Upendra Limaye
Encyclopedia
Upendra Limaye is a versatile Indian actor who has performed a wide variety of roles on stage, screen and television. He has earned several prestigious awards for acting. He has acted in numerous experimental plays, Marathi parallel films, television serials, Hindi mainstream movies and a few South Indian films. He has worked with renowned stage and film directors like Madhur Bhandarkar, Ram Gopal Verma, Amol Palekar, Rajiv Patil, Jabbar Patel, Satish Alekar, Vinay Apte, Waman Kendre, Chandrakant Kulkarni, Anant Mahadevan, Karupaniannan and others.
He began acting in school, in plays organised for social gatherings. He developed a liking for the stage, and in college opted to major in dramatic art. While studying, he co-founded, with three like-minded friends, an experimental theatre platform called ‘Parichay’, which produced a variety of plays over the course of next 9 years. His various roles in those plays brought him into prominence and established him as an accomplished artist. Eventually, this led to parts in Marathi parallel cinema and later in mainstream Hindi movies.
A multi-faceted actor with an astounding range, he brings a searing intensity and honesty to his performances. When he commits to a role, he is known to go all the way to bring the character alive. His essential integrity illuminates and deepens even the most ordinary of the characters he portrays.
His fresh, sincere and inspiring approach to acting was on full display in his lead role in the Marathi film, ‘Jogwa,’ directed by noted film maker Rajiv Patil. He gave a controlled, understated yet powerful performance, which earned him the Best Male Actor award at the 56th Indian National Films Awards in 2010. In the annals of the awards, he was the first Marathi actor to be honored with the distinction. Besides ‘Jogwa’, he has appeared in several National award-winning films, like ‘Mukta,’ ‘Bangarwadi,’ ‘Sarkarnama,’ ‘Dhyasparva’, ‘Chandni Bar,’ ‘Page 3,’ ‘Traffic Signal,’ to mention a few. He continues to be in popular demand by Marathi, Hindi and South Indian film makers.
He was the first member of his family to become a stage, television and screen actor. He had no hereditary ‘gift’ to bank on. Nor any of the advantages of the privileged. His rise as an acclaimed actor was the result of many unnoticed things. Passion, hard work, learning from actual experience, an open, enquiring, receptive mind avidly imbibing influences from all around him, humility to listen to and learn from the noted, established personalities in his field he came to work with, faith in himself. And, above all - as he frankly admits it - sheer luck. Luck in being at the right place at the right time and meeting the right people who gave him opportunities, boosted him, helped him hone his craft and evolve into a sincere, committed, professional artist.
For Junior College, he took admission in Pune's Bharti Vidyapeeth. Here, too, the cultural atmosphere was just right. He continued acting in plays, took part in various inter-collegiate drama contests, even won some awards for his acting. Yet, he remained merely curious about the field of acting, imbibing inputs for his craft from whatever sources were available at the time.
That changed in the 11th standard when one day he happened to see a professional drama called, ‘Padgham’, directed by Jabbar Patel. With its student union theme and powerful performances, ‘Padgham’ exerted a profound effect on Upendra. For the first time, he felt the sheer strength of drama. He sensed its amazing power to entertain, influence and move audiences. He was awed by its potential to offer artists a limitless field for personal creativity and expression. Now he knew he wanted to be an actor.
So, after the 12th exam, he decided to join Lalit Kala Kendra, the Centre for Performing Arts, to major in dramatic art. No one in his conventional home objected to his decision. His father merely told him: "Do whatever you like to do, but be at the top!” Enrolling in Lalit Kala Kendra marked the first turning point in his life.
But immediately after joining the college, to earn his upkeep, he secured a job with Pune’s Aludkar Music House, the only regular job he has ever held. The job, as destiny would have it, lasted just a year. For not long after, he met three drama devotees, Sanjay Pawar, Subodh Pande and Abhay Godse. They too, like him, yearned to do something different in the theatre field. It was 1988. The four friends got together and founded an Experimental Theatre platform called ‘Parichay’, and launched their novel dramatic movement.
