Jayshree Gadkar (21 February 1942 – 29 August 2008)[2] was a noted
Marathi and Hindi[3] movie actress[4][5] and a star of
Marathi cinema from the 1950s up to the 1980s.
She began her career as a child dance artist. She entered films as a
tamasha dancer in movies. Her first role was that of a group dancer in
V. Shantaram's Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje in 1955, which featured
Sandhya as the leading lady. Later, well known Marathi film Director
Dinkar D. Patil cast her in a small role with dance in his Marathi film Disat Tasa Nasat, opposite
Raja Gosavi. This was followed by Sangtye Aika, a tamasha–based movie which was the first in which she played a leading role. This helped her gain fame and recognition and she started doing heroine roles. She eventually became one of the most successful and prolific heroines in the history of the Marathi film industry.
Jayshree acted in about 250 films over a period of four decades. Her filmography was varied and included a rich repertoire of tamasha stories as also mythologicals in addition to socials and love stories.
In later years, Jayshree turned film director. Her directorial efforts include Saasar Maher and Ashi Asavi Saasu. She also acted in
Ramanand Sagar's TV Series
Ramayana, as
Kaushalya (mother of
Rama) along with her husband
Bal Dhuri, who was
Dasharath (father of
Rama). Her home is adorned with the photo of both in Ramayana costume. Her Autobiography Ashi Me Jayshree was published in 1986.[8]