Rohini Hattangadi
Encyclopedia
Rohini Hattangadi is an India
n actress of film, theatre and television. She has won two Filmfare Awards
, one National Film Award, and is the only Indian actress to win the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
for her performance as Kasturba Gandhi
in Gandhi
(1982). An alumna of the National School of Drama
of New Delhi, Hattangadi had worked mainly in theatre when she made her movie debut with Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastaan
in 1978. Some of her noted cinematic roles were in such art films as Arth
(1982), Party
and Saaransh
(1984). Hattangadi was mostly offered character roles in mainstream Hindi cinema after her portrayal in Gandhi, often typecast in mother roles much ahead of her years. Respected for her acting prowess, she has appeared in over 80 feature films, and is active in theatre and television.
as Rohini Oak. She did her schooling from Renuka Swaroop Memorial Girls High School, Pune
in 1966.
She joined the National School of Drama
(NSD) of New Delhi in 1971. Although the Film and Television Institute of India
(FTII) was located in her hometown Pune, she did not join it because she was mainly interested in theatre and did not have early plans to enter cinema: "I just wanted to be an actor... My heart was in theatre because I learnt from my father (Anant Oak) that real acting is learnt through theatre. That's why I came all the way to Delhi to join NSD." At NSD, she met her future husband Jayadev Hattangadi, who was in the same batch as hers. They were trained together by Ebrahim Alkazi
. Upon graduation in 1974, Rohini was awarded the Best Actress award and an award for Best all-round student, while Jayadev, who was being trained in direction, won the Best Director award. Jayadev and Rohini married the following year.
Rohini also received training in Indian classical dance forms, Kathakali
and Bharatnatyam for more than eight years, under the guidance of Professor Surendra Wadgaonkar.
Rohini and Jayadev have a son, Aseem Hattangadi, who is a theatre actor and acted in Badal Sircar's play, Evam Indrajit, directed by his father. Jaydev Hattangadi passed away on 4 December 2008, aged 60, after a battle with cancer.
stage. Once in Bombay while still at NSD, Jayadev and Rohini started a Marathi theatre group in Bombay, called "Awishkar", which went on to produce over 150 plays. In 1975 she won the Best Actress Award at the Maharashtra State Drama Festival, for her performance in Changuna, a Marathi adaptation of Federico García Lorca
's Spanish classic Yerma
. The play was produced by "Awishkar" in Mumbai.
Hattangadi is the first woman to act in Yakshagana
, a folk play directed by K. Shivaram Karanth
, and is the first woman in Asia to act in a Japanese Kabuki
play, Ibaragi, directed by Shozo Sato
, a Japanese director.
One play that Hattangadi was particularly appreciated for is Aparajita, based on a Bengali story by Nitin Sen. First staged in 1999, this 120 minute long solo-act play has over the years been performed in both Hindi and Marathi. Incidentally it was her first performance in a long time to be directed by her husband, Jayadev Hattangadi. In all she has performed in five plays directed by him, including Medea
, a Greek tragedy written by Euripides
.
Her other theatre credits include Vijay Tendulkar
's Mitra Chi Gosht, directed by Vinay Apte, Hori based on Premchand's Godaan
, produced by IPTA
, and most recently in the Hindi play Kohra with Sudha Chandran
and Babul Bhavsar. Some of her renowned stage characters include Vimla Pandey of Mahayagya, the role of a Hindustani classical singer in Yeh Kahaan Aa Gaye Hum, a committed social worker in Intehaan and the unlettered and harassed Sakkubai in Hindustani.
Hattangadi, along with husband Jayadev, ran "Kalashray", a centre for research, education in arts and talent encouragement in Mumbai
, working with the underprivileged and developing tools for powerful communication. She won the 2004 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
for her contribution to Indian theatre.
's Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastaan
in 1978. The film won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Movie
. This was followed by her appearance in Mirza's next picture, Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon Ata Hai (1980), which won the same award, and Rabindra Dharmaraj's drama Chakra
(1981). Her characters in these films were minor.
Her next film was Richard Attenborough
's biographical film
Gandhi
(1982), based on the life of Mahatma Gandhi. She played Kasturba Gandhi
, the wife of Mahatma, played by Ben Kingsley
. The film was a major critical success, and among other awards won the Academy Award for Best Picture
. Hattangadi's performance garnered her international recognition and she won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
in 1983, the only Asian to do that so far.
