Sonalee Kulkarni | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Kulkarni in 2015 | |
| Born | (1988-05-18)18 May 1988 (age 37)[1] |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 2005–present |
| Spouse | |
| Website | sonaleekulkarni |
Sonalee Kulkarni Benodekar (néeKulkarni) is an Indian actress working mostly inMarathi cinema. Praised for her versatility and powerful performances, she is one of the highest-paid actresses in Marathi cinema and has received numerous accolades, including twoFilmfare Awards Marathi, aMaharashtra State Film Award, fourZee Chitra Gaurav Puraskar and fourMaharashtracha Favourite Kon Awards.[2]
Kulkarni began her career as a model and dancer, making her acting debut in the Marathi television seriesHa Khel Sanchitacha (2006) and subsequently in the filmGauri (2006). Her breakthrough came with the title role inKedar Shinde'sBakula Namdeo Ghotale (2007), which earned her theZee Chitra Gaurav Puraskar for Best Actress and theMaharashtra State Film Award for Best Debut Actress. Her performance in the Tamasha drama filmNatarang (2010), where she portrayed the dancer Nayna Kolhapurkarin, earned her widespread recognition and the title "Apsara of Marathi Industry." The film was a critical and commercial success, further solidifying her status in the industry.
Throughout the 2010s, Kulkarni appeared in several notable films, includingNitin Chandrakant Desai'sAjintha (2012), the horror comedyZapatlela 2 (2013), the ensemble coming-of-ageClassmates (2015), the thrillerShutter (2015), and the dramaPoshter Girl (2016). Her role as a strong girl in the romantic dramaMitwaa (2015) garnered her a Filmfare Award Marathi nomination for Best Actress. She made her Hindi film debut with the adult comedyGrand Masti (2013) and appeared in a supporting role inSingham Returns (2014). She continued to experiment with various genres in Marathi, earning acclaim for her performances as an unhappy girl inHampi (2017), the dissatisfied wife inTula Kalnnaar Nahi (2017), and the brave mother inHirkani (2019), the latter of which won her theFilmfare Critics Award for Best Actress.
In recent years, Kulkarni has explored unconventional roles, starring in films likeDhurala (2020),Jhimma (2021),Pandu (2021), andTamasha Live (2022). Her portrayal inDhurala earned her theFilmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. She was nominated forMaharashtra State Film Awards inBest Actress category forTamasha Live. She made her Malayalam debut withMalaikottai Vaaliban (2024), oppositeMohanlal.
Kulkarni married Kunal Benodekar in 2021 inDubai.
Sonalee Kulkarni was born to Manohar and Savinder Kulkarni in the army cantonment ofKhadki,Pune into aMarathi Brahmin family.[3] Her father Manohar Kulkarni is a retired Army doctor. She studied at Army School, Kendriya Vidyalaya and finished her graduation in mass communication and journalism fromFergusson College, Pune. She also has a post graduation degree in mass communication from Indira School of Communication.[4] Sonalee has a younger brother who owns an event company called Fledgers.[5]
Kulkarni started her career as a model and dancer, and while doing a small role in adocu-drama inFTII, she first witnessed a motion picture camera, which sparked her interest in acting. She made her acting debut with the Marathi daily soapHa Khel Sanchitacha (2006), alongside veteran Marathi actorVikram Gokhle.[6] The same year, she made her film debut with a title role inGauri (2006), where she played an innocent and open-minded girl who falls ill suddenly and undergoes treatment in a shepherd's house. On the sets ofHa Khel Sanchitacha, she was offeredGadhvacha Lagna, where she did a cameo asApsara Rambha in a dance number calledIndra Darbari, Nache Sundari.[7] During this period, she had a meeting withAnkush Chaudhari, for his directorial debut withSaade Maade Teen (2007). Chaudhari then recommended her toKedar Shinde for his comedy dramaBakula Namdeo Ghotale (2007). This marked her first film as a lead actress. Critic Pradip Patil wrote in his review, "Kulkarni plays her part with confidence."[8] She received Best Actress at theZee Gaurav Puraskar and also Best Debut Actress at 45thMaharashtra State Film Awards.[9]
In the following years, she starred in the ensembleHai Kai Nai Kai (2009), the romantic comedyGoshta Lagnanantarchi (2010), and the romantic ensembleKshanbhar Vishranti (2010).[10] These movies did not have much success at the box office.
