Sandhya Shantaram
Indian film actress (1931–2025)
title: "Sandhya Shantaram" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1932-births", "2025-deaths", "indian-film-actresses", "actresses-in-hindi-cinema", "actresses-in-marathi-cinema", "20th-century-indian-actresses", "shantaram-family"] description: "Indian film actress (1931–2025)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandhya_Shantaram" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Indian film actress (1931–2025) ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Sandhya Shantaram |
| image | Sandhya in 1957.jpg |
| caption | Sandhya in 1957 |
| birth_name | Vijaya Deshmukh |
| birth_date | |
| birth_place | Kochi, Kingdom of Cochin, India |
| death_date | |
| death_place | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| known_for | Pinjra |
| occupation | Actress |
| spouse | |
| relatives | Vatsala Deshmukh (sister) |
| :: |
| name = Sandhya Shantaram | image = Sandhya in 1957.jpg | alt = | caption = Sandhya in 1957 | birth_name = Vijaya Deshmukh | birth_date = | birth_place = Kochi, Kingdom of Cochin, India | death_date = | death_place = Mumbai, Maharashtra, India | known_for = Pinjra | occupation = Actress | spouse = | relatives = Vatsala Deshmukh (sister)
Sandhya Shantaram (née Vijaya Deshmukh; 22 September 1931 – 4 October 2025), known mononymously as Sandhya, was an Indian actress. She is best known for her appearances in various Hindi and Marathi films directed by her husband V. Shantaram, in 1950s-1960s, most notably Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje (1955), Do Aankhen Barah Haath (1957), Navrang (1959), Marathi film Pinjra (1972) and Amar Bhoopali (1951).
Early life and career
Sandhya was born on 22 September 1931. She was discovered by V. Shantaram when he was seeking new faces to cast for his film Amar Bhoopali (1951). What struck the filmmaker was that she had a good voice, one that strangely resembled that of his second wife, the actress Jayshree. She later married him after Jayshree left him. In 1952, Sandhya debuted as an actress in his Marathi film Amar Bhoopali in the role of a vocalist, the object of poet Honaji Bala's desire. She went on to feature in most of Shantaram's films. In her next film Teen Batti Char Raasta (1953), she played an impoverished girl named Kokila who is considered unattractive because of her dark skin, but who is secretly a radio star with a beautiful singing voice. Like her name, she resembled the black bird koel which sings beautifully. For the role, Sandhya wore dark makeup.
As she had no formal dance training, she underwent intensive instruction in classical dance from co-star Gopi Krishna for the film Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje. The two play Kathak dancers who are preparing for an important competition, but face opposition from their dance guru when they fall in love. The film was very successful and went on to win four Filmfare Awards as well as the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi. Sandhya starred opposite her husband in the film Do Aankhen Barah Haath, where she played Champa, a toy seller who fascinates the warden and inmates as she walks outside their jail. In Navrang, she played the plain wife of the titular character, a poet, who creates a fantasy image of her as his beautiful and sensuous muse. The film contained the Holi song "Arre Ja Re Hatt Natkhat", where Sandhya dances with an elephant wearing dancing bells ghungroo.
She next starred in Stree (1961), a film version of Shakuntala's story from the Mahabharata. As the epic mentions that Shakuntala and her son Bharata lived in the wilderness among lions, Shantaram decided to include real lions in some scenes. Sandhya did not have a double for these scenes; she prepared by shadowing a lion tamer and practicing in the cage with the lions. Sandhya's last major role was in the Marathi version of Pinjra; her character is that of a tamasha artiste who falls in love with a school teacher out to reform her, played by Shriram Lagoo in his film debut.
In 2009, she made a special appearance at the V. Shantaram Awards ceremony to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Navrang.
Death
Sandhya died on 4 October 2025, at the age of 94 due to age related issues.
