Subodh Bhave

Subodh Bhave
Born	(1975-11-09) 9 November 1975 (age 49) Pune, Maharashtra, India
Occupations	Actor director producer
Years active	2005 – present
Spouse	Manjiri Subodh Bhave ​ ​ (m. 2001)​
Website	subodhbhave.com

Subodh Bhave (born 9 November 1975) is an Indian actor, writer, producer and director who is known for his work in Marathi cinema. He has acted in many commercially successful and critically acclaimed Marathi movies. He is best known for his work in Ani... Dr. Kashinath Ghanekar, Balgandharva, Katyar Kaljat Ghusali.^[1] He recently portrayed Vikrant Saranjame aka Gajendra Patil in Zee Marathi's Tula Pahate Re.

Bhave was born on 9 November 1975 in Pune, Maharashtra, to Suresh Bhave and Snehal Bhave.^[2][3] He completed primary and secondary schooling at Nutan Marathi Vidyalaya in Pune, where he also pursued athletic interests such as Mallakhamba, gymnastics, and swimming.^[4] After failing three subjects in his 12th-grade board examinations—a setback he later credited with driving him toward his passion for acting—he graduated with both a Bachelor of Commerce and a Master of Commerce from Symbiosis College, Pune.^[4][5] During his postgraduate studies, Bhave worked as a salesman at Inika Technologies, an IT company in Koregaon Park, before transitioning full-time into theatre and film.^[6]

Bhave left his job in Pune to pursue his passion for acting and began performing in theatre in the late 1990s. He actively participated in prestigious competitions such as Purushottam Karandak and Firodiya Karandak, where he won several awards for his performances.^[7] His breakthrough came with the experimental play Chandrapurchya Jangalaat, which earned him widespread recognition in the theatre circuit, while his role in Asach Ek Divas earned him his first important acting award.^[8] Over these early years, Bhave acted in and directed several plays such as Maitar, Kalaa Yaa Lagalya Jeeva, with the latter winning him seven Best Actor awards. Other noteworthy plays from this period included Lekure Udand Zaali by Vasant Kanetkar, Aata De Taali by Milind Gadgil, and Yelkot by Sham Manohar.^[9]

Bhave’s television journey began with supporting roles in shows like Rimzim (1999), where he portrayed an inspector, and in Damini (2000), one of the first Marathi daily soaps.^[10] His major breakthrough on TV came in 2000 with GeetRamayan on Alpha TV Marathi, in which he portrayed Shri Ram, the central character of the Hindu epic Ramayana.^[11] He went on to appear in several prominent television productions, including Avantika (2002-2005), Vadalvaat (2003-2007) and Peshwai (2003-2005) all of which aired on Zee Marathi.^[12] His performances in Avantika and Vadalvaat were especially praised, earning him the Best Supporting Character and Best Character Male awards at the Aapla Alpha Awards in 2004 and 2005.^[13]

In films, Bhave made his debut in 2002 with Ravindra Mahajani's Satte Sathi Kahihi. He received his first Zee Gaurav Puraskar Best Actor nomination for Kavadase (2004), which was based on a novel by Jaywant Dalvi.^[7] However, it was Aamhi Asu Ladke (2005), directed by Abhiram Bhadkamkar, that marked his most notable early film role.^[14] In this film, Bhave played an artist who becomes a teacher for special children and, through their world, discovers the real meaning of life—a performance that won him the Maharashtra State Film Award for Best Actor.^[15]

In 2006, he played the second lead in the romantic drama Kshan, alongside Deepa Parab and Prasad Oak, portraying a wealthy man who, due to his wife's illness, selflessly attempts to reunite her with her former lover. The next year, he played a thief in Uladhaal, a film by Aditya Sarpotdar, earning praise from critics for his "strong performance."^[16] Bhave continued to take on diverse and challenging roles—he played a music composer in Sanjay Surkar's Sakhi,^[17] a compassionate doctor in Man Pakharu Pakharu,^[18] a professor in Satish Rajwade's Ek Daav Dhobi Pachhad, and a journalist in Gajendra Ahire's Tya Ratri Paus Hota, co-starring Ashok Saraf, Sachin Pilgaonkar, Sonali Kulkarni and Amruta Subhash.^[19] Amidst these serious portrayals, he also delivered a comic performance in Sanai Choughade, playing the quirky owner of a marriage bureau named "Kande-Pohe."^[20] Critic Ulhas Shirke remarked that "Bhave catches maximum attention through amazing facial expressions."^[21]

While building his film career, Bhave simultaneously maintained a strong presence on television. He gained widespread popularity with leading roles in Iris Productions' Kalat Nakalat (2007-2009), where he played a greedy man opposite Rujuta Deshmukh and Sunil Barve,^[22] and in Applause Entertainment's Kulvadhu (2008-2010), portraying an arrogant character opposite Poorva Gokhale.^[23] His chemistry with Gokhale was a hit with audiences and won them Best Actor and Best Couple at the Zee Marathi Utsav Natyancha Awards in 2009.^[24]

Subodh has acted in numerous Marathi TV serials, movies and theatre. His roles include Bal Gangadhar Tilak in the movie Lokmanya: Ek Yugpurush, a biopic on one of the country's biggest social reformers.^[25] His role of Balgandharva was also appreciated in the film Balgandharva, which was based on the artist Narayanrao Rajhans and the book named Gandharva Gatha.^[26]

Bhave directed the play Katyar Kaljat Ghusali, in which he also essayed a supporting role Sadashiv. In 2015, Bhave directed a Katyar Kaljat Ghusali based on this play, in which he played Sadashiv, one of the main roles. It was one of the highest-grossing Marathi films of 2015.^[27][28]

Zee Marathi's series Tula Pahate Re starring Subodh Bhave, Gayatri Datar and Abhidnya Bhave has brought in success to the show. A unique story-line and the acting skills of Subodh Bhave have glued its audience leaving other TV Shows behind in terms of TRP Ratings.^[29]

Bhave married his childhood friend, Manjiri Deshpande, on 12 July 2001; the couple had first met in the eighth grade began dating after rekindling their friendship years later, and dated for ten years before tying the knot.^[30] The couple reside in Mumbai with their two sons, Kanha and Malhar.^[31]

• Katyar Kaljat Ghusali (2015)
• Sangeet Manapmaan (2025)

• Chandrapurchya Jangalaat
• Asach Ek Divas
• Kalaa Yaa Lagalya Jeeva
• Maitar
• Lekure Udand Zaali
• Yelkot
• Aata De Taali
• Lagnabambaal
• Katyar Kaljat Ghusali
• Dhukyat Haravali vaat
• Sthal Snehamandir
• Ashroonchi Zhali Phule

• Media related to Subodh Bhave at Wikimedia Commons
• Subodh Bhave on IMDb
• Subodh Bhave on Bollywood Hungama
• Subodh Bhave at Rotten Tomatoes