Nishigandha Wad (; born 11 October 1969) is an Indian actress and author known for her work in Marathi cinema, television, and theatre, while also appearing in Hindi films and television. With a career spanning more than three decades, she became a prominent presence in Marathi cinema during the 1990s, particularly known for portraying strong and independent female characters, and later established a parallel career in Hindi television.
Wad began performing as a child in Marathi stage productions before making her television debut in the serial Aavhan, which brought her early recognition. She entered Hindi films with Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro (1989) and made her Marathi film debut opposite Ashok Saraf in Sachin Pilgaonkar's Eka Peksha Ek, going on to appear in films such as Shejari Shejari (1990), Bandhan (1991), Bala Jo Jo Re (1993), and Sada Haldi Kunkwacha (1997) as well as more than twenty-five television serials, including Kulvadhu (2008–2010). From the 2000s, she broadened her work in Hindi film and television, with roles in Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge (2002), the long-running serial Sasural Simar Ka (2011–2018), Wazir (2016), and Race 3 (2018), and later played Jijabai in the historical serial Jai Bhavani Jai Shivaji (2021) and the film Har Har Mahadev (2022). She has since continued to work in Hindi television, including Suman Indori (2024–2025) and O Humnava Tum Dena Saath Mera (2026).
Alongside her acting career, Wad has pursued academic research extensively, completing a PhD from the University of Mumbai in 2003 on the changing role of women in Marathi and British theatre, and a second PhD in 2013 on women's empowerment; she is currently pursuing a third doctorate on the poetry of Shanta Shelke. In addition, she has authored several Marathi-language books, three of which have received Maharashtra state literary awards.
Early life Nishigandha Wad was born on 11 October 1969 in Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra, to the writer Vijaya Wad and Dr. Vijay Wad. She has a younger sister, Prajakta, who works as a medical professional. Raised in a household with strong literary and academic leanings, Wad took an early interest in acting, taking part in cultural programmes and school plays while studying in primary school.
Her performances at inter-school drama competitions earned her recognition during her school years, and while in the sixth standard she received a National Scholarship for Dramatics from the Department of Culture, Government of India. She trained at a theatre workshop conducted by the actress Sulabha Deshpande and subsequently appeared in stage productions including Durga Zhali Gauri and Mukhwata, directed by Amol Palekar. She also received training in classical Kathak from veteran K. Rajkumar. During her secondary schooling, she also acted in commercial Marathi plays such as Premachya Gava Jaave, Moruchi Mavshi and Asa Ghadla Kasa.
Alongside her early theatrical pursuits, Wad was a strong academic performer, ranking 44th in the state in her Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination and third in her Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination.
Career Wad was noticed by Atmaram Bhende in 1987, who gave her a television break with his directorial Marathi serial Aavhan, written by Jaywant Dalvi, in which she played Veena; the serial went on to become a major success, earning her several Best Actress honours in the years that followed. In 1989, she made her Hindi film debut with a role in Saeed Akhtar Mirza's Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro.
Wad made her Marathi film debut in 1990 with Sachin Pilgaonkar's comedy Eka Peksha Ek, followed by Shejari Shejari the same year, both of which starred her opposite Ashok Saraf. She subsequently appeared in leading roles in films such as Bandhan (1991), Vaat Pahate Punvechi (1992), Wajva Re Wajva (1993), Premankur (1993) and Topi Var Topi (1994). In 1993, Wad starred opposite Ajinkya Deo in Bala Jo Jo Re, a Marathi remake of the 1985 Hindi film Sanjog, and also portrayed Maharani Tarabai, the courageous Maratha queen who led the Maratha Empire against Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, in Dinkar D. Patil’s historical film Shivrayachi Soon Tararani. During this period, she also appeared in supporting roles in Hindi films such as Pratikar (1991) and Karm Yodha (1992).
In the mid-1990s, Wad expanded her television career with shows such as Daastaan, which was filmed in the United Arab Emirates, and Aakhir Kaun. She also appeared in episodic roles in popular television series including Zee Horror Show, Saturday Suspense, X Zone and Star Bestsellers. She continued to work in Marathi cinema through the late 1990s and early 2000s, appearing in films such as Sada Haldi Kunkwacha (1997), Rang Premacha (1998), Pathrakhin (1999), Navra Majhya Muthit Ga (2000), Hrudaysparshi (2000), and He Khel Nashibache (2001), often portraying strong, independent female characters alongside actors such as Ashok Saraf, Ajinkya Deo, Ramesh Bhatkar and Ashok Shinde.
