Lalita Pawar - Actress (Hindi)

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Monday 18, May 2026, 09:00.

About:    

Lalita Pawar:  Born Amba Laxman Rao Sagun 18 April 1916, Yeola, Nashik, Maharashtra, India.

Died 24 February 1998 (aged 81)Pune, Maharashtra, India

Children 1

Awards:

1960: Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Anari

1961: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award – Acting

Introduction:

Lalita Pawar (née Amba Laxmanrao Shagun; 18 April 1916 – 24 February 1998) was a prolific Indian actress, who later became famous as a character actress, appearing in over 700 films in Hindi, Marathi and Gujarati cinema. She holds a Guinness world record of longest acting career spanning over 70 years. Pawar won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the comedy-drama Anari. She featured in hit films such as Netaji Palkar (1938), made by Bhalji Pendharkar, New Hana Pictures' Sant Damaji, Navyug Chitrapat's Amrit, written by VS Khandekar, and Chhaya Films' Gora Kumbhar. Her other memorable roles were in the films Anari (1959), Shri 420 and Mr & Mrs 55, and the role of Manthara, in Ramanand Sagar's television epic serial Ramayan.

Biography:

Pawar was born as Amba Laxman Rao Sagun on 18 April 1916, into an orthodox family in Yeola in Nashik. Her father Laxman Rao Shagun was a rich silk and cotton piecegoods merchant. She started her acting career at age nine in the film Raja Harishchandra (1928), and later went on to play lead roles in the silent era and 1940s films, in a career that lasted until the end of her life, spanning seven decades.

She co-produced and acted in a silent film Kailash (1932), and later produced another film Duniya Kya Hai in 1938, a talkie.

Lalita Pawar, playing the lead in film, Himmat-e-Marda (1935).

In 1942, as a part of a scene in the movie Jung-E-Azadi, actor Master Bhagwan was to slap her hard. Being a new actor, he accidentally slapped her very hard, which resulted in facial paralysis and a burst left eye vein. Three years of treatment later, she was left with a defective left eye; thus she had to abandon lead roles, and switch to character roles, which won her much of her fame later in life.[4] She also played the leading lady with the top heroes of the era like Paidi Jairaj, Trilok Kapoor, Gajanan Jagirdar etc.

She was known particularly for playing maternal figures, especially wicked matriarchs or mothers-in-law. She also notably played the strict but kind Mrs. L. D'Sa in Anari (1959) with Raj Kapoor. Under Hrishikesh Mukherjee's direction, she gave the performance of a lifetime, for which she received the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award. Also, as the tough matriarch who falls in love in Professor (1962), and the devious hunchback Manthara in Ramanand Sagar's television series Ramayan. She was honored by the Government of India as the first lady of Indian cinema in 1961.

Personal life:

Her first marriage was to Ganpatrao Pawar, which ended after he slept with her younger sister. She later married film producer Rajprakash Gupta, of Ambika studios, Bombay. Her son Jai Pawar become a producer and worked with her in movies like Manzil. Jai Pawar had 2 sons Sanjay Pawar and Manoj Pawar. She and her husband lived in Juhu, Mumbai with her grandson Sanjay Pawar and great-grand daughters Anushka and Aanya Pawar. She died on 24 February 1998 in Aundh, Pune, where she had been staying for a while, due to mouth cancer.

Selected filmography:

Year Film Character Notes

1940

1941 Amrit Seeta

1944 Ram Shastri Anandibai (wife of Peshwa Raghunathrao)

1950s

1950 Dahej Mrs. Biharilal (Suraj's mother)

1951 The Immortal Song Vitabai

1952

Daag Shankar (Dilip Kumar)'s mother

Parchhain Badi Rani

1955

Shri 420 Ganga Mai

Mr & Mrs 55 Seeta Devi, Anita's aunt

1957 Nau Do Gyarah

1958 Parvarish Thakurain Rukmani Singh Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress

1959

Anari Mrs. L. D'Sa Won – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress

Sujata Giribala, Buaji/aunt

1960

Jhumroo Jhumroo's Mother

Jis desh me ganga behti hai (1960)

Aanchal Ramu's mother Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress

1961

Junglee Shekhar's mother

Hum Dono Major's Mother

Sampoorna Ramayana Manthara

Memdidi

1962

Professor Sita Devi Verma Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress

Banarsi Thug

1963

Bluff Master

Sehra Angara's mother

Grahasti Harish Khanna's sister

Ghar Basake Dekho Mrs. Shanta Mehra

1964

Sharabi

Kohra Dai Maa Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress

1966

Phool Aur Patthar Mrs. Jeevan Ram

Love in Tokyo Gayatri Devi

Khandan Fufi

1967

Boond Jo Ban Gayee Moti Shefali's mother

Noor Jehan

1968

Ankhen Madam/Fake Aunt

Neel Kamal Thakurain

Aabroo Mrs. Verma

Teen Bahuraniyan Sita's mother

1969

Meri Bhabhi Gangajali

1970

Anand Matron

Pushpanjali Rani Sahiba

Gopi Lilawati devi

Darpan Dadima

1971

Jwala

1972

Gaon Hamara Shaher Tumhara Lajwanti Pandey

Bombay to Goa Kashibai

1974

Hamrahi

Naya Din Nai Raat Mental Hospital Patient (Special appearance)

Doosri Sita

1976

Aaj Ka Ye Ghar Mrs. Shanti Dinanath

Tapasya Mrs. Varma

1977

Jay Vejay Nandini

Prayashchit

Aaina Janki

1979 Manzil Mrs. Chandra (Ajay's mother)

1980

Yaarana mother

Kali Ghata Ambu, House keeper

Phir Wohi Raat Hostel Warden

Sau Din Saas Ke Bhavani Devi (Prakash's mother)

1981

Naseeb Mrs. Gomes

Sannata Ms. Rosie

1982 Apna Bana Lo Mausi

1983 Ek Din Bahu Ka Kalavati

1986

Pyar Ke Do Pal

Ghar Sansar Satyanarayan's mother

1987

Watan Ke Rakhwale Radha's Maternal Grandma

Uttar Dakshin

1988

Zalzala Shila's mom

Sherni Old lady searching for her son

Pyasi Aatma

1989 Bahurani

1992 Muskurahat Laundry lady

1997 Bhai

Television:

Year Show Role Channel References

1987 Ramayan Manthara DD National

Awards:

1960: Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Anari

1961: Sangeet Natak Academy Award – Acting

1996: V. Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award

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