In the next decade, Upendra acted in numerous experimental and commercial plays (see Theatre). With his talent getting recognised and lauded, barely three years after the founding of Parichay, he began getting parts in Marathi parallel cinema, produced by well-known film makers. He was now a versatile and recognised actor.
Totally immersed in the venture, the next three years saw Upendra appearing in several one-act and other plays, bagging numerous best actor, best director awards as well as the prestigious ‘Purushottam Trophy’ in state-level drama competitions. In 1990, he appeared in director Satish Alekar’s play, ‘Atireki’. He also featured in Parichay-produced play, ‘Kon Mhanato Takka Dila’ which became a huge success in the state-level drama competition and drew high praise from famous drama personalities like writer-actor P. L. Deshpande, renowned actor Nilu Phule and others.
Upendra Limaye had always believed that an actor should not restrict himself or herself to just one platform or one dramatic discipline, because it could impose severe restrictions, limit the actor’s growth and shut off other positive influences. That’s why, while he continued his active role with ‘Parichay’, he welcomed the opportunities offered by outside avenues.
Among them, a prominent one was Germany’s Grips Theatre Activity, which was primarily Children’s Theatre in which adult actors enacted the roles of children. First introduced in India in 1984-85 by renowned actor Dr Mohan Agashe, it was being vigorously boosted in Pune in the early 90s by director Srirang Godbole. While Children’s Theatre in India till then usually had childlike subjects as themes, such as kings and queens, magic, animal and birds, Grips Theatre had children’s contemporary issues as themes, like casteism, single-parent problems, modern traffic, pollution and others.
Thoroughly impressed and attracted by the prospect of playing the role of a child, Upendra eagerly attached himself to this new mode. From 1990 onwards for five years, he acted in numerous Grips Theatre plays, an actor in his 30s transforming himself into a child of 8 or 9. One of his plays, ‘Pahila Paan’ was staged over 200 times. As an actor’s exercise, it proved to be significantly valuable, teaching him “flexibility of mind, of body, to bring credibility to difficult roles.” It helped him grow as an actor.
Another one was his involvement in the Industrial Drama field. For five years, he directed numerous full-length plays for Pune-based Kirloskar Oil Engines. Staged all over the state, his plays twice won the 1st prize and once the 2nd prize in the Maharashtra State Industrial Dramatic competition. These plays cemented his reputation as a director.
During these years, he also attended various workshops in Pune, conducted by professional experts, relating to different aspects of drama and films. His purpose was simple: learn as much as possible about everything, not just acting.
One of these workshops was to result in his first collaboration as a technician with an internationally famed personality. David Greaves, the world famous mime theatre actor/director, held a 10-days workshop in Pune during which he organised an hour-long mime show. Upendra did the light designing for it, which was greatly lauded.
Another significant event marked a milestone during this period. Upendra got the assignment to direct a stage-show, ‘Sakhi Mazi Lavni.’ Produced by actress and lavni dancer Madhu Kambikar and choreographed by National award-winning artist, Laxmibai Kolhapurkar, it was unlike any other lavni show. A magnum opus, ‘Sakhi Mazi Lavni’ presented a sweeping view of traditional lavni, focusing on its origin as an art form, its base of classical music and its purity, its development and popularity, its deterioration over the years and its present pitiable state. Staged over 100 times all across the country, it became the first lavni show to earn unanimous critical acclaim.
Thus, in the decade following the founding of ‘Parichay,’ Upendra Limaye had blossomed, not just into a versatile actor, but also a competent director, light designer, backstage artist, stage designer. An actor playing diverse roles, not only on stage, but off the stage, too.
