Queen of all Screens - Bhakti Bharve

Today marks the death anniversary of one great artist- Bhakti Barve, who left a great impact on regional theatre art, movies, and television.

The multifaceted actor- Bhakti Bharve; Source: Public Domain

Indian theatre has a rich and colourful history, with its deep roots that can be traced back to the first millennium BC. In its present form, it is the amalgamation of various local and international elements of performance like singing, dancing, poetry etc.

The kind of acting that is done in theatres has a unique sense of authenticity and reliability associated with it. Method acting in particular, helps the actor to connect with the audience easily. A strong display of moving emotions by the actor who is immersed in the character is highly appreciated by the lovers of the art form. Theatre artists have introduced this effective technique in Bollywood films.

Various Bollywood actors like Supriya Pathak and Irrfan Khan have started their journey into the film industry from theatre only. Another extremely talented person who carved a niche for herself and made a successful jump from theatre to the silver screen was Bhakti Barve.

Born on 10th September 1948, Bhakti made her presence felt in Hindi, Gujarati, and Marathi cinema. She started her career by acting in the drama troupe, Little Theater and also worked as an announcer with the All India Radio for a short time. It is said that all roads take you to your destiny and Bhakti was destined to be an actor. Though she joined Doordarshan as newsreader and presenter, she soon got into acting. She starred in Doordarsshan’s critically acclaimed telefilm Bahinabai. Here, she played the role of saint-poetess Bahinabai Choudhary and got a lot of appreciation from audiences and critics alike.

Soon, Bhakti was offered roles in Marathi plays that catapulted her to fame. Her mesmerizing performance in Ajab Nyaya Vartulacha, Adhe-adhure, Tee Phul Rani, Ranga Mazha Vegala, and My Fair Lady made the plays a memorable experience for the audience. She was also a part of multiple successful television franchises.

Without any doubt, Bhakti Barve’s most notable performance was in the timeless Bollywood satirical comedy, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro.

Reminiscing her acting, co-actor Nasiruddin Shah mentions how she was the greatest actor on stage that he had ever seen.

Throughout her life, she worked for the development of Indian theatre and tried to win the much deserved appreciation. Actores often stop doing theatre-plays once they are into the cinema industry, but Bhakti always remained connected to the art form that sculpted her as a fine artist.