Birthday Wishes to actress Sandhya Shantaram

Sandhya (born 27 Sep 1938) is an Indian film actress. She is best known for her appearances in various Hindi and Marathi films directed by her husband V. Shantaram, in 1950s-1960s, most notably Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje (1955), Do Aankhen Barah Haath (1958), Navrang (1959) and Marathi film Pinjra (1972) Amar Bhoopali (1951).

Sandhya was discovered by V. Shantaram  when he was seeking new faces to cast for his film Amar Bhoopali (1951). The young woman did not have outstanding features or talent, but what struck the filmmaker was that she had a good voice, one that strangely resembled that of his second wife, the actress Jayshree.  She later married him after Jayashree left him. In 1952 Sandhya debuted as an actress in his Marathi film Amar Bhoopali in the role of a vocalist, the object of poet Honaji Bala's desire. She went on to feature in most of Shantaram's films. In her next film Teen Batti Char Raasta (1953) she played an impoverished girl who is considered unattractive because of her dark skin, but who is secretly a radio star with a beautiful singing voice. For the role Sandhya wore dark makeup.

As she had no formal dance training, she underwent intensive instruction in classical dance from co-star Gopi Krishna for the film Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje. The two play Kathak dancers who are preparing for an important competition, but face opposition from their dance guru when they fall in love. The film was very successful and went on to win four Filmfare Awards as well as the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi. Sandhya starred opposite her husband in the film Do Aankhen Barah Haath where she played Champa, a toyseller who fascinates the warden and inmates as she walks outside their jail. In Navrang she played the plain wife of the titular character, a poet, who creates a fantasy image of her as his beautiful and sensuous muse. The film contained the Holi song "Arreh Jaa Reh Hat Natkhat" where Sandhya dances with an elephant wearing ghungroo.

She next starred in Stree (1961), a film version of Shakuntala's story from the Mahabharata. As the epic mentions that Shukunlanta and her son Bharata lived in the wilderness among lions, Shantaram decided to include real lions in some scenes. Sandhya did not have a double for these scenes; she prepared by shadowing a lion tamer and practicing in the cage with the lions. Sandhya's last major role was in the Marathi version of Pinjra; her character falls in love with a schoolteacher played by Shriram Lagoo in his film debut.

In 2009, she made a special appearance at the V. Shantaram Awards ceremony to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Navrang.

Filmography
1952 Amar Bhoopali
1952 Parchhain
1953 Teen Batti Char Raasta
1955 Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje
1958 Do Aankhen Barah Haath
1959 Navrang
1961 Stree
1963 Sehra
1966 Ladki Sahyadri Ki
1971 Jal Bin Machhli Nritya Bin Bijli
1972 Pinjra