Urmila Matondkar (born 4 February 1974) is an Indian actress and politician. Known for her work primarily in Hindi films, in addition to Telugu, Malayalam, Marathi and Tamil films, she has received numerous accolades, including the Filmfare Award and the Nandi Award. Having established a distinctive on-screen persona, she is known for her style statements and dancing skills. After making her debut as a child in the 1977 film Karm, Matondkar gained wide recognition with Masoom (1983), following which she appeared in few other films. Her first lead role came with the Malayalam film Chanakyan (1989), and her subsequent lead role in Hindi cinema with Narsimha (1991), both of which were commercial successes. After a brief setback, Matondkar established herself as a leading actress with the romance Rangeela (1995), the drama Judaai (1997), the crime film Satya (1998), the romantic comedy Khoobsurat (1999), and the thriller Jungle (2000). She also achieved success in Telugu and Tamil cinema with starring roles in Antham (1992), Gaayam (1993), Indian (1996) and Anaganaga Oka Roju (1997). Matondkar garnered critical recognition for portraying a range of intense characters in several psychological thrillers and horror films, including a serial killer in Kaun (1999), an obsessive lover in Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya (2001), a possessed woman in Bhoot (2003) and a violent avenger in Ek Hasina Thi (2004). During these years, she collaborated with independent filmmakers in art-house cinema, including the dramas Tehzeeb (2003), Pinjar (2003), Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara (2005), Bas Ek Pal (2006) and the Marathi film Ajoba (2014). In addition to acting in films, Matondkar is involved with several humanitarian causes and is vocal about issues faced by women and children. She has participated in concert tours and stage shows, and featured as a talent judge for various dance reality shows, including Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa (2007) and DID Super Moms (2022). Early and personal life Matondkar was born on 4 February 1974 to Shrikant and Sunita Matondkar in present-day Mumbai in a Hindu Maharashtrian family. She studied at DG Ruparel College, Mumbai. She married Kashmir based businessman and model Mohsin Akhtar Mir on 3 March 2016. Acting career Debut and work as child artist (1977–88) Matondkar made her film debut as a child artiste in B.R. Chopra's Karm (1977). Subsequently, she featured in Shreeram Lagoo's Marathi film Zaakol (1980), Shyam Benegal's crime Kalyug (1980), Shekhar Kapur's drama Masoom (1983), Praveen Bhatt's Bhavna (1984),