Urmila Matondkar (born 4 February 1974) is an Indian actress and politician. Known for her work primarily in Hindi films, in addition to Telugu, Malayalam, Marathi and Tamil films, she has received numerous accolades, including the Filmfare Award and the Nandi Award. Having established a distinctive on-screen persona, she is known for her acting skills, style statements and dancing skills.
After making her debut as a child actor in the 1977 film Karm, Matondkar gained recognition with Masoom (1983) and later worked as a teenage actress, appearing in supporting roles in some films and television shows during the late 1980s. Her first lead role came with the Malayalam film Chanakyan (1989), and her subsequent lead role in Indian cinema with Narsimha (1991), both of which were commercial successes. After a brief setback, Matondkar emerged as a star with Ram Gopal Verma's romantic drama Rangeela (1995). She had further success in the drama Judaai (1997), the crime film Satya (1998), the love triangle Dillagi (1999), the romantic comedy Khoobsurat (1999), and the thriller Jungle (2000). She also played the leading lady in Malayalam, Telugu and Tamil films such as Antham (1992), Gaayam (1993), Thacholi Varghese Chekavar (1995), Indian (1996) and Anaganaga Oka Roju (1997).
Matondkar subsequently garnered critical recognition for portraying a range of intense characters in several psychological thrillers and horror films, including a paranoid young woman in Kaun? (1999), an obsessive lover in Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya (2001), a possessed woman in Bhoot (2003) and a violent avenger Ek Hasina Thi (2004). During these years, she also collaborated with independent filmmakers in art-house cinema, including the dramas Tehzeeb (2003), Pinjar (2003), Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara (2005) and Bas Ek Pal (2006). She has since worked intermittently in films and television, including voice-over for the animated comedy Delhi Safari (2012), acting in the Marathi film Ajoba (2014) and serving as a talent judge on dance reality shows such as Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa (2007), Dance Maharashtra Dance (2012–2013) and DID Super Moms (2022). She entered active politics in 2019, joining the Indian National Congress and contesting the Lok Sabha election that year, before later joining the Shiv Sena in 2020. in Bombay (present-day Mumbai) in a middle-class Hindu Maharashtrian family. Her father, Shrikant Matondkar is a retired officer of the erstwhile Grindlays Bank, while her mother Sunita Matondkar, is a retired state government employee.
Matondkar has three siblings: an elder sister, Mamta, who is a former actress-turned-lawyer, another sister, Pooja, and a brother, Kedar, who served in the Indian Air Force.
Matondkar studied at DG Ruparel College, Mumbai. She recalled visiting her grandparents' home in Konkan during summer vacations, describing it as "absolutely scenic, serene and a divine experience" with "old stunning temples, running waters, untouched clean sea and white shores."
Matondkar has also expressed pride in her Marathi roots, stating that she is a proud "Marathi mulgi".. Reflecting on what being Maharashtrian means to her, she has stated, "It means dignity and a great sense of self-respect. I take immense pride in my roots, culture, Marathi literature and language." She has also stated that she did not actively plan to become an actress in childhood, saying, "I always liked acting but it was not that I was dying to become an actress. It just happened."
Acting career
Early work as child artist (1977–1988)
Matondkar made her film debut in B.R. Chopra's Karm (1977), as a child artist. Subsequently, she featured in Shreeram Lagoo's Marathi film Zaakol (1980), Shyam Benegal's crime Kalyug (1980), Shekhar Kapur's drama Masoom (1983), Praveen Bhatt's Bhavna (1984), K. Viswanath's Sur Sangam (1985).
As a teenage actress, Matondkar acted in Rahul Rawail's Dacait (1987) and Kalpataru's Bade Ghar Ki Beti (1989). During this period, she did small roles in some television shows too, such as Zindagi, Katha Sagar and Indradhanush. She worked in a serial called Titliyan, where she initially played a minor role that was later extended. Years later, she recalled her role in the serial, saying, "I was supposed to die in the second episode. But the makers liked the way I acted. My role was extended and went on and on." Her Bollywood debut came with N. Chandra's 1991 action drama film Narsimha, which starred Sunny Deol. Upon release, the film emerged as a commercial success. Matondkar played the role of Meenu Singh, the rebellious daughter of Baapji (played by Om Puri), a crime boss and capitalist of a town. She next starred in Rajiv Mehra's ghost comedy Chamatkar, alongside Shah Rukh Khan (1992). Her first Telugu film came with the action-crime Antham, and its Hindi bilingual Drohi opposite Nagarjuna. She played Bhavna, an ornithologist who is in love with Nagarjuna's character. Upon release, the film received positive reviews from critics. The film marked first of her many collaborations with director Ram Gopal Verma.
In 1993, Matondkar appeared in Shreemaan Aashique opposite Rishi Kapoor and Bedardi opposite Ajay Devgn— both these films failed critically and commercially. Varma's Telugu political thriller Gaayam (1993) was her next release. The film garnered positive reviews, with six state Nandi Awards, and emerged a Super Hit at the box office. Matondkar's performance earned her a Nandi Award for Best Supporting Actress. She gained wider public recognition with the 1994 hit romantic drama Aa Gale Lag Ja, starring alongside Jugal Hansraj.
Rangeela and rise to prominence (1995–1999)
In 1995, Matondkar established herself as a leading actress of contemporary Hindi cinema by featuring in Varma's musical romance Rangeela, one of the top-grossing productions of the year. Co-starring Aamir Khan and Jackie Shroff, the film emerged as a blockbuster with a gross of 334 million. Matondkar played Mili Joshi, an effervescent fun-loving friend of a street-toughened orphan, with ambitions of becoming an actress. At the 41st Filmfare Awards, Rangeela was nominated for 12 awards including a first Best Actress nomination for Matondkar. The film was screened at the International Film Festival of India.