Sandhya Shantaram breathed her last on October 4, 2025. Let’s have a look at some of lesser known facts about her.
Veteran actress Sandhya Shantaram passed away at the age of 87. She starred in numerous acclaimed Hindi and Marathi films throughout her career. A single song catapulted her to fame overnight.
Her professional life is also filled with fascinating stories, including the actress’s falling in love with a filmmaker 37 years her senior.
Sandhya Shantaram early life
Sandhya was born on September 13, 1938. Her career began with V Shantaram, who was looking for new faces for his film Amar Bhoopali (1951). The filmmaker was impressed by Sandhya’s beautiful voice, which resembled that of his wife, actress Jayshree.
In 1952, Sandhya made her acting debut as a singer in the Marathi film Amar Bhoopali. She also appeared in several of Shantaram’s films. In her next film, Teen Batti Chaar Raasta (1953), she played a poor girl named Kokila.
Sandhya Shantaram married 37 years older filmmaker
V Shantaram was the filmmaker Sandhya fell in love with. They married after Shantaram left his first wife, Jayashree, in 1956. Shantaram passed away in 1990 at the age of 88. The two had a strong creative partnership that left an indelible mark on Indian cinema. It’s worth noting that they had no children.
This song made Sandhya famous
V Shantaram and Sandhya’s personal chemistry was excellent, as was their creative partnership, which was evident on screen. This was also evident in the 1959 film Navrang, which was a huge hit with audiences. One song in particular, ‘Are Ja Re Hat Natkhat,’ made Sandhya famous in every household. Even today, this song is played on Holi. Even so many years after the film’s release, the craze for this song remains undiminished.
Sandhya Shantaram’s best films
- Amar Bhopali
- Teen Batti Chaar Rasta
- Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje
- Do Aankhen Barah Haath
- Navrang
- Pinjara
- Sehra
- Chandanachi Choli Ang-Ang Jali
Sandhya Shantaram won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress twice. The first for the Marathi film Pinjara and the second for Chandanachi Choli Ang-Ang Jali. The legendary actress passed away on October 4, 2025 due to age related issues.
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