Usha Kiran

Usha Kiran (22 April 1929 – 9 March 2000) was an Indian actress. In a career spanning over four decades, she acted in over 50 Hindi and Marathi films, notably Daag, Patita (1953), Baadbaan (1954), Chupke Chupke (1975), Mili (1975) and Bawarchi (1972). She was also the Sheriff of Mumbai during 1996 and 1997.

Early life

Usha Kiran was born Usha Bapu Marathe on 22 April 1929, into a middle-class family in Vasai. She was the daughter of Bapu Marathe and Radha Marathe. Despite facing limited financial circumstances, her father encouraged her interest in the performing arts from a young age and provided her with training in dance.

At the age of twelve, she made her acting debut on stage in M. G. Rangnekar’s play Aashirwad. Her dancing skills caught the attention of the noted dancer and filmmaker Uday Shankar, who cast her in his 1948 Hindi-language dance film Kalpana, which was produced in Madras. After completing the filming and returning to Mumbai, Rangnekar cast her in his film Kuber, where she performed under her birth name, Usha Marathe. She entered the Hindi film industry with a small role in Uday Shankar's dance-drama film Kalpana (1948). She went on to act in numerous popular Hindi films such as Nazrana (1961), Daag (1952), and Baadbaan (1954), (for which she won the very first Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1955), Kabuliwala (1961), Patita (1953), Mili, Bawarchi (1972) and Chupke Chupke (1975).

Her famous Marathi films include Shikleli Bayko, Jasach Tase, Postatli Mulgi, Dudh Bhakar, Stree Janma Hi Tuzi Kahani, Kanyadaan (for which she received the Maharashtra Government's award for best actress), Gariba Gharchi Lek, and Kanchanganga.

She starred opposite Hindi film actors such as Kishore Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Ashok Kumar, Dilip Kumar, Rajendra Kumar, Rajesh Khanna, Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan.

Filmography