon created Chandrashala. This was the children's theatre part of Awishkar. She directed many plays for children, such as Baba Harvale Ahet and Raja Ranila Ghaam Hava. A notable play she directed was the musical Durga jhali Gauri (Durga Became Gauri) in 1982. This was a dance drama with seventy child actors! She even directed the Hindi film version of Raja Ranila Ghaam Hava in 1978.

After about 18 years, Awishkar moved from Chhabildas school. The group restarted at the Mahim Municipal School. They continue to put on plays, hold workshops, and perform Durga jhali Gauri with a new group of children each year. Famous Bollywood actors like Nana Patekar and Urmila Matondkar were once students at Chandrashala. Later in her life, she played the role of a grandmother-in-law in the Zee Marathi TV show Asmita.

Personal Life

Sulabha Deshpande was married to the well-known theatre actor and director, Arvind Deshpande. He passed away in 1987.

Death

Sulabha Deshpande passed away on 4 June 2016, in Mumbai. She had been ill for some time. She was cremated the next day.

Awards and Recognition

Sulabha Deshpande received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1987. This award is for theatre acting in Marathi and Hindi plays. It is given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, which is India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. This is the highest award given to artists in India.

She also received the Tanveer Sanman award in 2010. Sulabha Deshpande was honored with many other awards too. These include the Nanasaheb Phatak Puraskar, Ganpatrao Joshi Puraskar, Vasantrao Kanetkar Puraskar, Kusumagraj Puraskar, Rangabhoomi Jeevan Gaurav Puraskar, and Sarvashrestha Kalagaurav Puraskar.

Selected Works

Sulabha Deshpande had a long and successful career in films, television, and theatre. Here are some of her notable works:

Films (as actor)

Films (as director)

Television (as actor)

Theatre (as actor)