Despite the success she received for her role in Gandhi, the film was also credited with increasing "her screen age manifold". She was 27 when she played the middle-aged Kasturba, and from then on was offered roles of women of this age group. Hattangadi told of an instance when James Ivory
wanted to cast for his film Heat and Dust
, but he was surprised by how young she was when he met her and ultimately did not approach her for a part because he did not want to use make-up. Although theatre was her main interest, she stated that it was not enough financially, stating, "I realised that theatre won't be enough to make ends meet."
This was followed, however, by a string of acclaimed performances, starting with Mahesh Bhatt
's Arth
(1982), which won her the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 1984 she acted in Govind Nihalani
's satirical drama Party
(1984) for which she received the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress
. She followed it with two films in which she portrayed aging housewives, Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho!
and Saaransh
, both released in 1984. In Saaransh, she was the female lead along with Anupam Kher
in his debut role. The film starred Hattangadi and Kher as B.V. and Parvati, an elderly couple struggling with the recent death of their son. Both Kher and Hattangadi were at their late 20s at the time, and The Tribune
described them as giving "immortal performances". Her portrayal earned her a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress, but it further consolidated her image as a mother and by this time she was type-cast in Hindi commercial cinema in motherly roles.
She was later recognised for her small part in N. Chandra
's Pratighaat (1987), and for her comic performances in Pankaj Parashar
's Chaalbaaz
and Ladaai, both released in 1989. She played the role of Sribaby, a drug kingpin, in Parashar's Jalwa (1987). It was in Indian parallel cinema
, however, where she was offered demading roles. Her films of this period include Govind Nihalani
's Aghaat (1985), with Muzaffar Ali
's Anjuman (1986) and Girish Kasaravalli
's Mane and Ek Ghar (1991).
In 1990, she was again cast as the aging mother of Amitabh Bachchan
in Agneepath
, for which she was awarded her second Filmfare Award in the Best Supporting Actress category. Throughout the 1990s and the 2000s, she was cast by Rajkumar Santoshi
in several of his films, such as Damini (1993), Ghatak: Lethal
(1996) and Pukar
(2000).
Her most recent performance in Rajkumar Hirani
's directorial debut Munnabhai MBBS (2003) received positive reactions, and she later reprised her role in the Tamil version of the film, Vasool Raja MBBS
(2004).
and Zee Marathi
, respectively. She played the lead role in a series on politics in India, where she played the leader of a major political party. She played the role of an actress in Ghar Ki Lakshmi Betiyann
as Gayatri Baa. Over the years, she has been seen in a number of TV serials including Mahayagya, Thoda Hai Thoda Ki Zaroorat Hai, Teache, and more.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n actress of film, theatre and television. She has won two Filmfare Awards
Filmfare Awards
The Filmfare Awards are presented annually by The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Hindi language film industry of India. The Filmfare ceremony is one of the oldest and most prominent film events given for Hindi films in India. The awards were...
, one National Film Award, and is the only Indian actress to win the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Best Actress in a Supporting Role is a British Academy Film award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding supporting performance in a film...
for her performance as Kasturba Gandhi
Kasturba Gandhi
Kastürbā Gāndhi was the wife of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, marrying him in an arranged marriage in 1883.-Early life and background:...
in Gandhi
Gandhi (film)
Gandhi is a 1982 biographical film based on the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who led the nonviolent resistance movement against British colonial rule in India during the first half of the 20th century. The film was directed by Richard Attenborough and stars Ben Kingsley as Gandhi. They both...
(1982). An alumna of the National School of Drama
National School of Drama
National School of Drama is a theatre training institute situated at New Delhi, India, established . It is an autonomous organization under Ministry of Culture, Government of India. It was set up in 1959 by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, and became an independent school in 1975...
of New Delhi, Hattangadi had worked mainly in theatre when she made her movie debut with Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastaan
Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastaan
Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastaan is a 1978 Hindi Language film, directed by Saeed Akhtar Mirza and starring Dilip Dhawan, Anjali Paigankar, Sriram Lagoo and Om Puri.-Plot:...
in 1978. Some of her noted cinematic roles were in such art films as Arth
Arth (film)
Arth is a 1982 film directed by Mahesh Bhatt, starring Shabana Azmi, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Smita Patil, Raj Kiran and Rohini Hattangadi. It features a memorable soundtrack by Ghazal duo, Jagjit Singh and Chitra Singh....