Also, during this period, he got the opportunity to work with renowned actors, directors, scriptwriters who influenced him deeply. From them he learnt the nuances and subtleties of his craft. People like Sanjay Pawar, who was 12-years his senior and who became a friend, philosopher, guide. Famous actor Nilu Phule, with whom he had long discussions about the art of acting. Directors like Jabbar Patel, Amol Palekar, Satish Alekar, Waman Kendre and others. For him it was like a crash course in acting. Yet, all his experience till then had been confined to experimental theatre and parallel cinema. So, although he had decided to continue working in the field, he still had not thought of acting as a career.
He came to Mumbai in 1999 to act in a mainstream commercial play, ‘Dr Aaap Bhi.’ But he had also arrived there with all his ideological baggage from the ‘Parichay’ decade. Notions about commercial compromise, about never taking up certain roles clashing with his ideological beliefs etc.
Bogged down thus in an inner ideological turmoil and trying to make a foothold in the industry, he happened to meet Sachin Khedekar, well-known actor who was then featuring in several TV serials. During his talks, Khedekar helped Upendra clear his self-restricting ideological notions. Khedekar, who became another friend, philosopher, guide, told him, in essence, “You don’t plan anything. Let others plan something for you. But when a role comes to you, you do your best. You would become a good professional actor only if you could convincingly do a role that you feel you are not ideologically suited to.”
So, Upendra resolved that he would accept any role, big or small, whether it brought monetary compensation or not, but made a commitment to himself to do it sincerely, to the best of his ability. This became his credo. And it has been his professional credo even since. And he feels the credo has served him well, because he feels “sincerity always counts, though it may not always bring immediate benefit. But your sincere efforts are never wasted.”
Soon after, noted director Vinay Apte offered him a role in his play, ‘Superhit No. 1.’ Although the play flopped, through its advertisements, people came to know that he was now stationed in Mumbai. Around the same time, soap operas and TV serials were beginning to boom. He had come to Mumbai at the right time. He began getting small roles in films and TV serials. And, as the characters he played became popular among TV audiences, more work poured in. But whatever the role, he stuck to his credo: doing his best, doing it a little differently, injecting some novel element to make the character memorable.
, for his forthcoming film, Chandni Bar
. Vinay Apte recommended him to Bhandarkar, who gave Upendra a small role in the film. Chandni Bar proved to be his entry into Bollywood’s mainstream cinema. Meanwhile, he continued getting parts in Marathi films and TV serials, where he was now a well-known actor.
In 2004, Madhur Bhandarkar in his new film Page 3
, decided to cast him for the role of Inspector Bhonsale. When Page 3 was released in 2005, it turned out to be a blockbuster.
It was his first mainstream commercial Bollywood movie. Noted film makers began calling him; offers poured in from South Indian film makers. After that, he appeared in a string of movies: Hindi film Shiva
, Madhur Bhandarkar's Traffic Signal
, Ram Gopal Verma's, Darling and Sarkar Raj, again in Ram Gopal Verma's crime drama, Contract, H. Kambli’s Pranali and Marathi films Urus.
It was a challenging role, of a man forced by tradition and social pressure, to wear a woman’s clothes and live as a woman in the service of a Goddess. Apparently, there was a great risk, too. If the role failed, the whole picture could sink. But as was his credo, Upendra gave the role everything he had, acutely conscious of the great responsibility on his shoulder. Luckily, all aspects of film making came together perfectly, including the actor’s special chemistry with the director. The rest was history.
When released in 2009, ‘Jogwa’ marked a milestone in Marathi cinema. It bagged 6 National Film awards, including the Best Male Actor award for Upendra, the first time in 56 years a Marathi film and a Marathi actor so honoured with the distinction. The film went on to win over 40 other awards.
Upendra has believed that focusing on the inner character of role, as much as the outer, is crucial to giving a good performance. In ‘Jogwa,’ he feels he “could have easily overplayed the role, become melodramatic. But I understood the character’s temperament and decided to convey his inner conflict, his rage and resistance in a restrained, controlled manner, conveying the storm of his emotions through expressions and gestures, rather than words. And it worked.”
