Looking Back At Bhagyashree's Career On Her Birth Anniversary

Bollywood actor and social activist Bhagyashree turns 52 today. Best known as Suman from her 1989 debut Maine Pyar Kiya, her legacy stands in the film industry among the lesser mainstream but highly memorable ones. Her career has spanned the screens of film and television both, with her next appearance expected to be in the Kangana Ranaut-starrer Thalaivi. 

But she's more than just an actor. Bhagyashree has managed, in her trajectory of entertainment, to take time out to contribute to the social cause of gender equality by amplifying issues of girl child poverty. So while her presence in the world of films continues to induce a sense of sweet nostalgia in us all, the "pigeon-loving" Suman is now all that and much more.

Celebrating Bhagyashree: Of Films, Fitness and More

Here's everything you need to know about her:

1. Born in Sangli, Maharashtra, Bhagyashree is of blue-blooded ancestry. Her father, Vijay Singhrao Madhavrao Patwardhan, is the Raja of the city. This woman-strong family has two more daughters, besides her.

2. Her debut came in the now-iconic 1989 film Maine Pyar Kiya, directed by Sooraj Barjatya. Even as the film starred her and Salman Khan, both newbies of sorts in the industry, it hit off with audiences, launching both their careers. Maine Pyar Kiya, songs, story, et al, became a blockbuster and is still counted among Bollywood's most successful films.

Both leads for their respective roles won Best Debut that year, with the film itself winning four more awards. Thereon, there was no looking back for either of them. Bhagyashree starred in multiple successes, including Tyagi, Humko Deewana Kar Gaye, Shotru Dhongsho, and has done films across languages, such as in Bengali and Bhojpuri.

3. In 2015, she became the brand ambassador and a vocal advocate of the Bhagyashree Scheme, by the state government, emphasising the need to uplift girls from poverty-stricken families.

4. On social media, she is active in relaying fitness tips and home-cooked recipes to fans and followers. Her audiences remain in awe of her wardrobe which seems to comprise everything from graceful traditional drapes to chic hats and dresses. The 52-year-old also often shares throwback snaps from her shoots, such as this one from Red Alert. 

Source: Instagram

5. She is married to Himalaya Dasani, with whom she has a daughter and son. Her son, Abhimanyu, debuted in Vasan Bala's 2019 film Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota, delivering an award-winning performance.