Madhu Kambikar dies at 73; tributes honour her screen legacy
Actor and Lavani artiste Madhu Kambikar has died in Pune at 73, with tributes recalling a career across cinema, theatre, television and folk arts.
A screen and folk-art career remembered
Actor and Lavani artiste Madhu Kambikar has died in Pune at the age of 73. The Times of India and NDTV reported her death on October 12, saying she had been ill for a prolonged period. Their accounts remember a performer whose career extended across film, theatre, television and Maharashtra’s folk arts.
NDTV reports that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis paid tribute on X. His message recalled the way Kambikar combined acting and dance and helped keep rural folk traditions visible to wider audiences. The state information and public relations directorate also shared a tribute.
Who was Madhu Kambikar? Veteran actress dies at 73 after prolonged illnessVeteran Marathi Actor Madhu Kambikar Dies At 73 In PuneHer connection with Hindi cinema
Alongside her Marathi work, Kambikar appeared in Hindi cinema. NDTV’s film retrospective identifies her as the actor who played Nana Patekar’s mother in Hum Dono, released in 1995, and Yeshwant, released in 1997. Those roles form part of her connection with Bollywood audiences.
Hum Dono was directed by Shafi Inamdar and also featured Rishi Kapoor and Pooja Bhatt. Yeshwant was directed by Anil Mattoo, with Madhoo in its female lead role. The two films illustrate a Hindi-screen strand of a career that was also deeply associated with Marathi performance.
Madhu Kambikar’s Hindi film roles in Hum Dono and YeshwantMarathi films and the Lavani tradition
The Times of India notes that Kambikar was born on July 28, 1953. It recalls her role as the mother of Laxmikant Berde’s character in Jabbar Patel’s Ek Hota Vidushak, where she also performed Lavani. Other credits named in its account include Zapatlela and Yeu Ka Gharat.
The report also remembers her 2018 Zee Chitra Gaurav honour, accepted on her behalf by daughter-in-law Sheetal Jadhav when she could not attend. NDTV places her wider artistic contribution across more than four decades. The tributes bring together both sides of that legacy: familiar screen performances and a sustained association with folk dance and theatre.
Who was Madhu Kambikar? Veteran actress dies at 73 after prolonged illnessVeteran Marathi Actor Madhu Kambikar Dies At 73 In Pune