Ashwini Bhave

Ashvini Bhave (born 7 May 1967) is an Indian actress and producer known for her work in Marathi, Hindi, and Kannada cinema, as well as Hindi television. One of the most popular actresses in Marathi cinema during the late 1980s and 1990s, she earned acclaim for portraying resilient, emotionally layered women. Over the course of her career, she has received numerous accolades, including two Maharashtra State Film Awards, a Bengal Film Journalists' Association Award, a Zee Chitra Gaurav Puraskar, and three nominations at the Filmfare Marathi Awards.

Bhave began acting while still in school, appearing in the theatre play Gaganbhedi, and made her film debut in 1986 with a leading role in the Marathi family drama Shabas Sunbai. She rose to prominence with notable performances in films such as Ashi Hi Banwa Banwi (1988), Ek Ratra Mantarleli (1989), Kalat Nakalat (1989), and Halad Rusali Kunku Hasla (1991). Her transition to Hindi cinema came with R. K. Films' Henna (1991), which brought her national recognition. She went on to star in a range of successful Hindi films, including Meera Ka Mohan (1992), Sainik (1993), Cheetah (1994), Jurmana (1996), and Bandhan (1998), and earned critical acclaim for her emotionally charged performances in Aahuti (1992), Vazir (1994), Purush (1994), and Sarkarnama (1998). Her Kannada films Sharavegada Saradara (1989) and Vishnu Vijaya (1993) also performed well at the box office.

After taking a sabbatical from films in the early 2000s, Bhave returned with a critically acclaimed performance in Kadachit (2008), which also marked her debut as a producer. In later years, she earned further praise for her roles in Aajcha Divas Majha (2013), Dhyanimani (2017), and Manjha (2017), and for her portrayal of Sakshi Raikar in the web series The Raikar Case (2020). Her 2024 film Gharat Ganpati was both a commercial success and a strong contender on the awards circuit.

Outside of acting, Bhave holds a bachelor's degree in Motion Pictures & Television from the Academy of Art University, San Francisco. She is married to software engineer Kishore Bopardikar, and the couple has two children. Despite relocating to the United States, Bhave has remained an active and respected presence in Indian cinema, particularly in Marathi films.