IMDB · Instagram · TheMovieDB.com · TV Maze · X (Twitter)

Actor

1967-08-17 · Mumbai, Maharashtra, India · Female

6 series in the catalog

Supriya Pilgaonkar (née Sabnis; born 16 August 1967) is an Indian actress and producer known for her work in Marathi films and Hindi television, in a career spanning over four decades. Over the years, she has established herself as a versatile performer with acclaimed roles in both comedic and dramatic formats, earning numerous awards including a Maharashtra State Film Awards, a Filmfare Awards Marathi, three Indian Television Academy Awards and two Indian Telly Awards.

Born into a culturally rich family, she began her career as a theatre artist and gained early recognition with her debut in the Marathi film Navri Mile Navryala (1984). She is also known for her long-standing collaboration with her husband, actor-director Sachin, in acclaimed projects namely Ashi Hi Banwa Banwi and Maza Pati Karodpati (both 1988). Pilgaonkar gained nationwide fame with the sitcom Tu Tu Main Main (1994–2000), where her portrayal of a witty daughter-in-law, became iconic in Indian television history. She went on to deliver acclaimed performances in shows such as Sasural Genda Phool (2010–2012), Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi (2016–2017), and Home (2018), the latter earning her an ITA Award for her web debut.

In addition to her television success, she has acted in popular Hindi films such as Awara Paagal Deewana (2002), Tujhe Meri Kasam (2003), Aetbaar (2004) and Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari (2020). Among her notable Marathi film roles are Aamhi Satpute (2008), Navra Maza Navsacha (2004), and its sequel Navra Maza Navsacha 2 (2024), the first of which earned her the Maharashtracha Favourite Kon Award.

She married Sachin Pilgaonkar in 1985, and together they won the first season of Nach Baliye 1. Their daughter, Shriya Pilgaonkar, is also an actress active in films and on digital platforms.

Early life

Pilgaonkar was born as Supriya Sabnis on 16 August 1967 into a Marathi family in Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra.

Career

Early Career in Theatre and Films (1983–1993)

Pilgaonkar made her foray into acting through theatre during her school years. Her first major commercial stage appearance was in the Marathi play Mahatare Arka Baiyit Garka in the mid-1980s. Around the same time, she was noticed by actor-director Sachin through her appearance on the television show Killbill. Impressed by her performance, he cast her in his second directorial venture, Navri Mile Navryala (1984), which also marked her film debut. At the time, Supriya was still in college, and her parents were initially reluctant to allow her to act in films. However, they eventually supported her decision to pursue the opportunity. Her performance in the film earned her the Best Actress Award at the Filmfare Marathi.

After a four-year hiatus, Pilgaonkar returned to the screen in 1988 with two films, both directed by and co-starring Sachin. In the comedy Maza Pati Karodpati, she portrayed a clever young woman who, driven by her dream of marrying a millionaire, disguises herself as a widow to win over a wealthy family through wit and theatrics. Her performance was widely appreciated and earned her the Maharashtra State Film Award for Best Actress. Her next release that year was the ensemble comedy Ashi Hi Banwa Banwi, produced by V. Shantaram Productions. In the film, she played a bubbly and strong-headed young woman, starring alongside Ashok Saraf, Laxmikant Berde, Siddharth Ray, Ashwini Bhave, Nivedita Joshi, and Priya Arun. Both films were well received, with Ashi Hi Banwa Banwi becoming a major box-office success. It grossed approximately ₹3 crore (US$310,000) worldwide, making it the highest-grossing Marathi film of its time, and has since achieved cult status.

In 1991, she appeared in the musical comedy Aayatya Gharat Gharoba, a Marathi remake of the 1972 Hindi film Dil Daulat Duniya. It is widely regarded as one of the most entertaining films in Marathi cinema, praised for its humor, music, and ensemble performances. The following year, she starred in Chor Chor, directed by Ramesh Deo, marking her first film not directed by Sachin. That same year, she made her television debut with the 13-episode series Kshitij Ye Nahi, which aired on DD National. She played the lead role of a young widow living with her daughter and father-in-law, who gradually finds love in her neighbor, starring alongside Tushar Dalvi, Vikram Gokhale, and Rajit Kapur.

Rise to Television Fame and Supporting Roles in Films (1994–2009)

Pilgaonkar portrayed a widowed nurse who marries a doctor, only to experience emotional upheaval when her presumed-dead husband reappears as a patient, in the 1994 family drama Kunku, opposite Ajinkya Deo. Also in that year, she gained widespread recognition on television with the sitcom Tu Tu Main Main, directed by Sachin, which humorously explored the love-hate relationship between a daughter-in-law and her mother-in-law. Supriya played the daughter-in-law opposite Reema Lagoo, who portrayed the mother-in-law. The show was a major success, running from 1994 to 2000, becoming one of the most iconic Hindi television comedies of its time, and earned Pilgaonkar the Best Actress in a Comic Role award at the Indian Television Academy Awards, along with a nomination for the Indian Telly Award in the same category in 2002.

Following the success of Tu Tu Main Main, she continued to play leading roles in various television shows across genres. In 1996, she appeared in the murder mystery series Mumkin, and later starred in the comedy-mystery Kabhi Biwi Kabhi Jasoos (2002–2003), portraying a wife who also works as a detective. In 2002, she appeared in Vikram Bhatt's Hindi film Awara Paagal Deewana, playing the role of a greedy wife to Paresh Rawal and mother to Amrita Arora. While the film received mixed reviews, her performance was appreciated, with Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama calling it "first-rate." Subsequently, in 2003, she played a maid who acts as a cupid between the lead characters played by Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D'Souza in the romantic drama Tujhe Meri Kasam.

In 2004, she reunited with Bhatt for the romantic psychological thriller Aetbaar, where she played the wife of Amitabh Bachchan in a story centered on a teenage girl who falls in love with a psychopath. While the film, notable for being the only production backed by Ratan Tata, was a commercial failure despite its high-profile cast, some critics noted that Pilgaonkar appeared too young to convincingly portray Bipasha Basu's mother. Furthermore, she played the lead in the Marathi slapstick comedy Navra Maza Navsacha, an ensemble film about the challenges faced by a couple during a bus journey from Mumbai to Ganpatipule to fulfill a religious vow. Inspired by the 1972 Hindi film Bombay to Goa, it earned both critical acclaim and commercial success, grossing around ₹5 crore (US$520,000) and becoming one of the highest-grossing Marathi films of 2004, while later achieving cult classic status. From 2006 to 2007, she played the lead in her home production sitcom Tu Tota Main Maina, and in the same year, reunited with Reema Lagoo for Kadvee Khattee Meethi (2006), a spiritual sequel to Tu Tu Main Main, in which she reprised a similar daughter-in-law role. The next year, took on supporting roles in several Hindi films, including Barsaat, Deewane Huye Paagal, and Bluffmaster!.

Her next Marathi release was the comedy-drama Aamhi Satpute, in which she played a compassionate woman who brings order and warmth to a chaotic household through discipline, care, and unwavering determination. Her performance earned her the Favourite Actress Award at the inaugural Maharashtracha Favourite Kon? awards, as well as the Favourite Jodi Award at the same ceremony. Around the same time, she also played the title role in the daily soap Radhaa Ki Betiyaan Kuch Kar Dikhayengi, which aired on Imagine TV and was produced by DJ's a Creative Unit. The show ran for a year and featured her as a strong matriarch guiding her daughters toward success.

Acclaimed Roles in…