Marathi cinema has lost one of its most recognisable folk performers. Madhu Kambikar, the actor and Lavani artist whose dancing and screen presence made her a household name across Maharashtra, died in Pune at the age of 73. She had been unwell for a long time after a paralytic stroke, which left her with several health complications, according to Indian Express.
From a tamasha troupe to the film studio
Kambikar was born on July 28, 1953, in Malegaon Khurd, a village in Beed district. Her training came on the road, performing with a travelling tamasha troupe, long before cameras became part of her life. That grounding in Lavani, Maharashtra’s energetic folk dance form, shaped everything she did later. She went on to build a career that crossed folk theatre, commercial stage productions, television serials and cinema, and she stayed active in the arts for more than four decades.
A body of work audiences remember
Her filmography includes Shaapit, Hech Majha Maher, Raghumaina, Ek Hota Vidushak, Zapatlela, Debu and Yeu Ka Gharat. Shaapit was her breakthrough: it earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Marathi) along with a Maharashtra State Award. She won another State Award for Hech Majha Maher, and the state’s Best Supporting Actress honour for Raosaheb. Her other recognitions include the Hansa Wadkar Special Award and, in 2007, the Lavani Kalavant Award.
Tributes pour in
Fellow Lavani artist Megha Ghadge, who worked with Kambikar in Dombari, wrote an emotional post on X. She called Kambikar “my friend, my Lavani.” Ghadge said Madhutai had held audiences captive for years with the sound of her ghungroos and her vivid presence, and singled out her role and dance in Ek Hota Vidushak as unforgettable. She also noted that Kambikar kept going through years of illness, and said her art would outlive her.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis called the news deeply saddening. He said Kambikar’s roles would stay in audiences’ memory for good, and praised her for blending acting with dance to bring rural folk traditions to a wider public. Her four decades of work, he said, had enriched Marathi entertainment. He offered his condolences to her family and fans.