In 2010, Sonalee was seen inRavi Jadhav'sNatarang, a drama based onAnand Yadav's 1978 Marathi novel of the same name, which depicts the journey of a young artist in overcoming hurdles related togender bias and the sacrifices of an artist for the love of his art. She portrayed Nayna Kolhapurkarin, the young dancer in Guna's (played byAtul Kulkarni) troupe. The film was selected as the opening film at theAsian Film Festival and also screened at theMAMI Film Festival and thePune International Film Festival.[11] It was one of thehighest grossing Marathi films till 2017. Critics were divided over her performance, although they praised her dance in the film.[12][13] Kulkarni is known as the "Apsara of Marathi Industry" after her performance in the song "Apsara Ali" in the film.[14] Her next release wasKedar Shinde'sIrada Pakka where she played the character of Aadya a pre-school teacher oppositeSiddharth Jadhav.[15] She ended 2010 withGajendra Ahire'sSamudra where she worked opposite veteran Marathi actorMohan Agashe. Both the films was received positive reviews from critics and audiences.
After a year's gap, she appeared inAjintha (2012), directed byNitin Chandrakant Desai. The film tells a love story between a Marathi Buddhist tribal Paro (played by Kulkarni) and British MajorRobert Gill, an artist, while he visited India to paint historical monuments and scriptures. The film was well received by critics, Shakti Salgaokar ofDNA wrote, "One can't help but notice that Kulkarni flaunts her body in revealing outfits with much grace."[16] Keyur Seta of The Common Man Speaks, calling it a "picturesque saga," wrote, "Kulkarni moulds herself brilliantly in the role of Paro and expresses every emotion with ease. She impresses with her dancing skills too. This will surely be a talked-about performance from her career, even after decades."[17]
In 2013, Kulkarni was seen in Mahesh Kothare'sZapatlela 2, the sequel toZapatlela (1993), oppositeAdinath Kothare. The film received mixed reviews but was a box office success. The same year, she made her Bollywood debut withIndra Kumar's adult comedyGrand Masti, the second installment of theMasti series.[18] The film garnered negative reviews upon release, although it was one of thehighest-grossing Bollywood films of 2013.[19] In 2014, Kulkarni played a supporting roles inRohit Shetty's Hindi political action filmSingham Returns[20] andMrinal Kulkarni's Marathi historical dramaRama Madhav.[21]
In 2015, she had three releases, the first of all wasAditya Sarpotdar's coming-of-age filmClassmates, a remake of the 2006 Malayalam filmwith the same name, alongside an ensemble cast of Chaudhari,Sai Tamhankar,Sachit Patil, andSiddharth Chandekar.[22] Her role and the film were critically and commercially acclaimed, becoming one of the highest grossing Marathi films of all time.[23] Her next release was the romantic dramaMitwaa, oppositeSwapnil Joshi andPrarthana Behere.[24] Mihir Bhanage ofThe Times of India, for her portrayal, wrote, "Sonalee sans makeup plays her role of a girl trapped between love and marital ties well"[25] The film collected ₹13.5 crore (US$1.7 million) at the box office. She received the nomination at theZee Chitra Gaurav Puraskar and theFilmfare Awards Marathi in the Best Actress category. Her last release of the year was the thrillerShutter, another remake of the Malayalam filmof the same name.[26] The film showcases incidents that happen to four people in 24 hours, and Kulkarni portrayed Hooker, who was played bySajitha Madathil in the original.[27] Mihir Bhanage of The Times of India described her as "the conniving and manipulative turned soft-hearted prostitute."[28] In 2016, Kulkarni had only one release,Poster Girl, which was average at the box office. She won Sanskruti Kaladarpan Award for Best Actress.[29]
