Biography
USHA JADHAV is a national award winning Indian Actor. Her work spans the spectrum of feature films, shorts films, television and advertising.
She shot into the spotlight with the acclaimed 2012 Marathi film Dhag that won numerous awards including Government of India’s National Award for Best Female Actor.
SKILLS
Languages:
Fluent in English, Hindi, Marathi; dialects/accents include learning Spanish
Sports/Athletics include:
Juggling, Tumbling. Yoga, Horse Riding and Swimming
Physical Characteristics
Hair: Black
Height: 5’4” (1,62m.)
Weight: 110 lbs (50 kg.)
Plays Age Range: 28-45
2007 to present
Served as a Brand Ambassador for Red Ribbon Revolution that works for HIV+ kids. Featured in the Indian National Anthem film made by Women In Films And Television India. Participated as a Jury in All Lights India International Film Festival, Kochi, India.
Like all unlikely heroes, Usha Jadhav is often asked the question: why do you want to be an actor? Her answer is inspiring: “Curiosity about people, events and the bigger set called life. This makes you want to go deeper and know more about what makes people and things work, or not work. This is the thing that has always ignited excitement, passion and the fire within me and that is what I want to apply as an actor. To go beyond our human connect or disconnect. I always try and ask of the character I am playing: what made them do /say/react to something? Then begins my quest for that moment of truth in that person. And this is what drives me to be an actor. Seeking the truth!
Usha Jadhav is the recipient of the highest acting honours in India - the National Film Award for Best Actress at the hands of the President of India for her searing performance of a poverty stricken village girl who is forced to cremate dead bodies for a living in the Marathi language feature Dhag.
In 2019, Usha received Best Actress Award at 50th IFFI-GOA, A Class Film Festival, by the Official Section Jury (Lynne Ramasy, Robin Campillo, Zhang Yang, John Bailey, Ramesh Sippy) as the protagonist of ‘Mai Ghat: Crime no 103/2005 feature film.
Raised in a simple lower middle-class Maharashtrian family in the city of Kolhapur, Usha is the second youngest of 6 siblings - a brother and four sisters, her mother is a house-wife who relentlessly cared for all her children while her father, a retired ex-military man and a music teacher took up private tuition to ensure his children would receive the best education possible.
After graduation from Junior College, she moved to the city of Pune working in a travel company with a starting salary of INR 3000. Two years down the line, she realized this is not the life she wanted or aspired. So she quit her job and packed her bags for Mumbai in pursuit of her life-long dream of becoming an actor, working at a day job to support herself while auditioning at various production houses.
Her journey from a middle-class Kaikadi nomadic tribe in Kolhapur to the big screen in Mumbai has been one of sheer grit and determination. Her keen sense of observation, application and confidence has earned her the admiration of top film makers in India and her repertoire of roles stand testimony to her talent.
Usha goes beyond the realm of show business too. She is deeply committed to working alongside young children who are underprivileged and are HIV positive.
She lives in Mumbai and has her ambitions set on film frontiers in the rest of the globe. “To be a an actor the with a global reach, to be part of path breaking films made across the world is a dream she is passionately following.
Filmography
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Feature Films
2022 El Salto
Director : Benito Zambrano
Producer : Cine365 Films
Spanish Language
2021 Biswa
Director : Anuj Tyagi
Producer : Eleenora Images Pvt Ltd
Hindi Language
2020 Reset - La Nueva Normalidad
Director : Alejandro Cortés
Producer : Aragon TV
Spanish Language
2019 Mai Ghat: Crime no 103/2005
Director : Anand Mahadevan
Producer : Alchemy Vision
Marathi Language
2019 Firebrand (Original Netflix Film)
Director : Aruna Raje
Producer : Madhu Chopra & Priyanka Chopra
Marathi Language
2018 Be Happy!
Director : Ventura Pons
Producer : Els Films de la rambla
Language : Catalan & English
2017 Salt Bridge . Lead (Indo-Australian Film)
Director : Abhijit Deonath
2016 Veerappan. Lead (Hindi Film)
Director : Ram Gopal Verma
2015 Lucknow Times . Lead (Hindi Film)
Director : Sudipto Sen
2014 Bhoothnath Returns.Lead Character (Hindi Film)
Director : Nitesh Tiwari
2012 Dhag. Lead (Marathi Film)
Director : Shivaji Patil
2010 Ashok Chakra: Tribute to Real Heroes .Character (Hindi Film)
Director : S. P. Muneshwar
2010 Striker . Character (Hindi Film)
Director : Chandan Arora
2009 Do Paise Ki Dhoop, Chaar Aane Ki Baarish .Character (Hindi Film)
Director : Deepti Naval
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Short films
2012 What's for the breakfast
Director : Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
2010 My Naughty Wife
Director : Deepak Nangliya
2010 Gaali
Director : Deepak Nangliya -
TV
2012 Lakhon Mein Ek . Lead Hindi Episodic StarPlus
Director : Anant Mahadevan
2009 Rajuben . Character Hindi Episodic Sony TV
Director : Lalit Marathe -
Ad Films
Head and Shoulders Shampoo
JeevanSathi.Com
Idea Cellular
Hindustan Times
Tata Docomo
Fevicol Moochwali
Rin Soap
5 Public Service ad films
ICICI Bank
KBC Promo
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Forthcoming Projects
Mirada de Vidrio ( Feature Film )
Director : Alejandro Cortés
European Production
Spanish Language
Awards
National award
Portfolio
Showreel
What is an Inspiration?
Everyday I am inspired by this thought by Meryl Streep, “My own bias is to educate yourself in everything but acting. Learn about the world. Learn about everything else. Learn about the human condition. That's the kind of actor I wanted to be. I'm curious about everything and everybody and not to limit myself with a certain kind of acting. ......... MERYL STREEP said this in 1970's after she won her first Oscar for Sophie's choice”.