Amruta Subhash


Amruta Subhash is an Indian actress who works in Marathi and Hindi films, television, and theatre. She is a graduate from the National School of Drama, New Delhi. She won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for the Marathi film Astu and the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for the Hindi film Gully Boy.

Career

She made a splashing debut with the National Award winning film and India’s Oscar entry for the year, Shwaas.
She’s won a National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2013 for her role in Marathi film Astu and has starred in numerous critically acclaimed films that have won different awards throughout the world, such as Crystal Bear at the Berlin Film Festival and Fedeora Award at the Venice Film Festival.
Amruta is also a trained classical singer who has lent her voice to various Marathi films.
As a playback singer, she’s won awards like Maharashtra Government State Award for the film Nital. Recently, she starred in Selection Day, a Netflix Original, Chausar opposite Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Sacred Games Season 2.
Amruta was a student of S P College, Pune. She started her acting career through theatre. She graduated from the National School of Drama, New Delhi, where she learned under Satyadev Dubey. While still studying there, she had appeared in various plays like Urvashiam, Bela Meri Jaan, House of Bernada, Alba and Mrug Trushna. Returning to Maharashtra, she appeared in various Marathi plays like Tee Fulrani. Previously portrayed by Bhakti Barve, the lead role in the play Ti Fulrani, at the beginning of her career, brought her into notice. Adapted on the lines of My Fair Lady, which in turn is based on George Bernard Shaw's famous play Pygmalion, the play is written by Pu La Deshpande. Later, she featured in many Marathi films and television series playing supporting roles and then moved into lead roles. She is also a trained Bharata Natyam dancer.

Films and television

Subhash made debut in films through the 2004 film Shwaas playing Aasawari, a medical social worker, who helps Parshuram's grandfather understand all the technicalities that doctors talk about. The film revolves around 8-year-old boy Parshuram and his grandfather, who come to Mumbai from a rural village in Konkan to get treatment on Parshuram's retinal cancer. Adjudged as the Best Feature Film at the 51st National Film Awards for the "sensitive and moving portrayal of the relationship", the film was also the official entry from India to the 77th Academy Awards under Best Foreign Language Film category. But the film failed to reach the nomination list. Kick-starting through a critically acclaimed film, Subhash went on to act in Hindi films. Her next film Chausar, in Hindi language, was based on the real life event in Uttar Pradesh, where a woman revolts against the society when she was sold by her husband. Directed by Sagar Sarhadi whose 1982 film Bazaar is critically acclaimed, Amruta called this author-backed role as a "dream come true". The same year, she played the title role in the television film Nirmala, directed by Gulzar, based on Premchand's novel of the same name. Aired on Doordarshan in October 2004, the film was the last episode in Gulzar's series Tehreer.... Munshi Premchand Ki, adapted from Premchand's stories. She also acted in the series Ek Prem Katha, directed by Basu Chatterjee, aired on Doordarshan.
Amruta was seen playing various roles in TV shows like Zoka, Paaulkhuna and most importantly, Awaghachi Sansaar, that aired on Zee Marathi. She became popular for her role of Aasawari, opposite actor Prasad Oak, where she fights back against the atrocities laid upon her by her husband.
Her 2006 film, White Rainbow was based on widows of Vrindavan, where she played a 15-year-old widow who is forced into prostitution. In 2008, she appeared in a supporting role of Jyoti, in Nandita Das's debut directorial venture Firaaq. Based on the aftermath of 2002 communal riots of Gujarat, the film spun various stories. Critically acclaimed, nationally as well as in various international festivals, the film had notable actors like Naseeruddin Shah, Paresh Rawal and Deepti Naval. Subhash's performance of Jyoti, a Hindu woman who tries to save her Muslim neighbour, was also appreciated. The same year, her Marathi comedy Valu, with a multi-star cast also released. Directed by Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni, the film had Atul Kulkarni, Mohan Agashe, Bharati Achrekar, Girish Kulkarni, Dilip Prabhavalkar and many more actors. The film also featured Subhash's mother Jyoti Subhash.
Her 2009 film Tya Ratri Paus Hota cast her playing a drug addict teenager. The same year, Sachin Kundalkar's film Gandha saw her playing Veena, a bride-to-be, who falls in love with a man for the fragrance he brings. Her real-life mother, Jyoti Subhash, was seen playing her reel-life mother in this film. The film was later adapted into Hindi by Kundalkar as Aiyyaa in 2012, where the lead role of Subhash was played by Rani Mukerji.
She is planned to appear in the Bollywood film Spaghetti 24 x 7, playing the main lead actress opposite Mimoh Chakraborty. The film also has Chakraborty's father Mithun Chakraborty. Subhash plays the role of a deaf girl in this film directed by Gaurav Pandey. The production of the film started in 2009; but the release has been halted for unknown reason.

