Jayshree Gadkar

Biography:  Jayshree Gadkar was a noted Marathi movie actress and a star of Marathi cinema in the 1960s. Jayashree was born in the Karwar district of Karnataka, India, and began her career as a child dance artist. She went on to have a film career spanning four decades, starting as a film tamasha dancer, to a lead actress, and then a director. Jayshree acted in about 250 films with a rich repertoire of mythologicals. Her first hit was Sangtye Aika. She also published an autobiography, Ashi Mi Jayshri. Jayshree Gadkar's first role was that of a group dancer in V. Shantaram's Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje in 1955 which had Sandhya as the leading lady. Her hits include Aaliya Bhogasi, Ghat Padli Thaka Thaka, Sangtye Aika, Avghachi Sansar, Mohityanchi Manjula, Saadhi Mansa, and Manini. Gadkar turned to movie direction with the release of Saasar Maher and Ashi Asavi Saasu. She also acted in Ramayana as the mother of Rama (Kaushalya) along with her husband who was the father of Rama (Dasharath).