(1982), Party
Party (1984 film)
Party is a 1984 Hindi film directed by Govind Nihalani. The film boasted an ensemble cast of leading art cinema actors of Parallel Cinema, including Vijaya Mehta, Manohar Singh, Om Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, and Rohini Hattangadi...
and Saaransh
Saaransh
Saaransh is a 1984 Bollywood film starring Anupam Kher, Rohini Hattangadi and Soni Razdan. The film marked the screen debut of Anupam Kher. It was nominated for India's official entry for the 1985 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film...
(1984). Hattangadi was mostly offered character roles in mainstream Hindi cinema after her portrayal in Gandhi, often typecast in mother roles much ahead of her years. Respected for her acting prowess, she has appeared in over 80 feature films, and is active in theatre and television.
Personal life and background
Hattangadi was born in New DelhiNew Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
as Rohini Oak. She did her schooling from Renuka Swaroop Memorial Girls High School, Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
in 1966.
She joined the National School of Drama
National School of Drama
National School of Drama is a theatre training institute situated at New Delhi, India, established . It is an autonomous organization under Ministry of Culture, Government of India. It was set up in 1959 by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, and became an independent school in 1975...
(NSD) of New Delhi in 1971. Although the Film and Television Institute of India
Film and Television Institute of India
Film and Television Institute of India , is an autonomous Institute under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India. It is fully aided by Central Government of India. It is situated in the premises of the erstwhile Prabhat Film Company in Pune, India...
(FTII) was located in her hometown Pune, she did not join it because she was mainly interested in theatre and did not have early plans to enter cinema: "I just wanted to be an actor... My heart was in theatre because I learnt from my father (Anant Oak) that real acting is learnt through theatre. That's why I came all the way to Delhi to join NSD." At NSD, she met her future husband Jayadev Hattangadi, who was in the same batch as hers. They were trained together by Ebrahim Alkazi
Ebrahim Alkazi
Ebrahim Alkazi is one of the most influential Indian theatre directors and Drama teachers in 20th century Indian theatre. He also remained the Director of National School of Drama, New Delhi He has also been a noted art connoisseur, collector and gallery owner, and found Art Heritage Gallery in...
. Upon graduation in 1974, Rohini was awarded the Best Actress award and an award for Best all-round student, while Jayadev, who was being trained in direction, won the Best Director award. Jayadev and Rohini married the following year.
Rohini also received training in Indian classical dance forms, Kathakali
Kathakali
Kathakali is a highly stylized classical Indian dance-drama noted for the attractive make-up of characters, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements presented in tune with the anchor playback music and complementary percussion...
and Bharatnatyam for more than eight years, under the guidance of Professor Surendra Wadgaonkar.
Rohini and Jayadev have a son, Aseem Hattangadi, who is a theatre actor and acted in Badal Sircar's play, Evam Indrajit, directed by his father. Jaydev Hattangadi passed away on 4 December 2008, aged 60, after a battle with cancer.
Theatre
Rohini started her career with MarathiMarathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
stage. Once in Bombay while still at NSD, Jayadev and Rohini started a Marathi theatre group in Bombay, called "Awishkar", which went on to produce over 150 plays. In 1975 she won the Best Actress Award at the Maharashtra State Drama Festival, for her performance in Changuna, a Marathi adaptation of Federico García Lorca
Federico García Lorca
Federico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca was a Spanish poet, dramatist and theatre director. García Lorca achieved international recognition as an emblematic member of the Generation of '27. He is believed to be one of thousands who were summarily shot by anti-communist death squads...
's Spanish classic Yerma
Yerma
Yerma is a play by the Spanish dramatist Federico García Lorca. It was written in 1934, and first performed that same year. Lorca describes the play as "a tragic poem."-Plot:...
. The play was produced by "Awishkar" in Mumbai.
Hattangadi is the first woman to act in Yakshagana
Yakshagana
Yakshagana is a musical theater popular in the coastal and Malenadu regions of Karnataka, India. Yakshagana is the recent scholastic name for what are known as kēḷike, āṭa, bayalāṭa, bayalāṭa, daśāvatāra . It is believed to have evolved from pre-classical music and theatre during Bhakti movement...
, a folk play directed by K. Shivaram Karanth
K. Shivaram Karanth
Kota Shivaram Karanth was a major Kannada writer, social activist, environmentalist, Yakshagana artist, film maker and thinker. He was described as the "Rabindranath Tagore of Modern India who has been one of the finest novelists-activists since independence" by Ramachandra Guha...
, and is the first woman in Asia to act in a Japanese Kabuki
Kabuki
is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
play, Ibaragi, directed by Shozo Sato
Shozo Sato
Shozo Sato, an internationally renowned Japanese master of Zen arts and visionary theatre director, most known for adapting Western classics to Japanese Kabuki theatre....
, a Japanese director.
One play that Hattangadi was particularly appreciated for is Aparajita, based on a Bengali story by Nitin Sen. First staged in 1999, this 120 minute long solo-act play has over the years been performed in both Hindi and Marathi. Incidentally it was her first performance in a long time to be directed by her husband, Jayadev Hattangadi. In all she has performed in five plays directed by him, including Medea
Medea (play)
Medea is an ancient Greek tragedy written by Euripides, based upon the myth of Jason and Medea and first produced in 431 BC. The plot centers on the barbarian protagonist as she finds her position in the Greek world threatened, and the revenge she takes against her husband Jason who has betrayed...
, a Greek tragedy written by Euripides
Euripides
Euripides was one of the three great tragedians of classical Athens, the other two being Aeschylus and Sophocles. Some ancient scholars attributed ninety-five plays to him but according to the Suda it was ninety-two at most...
.
Her other theatre credits include Vijay Tendulkar
Vijay Tendulkar
Vijay Tendulkar was a leading Indian playwright, movie and television writer, literary essayist, political journalist, and social commentator primarily in Marāthi...
's Mitra Chi Gosht, directed by Vinay Apte, Hori based on Premchand's Godaan
Godaan
Godaan The Gift of a Cow is a Hindi novel by Munshi Premchand.It was first published in 1936 and is considered one of the greatest Hindi-Urdu novels of modern Indian literature. Themed around the socio economic deprivation as well as the exploitation of the village poor, the novel was the last...
, produced by IPTA
Ipta
IPTA can refer to:* Indian People's Theatre Association* International Pulsar Timing Array...
, and most recently in the Hindi play Kohra with Sudha Chandran
Sudha Chandran
Sudha Chandran is an accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer, Indian film and television actress, who turned to acting following the loss of a leg in an accident in May 1981 near Trichy, Tamil Nadu.-Early life and education:...
and Babul Bhavsar. Some of her renowned stage characters include Vimla Pandey of Mahayagya, the role of a Hindustani classical singer in Yeh Kahaan Aa Gaye Hum, a committed social worker in Intehaan and the unlettered and harassed Sakkubai in Hindustani.
Hattangadi, along with husband Jayadev, ran "Kalashray", a centre for research, education in arts and talent encouragement in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, working with the underprivileged and developing tools for powerful communication. She won the 2004 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists. The award consists since 2003 of Rs. 50,000, a citation, an angavastram , and a tamrapatra...
for her contribution to Indian theatre.
Film
Hattangadi made her film debut with Saeed Akhtar MirzaSaeed Akhtar Mirza
Saeed Akhtar Mirza is an Indian screenwriter and director in Hindi films and television. He is the maker of important Parallel cinema films like Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho! , Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon Ata Hai , Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro and Naseem , which won two National Film Awards in 1996.He is...
's Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastaan
Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastaan
Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastaan is a 1978 Hindi Language film, directed by Saeed Akhtar Mirza and starring Dilip Dhawan, Anjali Paigankar, Sriram Lagoo and Om Puri.-Plot:...
in 1978. The film won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Movie
Filmfare Critics Award for Best Movie
The Filmfare Awards are the oldest and most prominent film awards given for Hindi films in India. The yearly awards started in 1953. Movie awards were first given by popular vote...
. This was followed by her appearance in Mirza's next picture, Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon Ata Hai (1980), which won the same award, and Rabindra Dharmaraj's drama Chakra
Chakra (film)
Chakra is a 1981 Hindi movie directed by Rabindra Dharmaraj. The film stars Smita Patil, Naseeruddin Shah and Kulbhushan Kharbanda.- Plot :The story would be horrific if it were not routine - even today, 30 years later...
(1981). Her characters in these films were minor.
Her next film was Richard Attenborough
Richard Attenborough
Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough , CBE is a British actor, director, producer and entrepreneur. As director and producer he won two Academy Awards for the 1982 film Gandhi...
's biographical film
Biographical film
A biographical film, or biopic , is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or people. They differ from films “based on a true story” or “historical films” in that they attempt to comprehensively tell a person’s life story or at least the most historically important years of their...
Gandhi
Gandhi (film)
Gandhi is a 1982 biographical film based on the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who led the nonviolent resistance movement against British colonial rule in India during the first half of the 20th century. The film was directed by Richard Attenborough and stars Ben Kingsley as Gandhi. They both...
(1982), based on the life of Mahatma Gandhi. She played Kasturba Gandhi
Kasturba Gandhi
Kastürbā Gāndhi was the wife of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, marrying him in an arranged marriage in 1883.-Early life and background:...
, the wife of Mahatma, played by Ben Kingsley
Ben Kingsley
Sir Ben Kingsley, CBE is a British actor. He has won an Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards in his career. He is known for starring as Mohandas Gandhi in the film Gandhi in 1982, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor...
. The film was a major critical success, and among other awards won the Academy Award for Best Picture
Academy Award for Best Picture
The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to artists working in the motion picture industry. The Best Picture category is the only category in which every member of the Academy is eligible not only...
. Hattangadi's performance garnered her international recognition and she won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Best Actress in a Supporting Role is a British Academy Film award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding supporting performance in a film...
in 1983, the only Asian to do that so far.
Despite the success she received for her role in Gandhi, the film was also credited with increasing "her screen age manifold". She was 27 when she played the middle-aged Kasturba, and from then on was offered roles of women of this age group. Hattangadi told of an instance when James Ivory
James Ivory
James Ivory may refer to:*James Ivory *James Ivory...
wanted to cast for his film Heat and Dust
Heat and Dust
Heat and Dust is a novel by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala which won the Booker Prize in 1975. It is said to be based on an idea by another writer, but this writer is un-named.-Plot summary:...
, but he was surprised by how young she was when he met her and ultimately did not approach her for a part because he did not want to use make-up. Although theatre was her main interest, she stated that it was not enough financially, stating, "I realised that theatre won't be enough to make ends meet."
This was followed, however, by a string of acclaimed performances, starting with Mahesh Bhatt
Mahesh Bhatt
Mahesh Bhatt , is a prominent Indian film director, producer and screenwriter.Bhatt's early directional career consisted of acclaimed films, such as Arth, Saaransh, Janam, Naam and Zakhm....
's Arth
Arth (film)
Arth is a 1982 film directed by Mahesh Bhatt, starring Shabana Azmi, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Smita Patil, Raj Kiran and Rohini Hattangadi. It features a memorable soundtrack by Ghazal duo, Jagjit Singh and Chitra Singh....
(1982), which won her the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 1984 she acted in Govind Nihalani
Govind Nihalani
Govind Nihalani is an Indian director, cinematographer, and also a screenwriter and film producer. He has been directing Hindi films since the late seventies, and worked in the television medium.- Biography :...
's satirical drama Party
Party (1984 film)
Party is a 1984 Hindi film directed by Govind Nihalani. The film boasted an ensemble cast of leading art cinema actors of Parallel Cinema, including Vijaya Mehta, Manohar Singh, Om Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, and Rohini Hattangadi...
(1984) for which she received the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress
National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress
The National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress winners:...
. She followed it with two films in which she portrayed aging housewives, Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho!
Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho!
Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho! is a 1984 Hindi art film, made by Saeed Akhtar Mirza, based on his own story, during the Parallel Cinema period of Indian cinema....
and Saaransh
Saaransh
Saaransh is a 1984 Bollywood film starring Anupam Kher, Rohini Hattangadi and Soni Razdan. The film marked the screen debut of Anupam Kher. It was nominated for India's official entry for the 1985 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film...
, both released in 1984. In Saaransh, she was the female lead along with Anupam Kher
Anupam Kher
Anupam Kher is an Indian actor who has appeared in nearly 400 films and 100 plays. Though mainly appearing in Bollywood films, he has had roles in some films from other nations as well...
in his debut role. The film starred Hattangadi and Kher as B.V. and Parvati, an elderly couple struggling with the recent death of their son. Both Kher and Hattangadi were at their late 20s at the time, and The Tribune
The Tribune
The Tribune is an Indian English-language daily newspaper published from Chandigarh, New Delhi, Jalandhar, Dehradun and Bathinda. It was founded on 2 February 1881, in Lahore , by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, a public-spirited philanthropist, and is run by a trust comprising five eminent persons as...
described them as giving "immortal performances". Her portrayal earned her a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress, but it further consolidated her image as a mother and by this time she was type-cast in Hindi commercial cinema in motherly roles.
She was later recognised for her small part in N. Chandra
N. Chandra
N. Chandra , born Chandrashekhar Narvekar, is an Indian producer, writer and director, known for his dark and loud films such as Ankush, Pratighaat, Tezaab and Narasimha, made as a film editor in the beginning of his career...
's Pratighaat (1987), and for her comic performances in Pankaj Parashar
Pankaj Parashar
Pankaj Parashar is a Indian film and television director. Among his most-known are cop-thriller Jalwa starring Naseeruddin Shah, the Sridevi hit, ChaalBaaz , and television detective series Karamchand...
's Chaalbaaz
ChaalBaaz
ChaalBaaz is a 1989 Bollywood film directed by Pankaj Parashar starring Rajnikanth, Sunny Deol, Anupam Kher and Sridevi in a double role...
and Ladaai, both released in 1989. She played the role of Sribaby, a drug kingpin, in Parashar's Jalwa (1987). It was in Indian parallel cinema
Parallel Cinema
The Indian New Wave, commonly known in India as Art Cinema or Parallel Cinema as an alternative to the mainstream commercial cinema, is a specific movement in Indian cinema, known for its serious content, realism and naturalism, with a keen eye on the sociopolitical climate of the times...
, however, where she was offered demading roles. Her films of this period include Govind Nihalani
Govind Nihalani
Govind Nihalani is an Indian director, cinematographer, and also a screenwriter and film producer. He has been directing Hindi films since the late seventies, and worked in the television medium.- Biography :...
's Aghaat (1985), with Muzaffar Ali
Muzaffar Ali
Rajah Muzaffar Ali is an Indian film-maker, a fashion designer, a poet, an artist, a music-lover, a revivalist, and a social worker.He belongs to a Royal Muslim Rajput family of Kotwara. He is not to be confused with the famous 16th century Persian artist of the Persian miniature.Muzaffar Ali was...
's Anjuman (1986) and Girish Kasaravalli
Girish Kasaravalli
Girish Kasaravalli is a noted film director, and one of the pioneers of the Parallel Cinema in Kannada cinema, who has won the National Film Award for Best Film four times, Ghatashraddha , Tabarana Kathe , Thaayi Saheba and Dweepa...
's Mane and Ek Ghar (1991).
In 1990, she was again cast as the aging mother of Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades...
in Agneepath
Agneepath
Agneepath is a 1990 Bollywood film directed by Mukul Anand. It stars Amitabh Bachchan, Mithun Chakraborty, Madhavi, and Rohini Hattangadi, with Danny Dengzongpa as the villain. It was produced by Yash Johar...
, for which she was awarded her second Filmfare Award in the Best Supporting Actress category. Throughout the 1990s and the 2000s, she was cast by Rajkumar Santoshi
Rajkumar Santoshi
Rajkumar Santoshi is a Filmfare award-winning Indian film director and producer of Hindi films. He is the son of producer-director P.L. Santoshi.-Career:...
in several of his films, such as Damini (1993), Ghatak: Lethal
Ghatak: Lethal
Ghatak: Lethal is a 1996 Bollywood action film directed by Rajkumar Santoshi. The film stars Sunny Deol, Meenakshi Sheshadri and Danny Denzongpa in pivotal roles. This was Meenakshi Sheshadari's last movie till date.-Plot:...
(1996) and Pukar
Pukar (2000 film)
Pukar is a Hindi film directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and starring Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit, Namrata Shirodkar, Danny Denzongpa and Om Puri. The film was critically acclaimed and a moderate success at the box office...
(2000).
Her most recent performance in Rajkumar Hirani
Rajkumar Hirani
Rajkumar Hirani is a National Award and Filmfare Award winning Indian director, screenwriter and film editor of Hindi films, best known for the films Munna Bhai MBBS , Lage Raho Munnabhai and 3 Idiots , considered the highest-grossing Hindi film by distributor-share.-Early life and...
's directorial debut Munnabhai MBBS (2003) received positive reactions, and she later reprised her role in the Tamil version of the film, Vasool Raja MBBS
Vasool Raja MBBS
Vasool Raja MBBS is a Tamil film starring Kamal Haasan and directed by Saran. This film is a remake of Hindi film Munnabhai MBBS. The rest of the cast includes Sneha, Prakash Raj, Prabhu, Sneha, Jayasurya, Nagesh, Malavika and Karunas...
(2004).
Television
Hattangadi played lead roles in the Marathi serials Char Divas Sasuche and Vahinisaheb on ETV MarathiETV Marathi
ETV Marathi is an Indian television channel that primarily broadcasts Marathi entertainment based in Mumbai.The Channel gained popularity with its Longest running Daily Soap Char Diwas Sasuche that has completed 5 years & more than 1200 episodes...
and Zee Marathi
Zee Marathi
Zee Marathi is India-based satellite television channel, which carries broadcasts in Marathi. Zee Network, India's leading infotainment network launched it in the year 1999. It is the most viewed television channel in Mumbai...
, respectively. She played the lead role in a series on politics in India, where she played the leader of a major political party. She played the role of an actress in Ghar Ki Lakshmi Betiyann
Ghar Ki Lakshmi Betiyann
Ghar Ki Lakshmi Betiyann is a Hindi language television drama-series that aired on Zee TV. The series premiered on September 26, 2006, and is directed by the famous television director, Rajan Shahi. The serial ended on 27 August 2009- Plot :Suryakant Garodia is married to Savitri...
as Gayatri Baa. Over the years, she has been seen in a number of TV serials including Mahayagya, Thoda Hai Thoda Ki Zaroorat Hai, Teache, and more.
Awards
- 1982: BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting RoleBAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting RoleBest Actress in a Supporting Role is a British Academy Film award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding supporting performance in a film...
: GandhiGandhi (film)Gandhi is a 1982 biographical film based on the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who led the nonviolent resistance movement against British colonial rule in India during the first half of the 20th century. The film was directed by Richard Attenborough and stars Ben Kingsley as Gandhi. They both...
(1982) - 1985: National Film Award for Best Supporting ActressNational Film Award for Best Supporting ActressThe National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress winners:...
: PartyParty (1984 film)Party is a 1984 Hindi film directed by Govind Nihalani. The film boasted an ensemble cast of leading art cinema actors of Parallel Cinema, including Vijaya Mehta, Manohar Singh, Om Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, and Rohini Hattangadi...
(1984) - 1984: Filmfare Best Supporting Actress AwardFilmfare Best Supporting Actress AwardThe Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Awards is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role...
: ArthArth (film)Arth is a 1982 film directed by Mahesh Bhatt, starring Shabana Azmi, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Smita Patil, Raj Kiran and Rohini Hattangadi. It features a memorable soundtrack by Ghazal duo, Jagjit Singh and Chitra Singh....
(1982) - 1991: Filmfare Best Supporting Actress AwardFilmfare Best Supporting Actress AwardThe Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Awards is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role...
: AgneepathAgneepathAgneepath is a 1990 Bollywood film directed by Mukul Anand. It stars Amitabh Bachchan, Mithun Chakraborty, Madhavi, and Rohini Hattangadi, with Danny Dengzongpa as the villain. It was produced by Yash Johar...
(1990) - 2004: Sangeet Natak Akademi AwardSangeet Natak Akademi AwardSangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists. The award consists since 2003 of Rs. 50,000, a citation, an angavastram , and a tamrapatra...
Selected filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
| 1978 | Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastaan Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastaan Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastaan is a 1978 Hindi Language film, directed by Saeed Akhtar Mirza and starring Dilip Dhawan, Anjali Paigankar, Sriram Lagoo and Om Puri.-Plot:... |
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| 1980 | Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon Ata Hai | Vivek's wife | |
| 1981 | Chakra Chakra (film) Chakra is a 1981 Hindi movie directed by Rabindra Dharmaraj. The film stars Smita Patil, Naseeruddin Shah and Kulbhushan Kharbanda.- Plot :The story would be horrific if it were not routine - even today, 30 years later... |
Laxmi | |
| 1982 | Gandhi Gandhi (film) Gandhi is a 1982 biographical film based on the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who led the nonviolent resistance movement against British colonial rule in India during the first half of the 20th century. The film was directed by Richard Attenborough and stars Ben Kingsley as Gandhi. They both... |
Kasturba Gandhi | 1982 BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role Best Actress in a Supporting Role is a British Academy Film award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding supporting performance in a film... |
| 1982 | Arth Arth (film) Arth is a 1982 film directed by Mahesh Bhatt, starring Shabana Azmi, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Smita Patil, Raj Kiran and Rohini Hattangadi. It features a memorable soundtrack by Ghazal duo, Jagjit Singh and Chitra Singh.... |
Pooja's Maid | 1984 Best Supporting Actress Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award The Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Awards is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role... |
| 1984 | Saaransh Saaransh Saaransh is a 1984 Bollywood film starring Anupam Kher, Rohini Hattangadi and Soni Razdan. The film marked the screen debut of Anupam Kher. It was nominated for India's official entry for the 1985 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film... |
Parvati Pradhan | |
| 1984 | Party Party (1984 film) Party is a 1984 Hindi film directed by Govind Nihalani. The film boasted an ensemble cast of leading art cinema actors of Parallel Cinema, including Vijaya Mehta, Manohar Singh, Om Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, and Rohini Hattangadi... |
Mohini Bharve | 1985 National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress The National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress winners:... |
| 1984 | Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho! Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho! Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho! is a 1984 Hindi art film, made by Saeed Akhtar Mirza, based on his own story, during the Parallel Cinema period of Indian cinema.... |
Defense lawyer | |
| 1985 | Aghaat | Mrs. Ali | |
| 1987 | Pratighaat | Durga | |
| 1988 | Shahenshah | Shanti (Vijay's mother) | |
| 1988 | Hero Hiralal Hero Hiralal Hero Hiralal is a 1988 film directed by Ketan Mehta. It is a movie about an auto rickshaw driver who falls in love with a film actress.The movie had some good performances by the lead actors and by Saeed Jaffrey and Satish Shah in their supporting roles.... |
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| 1988 | Akarshan Akarshan (1988 film) Akarshan is a 1988 Bollywood romantic film directed and produced by Tanvir Ahmed.... |
Didi | |
| 1989 | Laddai | Mrs. Shanti Sharma | |
| 1989 | ChaalBaaz ChaalBaaz ChaalBaaz is a 1989 Bollywood film directed by Pankaj Parashar starring Rajnikanth, Sunny Deol, Anupam Kher and Sridevi in a double role... |
Amba | |
| 1989 | Siva Siva (1989 film) Siva is a 1989 Tamil film directed by Ammerjan. The film was certified as ""A"" in the sensor board. Rajini & Rahuvaran acting was appreciated... |
||
| 1990 | Agneepath Agneepath Agneepath is a 1990 Bollywood film directed by Mukul Anand. It stars Amitabh Bachchan, Mithun Chakraborty, Madhavi, and Rohini Hattangadi, with Danny Dengzongpa as the villain. It was produced by Yash Johar... |
Suhasini Chauhan | 1991 Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award The Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Awards is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role... |
| 1991 | Ek Ghar Ek Ghar Ek Ghar is a 1991 Hindi film directed by Girish Kasaravalli with Deepti Naval, Naseeruddin Shah and Rohini Hattangadi.... |
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| 1991 | Sitaramayyagari Manavaralu | Janakamma, wife of Sitarammayya | |
| 1992 | Dr Ambedhkar | ||
| 1992 | Raat | Mother of Manisha Sharma (Revathi Revathi Revathi is an award-winning Indian actress and film director. She has acted in Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu and Hindi movies, directed several feature-length films, and has acted in and produced multiple television programs, totaling over twenty years of experience in the entertainment... ) |
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| 1993 | Damini | Mrs. Sumitra Gupta | |
| 1996 | Ghatak | Savitri | |
| 1996 | Little Soldiers Little Soldiers Little Soldiers is a Telugu children's movie released in February 1996, produced and directed by Gangaraju Gunnam, which won many awards , including Andhra Pradesh state government Nandi award. The film has some good children songs penned by Sirivennela Sitaramasastri and scored by K... |
Rajeshwari Devi | |
| 2000 | Pukar Pukar (2000 film) Pukar is a Hindi film directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and starring Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit, Namrata Shirodkar, Danny Denzongpa and Om Puri. The film was critically acclaimed and a moderate success at the box office... |
Mrs. Mallapa (Pooja's mother) | |
| 2001 | Lajja Lajja (film) Lajja is a 2001 Hindi film directed by Rajkumar Santoshi. The film is based on the plight of women in India. The movie recounts the story of four women, and stars some of the best known names in Hindi cinema, including Rekha, Madhuri Dixit, Manisha Koirala, Mahima Chaudhry, Jackie Shroff, Anil... |
Mrs. Hazarilal | |
| 2003 | Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. is a 2003 Indian comedy directed by Rajkumar Hirani and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The story involves protagonist Munna Bhai , a goon, going to medical school. He is helped by his sidekick, Circuit . It is the first film in the popular Munna Bhai series... |
Parvati Sharma | |
| 2003 | Vasool Raja M.B.B.S. (Tamil) | Kasturi Venkataraman | |
| 2008 | Karzzzz | Shanta Prasad Verma |