Next she received secondFilmfare Best Actress nomination for her portrayal of depressed girl who doesn't believe in love in Prakash Kunte'sHampi (2017), Blessy Chettiar of Cinestaan, remarked, "the character you love to hate. She is fiercely pessimistic and her self-loathing makes you cringe. But the lack of depth to her character limits Kulkarni,"[30] and Mihir Bhanage of The Times of India wrote, "Sonalee brings authenticity to her role by underplaying it and yet catching your attention throughout."[31] The film was commercial success. Her next film wasTula Kalnnaar Nahi oppositeSubodh Bhave, the story revolves around love and hate relationship of husband and wife. Mihir Bhanage of The Times of India compared their pair to that ofShah Rukh Khan andKajol fromKKHH and concluded, "the lead pair, has enacted the situations so naturally that you end up being hooked."[32]
In 2019, she once again collaborated with director Mrinal Kulkarni for romantic comedyTi & Ti, which was shot in London and its suburb. She played the other 'Ti' in the story of arranged marriage couple Anay and Sai (played byPushkar Jog and Behere respectively).[33] Ullhas Shirke of Marathi Movie World ascribed her performance by calling it, "Kulkarni grabs all the attention with her superb performance"[34] Her other two films of that year wasHirkani andVicky Velingkar, in the both films she performed titular role.Hirkani, the historical drama directed byPrasad Oak about a brave woman and an amazing mother who lived near theRaigad Fort inMaharashtra during the regimeChhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.[35] Mihir Bhanage of The Times of India asserted, "The one thing that stands out about the film is Sonalee's performance. The actress sheds her glam image and delivers a beautiful performance, so much that you start associating her with the real character that the movie is based on."[36] The film was a huge commercial success with grossing over ₹12 crore at the box office. Kulkarni receivedFilmfare Critics Award,Sakaal Premier Awards andMaharashtracha Favourite Kon in Best Actress catory.[37] Her next release,Vicky Velingkar, a comic book artist and a clock seller gets entangled in an unexpected mystery and rises against all odds. It got mixed reviews from the critics and was below average at the box office.[38]
In 2020, Kulkarni played supporting role of youngest daughter-in-law of Uhbe family and her character pretends that she is not behind the struggle of power inSameer Vidwans' political dramaDhurala,[39] The film won sevenFilmfare Awards, includingBest Supporting Actress for Kulkarni (shared withGeetanjali Kulkarni forKarkhanisanchi Waari).[40] Kulkarni first release of 2021 was Hemant Dhome's drama filmJhimma, the story about a group of seven women travelling to United Kingdom and discovering themselves, starred alongside anensemble cast ofSuhas Joshi,Nirmiti Sawant,Siddharth Chandekar,Kshitee Jog,Suchitra Bandekar,Mrinmayee Godbole andSayali Sanjeev.[41] The film was highly acclaimed and grossed ₹14.07 crore (US$1.8 million) at the box office, becomingthe second highest grossing Marathi film of 2021.[42] Her next portrayed of Usha, the banana vendor inZee Studio'sPandu was huge success with grossed ₹59 million at box office.[43] She received Filmfare Award nomination and wonZee Talkies Comedy Awards for Best Actress.[44]
In 2022, she collaborated withSanjay Jadhav for musical dramaTamasha Live, she played a budding reporter who dreams of working with a popular news anchor. Mihir Bhanage of The Times of India wrote, "Sonalee shines in her scenes and is consistent."[45] The film was a commercial failure. Kulkarni subsequently appeared inVictoria - Ek Rahasya, a horror-thriller film directed by Virajas Kulkarni.[46] She made herMalayalam debut withLijo Jose Pellissery-directed 2024 period fantasy filmMalaikottai Vaaliban oppositeMohanlal.
