Bhakti Barve

Bhakti Barve
Bhakti Barve
Born	10 September 1948; Mumbai, India
Died	12 February 2001 (aged 52)
Other names	Bhakti Barve Inamdar
Spouse(s)	Shafi Inamdar

Bhakti Barve (10 September 1948 – 12 February 2001) was an Indian film, theatre and television actress in Marathi, Hindi, and Gujarati. She is best known for her role in Kundan Shah's comedy Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983), where she acted alongside Naseeruddin Shah, Satish Shah and Ravi Baswani.

In theatre which was her mainstay, she was associated with leading groups like Theatre Unit, Indian National Theatre, and Rangayan, and is remembered for performances in plays like "Ti Phularani", "Nag Mandala", "Aayee Retire Hote Aahe" and "Hands Up". She was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in Marathi theatre Acting in 1990 by India's National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama, apart from Maharashtra Gaurav Puraskar, and Abhinay Puraskar. She was married to actor Shafi Inamdar, who died in 1996.

Personal life

Barve was born in Sangli, Maharashtra. During her school days she participated in Sudha Karmarkar's productions of children's theatre. She was married to late actor Shafi Inamdar.

Career

Barve began her career by acting for Sudha Karmarkar's Little Theatre. She also had a short stint as announcer on All India Radio, Mumbai and later as a news reader on Mumbai Doordarshan (India's National broadcaster), and presenter of Saptahiki. While with Doordarshan she also performed the role of Bahinabai Choudhary, the poetess-saint, in critically acclaimed DD produced telefilm, Bahinabai.

She shot to fame with her performance in plays like the Marathi drama Ajab nyaya vartulacha ('Strange Justice of the Circle') in 1973, C. T. Khanolkar's adaptation of Brecht`s Caucasian Chalk Circle, Mohan Rakesh`s Adhe-adhure, “Tee Phul Rani” (Flower Queen) (1975), P.L. Deshpande's noted adaptation of GB Shaw's Pygmalion and in Jay Lerner's My Fair Lady. She was widely appreciated in 2 super hit Marathi stage plays "Hands-Up!" (1982) and "Ranga Mazha Vegala" (1991) both co-starring Avinash Masurekar.

She acted in many TV serials and dramas, besides Hindi films, Kundan Shah's Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983) and Govind Nihlani's Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa (1998). She was also the chairperson of the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Natya Sammelan.

Death

Barve performed a solo act, Pu La Fulrani Aani Mee, at Wai on 11 February 2001. The next morning at 06:00 IST, on her way back to Mumbai, her car rammed into the opening of Bhatan Tunnel on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway which killed her.^[5]^[6]