He began acting in school, in plays organised for social gatherings. He developed a liking for the stage, and in college opted to major in dramatic art. While studying, he co-founded, with three like-minded friends, an experimental theatre platform called ‘Parichay’, which produced a variety of plays over the course of next 9 years. His various roles in those plays brought him into prominence and established him as an accomplished artist. Eventually, this led to parts in Marathi parallel cinema and later in mainstream Hindi movies.
A multi-faceted actor with an astounding range, he brings a searing intensity and honesty to his performances. When he commits to a role, he is known to go all the way to bring the character alive. His essential integrity illuminates and deepens even the most ordinary of the characters he portrays.
His fresh, sincere and inspiring approach to acting was on full display in his lead role in the Marathi film, ‘Jogwa,’ directed by noted film maker Rajiv Patil. He gave a controlled, understated yet powerful performance, which earned him the Best Male Actor award at the 56th Indian National Films Awards in 2010. In the annals of the awards, he was the first Marathi actor to be honored with the distinction. Besides ‘Jogwa’, he has appeared in several National award-winning films, like ‘Mukta,’ ‘Bangarwadi,’ ‘Sarkarnama,’ ‘Dhyasparva’, ‘Chandni Bar,’ ‘Page 3,’ ‘Traffic Signal,’ to mention a few. He continues to be in popular demand by Marathi, Hindi and South Indian film makers.
Family background
Upendra Limaye was born and grew up in a middle-class, conservative family in Pune’s suburb of Sadashiv Peth. His upbringing was shaped by a curious mixture of both: orthodoxy and somewhat liberal leanings. His father’s side was strictly conventional, adhering to the respected, age-old traditions. But his mother’s family, living nearby, was somewhat open and liberal, drawn to humour, poetry, artistic pursuits, tasteful cinema etc. Thus, he grew up, assimilating the best of both. He respected traditions, yet harboured a yearning for innovation.He was the first member of his family to become a stage, television and screen actor. He had no hereditary ‘gift’ to bank on. Nor any of the advantages of the privileged. His rise as an acclaimed actor was the result of many unnoticed things. Passion, hard work, learning from actual experience, an open, enquiring, receptive mind avidly imbibing influences from all around him, humility to listen to and learn from the noted, established personalities in his field he came to work with, faith in himself. And, above all - as he frankly admits it - sheer luck. Luck in being at the right place at the right time and meeting the right people who gave him opportunities, boosted him, helped him hone his craft and evolve into a sincere, committed, professional artist.
Start in school plays
Upendra Limaye studied up to the 10th standard in New English High School, Tilak Road, Pune. He was more interested in extra-curricular activities than studies. This prompted him to start taking part in the school’s social gatherings plays. He didn’t know it then. But the seeds of his career were sown in those school dramas. The school nurtured the growth of dramatic art. And his drama teacher, Mrs Bhanutai, supported and encouraged him, boosting his confidence in his ability to act. He took part in several school drama competitions, also became the school’s cultural representative, and developed a real liking for drama.For Junior College, he took admission in Pune's Bharti Vidyapeeth. Here, too, the cultural atmosphere was just right. He continued acting in plays, took part in various inter-collegiate drama contests, even won some awards for his acting. Yet, he remained merely curious about the field of acting, imbibing inputs for his craft from whatever sources were available at the time.
That changed in the 11th standard when one day he happened to see a professional drama called, ‘Padgham’, directed by Jabbar Patel. With its student union theme and powerful performances, ‘Padgham’ exerted a profound effect on Upendra. For the first time, he felt the sheer strength of drama. He sensed its amazing power to entertain, influence and move audiences. He was awed by its potential to offer artists a limitless field for personal creativity and expression. Now he knew he wanted to be an actor.
So, after the 12th exam, he decided to join Lalit Kala Kendra, the Centre for Performing Arts, to major in dramatic art. No one in his conventional home objected to his decision. His father merely told him: "Do whatever you like to do, but be at the top!” Enrolling in Lalit Kala Kendra marked the first turning point in his life.
