Legendary Actress Sandhya Shantaram's Reclusive Life Revealed

Sandhya Shantaram, a renowned actress who passed away in October 2021, was known for her work in several classic films directed by her husband, V Shantaram. From her debut in Amar Bhoopali in 1951 to her iconic performances in Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje, Navrang, and Pinjra, Sandhya was closely associated with her husband's creative vision.

After V Shantaram's death in 1990, Sandhya led a reclusive life, isolated from the public and living in the home she had shared with the filmmaker on the top floor of their Rajkamal Kalamandir studio. Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, a huge fan of Shantaram's work, had hoped to catch a glimpse of Sandhya during his visits to the studio to mix his films, but that never happened. Bhansali remarked that they only saw Sandhya on the screen, much like the legendary actress Suchitra Sen.

Sandhya's last years were spent in complete solitude, with no relatives or friends to care for her. She even had to rely on the househelp to take her to the hospital when she fractured her leg, as she had no one else. Sandhya's life was entirely devoted to her husband's creative endeavors, and she never worked for any other director, content with the legacy she had built within the confines of Shantaram's cinematic world.