From the early 2000s, Wad explored further into Hindi cinema and television, increasingly taking on supporting and character roles. She played Salman Khan’s mother in Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge and Ameesha Patel’s caring aunt in Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage, and went on to portray mother and elder roles in several Hindi films. In 2006, she starred in the Marathi drama Akhand Saubhagyawati, directed and produced by her husband, Deepak Deulkar. Around the same period, she gained wider recognition for her performance in Zee Marathi’s popular daily soap Kulvadhu, alongside Milind Gunaji, Poorva Gokhale and Subodh Bhave. In 2012, she took on one of her few Hindi film lead roles in the drama In the Name of Tai, in which she played Tai, a courageous village lawyer who fights against powerful builders and politicians to protect her community’s land. Although the film received mixed reviews, her performance was praised, with The Times of India noting that Wad brought dignity to the film.
The 2010s were largely dominated by her television work. Wad appeared in the long-running Hindi serial Sasural Simar Ka (2011–2016), playing Sujata Bharadwaj, and later featured in Sajda Tere Pyaar Mein (2012), Khushiyon Kii Gullak Aashi (2014) and Savitri Devi College & Hospital (2017–2018). On the film front, she played Aditi Rao Hydari’s mother in the Hindi thriller Wazir (2016) and later portrayed Anil Kapoor’s wife in the action film Race 3 (2018).
In 2021, Wad returned to Marathi television after nearly a decade away from the medium, taking on the role of Rajmata Jijau in the Star Pravah's historical serial Jai Bhavani Jai Shivaji. The following year, she reprised the role in Abhijeet Deshpande’s historical action film Har Har Mahadev, which grossed around ₹25 crore (US$2.6 million) and became the third-highest-grossing Marathi film of 2022. Wad later played Hina Akhtar, a strong-willed and traditional woman whose past actions become central to Ghazal’s quest for revenge, in the Hindi serial Rabb Se Hai Dua (2023–2024) and subsequently joined the Colors TV family drama Suman Indori (2024–2025), where she played a senior member of the Mittal family. In 2026, she appeared in the television series Mahadev & Sons as Radha Bajpai.
Personal life and other works Wad is married to actor Deepak Deulkar, known for playing Balram in the television series Shri Krishna (1993–1997). The couple, who live in Mumbai, have a daughter named Ishwari.
Wad completed a doctorate from the University of Mumbai in 2003, under the guidance of historian Varsha Shirgaonkar, with a dissertation titled Changing Role of Women in Society – Reflections from Marathi and British Theatres. In a 2021 interview, Wad said she had gone on to pursue two further doctorates, one on women's empowerment beginning in 2013 and another, then in progress, on the poetry of Shantabai Shelke. Alongside acting, she has authored several Marathi-language books, some of which have received state literary honours, and has spoken publicly on subjects such as women's empowerment and personal relationships. She also served as the editor of the Marathi magazine CharChoughi for more than a decade.
In December 2020, comments she made opposing same-sex marriage during an appearance on a Marathi talk show drew online criticism. She later told The Times of India that she was not homophobic and that her remarks had been misconstrued.