But immediately after joining the college, to earn his upkeep, he secured a job with Pune’s Aludkar Music House, the only regular job he has ever held. The job, as destiny would have it, lasted just a year. For not long after, he met three drama devotees, Sanjay Pawar, Subodh Pande and Abhay Godse. They too, like him, yearned to do something different in the theatre field. It was 1988. The four friends got together and founded an Experimental Theatre platform called ‘Parichay’, and launched their novel dramatic movement.
In the next decade, Upendra acted in numerous experimental and commercial plays (see Theatre). With his talent getting recognised and lauded, barely three years after the founding of Parichay, he began getting parts in Marathi parallel cinema, produced by well-known film makers. He was now a versatile and recognised actor.
Theatre
In 1987, Upendra Limaye enrolled in Lalit Kala Kendra, the Centre for Performing Arts in Pune, to major in dramatic art. While studying there, he came in contact with three drama devotees, Sanjay Pawar, Subodh Pande and Abhay Godse who, like him, dreamt of doing something different in the theatre field. So, in 1988, the four friends got together and founded an Experimental Theatre platform called ‘Parichay’, and launched their novel dramatic movement.Totally immersed in the venture, the next three years saw Upendra appearing in several one-act and other plays, bagging numerous best actor, best director awards as well as the prestigious ‘Purushottam Trophy’ in state-level drama competitions. In 1990, he appeared in director Satish Alekar’s play, ‘Atireki’. He also featured in Parichay-produced play, ‘Kon Mhanato Takka Dila’ which became a huge success in the state-level drama competition and drew high praise from famous drama personalities like writer-actor P. L. Deshpande, renowned actor Nilu Phule and others.
Upendra Limaye had always believed that an actor should not restrict himself or herself to just one platform or one dramatic discipline, because it could impose severe restrictions, limit the actor’s growth and shut off other positive influences. That’s why, while he continued his active role with ‘Parichay’, he welcomed the opportunities offered by outside avenues.
Among them, a prominent one was Germany’s Grips Theatre Activity, which was primarily Children’s Theatre in which adult actors enacted the roles of children. First introduced in India in 1984-85 by renowned actor Dr Mohan Agashe, it was being vigorously boosted in Pune in the early 90s by director Srirang Godbole. While Children’s Theatre in India till then usually had childlike subjects as themes, such as kings and queens, magic, animal and birds, Grips Theatre had children’s contemporary issues as themes, like casteism, single-parent problems, modern traffic, pollution and others.
Thoroughly impressed and attracted by the prospect of playing the role of a child, Upendra eagerly attached himself to this new mode. From 1990 onwards for five years, he acted in numerous Grips Theatre plays, an actor in his 30s transforming himself into a child of 8 or 9. One of his plays, ‘Pahila Paan’ was staged over 200 times. As an actor’s exercise, it proved to be significantly valuable, teaching him “flexibility of mind, of body, to bring credibility to difficult roles.” It helped him grow as an actor.
Another one was his involvement in the Industrial Drama field. For five years, he directed numerous full-length plays for Pune-based Kirloskar Oil Engines. Staged all over the state, his plays twice won the 1st prize and once the 2nd prize in the Maharashtra State Industrial Dramatic competition. These plays cemented his reputation as a director.
During these years, he also attended various workshops in Pune, conducted by professional experts, relating to different aspects of drama and films. His purpose was simple: learn as much as possible about everything, not just acting.
One of these workshops was to result in his first collaboration as a technician with an internationally famed personality. David Greaves, the world famous mime theatre actor/director, held a 10-days workshop in Pune during which he organised an hour-long mime show. Upendra did the light designing for it, which was greatly lauded.
