Sai Tamhankar

Sai Tamhankar (pronunciation: [səiː t̪aːmɦəɳkəɾ]) is an Indian film and television actress known for her work primarily in Marathi, as well as in Hindi films. She has established herself as a prominent figure in Marathi films and is recognized for her versatility and impactful performances. She is one of the highest-paid actresses in Marathi cinema and is the recipient of several awards including a Maharashtra State Film Award, a Filmfare Award, three Filmfare Marathi Awards, and eight Maharashtracha Favourite Kon awards. She began her career in television with supporting roles in Marathi series like Tuzyavina (2003) and gained recognition with Ya Gojirvanya Gharat. She later appeared in Hindi daily soap Kasturi and Anubandh (both 2007). She made her film debut in 2008 with minor roles in Subhash Ghai's Black & White and Aamir Khan's Ghajini, followed by her Marathi film debut in comedy Sanai Choughade (2008). Her performance earned her a nomination for Favorite Actress at Maharashtracha Favourite Kon. She continued to gain acclaim with roles in films like Rita (2009) and Ajab Lagnachi Gajab Gosht (2010). Tamhankar's performance as the strong-willed girl Shirin in Sanjay Jadhav's rom-com Duniyadari (2013) marked a significant turning point in her career, earning her several awards including the Maharashtra State Film Award for Best Special Appearance Actress. Her other notable films include the romantic thriller Classmates (2015), the adult comedy Hunterrr (2015), the family drama Family Katta (2016), and the comedy Vazandar (2016). In 2018, Tamhankar gained recognition in Hindi films with Love Sonia, where she played a prostitute and continued to impress with roles in Marathi films like Girlfriend and Kulkarni Chaukatla Deshpande (2019). She won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress Marathi for Dhurala (2020) and received widespread acclaim for her role in Mimi (2021), for playing a Muslim friend of the title character, earning the Filmfare Award and IIFA Award for Best Supporting Actress. Tamhankar has also ventured into web series, notably Pet Puraan (2021) and Samantar 2. She starred in Sachin Kundalkar's Pondicherry (2022), receiving critical acclaim and awards for her performance s as ingle parent. Her recent works include India Lockdown (2022), Sridevi Prasanna (2024), and Bhakshak (2024). In addition to her acting career, Tamhankar hosted the second season of the reality show Fu Bai Fu and has been judging Maharashtrachi Hasyajatra since 2018. She also owns the wrestling team Kolhapuri Maavle in the Zee Maharashtra Kusti Dangal.