In her childhood, she used to live in Pradhikaran, Nigdi, Pune.[citation needed]
Sonalee married Kunal Benodekar on 7 May 2021 in Dubai.[47][48]
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Language | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Gauri | Gauri | Marathi | [citation needed] | |
| 2007 | Gadhvacha Lagna | Apsara Rambha | Cameo appearance in the song "Indra Darbari, Nache Sundari" | [7] | |
| Bakula Namdeo Ghotale | Bakula | [8] | |||
| 2008 | Baap Re Baap Dokyala Taap | - | Cameo appearance in the song "Your Place Or Mine" | ||
| Aba Zindabad | Reshma | ||||
| Chal Gaja Karu Maja | Gaja's Girlfriend | ||||
| 2009 | Hai Kai Nai Kai | Mallika Lokhande | |||
| Chal Love Kar | |||||
| 2010 | Goshta Lagnanantarchi | Radha | |||
| Kshanbhar Vishranti | Sanika | [10] | |||
| Natarang | Nayna Kolhapurkar | [49] | |||
| Sa Sasucha | Ashiwini | ||||
| Irada Pakka | Adhya | ||||
| Samudra | Nanda | ||||
| 2012 | Ajintha | Paro | |||
| 2013 | Zapatlela 2 | Megha | [18] | ||
| Grand Masti | Mamta | Hindi | credited as Sonalee | [29] | |
| 2014 | Singham Returns | Menaka | [20] | ||
| Rama Madhav | Anandibai | Marathi | [21] | ||
| 2015 | Classmates | Aditi | [22] | ||
| Mitwaa | Nandini | [24] | |||
| Shutter | Hooker | [50] | |||
| Timepass 2 | - | Cameo Appearance in the song "Madan Pichkari" | [51] | ||
| 2016 | Poshter Girl | Rupali Thorat | [52] | ||
| 2017 | Baghtos Kay Mujra Kar | Gauri Bhosale | Cameo Appearance | [53] | |
| Tula Kalnnaar Nahi | Anjali | [54] | |||
| Hampi | Isha | ||||
| 2019 | Ti and Ti | Priyanka | [55] | ||
| Hirkani | Hirkani | ||||
| Vicky Velingkar | Vicky Velingkar | ||||
| 2020 | Dhurala | Monica Ubhe | |||
| 2021 | Jhimma | Maithili | [56] | ||
| Pandu | Usha Chavan | [57] | |||
| 2022 | Tamasha Live | Shefali | [58] | ||
| Mission Performance | Niyati Sharma | Hindi | Short film | ||
| 2023 | Victoria - Ek Rahasya | Ankita | Marathi | [46] | |
| Date Bhet | Ananya Pandit | [59] | |||
| 2024 | Malaikottai Vaaliban | Rangapattinam Rangarani | Malayalam | ||
| 2025 | Jarann | Herself | Marathi | Special appearance in dance number | [61] |
| Parinati | Jharna | ||||
| TBA | Mogalmardini Chhatrapati Tararani† | Tarabai Bhosale | |||
| 2026 | Tighee† | Sarika | |||
| TBA | Raavsaaheb† | TBA | |||
| TBA | Rainbow† | TBA |
| Year | Title | Channel | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Ha Khel Sanchitacha | ETV Marathi | ||
| 2018 | Apsara Aali | Zee Yuva | Judge | [66] |
| 2019-2020 | Yuva Dancing Queen | Zee Yuva | Judge | [67] |
| 2020 | Dancing QueenSize Large Full Charge | Zee Marathi | Judge | [68] |
| 2022 | Bestseller | Amazon Prime Video | S.I Urmilla Ranade | |
| 2024 | Hou De Charcha | Sun Marathi | Anchor | [69] |
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