Biographie
Ashwini Kalsekar is an Indian actress known for her work in Marathi and Hindi television and films. She earned her B.A. degree in Mumbai, graduating in 1991.
Following her studies, she pursued theatre from 1991 to 1994, receiving mentorship from actress Neena Gupta between 1992 and 1993 to enhance her acting skills. She also trained under theatre coach Mohammed Vakil from 1992 to 1995.
Kalsekar debuted on television with the show Shanti (1994) and later appeared in the popular series C.I.D. (1998) as Inspector Asha.
She secured the lead role in the comedy serial Mr Gayab (1999), directed by Suhas Kadav and co-starring Sourav Chakraborty. Her portrayal of Shalaka Catwoman in the superhero series Shaktimaan (1997) earned her recognition, especially among children, as the Indian Catwoman.
She gained acclaim for her role as Jigyasa Walia in Ekta Kapoor's Kasamh Se (2006), winning the Indian Television Academy Award and Indian Telly Award for Best Actress in a Negative Role, among other honors.
Kalsekar also played Sikka Thakuriaan in Episode #1.252 (2012) and served as a judge on the Marathi reality show Fu Bai Fu (2009) in 2013. Her notable roles include Maham Anga in Jodha Akbar (2013) and the villainous witch Saudamini in Kavach... Kaali Shaktiyon Se (2016).
Her performance in Jodha Akbar received critical acclaim, earning her the Indian Telly Award and Zee Gold Award for Best Actress in a Negative Role, along with several other accolades.
In the digital space, she appeared in the OTT series Chargesheet - The Shuttlecock Murder (2019) alongside Anupam Gahoi on Zee5, and was featured in Hotstar Specials' Rudra: The Edge of Darkness (2022) with Ajay Devgn, Raashi Khanna, and Esha Deol.
Kalsekar’s film career includes collaborations with prominent directors like Rohit Shetty, Ram Gopal Varma, and Sriram Raghavan. She entered the film industry with the Marathi movie Tula Jhapar La (1996). In 2003, she played an intelligence officer in The Hero: Love Story of a Spy.
Her notable Bollywood films include Khakee (2004), directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and starring Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, and Ajay Devgn; Kisna: The Warrior Poet (2005); Apaharan (2005); Johnny Gaddaar (2007) with Dharmendra and Rimi Sen; and Golmaal Returns (2008) featuring Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor, and Arshad Warsi.
In 2010, she appeared as Inspector Ashwini in Rakta Charitra and starred in Golmaal 3 alongside Mithun Chakraborty, Ajay Devgn, and Kareena Kapoor.
Kalsekar made her Tollywood debut with Badrinath (2011), portraying Sarkar's wife.
She played TV journalist Meera Shori in Singham Returns (2014), Detective Joshi in Badlapur (2015), and appeared in Golmaal Again (2017), Andhadhun (2018), and Simmba (2018).
Her recent roles include a comedic character named Ashwini in Laxmii (2020), Bade Pandit's wife in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (2022), and Shakuntala Devi in Cirkus (2022).
Ashwini Kalsekar is married to film and TV actor Murli Sharma since 2009.
