Bhagyashree Patwardhan

Bhagyashree Dassani ( Patwardhan; born 23 February 1969), known mononymously as Bhagyashree, is an Indian actress. Her breakthrough came with starring in Maine Pyar Kiya, earning national recognition and the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. Afterwards, she decreased her workload to focus on her marriage and two children.

Following a period of sporadic work, Bhagyashree was nominated for the Indian Television Academy Award for GR8! Performer Female for her performance in Laut Aao Trisha (2014–2015). She appeared in the big-budget films Thalaivii (2021), Radhe Shyam (2022), and Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan (2023), before experiencing a commercial resurgence with Raja Shivaji (2026).

Early life Bhagyashree is from the Marathi royal family of Sangli in Maharashtra. She is the great granddaughter of Chintamanrao Dhundirao Patwardhan, the last ruling Raja of the princely state of Sangli during the British Raj in India. Her father, Vijay Singhrao Madhavrao Patwardhan, is the titular Raja of Sangli. She is the eldest of three daughters, the other two being Madhuvanti and Purnima.

Career leftShe started her acting career with the 1987 television serial Kachchi Dhoop, which was based on Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. She was approached to act in the serial by Amol Palekar, a renowned actor-director who offered her the role as the original actress had abandoned the project abruptly.

She made her film debut in the 1989 commercially successful Hindi film Maine Pyar Kiya, starring alongside Salman Khan where she played Suman. This remains her most successful and best known film to date, for which she won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. After marriage to Himalaya Dassani in 1990, she acted in three films: Peepat's Qaid Main Hai Bulbul, K.C. Bokadia's Tyagi and Mahendra Shah's Paayal, all opposite her husband in 1992. She also acted with Avinash Wadhawan in Ghar Aaya Mera Pardesi in 1993. This was her last Hindi film in the 1990s and she went on to appear in a few Tamil, Kannada and Telugu films. She made her Telugu debut in the film Yuvaratna Rana (1998). She also appeared in episodes of the television series CID and Kabhie Kabhie.

She returned to Hindi films in the mid-2000s appearing in Maa Santoshi Maa (2003), Humko Deewana Kar Gaye (2006) and Red Alert: The War Within (2010). After a gap of several years, she made her comeback to television with the TV serial Laut Aao Trisha aired on Life OK from 2014 to 2015. In 2019, she appeared in the Kannada film Seetharama Kalyana. She is set to return to Telugu films with the Telugu remake of the 2014 Hindi film 2 States.

In 2021, she appeared in the bilingual releases Thalaivi and Radhe Shyam.

In February 2022, she entered as a contestant in StarPlus's Smart Jodi with her husband, Himalaya Dasani.

In 2023, she made a cameo appearance in Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, where she reunited with her first co-star Salman Khan after 34 years. Her husband and son also made cameos alongside her.

Other ventures In addition to acting in films, she has been engaged in various philanthropic activities. In March 2015, Bhagyashree became brand ambassador of the Bhagyashree Scheme, launched by the Government of Maharashtra. Bhagyashree Scheme caters to girl child from below poverty line families.

Personal life

Bhagyashree married Himalaya Dasani on 19 January 1989. They have two children, a son and a daughter. Her daughter, Avantika Dassani, debuted with the web-series Mithya.

Filmography Film

Year Film Role Language Notes 1989 Maine Pyar Kiya Suman Hindi Debut FilmWon–Filmfare Award for Best Female DebutNominated–Filmfare Best Actress Award 1992 Qaid Mein Hai Bulbul Pooja Choudhary Tyagi Aarati Shakti Dayal Paayal Paayal 1993 Ghar Aaya Mera Pardesi Roopa 1997 Ammavra Ganda Rani Kannada Kannada Debut Omkaram Shashi Telugu Telugu Debut 1998 Yuvaratna Rana Dr. Kasthuri 2002 Shotru Dhongsho Varsha / Urmi Bengali Bengali Debut 2003 Maa Santoshi Maa Hindi Avuna Telugu Special appearance 2006Uthaile Ghoonghta Chand Dekhle Bhojpuri Bhojpuri Debut Humko Deewana Kar Gaye Simran Kohli Hindi Special appearance Janani Akanksha Gandugali Kumara Rama Kannada 2007 Janam Janam Ke Saath Jyoti Bhojpuri Mumbai Aamchich Marathi Marathi Debut 2008 Ego Chumma Dede Raja Ji Meena Bhojpuri 2009 Zhak Marli Bayko Keli Asmita Marathi 2010 Sati Behula Savitri Bengali Red Alert: The War Within Uma Hindi 2013 DevaBhojpuri 2019 Seetharama Kalyana Meera Kannada 2021 Thalaivii Sandhya Tamil Bilingual film Hindi 2022 Radhe ShyamGirija Rani Telugu Hindi 2023 Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan Bhagya Hindi Special appearance NRI Wives Ayesha Chatrapathi Parvati Sajini Shinde Ka Viral VideoKalyani 2026 Raja Shivaji Jijabai MarathiHindiBilingual film The Great Grand Superhero: Aliens Ka Aagman Hindi

Television Year Serial Role 1987 Kachchi Dhoop Alka 1996–1997 Aandhi Jazbaaton Ki 1998–1999 Jaan Radha 2000 Smriti Sandhya Raj Dhanrajgir 2001 Sambandh Dr. Devaki 2001 C.I.D. Nupur Ujala Anuradha Chopra 2002–2003 Kaagaz Ki Kashti Aarati 2003 Kabhie Kabhie 2014–2015 Laut Aao Trisha Amrita Prateek Swaika 2022 Smart Jodi Herself as contestant2024Life Hill Gayi Guest appearance