Another significant event marked a milestone during this period. Upendra got the assignment to direct a stage-show, ‘Sakhi Mazi Lavni.’ Produced by actress and lavni dancer Madhu Kambikar and choreographed by National award-winning artist, Laxmibai Kolhapurkar, it was unlike any other lavni show. A magnum opus, ‘Sakhi Mazi Lavni’ presented a sweeping view of traditional lavni, focusing on its origin as an art form, its base of classical music and its purity, its development and popularity, its deterioration over the years and its present pitiable state. Staged over 100 times all across the country, it became the first lavni show to earn unanimous critical acclaim.
Thus, in the decade following the founding of ‘Parichay,’ Upendra Limaye had blossomed, not just into a versatile actor, but also a competent director, light designer, backstage artist, stage designer. An actor playing diverse roles, not only on stage, but off the stage, too.
Learning period
For Upendra Limaye, 1988 onwards was also a period of learning. From his various experiences and interactions with directors, fellow artists, colleagues, subordinates, mentors, he imbibed, wittingly and unwittingly, hundreds of tips that enabled him to improve his performances and helped him “grow into a sensible human being and a sensible artist.”Also, during this period, he got the opportunity to work with renowned actors, directors, scriptwriters who influenced him deeply. From them he learnt the nuances and subtleties of his craft. People like Sanjay Pawar, who was 12-years his senior and who became a friend, philosopher, guide. Famous actor Nilu Phule, with whom he had long discussions about the art of acting. Directors like Jabbar Patel, Amol Palekar, Satish Alekar, Waman Kendre and others. For him it was like a crash course in acting. Yet, all his experience till then had been confined to experimental theatre and parallel cinema. So, although he had decided to continue working in the field, he still had not thought of acting as a career.
Shifting base to Mumbai
In 1998, ‘Parichay’, although initially formed by amateurs, completed a decade – a decade of spectacular run and successes. But now several of its members had moved on, opting for other careers, getting married or settling abroad, leaving only a few old timers. So, it now dawned on Upendra that he could no longer sustain the idealistic fervour that had driven him during the past decade. He realised he had to become practical about his career. He knew if he wanted to prove himself as a true artist, he had to go to Mumbai. He decided to shift his base there. That marked the second turning point in his career.He came to Mumbai in 1999 to act in a mainstream commercial play, ‘Dr Aaap Bhi.’ But he had also arrived there with all his ideological baggage from the ‘Parichay’ decade. Notions about commercial compromise, about never taking up certain roles clashing with his ideological beliefs etc.
Bogged down thus in an inner ideological turmoil and trying to make a foothold in the industry, he happened to meet Sachin Khedekar, well-known actor who was then featuring in several TV serials. During his talks, Khedekar helped Upendra clear his self-restricting ideological notions. Khedekar, who became another friend, philosopher, guide, told him, in essence, “You don’t plan anything. Let others plan something for you. But when a role comes to you, you do your best. You would become a good professional actor only if you could convincingly do a role that you feel you are not ideologically suited to.”
So, Upendra resolved that he would accept any role, big or small, whether it brought monetary compensation or not, but made a commitment to himself to do it sincerely, to the best of his ability. This became his credo. And it has been his professional credo even since. And he feels the credo has served him well, because he feels “sincerity always counts, though it may not always bring immediate benefit. But your sincere efforts are never wasted.”
Soon after, noted director Vinay Apte offered him a role in his play, ‘Superhit No. 1.’ Although the play flopped, through its advertisements, people came to know that he was now stationed in Mumbai. Around the same time, soap operas and TV serials were beginning to boom. He had come to Mumbai at the right time. He began getting small roles in films and TV serials. And, as the characters he played became popular among TV audiences, more work poured in. But whatever the role, he stuck to his credo: doing his best, doing it a little differently, injecting some novel element to make the character memorable.
Bollywood breaks
In Mumbai, his first break came around 2002. Vinay Apte, in whose play Upendra had earlier acted, was himself selected for a role by his friend, director Madhur BhandarkarMadhur Bhandarkar
Madhur Bhandarkar is a National Award-winning Indian film director, script writer, and producer. He is best known for his films such as Chandni Bar , Page 3 , Traffic Signal , and Fashion...