Filmography
::data[format=table]
| Year | Title | Role | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Amar Bhoopali | Gunawati | Marathi | |
| 1952 | Parchhain | Kishori | Hindi | |
| 1953 | Teen Batti Char Raasta | Shyama/Kokila | ||
| 1955 | Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje | Neela Devi | ||
| 1958 | Do Aankhen Barah Haath | Champa | ||
| 1959 | Navrang | Jamuna/Mohini | ||
| 1961 | Stree | Stree | Hindi | |
| 1963 | Sehra | Angara | ||
| 1966 | Ladki Sahyadri Ki | Rani Paigaonkar | Hindi | |
| Marathi | ||||
| 1971 | Jal Bin Machhli Nritya Bin Bijli | Alaknanda "Alka" Verma | Hindi | |
| 1972 | Pinjara | Chandrakala Chandrawalkar | Marathi | |
| 1975 | Chandanachi Choli Ang Ang Jali | Gaura | ||
| :: |
Awards
- Filmfare Award Marathi for Best Actress for Pinjara
- Filmfare Award Marathi for Best Actress for Chandanachi Choli Ang Ang Jali
In popular culture
- In the 2018 Marathi biopic Ani... Dr. Kashinath Ghanekar, Amruta Khanvilkar paid homage to Sandhya's legacy by portraying her and recreating the iconic song "Tumhawar Keli Mi Marji Bahal" from Pinjara. The film is ranked as one of the highest grossing Marathi films of 2018.
References
References
- (5 October 2025). "We have lost not only a talented actress but one of the most iconic dancers in our country: Kiran Shantaram on legendary actress Sandhya Shantaram". Times Of India.
- (30 October 1990). "Director Vankudre Shantaram". Chicago Tribune.
- "Dedicated to her art: The journey of Sandhya Shantaram". Cinestaan.
- Mujawar, Isak. (1969). "Maharashtra: birthplace of Indian film industry". Maharashtra Information Centre.
- (28 April 1957). "State Awards for Films: Film in India, 1956". Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.
- Krishnan, Raghu. (25 May 2003). "The eyes have it". The Economic Times.
- Dinesh Raheja, Jitendra Kothari. (1996). "The hundred luminaries of Hindi cinema". India Book House Publishers.
- Heidi Rika Maria Pauwels. (2007). "Indian literature and popular cinema: recasting classics". Psychology Press.
- Ramachandran, T.M.. (January 1977). "Newfangled Techniques". Film World.
- (22 December 2009). "Rani Mukherji, Prakash Raj win V Shantaram awards". The Indian Express.
- (4 October 2025). "Sandhya Shantaram Death: 'पिंजरा' फेम ज्येष्ठ अभिनेत्री संध्या शांताराम यांचं निधन". [[Lokmat]].
- "'पिंजरा' सिनेमाला नृत्यसाज चढवणारा चेहरा काळाच्या पडद्याआड, ज्येष्ठ अभिनेत्री संध्या शांताराम यांचं निधन".
- (5 October 2025). "Actor Sandhya Shantaram passes away at 87".
- "अमर भोपाली -Amar Bhoopali - Marathi Super Hit Movie l Panditrao Nagarkar, Lalita Pawar, Sandhya".
- Garga, Bhagwan Das. (1996). "So Many Cinemas: The Motion Picture in India". Eminence Designs.
- "rediff.com, Movies: Classics Revisited: Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje". Rediff.com.
- (18 November 2017). "Google Doodle pays tribute to V Shantaram. Here is everything you should know about the Do Aankhen Barah Haath director".
- (23 June 2003). "The Hindu : A navrang of Shantaram's films".
- Hungama, Bollywood. (24 January 2020). "Aaj Madhuvatas Dole Lyrics {{!}} Aaj Madhuvatas Dole Song Lyrics - Bollywood Hungama".
- "Hindi Film Songs - Ladki Sahyadri Ki (1966) {{!}} MySwar".
- Lal, S.. (1 January 2008). "50 Magnificent Indians Of The 20Th Century". Jaico Publishing House.
- "Prime Video: Chandanachi Choli Anga Anga Jali".
- (31 March 2022). "'पिंजरा' तयार होतांना पडद्यामागे या १० इंटरेस्टिंग गोष्टी घडत होत्या".
- टीम, एबीपी माझा वेब. (2018-11-07). "'आणि... डॉ. काशिनाथ घाणेकर'मध्ये 'तुम्हावर केली...'ला नवा साज".
- "Flashback 2018: Aapla Manus to Mauli, 10 Marathi movies that were released in 2018 and have earned in millions {{!}} Entertainment News".
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