International Film Icons Codexery

Padmini Kolhapure

Indian actress and singer, leading lady of 1980s cinema.

Padmini Kolhapure

Bollywood Hungama · CC BY 3.0

Padmini Kolhapure (born 1 November 1965) is an Indian actress and singer who primarily works in Hindi and Marathi films. She is considered one of the leading actresses of the 1980s, with a career spanning over four decades and more than 75 films. She has received several accolades, including three Filmfare Awards.

Quick Facts

Birth Date
1965-11-01
Birth Place
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Spouse
Pradeep Sharma · 1986
Children
1
Occupation
Actress · singer

Facts from the source article.

Lore & Background

Padmini Kolhapure was born in a Marathi family, the second of three daughters of Pandharinath Kolhapure, a professional musician, and Nirupama Kolhapure. Her elder sister is former actress Shivangi Kolhapure, and her younger sister Tejaswini Kolhapure is also an actress. The family took the surname 'Kolhapure' because they hailed from Kolhapur in Maharashtra. Padmini is niece of singer Usha Mangeshkar. She began her acting career in 1972 at age seven, with her earliest film being Koshish (1972). Her breakthrough came with Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978), playing the young Roopa.

Reader's Guide

Padmini Kolhapure is significant as one of the most popular and leading actresses of the 1980s. At age 15, she won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for Insaf Ka Tarazu (1980), and at 17 won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for Prem Rog (1982), making her the second-youngest actress to win in those categories. She established herself with films such as Ahista Ahista (1981), Vidhaata (1982), Woh Saat Din (1983), and Pyar Jhukta Nahin (1985). Her co-actor Anil Kapoor credited his career to her, stating that her agreement to do Woh Saat Din led to his success. In 2022, she was placed in Outlook India's '75 Best Bollywood Actresses' list. She also turned designer in 2016, launching an Indian and Indo-western wear brand.

Did You Know?

Gallery

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Padmini Kolhapure?

Padmini Kolhapure is an Indian actress and singer born on 1 November 1965, best remembered as one of the defining leading ladies of 1980s Hindi cinema. Her career has stretched across more than four decades and over 75 film appearances.

What is Padmini Kolhapure most famous for?

She is widely recognized as a major star of 1980s Bollywood, with her breakthrough and most celebrated performance coming in the 1982 drama Prem Rog, which earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress.

How many films has Padmini Kolhapure acted in?

Over the course of a career lasting more than forty years, she has appeared in well over 75 films across Hindi and Marathi cinema.

What awards has Padmini Kolhapure received?

She has collected three Filmfare Awards in total, the most notable being the Best Actress trophy for her role in Prem Rog (1982).

Which languages does Padmini Kolhapure work in?

Her body of work spans both Hindi and Marathi film industries, making her a rare talent comfortable in two major Indian cinematic traditions.

More in International Film Icons 1-19

Spotted an error? Know more?

Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced

Comments

Loading…
Open in the interactive codex →