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Actress Sandhya, who shot dangerous scenes with real lions, spent her last years in oblivion.
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News18•04-10-2026, 04:01
Actress Sandhya, who shot dangerous scenes with real lions, spent her last years in oblivion.
- •Actress Sandhya, born Vijaya Deshmukh on September 27, 1938, in Kochi, began her cinematic journey with V. Shantaram's 1951 Marathi film 'Amar Bhoopali'.
- •Shantaram was impressed by her unique voice, giving her the screen name 'Sandhya'; her role in 'Amar Bhoopali' led to a Palme d'Or nomination at the 1952 Cannes Film Festival.
- •She trained for months for 'Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje' (1955) and filmed dangerous scenes with real lions for 'Stree' (1961) without a body double.
- •Sandhya's role in 'Do Aankhen Barah Haath' earned the film the Silver Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival and the Samuel Goldwyn Award.
- •Married to V. Shantaram on December 22, 1956, she dedicated her career to his vision and passed away on October 4, 2025, after living a secluded life.
Key Questions Answered
Actress Sandhya's real name was Vijaya Deshmukh, and she was born on September 27, 1938, in Kochi. Her cinematic journey began in 1951 when she responded to a newspaper advertisement for filmmaker V. Shantaram's Marathi film 'Amar Bhoopali'.
In the 1961 film 'Stree', Sandhya lived with trainers to understand the activities of real lions and bravely filmed dangerous scenes without using any body double.
Sandhya passed away on October 4, 2025, due to age-related ailments and received her final farewell at the Shivaji Park crematorium in Dadar. She spent her last years living a very secluded and peaceful life at Rajkamal Studio.
