Indian actress Sonali Kulkarni made her screen debut in 1992 with Girish Karnad's Hindi film Cheluvi, and soon entered Marathi cinema with Jabbar Patel's Mukta (1994). Throughout the 1990s, she balanced film and television, delivering notable early performances in the award-winning Doghi (1995), Amol Palekar’s internationally acclaimed Daayraa (1996), and the political drama Gharabaher (1999). Kulkarni gained wider recognition with Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Mission Kashmir (2000), which brought her multiple Best Supporting Actress nominations, followed by successful roles in the romantic thriller Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya and Farhan Akhtar's coming-of-age film Dil Chahta Hai (both 2001). Though she experienced a few commercial failures thereafter, she continued to receive critical praise for her performances in Marathi cinema, including Chaitra (2002), Devrai (2004), and the 2005 Gujarati hit Love Is Blind, the first of which earned her a National Film Award Special Mention.
Kulkarni won Best Actress at the Milan International Film Festival for her performance in the Italian film Fuoco Su di Me. Her versatility was further evident in films such as Taxi No. 9211 (2006), Gandha (2009), Gabhricha Paus (2009), and Singham (2011). She earned significant acclaim for her roles in Deool (2011), in which she portrayed Vahini Saheb, the thriller Pune 52 (2013), and the Gujarati film The Good Road (2013), the first Gujarati feature to be selected as India's entry to the 86th Academy Awards. From the mid-2010s, Kulkarni delivered some of her most celebrated performances in Dr. Prakash Baba Amte – The Real Hero (2014), Kachcha Limboo (2017), and Gulabjaam (2018), earning multiple Filmfare Marathi Awards and Maharashtra State Film Awards.
In the 2020s, she continued working across films and web series, appearing in Pension (2021), Mumbai Diaries 26/11 (2021–present), The Whistleblower (2021), Dharavi Bank (2022), and Ticha Shahar Hona (2023). Her 2024 performance in the crime thriller Manvat Murders was highly praised and earned her the NDTV Marathi Entertainment Award for Best Actress.
Films YearTitleRoleLanguage Notes Ref.1992CheluviCheluviHindi1994May MaadhamSandhyaTamilMuktaMuktaMarathi1995GulabariGulabariHindiTelevision filmDoghiKrishnaMarathi1996DaayraaThe GirlHindiVrindavan Film StudiosRadhaEnglish1999Jahan Tum Le ChaloNamrata ShoreyHindiGharabaherVasudhaMarathiKaireeKamli's daughterMarathiBilingual filmHindi2000Mission KashmirNeelima KhanHindiDr. Babasaheb AmbedkarRamabai AmbedkarEnglish2001Pyaar Tune Kya KiyaGeeta BhattHindiDil Chahta HaiPoojaMaya: The RealityMaya2002Kitne Door Kitne PaasJaya Patel ChaitraKratiMarathiShort filmDil Vil Pyar VyarGauri ShahapukarHindiJunoonSonaliAgni VarshaNittilai2003DanavLakshmi20041:1.6 An Ode to Lost LoveAshaEnglishDevraiSeenaMarathiWhite Rainbow Priya GiriHindiBride & PrejudiceChandra LambaEnglishHananDevi Bhagwati / PagliHindiSilence Please... The Dressing RoomAparna SenHindi2005Love Is BlindAmishaGujaratiDanshMariaHindiFuoco su di meGraziellaItalian2006AdharmKuldeep's love interest HindiTaxi Number 9211Sunita ShastriDarna Zaroori HaiMrs. TalegaonkarSegment: "Accidents are Never Predicted" I See YouKuljeetSpecial appearanceRestaurantJanhaviMarathi2007BrindaBrinda SakhiNishi SurveStrangersNandini RaiHindiEk Krantiveer: Vasudev Balwant PhadkeBhawaniMarathi2008SirfNamitaHindiMumbai CuttingSona Segment: "Parcel" Via DarjeelingRimli Sharma / Sangeeta2009GulmoharVidyaMarathiGabhricha PausAlkaMohandasMeghnaHindiGandhaRaaviMarathiSegment: "Aushadh Ghenara Manus" Tya Ratri Paus HotaGayatriShadowInspector Sanjana Singh RajpootHindiLove KhichdiShanta Bheemrao BhansodeWell Done AbbaMalti Jha2010Ringa RingaMansi Nayak MarathiThe CampSonali MantheHindi2011SinghamMegha KadamDeoolVahini SahebMarathiPratibimbaGauri / VasumatiDubhangAnjali2013Pune 52Prachi ApteKonkanasthaMrs. GokhaleThe Good RoadKiranGujarati2014Dr. Prakash Baba Amte - The Real HeroDr. Mandakini AmteMarathi2015Aga Bai Arechyaa 2Shubhangi Hemant KudalkarSugar Salt Ani PremAditi2017Rahenge Sadaa Gardish Mein TaareBhavna DuttHindiTi Ani ItarNaina GodboleMarathiKachcha LimbooShaila KatdarePoster BoysSunita Chaudhary Hindi2018GulabjaamRadha AgarkarMarathiHope Aur HumAditi Srivastava HindiAni... Dr. Kashinath GhanekarSulochana LatkarMarathiMadhuriMadhuri2019BharatJanki Devi KumarHindi2021PensionVimalMarathiToofaanSumati PrabhuHindiSpecial appearance 2022Dil Dimag Aur BattiJaya Desai Gadgill / Hema Mhatre / RekhaMarathiTicha Shahar HonaArchanaGajraMrs. AgarwalHindiShort film2023Sshort And SsweetTanviMarathi2024Chandu ChampionJournalist Hindi Jo Tera Hai Woh Mera HaiRukmini MeghaniLove, Sitara Hema ChechiOut HouseVasu2025SuSheela SuJeetSusheela MarathiHello Knock Knock Kaun Hai?PoojaHindi 2026 The Paradise Samakka Telugu TBA Marathi Completed Marathi Filming Hindi Filming
Television +YearTitleRoleLanguage Ref.1995Badalte RishteyUlka VermaHindi1996Kata Rute KunalaMeeraMarathi 1998RishteyEpisodic roleHindi1999–2000Star Bestsellers (Kya Yahi Pyaar Hai)Episodic role2007Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 2Contestant2008Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 1Contestant2010–2011Kaali – Ek AgniparikshaNarrator2016TamannaDhara's Advocate2021Crime Patrol - SatarkHostMumbai Diaries 26/11Mrs. KelkarThe WhistleblowerZainab Parkar 2022Bus Bai Bas Herself Marathi Half Pants Full PantsPadma SubbaraoHindiDharavi BankJanvi Surve2023Crackdown Season 2Avantika ShroffSchool of LiesPallaviMumbai Diaries 26/11 – Season 2 Mrs. Kelkar2024Manvat MurdersRukminiMarathi2025Oops Ab Kya?Pakhi JaniHindiThe Trial Season 2Narayani Dhole
See also List of awards and nominations received by Sonali Kulkarni
References
External links
Sonali Kulkarni on Bollywood Hungama