Varsha Usgaonkar
Usgaonkar in 2015
Born	(1968-02-28)28 February 1968 (age 57) Usgao, Goa, India
Occupations	Actress model singer
Years active	1987–present
Spouse	Ajay Shankar Sharma ​ ​ (m. 2000)​
Partner	Nitish Bharadwaj (1980s–1991)
Father	A. K. S. Usgaonkar
Relatives	Ravi Shankar Sharma (father-in-law)

Varsha Usgaonkar (born 28 February 1968)^[1] is an Indian actress, model, singer and television personality. Referred to as the "Wonder girl of Marathi cinema,"^[2] she has appeared in over 100Marathi andHindi films. She is regarded as one of the most finest, accomplished and influential actresses ofMarathi Cinema. Noted by critics for her beauty, dancing skills, and strong characters that played by her on screen, she received threeMaharashtra State Film Award.^[3]

Varsha Usgaonkar was born inUsgao,Goa, India, on 28 February 1968, to politicianA. K. S. Usgaonkar and Manikabai Usgaonkar.^[4]Konkani is her native language. Her father served as a Cabinet Minister in Goa, while her mother was a classical singer. Under the tutelage ofPandit Sudhakar Karandikar, she honed her skills in classical music. She pursued herB.Com degree in Goa and actively engaged in theatrical productions during her academic years.^[5]

Usgaonkar first shot to fame in 1982 as the lead heroine in the super-hitMarathi stage playBrahmachari. Subsequently, she quickly rose to become one of the top actresses in theMarathi film industry with super-hit productions such asGammat Jammat,^[6]Hamaal De Dhamaal,Saglikade Bombabomb,Savat Mazi Ladki,Shejari Shejari,Ek Hota Vidushak,Lapandav andAflatoon. She starred as a lead actress in theBollywood films,Ghar Aaya Mera Pardesi andPathreela Raasta. In 2005, she appeared in the Bollywood filmsMangal Pandey: The Rising andMr Ya Miss as a supporting actress.

In theFaisal Saif-directed controversial Hindi feature film,Jigyaasa, she played the role of a "mother" toHrishitaa Bhatt. Usgaonkar started her television career in 1988 playing the role ofUttara, wife ofAbhimanyu and mother ofParikshit, (the future of the Bharat Dynasty TV serialMahabharata).^[7] The role led her to many Hindi movie offers and most of them failed to create box office success. She also played "Roopmati" (Snake Queen) in the 1994 TV serialChandrakanta. She has appeared in the Marathi showsAakash Zep andEka Mekansathi and has acted in theHindi television serialsAlvida Darling,^[8]Tanha andAnhonee.

One of her most prominent performances was on the TV serialJhansi Ki Rani in the 1990s onDoordarshan, where she played the lead character ofRani Lakshmibai. Usgaonkar is also a singer and has sung in aKonkani music albumRoop Tujem Laita Pixem, with Ulhas Buyao.^[9] She is currently playing the supporting role of Nandini Yashwant Shirke-Patil inStar Pravah's popular serialSukh Mhanje Nakki Kay Asta. In 2024, she competed onBigg Boss Marathi 5, whereby she was evicted in the Final Week in a mid-week eviction, finishing in 7th place.

Usgaonkar is aKonkani speaker born and raised inGoa.^[10][11] She is the daughter of Goa's former deputy speaker,A. K. S. Usgaonkar. She has two sisters, Tosha Kurade and Manisha Tarcar.^[12]

Usgaonkar dated fellow actorNitish Bharadwaj in the late 1980s, and broke up in 1991.^[13] She married Ajay Sharma, son of Indian film music director,Ravi Shankar Sharma in March 2000.^[14]

• 1987 –Maharashtra State Film Award for Best Actress forGammat Jammat.^[5]
• 1989 – Nominated,Maharashtra State Film Award for Best Actress forHamaal De Dhamaal.^[5]
• 1992 – Nominated,Maharashtra State Film Award for Best Actress forEk Hota Vidushak.^[5]
• 1993 – Maharashtra State Film Award for Best Supporting Actress forSavat Mazi Ladki.^[5]
• 1998 –Maharashtra State Film Award for Best Actress forPaij Lagnachi.^[5]
• 1998 – Nominated,Filmfare Award for Best Actress forPaij Lagnachi.^[5]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toVarsha Usgaonkar.

• Varsha Usgaonkar atIMDb 
• Varsha Usgaonkar atBollywood Hungama

• Living people
• Actresses from Goa
• Indian television actresses
• Konkani people
• Actresses in Marathi cinema
• Konkani-language singers
• Actresses in Marathi theatre
• Actresses in Hindi cinema
• Singers from Goa
• Indian women playback singers
• 21st-century Indian actresses
• 20th-century Indian actresses
• Women musicians from Goa
• Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University alumni
• 1968 births

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