, for his forthcoming film, Chandni Bar
Chandni Bar
Chandni Bar is a 2001 Hindi film directed by Madhur Bhandarkar. It depicts the gritty life of the Mumbai underworld, including prostitution, dance bars and gun crime. The film stars Tabu and Atul Kulkarni in lead roles. It also stars Ananya Khare, Rajpal Yadav, Minakshi Sahani and Vishal Thakkar...
. Vinay Apte recommended him to Bhandarkar, who gave Upendra a small role in the film. Chandni Bar proved to be his entry into Bollywood’s mainstream cinema. Meanwhile, he continued getting parts in Marathi films and TV serials, where he was now a well-known actor.
In 2004, Madhur Bhandarkar in his new film Page 3
Page 3 (film)
Page 3 is a 2005 Indian film directed by Madhur Bhandarkar about the Page 3 Culture and media in the city of Mumbai. It stars Konkona Sen Sharma, Atul Kulkarni, Sandhya Mridul, Tara Sharma, Anju Mahendru, and Boman Irani...
, decided to cast him for the role of Inspector Bhonsale. When Page 3 was released in 2005, it turned out to be a blockbuster.
It was his first mainstream commercial Bollywood movie. Noted film makers began calling him; offers poured in from South Indian film makers. After that, he appeared in a string of movies: Hindi film Shiva
Shiva (2006 film)
Shiva is a 2006 Hindi film produced and directed by Ram Gopal Varma. The film is a remake of the 1989 Telugu film of the same name, which was the debut film of Varma as a director...
, Madhur Bhandarkar's Traffic Signal
Traffic Signal (film)
Traffic Signal is a Bollywood film directed by Madhur Bhandarkar, starring Kunal Khemu, Neetu Chandra, Ranvir Shorey and Konkona Sen Sharma in the lead. Produced by Baldev and Kavita Pushkarna, and written by Sachin Yardi, the film released on February 2, 2007...
, Ram Gopal Verma's, Darling and Sarkar Raj, again in Ram Gopal Verma's crime drama, Contract, H. Kambli’s Pranali and Marathi films Urus.
Role of a lifetime
Upendra had earlier worked with noted director Rajiv Patil in films ‘Savarkhed: Ek Gaav’ and ‘Blind Game’ and had developed a great rapport with him. And the director himself, an admirer of Upendra’s talent and his integrity, had harboured the idea of giving him a ‘lifetime role.’ That happened around 2008 when Patil was asked to do a new film called ‘Jogwa’ and he selected Upendra for the lead role.It was a challenging role, of a man forced by tradition and social pressure, to wear a woman’s clothes and live as a woman in the service of a Goddess. Apparently, there was a great risk, too. If the role failed, the whole picture could sink. But as was his credo, Upendra gave the role everything he had, acutely conscious of the great responsibility on his shoulder. Luckily, all aspects of film making came together perfectly, including the actor’s special chemistry with the director. The rest was history.
When released in 2009, ‘Jogwa’ marked a milestone in Marathi cinema. It bagged 6 National Film awards, including the Best Male Actor award for Upendra, the first time in 56 years a Marathi film and a Marathi actor so honoured with the distinction. The film went on to win over 40 other awards.
Upendra has believed that focusing on the inner character of role, as much as the outer, is crucial to giving a good performance. In ‘Jogwa,’ he feels he “could have easily overplayed the role, become melodramatic. But I understood the character’s temperament and decided to convey his inner conflict, his rage and resistance in a restrained, controlled manner, conveying the storm of his emotions through expressions and gestures, rather than words. And it worked.”
