Daya Dongre

Some Lesser Known Facts About Daya Dongre

• From a young age, she showed a passion for performance and made her first stage appearance at just six years old, singing the song Khabardar Jar Taach Maruni during a theatre event.

• As a teenager, she performed on All India Radio and earned recognition for her classical and light music singing, which sparked her ambition to build a career in the performing arts.

• During her youth, she moved to Pune to pursue higher education and formally trained in classical music under Nageshbuwa Khalekar.

• Later, she briefly attended the National School of Drama (NSD) in Delhi to study theatre, but she had to discontinue due to marriage and family commitments.

• In the 1970s, Daya Dongre became a familiar name in Marathi theatre, performing in several successful plays such as Lekure Udand Jhali and Khatyal Sasu Nathal Soon, which established her as a strong and expressive actress.

• Daya Dongre appeared in the acclaimed Marathi movie Umbartha (1981) directed by Jabbar Patel, and later in Navri Mile Navryala (1984), directed by Sachin Pilgaonkar.

  

• During the 1980s and 1990s, she balanced her work across theatre, Marathi cinema, and television, even featuring in Hindi films such as Daulat Ki Jung.

• Despite receiving offers from Hindi cinema, Daya Dongre chose to remain primarily active in regional theatre and Marathi films.

• She passed away in 2025 at the age of 85 due to age-related ailments, leaving behind a legacy deeply rooted in Marathi performing arts.