Maharashtra State Film Award for Best Actress

The Maharashtra State Film Award for Best Actress is an award, begun in 1962, presented annually at the Maharashtra State Film Awards of India to an actor for best performance in a Marathi cinema. The awardees are decided by a jury constituted every year. They are announced by the Minister for Cultural Affairs and are presented by the Chief Minister.

Maharashtra State Film Award for Best Actress
The 2023 recipient: Rinku Rajguru for Asha
Awarded for	Best performance by an actress in a Marathi film
Reward(s)	₹100,000 (US$1,200)
First award	1962
Final award	2025
Most recent winner	Rinku Rajguru
Highlights
Most awards	Jayshree Gadkar 5 Sonali Kulkarni 3 Mukta Barve 3
Total awarded	62
First winner	Sulochana Latkar
Last winner	Rinku Rajguru

The inaugural award was named as "Smita Patil Award for Best Actress" and was awarded to Sulochana for the film Prapanch, directed by Madhukar Pathak.

Winners

Jayshree Gadkar (top) and Sonali Kulkarni (bottom) are the most frequent winners with five and Three awards respectively.

Year	Image	Recipient(s)	Film(s)	Ref.
1962		Sulochana Latkar	Prapanch	[1]
1963		Usha Kiran	Garibagharchi Lek
	–	Asha Potdar	Prem Andhla Asta	[2]
1964		Seema Deo	Pahu Re Kiti Vaat
1965		Jayshree Gadkar	Sawaal Majha Aika!
1966		Jayshree Gadkar	Sadhi Mansa
1967		Jayshree Gadkar	Thamb Laxmi Kunku Lavte
1968	–	Uma Bhende	Aamhi Jato Amuchya Gava
1969	–	Anupama	Dharmakanya
1970		Jayshree Gadkar	Vaijayanta
1971		Sulabha Deshpande	Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe
1972		Sandhya Shantaram	Pinjara
1974		Jayshree T.	Bayanno Navre Sambhala
1975	–	Leela Gandhi	Kartiki
1976		Jayshree Gadkar	Ghar Gangechya Kathi	[3]
		Kanan Kaushal	Pahuni
1978		Smita Patil	Jait Re Jait	[4]
1979		Usha Chavan	Bot Lavin Titha Gudgulya	[5]
1980		Usha Chavan	Paij Choravar More
1981	–	Ranjana	Are Sansar Sansar	[6]
1982		Smita Patil	Umbartha	[7]
1983		Madhu Kambikar	Shapit	[8]
1984		Madhu Kambikar	Hech Maze Maher
1985		Alka Kubal	Streedhan
1986		Alka Kubal	Tuzya Vachun Karmena
1987		Varsha Usgaonkar	Gammat Jammat	[9]
1988		Supriya Pilgaonkar	Maza Pati Karodpati	[9]
1989		Savita Prabhune	Kalat Nakalat	[9]
1990	–	Meera Latkar	Aaghat
1991		Archana Joglekar	Anpekshit
1992		Ashwini Bhave	Aahuti
1993		Neena Kulkarni	Savat Mazi Ladki
1994		Mrinal Kulkarni	Maza Saubhagya
1995		Sonali Kulkarni	Doghi	[10]
1996		Sukanya Kulkarni	Putravati
1997		Varsha Usgaonkar	Paij Lagnachi
1998		Suhas Joshi	Tu Tithe Mee
1999	–	Aishwarya Narkar	Ghe Bharari
2000		Tabu	Astitva
2001		Reema Lagoo	Reshamgath	[11]
2002	–	Vrinda Gajendra	Krishnakathchi Meera
2003	–	Aditi Deshpande	Not Only Mrs. Raut
2004		Neena Kulkarni	Uttarayan	[12]
2005		Sonali Kulkarni	Devrai
2006		Nandita Das	Maati Maay
2007		Ashwini Bhave	Kadachit
2008		Mukta Barve	Jogwa	[13]
2009	–	Madhavi Juvekar	Jhing Chik Jhing
2011		Manasi Salvi	Sadrakshnay
2012		Priya Bapat	Kaksparsh	[14]
2013		Smita Tambe	72 Miles	[15]
2014		Priya Bapat	Happy Journey
2015		Mukta Barve	Double Seat
2016		Iravati Harshe	Kaasav
2017		Pooja Sawant	Bhetali Tu Punha
2018		Mukta Barve	Bandishala
2019		Mrunmayee Deshpande	Miss U Mister
2020	–	Mrinmayee Godbole	Godakath
2021		Sonali Kulkarni	Tich Shahar Hona
2022		Amruta Khanvilkar	Chandramukhi	[16][17]
		Sai Tamhankar	Pondicherry
2023		Rinku Rajguru	Asha	[18]

Winners and Nominee

Year	Photos of winners	Actor	Role(s)	Film	Ref.
2015		Mukta Barve	Manjiri Naik	Double Seat
		Smita Tambe	Sugandha	Partu
		Mrunmayee Deshpande	Saumya	Anuraag
2017		Pooja Sawant	Ashwini	Bhetali Tu Punha
		Chhaya Kadam	Chhaya	Redu
		Tejashree Pradhan	Kiran Paranjpe	Asehi Ekada Vhave
2019		Mrunmayee Deshpande	Kaveri	Miss U Mister
		Sonali Kulkarni	Vimal	Pension
		Bhagyashree Milind	Anandi Gopal Joshi	Anandi Gopal

Year	Photos of winners	Actor	Role(s)	Film	Ref.
2020		Mrinmayee Godbole	Preeti	Godakath
		Sayali Sanjeev	Indrayani	Goshta Eka Paithanichi
		Akshaya Gurav	Saguna	Bittersweet
2021		Sonali Kulkarni	Archana	Tich Shahar Hone
		Mrunmayee Deshpande		Bebhaan
		Smita Tambe	Gauri	Gaurichya Lagnala Yayach haa
2022		Sai Tamhankar	Nikita	Pondicherry
		Amruta Khanvilkar	Chandramukhi	Chandramukhi
		Sonalee Kulkarni	Shefali	Tamasha Live
2023		Rinku Rajguru	Asha	Asha
		Vaidehi Parshurami	Jaggu Ani Juliet	Juliet
		Kiran Khoje	Janabai Bhoyar	Terava

Multiple wins

Individuals with two or more Best Actress (BA) awards:

Wins	Actress
5	Jayshree Gadkar
3	Sonali Kulkarni
	Mukta Barve
2	Smita Patil Madhu Kambikar Alka Kubal Varsha Usgaonkar Ashwini Bhave Neena Kulkarni Priya Bapat Usha Chavan

Superlatives

• The first recipient was Sulochana Latkar, who was honoured at the 1st Maharashtra State Film Awards in 1962 for her performance in Prapanch.^[1]
• The actress who won the most awards in this category is Jayshree Gadkar with five wins, followed by Sonali Kulkarni and Mukta Barve both with three wins.^[13]
• As of 2024, Smita Patil, Usha Chavan, Madhu Kambikar, Alka Kubal, Varsha Usgaonkar, Ashwini Bhave, Neena Kulkarni and Priya Bapat have won the award two times.^[14]
• As of 2024, Varsha Usgaonkar remains the youngest recipient of the honour; She was awarded for the film Gammat Jammat in 1988 when She was 20. The most eldest recipient was Suhas Joshi; she was awarded for her film Tu Tithe Mee in 1998.