Sonalee Kulkarni

Sonalee Kulkarni Benodekar (née Kulkarni) is an Indian actress who has established herself as a prominent figure in Marathi cinema. Praised for her versatility and powerful performances, She is one of the highest-paid actresses in Marathi cinema and she has received numerous accolades, including two Filmfare Awards Marathi, a Maharashtra State Film Award, Four Zee Chitra Gaurav Puraskar and four Maharashtracha Favourite Kon Awards. Kulkarni began her career as a model and dancer, making her acting debut in the Marathi television series Ha Khel Sanchitacha (2006) and subsequently in the film Gauri (2006). Her breakthrough came with the title role in Kedar Shinde's Bakula Namdeo Ghotale (2007), which earned her the Zee Chitra Gaurav Puraskar for Best Actress and the Maharashtra State Film Award for Best Debut Actress. Her performance in the Tamasha drama film Natarang (2010), where she portrayed the dancer Nayna Kolhapurkarin, earned her widespread recognition and the title "Apsara of Marathi Industry." The film was a critical and commercial success, further solidifying her status in the industry. Throughout the 2010s, Kulkarni appeared in several notable films, including Nitin Chandrakant Desai's Ajintha (2012), the horror comedy Zapatlela 2 (2013), the ensemble coming-of-age Classmates (2015), the thriller Shutter (2015), and the drama Poshter Girl (2016). Her role as a strong girl in the romantic drama Mitwaa (2015) garnered her a Filmfare Award Marathi nomination for Best Actress. She made her Hindi film debut with the adult comedy Grand Masti (2013) and appeared in a supporting role in Singham Returns (2014). She continued to experiment with various genres in Marathi, earning acclaim for her performances as an unhappy girl in Hampi (2017), the dissatisfied wife in Tula Kalnnaar Nahi (2017), and the brave mother in Hirkani (2019), the latter of which won her the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress. In recent years, Kulkarni has explored unconventional roles, starring in films like Dhurala (2020), Jhimma (2021), and Pandu (2021). Her portrayal in Dhurala earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. She made her Malayalam debut with Malaikottai Vaaliban (2024), opposite Mohanlal. Kulkarni married Kunal Benodekar in 2021 in Dubai.