Personal life
Upenda Limaye is married to Dr Swati, and has a daughter, Bhairavi, and a son, Ved.Filmography
Films by Upendra Limaye| Year | Title | Language | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Mukta | Marathi | Activist | |
| 1995 | Bangarwadi | Marathi | Shekoo | |
| Katha Don Ganpatravanchi | Marathi | Rohodas | ||
| 1998 | Sarkarnama | Marathi | Sapkale | |
| 2000 | Kairee | Marathi | Deshpande Teacher | |
| 2001 | Dhyasparva/Kal Ka Admi | Marathi/Hindi | Press Owner | |
| 2003 | Chandni Bar Chandni Bar Chandni Bar is a 2001 Hindi film directed by Madhur Bhandarkar. It depicts the gritty life of the Mumbai underworld, including prostitution, dance bars and gun crime. The film stars Tabu and Atul Kulkarni in lead roles. It also stars Ananya Khare, Rajpal Yadav, Minakshi Sahani and Vishal Thakkar... |
Hindi | Gokul | |
| 2004 | Savarkhed: EK Gaav | Marathi | Surshya | |
| 2005 | Page 3 Page 3 (film) Page 3 is a 2005 Indian film directed by Madhur Bhandarkar about the Page 3 Culture and media in the city of Mumbai. It stars Konkona Sen Sharma, Atul Kulkarni, Sandhya Mridul, Tara Sharma, Anju Mahendru, and Boman Irani... |
Hindi | Inspector Bhonsale | |
| 2006 | Jatra:Hyalagaad Re Tyalagaad | Marathi | Ramdas Mali | |
| Blind Game | Marathi | Karamchand | ||
| Shiva Shiva (2006 film) Shiva is a 2006 Hindi film produced and directed by Ram Gopal Varma. The film is a remake of the 1989 Telugu film of the same name, which was the debut film of Varma as a director... |
Hindi | Bapu | ||
| Shivapathikaram | Tamil | Inspector | ||
| 2007 | Darling | Hindi | Inspector Reddy | |
| Traffic Signal Traffic Signal (film) Traffic Signal is a Bollywood film directed by Madhur Bhandarkar, starring Kunal Khemu, Neetu Chandra, Ranvir Shorey and Konkona Sen Sharma in the lead. Produced by Baldev and Kavita Pushkarna, and written by Sachin Yardi, the film released on February 2, 2007... |
Hindi | Manya Langda | ||
| Pranali | Hindi | Sultan | ||
| 2008 | Urus | Marathi | Mahadev | |
| Sarkar Raj | Hindi | Kantilal Vora | ||
| Contract Contract (2008 film) Contract is a Hindi film by Ram Gopal Verma, where the story revolves around an ex-commando man, Aman, whose wife and daughter are killed in a terrorist attack. A top undercover cop then approaches Aman to collaborate with him to hunt the mastermind of these terrorist attacks Sultan, who is... |
Hindi | Goonga | ||
| 2009 | Made in China | Marathi | Kailash | |
| Jogwa Jogwa Jogwa - The Awakening The film bagged five awards at the national film awards for 2008. National Film Award for Best Film on Social Issues, National Film Award for Best Actor for Uupendra Limaye, National Film Award for Best Music Direction for Ajay Atul, National Film Award for Best Male Playback... |
Marathi | Tayappa | Won Maharashtra State Government Awards for Best Actor National Film Award for Best Actor National Film Award for Best Actor The National Film Award for Best Actor is an honor presented annually at the National Film Awards of India to an actor who has delivered the best performance in a leading role within the Indian film industry.-Background:The Directorate of Film Festivals makes awards annually in several categories... |
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| 2010 | Mee Sindhutai Sapkal Mee Sindhutai Sapkal Mee Sindhutai Sapkal is an Indian Marathi film. The film was directed by Ananth Narayan Mahadevan. The film stars Tejaswani Pandit, Jyoti Chandekar, Upendra Limaye, Neena Kulkarni in leading roles.-Plot:... |
Marathi | Shrihari | |
| 2010-11 | Dhoosar | Marathi | Arjun | |
| 2010-11 | Mahaguru | Marathi | Shankar | |
| 2011 | My Name is 340 | Hindi | 340 | |