Bhagyashree Patwardhan Indian Actress Born 1969 in Mumbai

Early life

Bhagyashree Patwardhan was born on 23 February 1969 in Mumbai, and she is known professionally by the single name Bhagyashree. She comes from the Patwardhan family, the former ruling house of the princely state of Sangli in Maharashtra. Her great-grandfather, Chintamanrao Dhundirao Patwardhan, was the last ruling Raja of Sangli during the British period in India. Her father, Vijay Singhrao Madhavrao Patwardhan, holds the titular position of Raja of Sangli. She is the eldest of three daughters, the others being Madhuvanti and Purnima.

Career

Bhagyashree's first acting job was on television. In 1987 she appeared in Kachchi Dhoop, a serial based on Louisa May Alcott's novel Little Women. The actor and director Amol Palekar offered her the part after the original actress left the project suddenly.

Her film debut came in 1989 with Maine Pyar Kiya, in which she played Suman opposite Salman Khan. The film was a commercial success and remains her best-known work. After her marriage she appeared in three films opposite her husband in 1992: Qaid Main Hai Bulbul, Tyagi and Paayal. In 1993 she acted in Ghar Aaya Mera Pardesi, with Avinash Wadhawan. That was her last Hindi film of the decade, and she then took roles in a few Tamil, Kannada and Telugu films, making her Telugu debut with Yuvaratna Rana in 1998. She also made guest appearances in episodes of the television series CID and Kabhie Kabhie.

She returned to Hindi cinema in the 2000s with Maa Santoshi Maa (2003), Humko Deewana Kar Gaye (2006) and Red Alert: The War Within (2010). She came back to television with the serial Laut Aao Trisha, broadcast on Life OK in 2014 and 2015. In 2019 she appeared in the Kannada film Seetharama Kalyana. In 2021 she was part of Thalaivii, which was released in more than one language, and she played Girija Rani in the 2022 film Radhe Shyam, a bilingual production. Her filmography on record also lists Chatrapathi.

In February 2022 she entered the StarPlus show Smart Jodi as a contestant with her husband, Himalaya Dasani. In 2023 she made a cameo in Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, which brought her back together with her first co-star, Salman Khan, after 34 years; her husband and son also appeared in cameo roles. Her first screen credit on the list is from 1989, and the most recent is Radhe Shyam in 2022. Four films are listed in total.

Recognition

Her performance in Maine Pyar Kiya earned her national attention and the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. More than two decades later she was nominated for the Indian Television Academy Award for GR8! Performer Female for her work in Laut Aao Trisha.

Public roles

In March 2015 Bhagyashree became the brand ambassador of the Bhagyashree Scheme, a programme launched by the Government of Maharashtra for girls from families living below the poverty line. Her Instagram account had about 2.7 million followers as of October 2026.

Personal life

Bhagyashree is married to Himalaya Dasani, who was her co-star in several films. They have two children. Their son, Abhimanyu Dassani, won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut for the 2019 film Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota.