Ashalata Wabgaonkar

Ashalata Wabgaonkar
Born(1941-07-02)2 July 1941
Goa, Portuguese India
Died22 September 2020(2020-09-22) (aged 79)
Satara, Maharashtra, India
OccupationActress
Years active1970–2020

Ashalata Wabgaonkar (2 July 1941 – 22 September 2020), better known as Ashalata, was an Indian actress. Originally tracing her roots to Palolem, Goa, she was associated with the Mumbai-based Goa Hindu Association. She acted in over a hundred Hindi and Marathi movies. She also sang some Konkani songs broadcast over the Mumbai station of the All India Radio.

Early life and education

Goa-born Wabgaonkar was also famous as a Marathi singer and playwright, besides being a film actress. She studied at the St. Columba's Girls High School at Gramdevi,Mumbai and was a post-graduate in Psychology from the SNDT Women's University.[1] She first started performing in Konkani and Marathi plays.[2]

Career

She acted in more than a hundred Hindi and Marathi movies. Some of her Marathi plays are Guntata Hridhya He, Varyavarchi Varaat, Chinna (with Smita Patil and Sadashiv Amrapurkar) and Mahananda. Her Marathi stage career took off with the musical play Matsyagandha.[citation needed]

She was introduced in Hindi films by Basu Chatterjee in Apne Paraye (along with Bharati Achrekar) for which she was nominated for Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.[3] She starred in films such as Ankush (1986), Apne Paraye (1980), Ahista Ahista, Shaukeen, Woh Saat Din, Namak Halaal and Yaadon Ki Kasam (1985). For appearing in Bollywood in Basu Chatterjee's film Apne Paraye, she bagged the 'Bengal Critics Award' and the Filmfare Award for the Best Supporting Actor. She played the role of Amitabh Bachchan's stepmother in the film Zanjeer. Ashalata has acted in many successful Hindi films including Ankush, Apne Paraye, Ahista Ahista, Shaukeen, Woh Saat Din, Namak Halal and Yaadon Ki Kasam.[1]

Ashalata was a big name in the Marathi theater world too and made her dramatic debut in the role of Revathi in the play Sangeet Sanshaykallol presented by The Goa Hindu Association. The Marathi drama Matsyagandha proved to be a milestone in Ashalata's acting career. In this work, she also sang the songs Garda Sabbhoti Ran Sajni Tu Tar Chafekali, and Arthashunya Bhase Maja ha Kalaha Jeevanacha.[1]

She received training in classical music and was a fine Marathi Natyasangeet singer. Some of her Marathi films are Umbartha, Sutradhar, Navri Mile Navryala and Vahinichi Maya.[4] Gard Sabhowati, a book authored by Ashalata Wabgaonkar and published by Lotus Publications, Mumbai, touches on the memories and journey of the author in the film industry.[5][6]

Death

Wabgaonkar died from COVID-19 on 22 September 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in India[7] in Satara, Maharashtra, while shooting for a Marathi serial Aai Mazi Kalubai.[8] She was 79. On being unwell, she was admitted to a private hospital in Satara, Maharashtra, and was found positive for COVID-19. She was taking a ventilator treatment. She died around 4.45 AM on the morning of 22 September 2020. Her remains were cremated in Satara itself by co-actor Alka Kubal.[9] "She was put on a ventilator on Monday night after her oxygen levels fell drastically and died early on Tuesday at around 4:45 am. Her family couldn't come due to the ongoing pandemic and told us to cremate her in Satara and not bring her body down to Mumbai", Alka Kubal said.

Selected filmography

References

  1. ^ a b c "फिल्म अभिनेत्री आशालता वाबगांवकर का सातारा में निधन, सीरियल शूट के दौरान हुईं थीं कोरोना संक्रमित ; 'जंजीर' में बनी थीं अमिताभ बच्चन की मां". Dainik Bhaskar (in Hindi). 22 September 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  2. ^ "रंगभूमीसाठी एक वर्षात ठोस पावलं- सुरेश खरे" [Ranghoomisathi Ek Varshat Thoas Pawala-Suresh Khare]. Maharashtra Times (in Marathi). Mumbai. 7 November 2004. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
  3. ^ "List of Filmfare Award Winners and Nominations, 1953-2005" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 June 2009. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
  4. ^ [1] IMDb-Ashalata
  5. ^ "Bytes of India - Local Information & Writers Network". bytesofindia.com. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  6. ^ "Gard Sabhovati by Ashalata Babgaonkar - Book Buy online at Akshardhara". Akshardhara. Archived from the original on 8 October 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  7. ^ "Veteran Actress Ashalata Wabgaonkar Dies Of COVID-19. Anil Kapoor, Renuka Shahane, Shabana Azmi Tweet Tributes". NDTV.com. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  8. ^ "Veteran Marathi actress Ashalata Wabgaonkar no more; succumbs to COVID". Mid Day. 16 August 2020. Archived from the original on 22 September 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  9. ^ "Ashalata Webgaonkar's Last Rites Performed by co-star Alka Kubal After Family Asked Not to Bring Her Body to Mumbai". India.com. 23 September 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2021.