Filmography Films YearTitleRoleLanguage Notes 1989Salim Langde Pe Mat RoAneesHindi 1990Eka Peksha EkAnuradha ShindeMarathiShejari ShejariSushila Kulkarni 1991Gunehgar KaunRamaHindi BandhanPramila Jadhav Marathi PratikarPriya Hindi 1992Karm YodhaAnjaliAnuradhaAnuradha Marathi Vaat Pahate PunvechiAnjali UrangaonkarGruhpraveshPooja1993Bala Jo Jo RePooja Naik / Aarti Naik Wajva Re WajvaSwatiShivrayanchi Soon TararaniMaharani Tarabai BhonsleJanmathepSandhya Bhosale PremankurKrishnapriya ChiplunkarPorkaSavitri Tu SukhkartaAarti 1994Bajrangachi KamalPriya PradhanSasar MaherVijaya JanmadaataKunda 1995Topi Var TopiRatna Painjan1997DaadagiriRadha SinhaHindi Sada Haldi Kunkwacha Marathi 1998 Shandhyug1999Rang PremachaSumati (Suma)SaubhagyaMaa KasamAcharya's wifeHindiManusPallavi karmarkar MarathiPratidav MotherMrs. SinhaHindi Pathrakhin Naina Marathi2000HrudaysparshiRashmi Navra Majhya Muthit GaUsha 2001Ashi DnyaneshwariSujata Kulkarni He Khel Nashibache2002DeewangeeDhristi Hindi Tumko Na Bhool PaayengeGeeta Singh Thakur Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne LageNisha Dholakia2003Indian BabuThakur's wife Bhaubeej Mrs Mansingh yadav Marathi 2004Thoda Tum Badlo Thoda HumUshaHindiThe HopeAlibaba Aur 40 ChorRazia Abhalachi Savli Marathi 2006Akhand Saubhagyawati2007Life Mein Kabhie KabhieeRamkant ChaugleHindi2008Om Shanti: Fight for Peace2010RokkkMrs. WardaShaapitKaaya's mother2012In the Name of TaiSandhya Purshottam (Tai)2013JanmantarMarathi2014Sata Lota Pan Sagla KhotaSatyavan's wife 2015Bhaag JohnnySabitri AroraHindiMala Aai PaahijeMarathi2016Prem Kahani Ek Lapleli GoshtaSujataPrem SankatWazirRuhana's mother Hindi 2017GarbhMarathiA Daughter's Tale PankhVidyaHindi2018Dr Tatya LahaneMarathiAtrocityRace 3Sumitra Ranchod SinghHindi2020Shaheed Bhai KotwalGauru AtyaMarathi2021The Unknown NumberMadhuHindiShort film2022AasharyaMarathiRaadaVahinisahebHar Har MahadevRajmata Jijau2023Lai Jhakaas2024RudraManmauji2026Tula PahataSagar’s mother
Television YearTitleRoleLanguage NetworkNotesRef.1987AavhanVeenaMarathiDD Sahyadri1990–1991Peecha KaroSaritaHindiDD Metro1995–1996DaastaanNishi MalhotraZee TV1996Aakhir KaunNishaDD National1997–1998Zee Horror ShowPoornima / Roopa / Dr. SobhaZee TVEpisodic role1997–1998KhamoshiHome TV1997–1998Saturday SuspenseZee TVEpisodic role1998X ZoneRajni SharmaZee TVEpisodic role1999Star BestsellersStarPlusEpisodic role2002UjalaDD National2003–2004Kabhie KabhieAapaZee TVEpisodic role2004Chaudah PhereDoordarshan2004–2005Pyaar Ki Kashti MeinSTAR One 2005 CID Special Bureau Mamata Somnath KhannaSETEpisodic role2006–2009Ssshhhh... Phir Koi HaiNeha PuriStar One2007SautelaShakuntala AryaDD National2008Waqt Batayega Kaun Apna Kaun ParayaSunandaSET 2008–2010 KulvadhuPriyadarshini Rajeshirke MarathiZee Marathi2009–2010Tuz Ni Maz Ghar ShrimantachAnusuya Waman DeshmukhStar Pravah 2010–2011 Matti Ki Banno Janaki SinghHindiColors TV2011–2016Sasural Simar KaSujata Bharadwaj Colors TV2012Sajda Tere Pyaar MeinMrs. Chauhan StarPlus2014Khushiyon Kii Gullak Aashi PrabhaSony PAL2016AmmaLakshmi ShettyZee TV2017–2018Savitri Devi College & Hospital Savitri Malhotra Colors TV2019Meri GudiyaParvati GujralStar Bharat2019Pratibha Ani PratimaHostMarathiDD Sahyadri2021Jay Bhawani Jay ShivajiRajmata JijauStar Pravah2022Kabhi Kabhie Ittefaq SeySargam KulshreshthHindiStarPlus 2022–2024 Rabb Se Hai Dua Hina AkhtarZee TV2022Side effectsPrincipalMovieflex 2024–2025 Suman Indori Geetanjali MittalColors TV 2025 Jamai No. 1 Uma Dikshit Srivastav Zee TV 2026 Mahadev & SonsRadha BajpaiColors TV2026–presentOh Humnava Tum Dena Saath MeraSudhaStarPlus
Theatre
Durga Zhali Gauri Mukhwata