Usha Jadhav is an Indian actress who predominantly works in Marathi and Hindi language films. She is best known for her role in the 2012 Marathi film Dhag for which she won National Film Award for Best Actress at the 60th National Film Awards. In 2019, she received the IFFI Best Actor Award (Female) at the 50th International Film Festival of India for her work in Mai Ghat : Crime No 103/2015.

Usha Jadhav
Usha Jadhav at 5th Jagran Film Festival
Born
Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India. Lives in Spain[1]
NationalityIndian
OccupationActress
PartnerAlejandro Cortés Calahorra [2][3]
Websitehttp://www.ushajadhav.com/ [4][5]

Career

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Born and brought up in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, Jadhav moved to Pune for her job in a travel agency. Following her passion for art, she moved to Mumbai in search of various roles while still continuing her job.

Her journey from a lower-middle-class Kaikadi[6] Nomadic Tribe (backward class) in Kolhapur to the big screen in Mumbai and in world cinema has been one of sheer grit and determination.

Jadhav got various opportunities in commercial advertisements like that for Tata DoCoMo, Fevicol, Head & Shoulders, ICICI Bank and more. Her first break in films came with the 2007 Hindi film Traffic Signal, directed by Madhur Bhandarkar, where she was cast in a small role of a girl selling goods at the traffic signal. She also played another small role in the 2009 film Do Paise Ki Dhoop, Chaar Aane Ki Baarish, which was the directorial debut of film actress Deepti Naval starring Manisha Koirala and Rajit Kapur in lead roles.

In 2012, Jadhav was seen alongside Amitabh Bachchan in the advertisements of the 6th season of Kaun Banega Crorepati.[7] She also played the lead role in one episode of the television show Lakhon Mein Ek that aired on Star Plus. The show narrated inspirational fictional stories of common people who brought change in the society. Guest-directed by Anant Mahadevan, the episode featured Jadhav as a young bride who is discriminated for her dark complexion by her in-laws.[citation needed]

"I have just tried to be natural in my own way and would love to play such characters. I am just passionate about acting in films."

— Jadhav speaking about her role in Dhag.

Later the same year, her film Dhag was released, where Jadhav played the lead role of Yashoda. Mother of a teenager, Yashoda wishes that her son should get a good education and not fall into the traditional job of her family, of running the local crematorium. This role of a poor mother fighting the social norms laid on them for their lower caste status got Jadhav various appreciations. The film featured in many film festivals and she was compared with the actress Smita Patil for her acting. Jadhav said that she admired Patil, but refused to admit that she had emulated her. She won the National Film Award for Best Actress for this role.[8]

Usha Jadhav considers Babasaheb Ambedkar as her inspiration. "We all know that Babasaheb wrote the constitution of our country. But the work done by Babasaheb for women at that time when women were considered secondary is very important and for me, it is very inspiring. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar has given women various legal rights as well as equal rights through the Constitution. He also raised his voice against various atrocities against women. The message of equality he has given to the world, I follow it and we should all follow it. That's why Babasaheb is my role model" said Usha Jadhav.[9][10][11]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Language Notes
2007 Traffic Signal Mala Hindi Feature Film
2009 Do Paise Ki Dhoop, Chaar Aane Ki Baarish Hindi Feature Film
2010 Striker Rajni Hindi Feature Film
2010 Ashok Chakra: Tribute to Real Heroes Machchiwali Hindi Feature Film
2010 Gaali Hindi Short film
2012 The Mumbai Trilogy Hindi Short film
2012 Gubbare Hindi Short film
2012 Lakhon Mein Ek Hindi TV serial aired on Star Plus
One episode
2012 Dhag Yashoda Marathi National Film Award for Best Actress
Cinema Ki Aankh Hindi Short film
My Naughty Wife Hindi short film
2014 Bhoothnath Returns Meena Hindi Feature Film
2016 Veerappan Muthulakshmi Hindi Feature Film
2018 Firebrand Sunanda Marathi Feature Film
2019 Be Happy Avni Spanish Feature Film
2019 Mai Ghat: Crime No 103/2015 Prabha Marathi IFFI Best Actor Award (Female)
2020 RESET ( La Nueva Normalidad chapter) Mai Spanish Feature Film
2024 El Salto Asma Spanish Feature Film

Awards

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Year Award Category Film Result Ref.
2013 National Film Award (India) Best Actress Dhag Won [12]
Maharashtra Times Sanmaan Award Best Actress Won [13]
Maharashtra State Film Award Best Actress Won
BIG Marathi Entertainment Award 2013 Big Entertaining Actor of the year (Female) Won [citation needed]
2014 The Loreal Paris Femina Women Awards The Loreal Paris Femina Women Awards for achievement in cinema. Various Won [14]
2019 NYC South Asian International Film Festival Best Actress Mai Ghat : Crime No 103/2015 Won [15]
International Film Festival of India IFFI GOA Silver Peacock for the Best Actor Award (Female) Won [16]
2020 IndoGerman Film Week International Film Festival, Berlin Best Actress Mai Ghat : Crime No 103/2015 Won [17]

[18]

References

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  1. ^ "माझ्या स्वप्नांना मर्यादा नाहीत..." Sakal (in Marathi). 20 March 2013. Archived from the original on 19 March 2013. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  2. ^ "alejandro cortes calahorra - Google Search". www.google.com.
  3. ^ "National Award-winning actress Usha Jadhav shooting for Alejandro Cortés's film in Spain". Mumbai Mirror.
  4. ^ "Actress Usha Jadhav Launches her very own website!". 12 June 2017.
  5. ^ "National award winning actress Usha Jadhav Launches Her Very Own Website". 12 June 2017. Archived from the original on 26 May 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  6. ^ "I was typecast as a bai: Usha Jadhav". Mumbai Mirror.
  7. ^ "सुपरस्टारसोबतचा सुपर दिवस". Maharashtra Times. 10 October 2012. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  8. ^ "'Paan Singh Tomar' Wins Best Feature Honor at India's National Film Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Mumbai. 18 March 2013. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  9. ^ Maharashtra, Max (14 April 2020). "डॉ. बाबासाहेब आंबेडकर माझे प्रेरणास्थान – उषा जाधव". Max Maharashtra.
  10. ^ Woman, Max (14 April 2020). "डॉ. बाबासाहेब आंबेडकर माझे प्रेरणास्थान – उषा जाधव". www.maxwoman.in.
  11. ^ "राष्ट्रीय पुरस्कार ही माझ्यासाठी मोठी शाबासकी". Divya Marathi. 23 November 2013.
  12. ^ "60th National Awards winners list - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  13. ^ "60th National Film Awards Announced" (PDF) (Press release). Press Information Bureau (PIB), India. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  14. ^ "Usha Jadhav arrives for the L'Oreal Paris Femina Women awards, held in Mumbai, on March 27, 2014". photogallery.indiatimes.com.
  15. ^ "It's an NY honour for Bhootnath Returns actress Usha Jadhav". mid-day. 19 November 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  16. ^ "Particles wins the Golden Peacock Award at IFFI 2019 - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  17. ^ India-West, R. M. VIJAYAKAR/Special to. "Usha Jadhav Bags Best Actor Award at IndoGerman Film Week for 'Mai Ghat: Crime No. 103/2005'". India West. Archived from the original on 13 June 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  18. ^ "Actor Usha Jadhav bags Best Actor Female award at Indo-German Film week for 'Mai Ghat: Crime No. 103/2005'". National Herald. 1 October 2020.
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