Theater

Along with her film career, Subhash takes time to act in plays. She played roles in the plays Sathecha Kaay Karayacha! and Shree Tashi Sau. In the play Sathecha Kaay Karayacha!, directed by her husband Sandesh Kulkarni, Subhas played the role of Salma, an understanding wife who tries to solve the problems of her husband who falls prey to self-torturing jealousy. She did not perform many shows of Shree Tashi Sau and her role was later taken up by Dipti Kanhere. In the play Ajuni Yeto Vaas Fhulana, director Chetan Datar paid tribute to veteran theatre personality Satyadev Dubey. While Dubey was played by Nandu Madhav, Subhas played the role of an experienced student of Dubey. She also appeared in the play Chhotyashya Suteet, which was written by Sachin Kundalkar. In 2008, she also appeared in the play Love Birds, directed by Girish Joshi. The suspense thriller play was well appreciated by the audience for its innovative way of mixing in video clips with the play. She played the negative role of a wife, whose husband has lost his memory and is learning bitter truths about her as he recovers. Being different from all the roles that she has played, Subhash called this role "challenging".

Singing

Subhash has learned classical singing for three years. Her debut album Jata Jata Pawasane did not fare well. She has featured as a playback singer in films like Haapus and Ajintha and has provided background score to the films Nital and Teen Bahene. In 2012, she participated in the Marathi singing competition Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, organised for celebrities. She went to the top 5 and competed in the finale along with Ajay Purkar, Ketki Thatte, Vaibhav Mangle and Prashant Damle, where Damle won the competition.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleMediumNotes
1997UrvashiamPlay
1998Bela Meri JaanPlay
1998House of Bernada, AlbaPlay
1999Mrug TrushnaPlay
MivaPlayIndo-German Marathi play
Nayi BazarPlay
Kshitijaparyant SamudraPlay
Tee FulraniPlay
Pahile VahilePlay
2000Shree Tashi SauPlay
2000ZokaTV seriesAired on ETV Marathi
2004ShwaasAasawariFilm
2004ChausarFilmHindi language
2004DevraiParvatiFilm
2004NirmalaTV filmHindi language
Awaghachi SansaarAasawariTV seriesAired on Zee Marathi
PaaulkhunaTV series
2006White RainbowDeepti
2006NitalFilmAlso provided background score
2006Bagh Haat DakhaunFilm
2006BadhaFilm
Teen BaheneFilmAlso provided background score
AajiFilm
KavadaseFilm
Sathecha Kaay Karayacha!SalmaPlay
Ajuni Yeto Vaas FhulanaPlay
Chhotyashya SuteetPlay
2007SavaleeFilm
2008FiraaqJyotiFilmHindi language
2008ValuSangiFilm
2008ContractGoonga's wifeFilmHindi language
2008Love BirdsDevikaPlay
2009VihirPrabhaFilm
2009Tya Ratri Paus HotaRaveeFilm
2009GandhaVeenaFilm
2010Haapus–FilmAs playback singer
Punashccha HoneymoonPlay
2012Sa Re Ga Ma PaContestantTV showMarathi singing competition
2012MasalaSaarikaFilm
2012Ajintha–FilmAs playback singer
2013Balak-PalakDollyFilm
2015ChidiyaVaishnaviFilm
2015KillaFilm
2015Island CityFilm
2016Raman Raghav 2.0Lakshmi, Ramanna's sisterFilmHindi language
Spaghetti 24x7FilmHindi language
2017Ti Ani Itar FilmMarathi language
2018Ziprya FilmMarathi language
2018Beautiful WorldShort film
2018Selection DayMeeraTV SeriesHindi language
2019Gully BoyRazia SheikhFilmHindi language
2019Sacred Games Season 2Kusum Devi YadavWEB SeriesHindi language
2020ChokedFilmHindi

Awards

In 2004, Subhash was awarded the Best Actress award for her role in the TV show Awaghachi Sansaar presented by Zee Gaurav. She has also received the V. Shantaram Award for her role in the film Savalee. In 2014
she got the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her film Astu directed by Sumitra Bhave–Sunil Sukthankar and the Crystal Bear for the best film awarded by the children's jury in Generation Kplus section at the 64th Berlin International Film Festival for the movie Killa.

Personal life

Amruta's original name is Amruta Subhashchandra Dhembre. She is the daughter of Jyoti Subhash. She acknowledges her interest and decision to step into acting to be inspired from her mother. They both have acted together in many films and a play. Jyoti Subhas played the role of Amruta's grandmother in Aaji and that of her mother in 2009 film Gandha. Amruta is married to director Sandesh Kulkarni. Kulkarni has directed Subhash in plays like Sathecha Kaay Karayacha! and Pahila Vahila.
Amruta also supports social causes. She is a brand ambassador for Zee Marathi Jagruti, an initiative by Zee Marathi Channel Group towards empowerment of Marathi Women. Her sister-in-law is Sonali Kulkarni, who is also film actress.