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Sonalee Kulkarni Benodekar (née Kulkarni) is an Indian actress who has established herself as a prominent figure in . Praised for her versatility and powerful performances, She is one of the highest-paid actresses in Marathi cinema and she has received numerous accolades, including two Filmfare Awards Marathi, a Maharashtra State Film Award, Four Zee Chitra Gaurav Puraskar and four Maharashtracha Favourite Kon Awards.

Kulkarni began her career as a model and dancer, making her acting debut in the Marathi television series Ha Khel Sanchitacha (2006) and subsequently in the film Gauri (2006). Her breakthrough came with the title role in 's Bakula Namdeo Ghotale (2007), which earned her the Zee Chitra Gaurav Puraskar for Best Actress and the Maharashtra State Film Award for Best Debut Actress. Her performance in the Tamasha drama film (2010), where she portrayed the dancer Nayna Kolhapurkarin, earned her widespread recognition and the title "Apsara of Marathi Industry." The film was a critical and commercial success, further solidifying her status in the industry.

Throughout the 2010s, Kulkarni appeared in several notable films, including Nitin Chandrakant Desai's Ajintha (2012), the horror comedy Zapatlela 2 (2013), the ensemble coming-of-age Classmates (2015), the thriller Shutter (2015), and the drama (2016). Her role as a strong girl in the romantic drama (2015) garnered her a Filmfare Award Marathi nomination for Best Actress. She made her Hindi film debut with the adult comedy (2013) and appeared in a supporting role in (2014). She continued to experiment with various genres in Marathi, earning acclaim for her performances as an unhappy girl in Hampi (2017), the dissatisfied wife in Tula Kalnnaar Nahi (2017), and the brave mother in (2019), the latter of which won her the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress.

In recent years, Kulkarni has explored unconventional roles, starring in films like (2020), (2021), and Pandu (2021). Her portrayal in Dhurala earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. She made her Malayalam debut with Malaikottai Vaaliban (2024), opposite .

Kulkarni married Kunal Benodekar in 2021 in .

Early life
Sonalee Kulkarni was born to Manohar and Savinder Kulkarni in the army cantonment of , into a Marathi Brahmin family. Her father Manohar Kulkarni is a retired Army doctor. She studied at Army School, Kendriya Vidyalaya and finished her graduation in mass communication and journalism from Fergusson College, Pune. She also has a post graduation degree in mass communication from Indira School of Communication. Sonalee has a younger brother who owns an event company called Fledgers.

Acting career
Early work and recognition (2006–2009)
Kulkarni started her career as a model and dancer, and while doing a small role in a in FTII, she first witnessed a motion picture camera, which sparked her interest in acting. She made her acting debut with the Marathi daily soap Ha Khel Sanchitacha (2006), alongside veteran Marathi actor . The same year, she made her film debut with a title role in Gauri (2006), where she played an innocent and open-minded girl who falls ill suddenly and undergoes treatment in a shepherd's house. On the sets of Ha Khel Sanchitacha, she was offered , where she did a cameo as Apsara Rambha in a dance number called Indra Darbari, Nache Sundari. During this period, she had a meeting with , for his directorial debut with Saade Maade Teen (2007). Chaudhari then recommended her to for his comedy drama Bakula Namdeo Ghotale (2007). This marked her first film as a lead actress. Critic Pradip Patil wrote in his review, "Kulkarni plays her part with confidence." She received Best Actress at the Zee Gaurav Puraskar and also Best Debut Actress at 45th Maharashtra State Film Awards.

In the following years, she starred in the ensemble Hai Kai Nai Kai (2009), the romantic comedy Goshta Lagnanantarchi (2010), and the romantic ensemble Kshanbhar Vishranti (2010). These movies did not have much success at the box office.

Rise to prominence (2010–2014)
In 2010, Sonalee was seen in 's , a drama based on 's 1978 Marathi novel of the same name, which depicts the journey of a young artist in overcoming hurdles related to and the sacrifices of an artist for the love of his art. She portrayed Nayna Kolhapurkarin, the young dancer in Guna's (played by ) troupe. The film was selected as the opening film at the Asian Film Festival and also screened at the MAMI Film Festival and the Pune International Film Festival. It was one of the highest grossing Marathi films till 2017. Critics were divided over her performance, although they praised her dance in the film. Kulkarni is known as the "Apsara of Marathi Industry" after her performance in the song "Apsara Ali" in the film. Her next release was 's where she played the character of Aadya a pre-school teacher opposite . She ended 2010 with 's Samudra where she worked opposite veteran Marathi actor . Both the films was received positive reviews from critics and audiences.

After a year's gap, she appeared in Ajintha (2012), directed by Nitin Chandrakant Desai. The film tells a love story between a Marathi Buddhist tribal Paro (played by Kulkarni) and British Major , an artist, while he visited India to paint historical monuments and scriptures. The film was well received by critics, Shakti Salgaokar of DNA wrote, "One can't help but notice that Kulkarni flaunts her body in revealing outfits with much grace." Keyur Seta of The Common Man Speaks, calling it a "picturesque saga," wrote, "Kulkarni moulds herself brilliantly in the role of Paro and expresses every emotion with ease. She impresses with her dancing skills too. This will surely be a talked-about performance from her career, even after decades."

In 2013, Kulkarni was seen in Mahesh Kothare's Zapatlela 2, the sequel to (1993), opposite . The film received mixed reviews but was a box office success. The same year, she made her Bollywood debut with 's adult comedy , the second installment of the Masti series. The film garnered negative reviews upon release, although it was one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films of 2013. In 2014, Kulkarni played a supporting roles in 's Hindi political action film and 's Marathi historical drama .

Established actress and commercial success (2015–2019)
In 2015, she had three releases, the first of all was 's coming-of-age film Classmates, a remake of the 2006 Malayalam film with the same name, alongside an ensemble cast of Chaudhari, , , and Siddharth Chandekar. Her role and the film were critically and commercially acclaimed, becoming one of the highest grossing Marathi films of all time. Her next release was the romantic drama , opposite and . Mihir Bhanage of The Times of India, for her portrayal, wrote, "Sonalee sans makeup plays her role of a girl trapped between love and marital ties well" The film collected ₹13.5 crore (US$1.7 million) at the box office. She received the nomination at the Zee Chitra Gaurav Puraskar and the Filmfare Awards Marathi in the Best Actress category. Her last release of the year was the thriller Shutter, another remake of the Malayalam film of the same name. The film showcases incidents that happen to four people in 24 hours, and Kulkarni portrayed Hooker, who was played by in the original. Mihir Bhanage of The Times of India described her as "the conniving and manipulative turned soft-hearted prostitute." In 2016, Kulkarni had only one release, , which was average at the box office. She won Sanskruti Kaladarpan Award for Best Actress.

Next she received second Filmfare Best Actress nomination for her portrayal of depressed girl who doesn't believe in love in Prakash Kunte's Hampi (2017), Blessy Chettiar of Cinestaan, remarked, "the character you love to hate. She is fiercely pessimistic and her self-loathing makes you cringe. But the lack of depth to her character limits Kulkarni," and Mihir Bhanage of The Times of India wrote, "Sonalee brings authenticity to her role by underplaying it and yet catching your attention throughout." The film was commercial success. Her next film was Tula Kalnnaar Nahi opposite , the story revolves around love and hate relationship of husband and wife. Mihir Bhanage of The Times of India compared their pair to that of Shah Rukh Khan and from KKHH and concluded, "the lead pair, has enacted the situations so naturally that you end up being hooked."

In 2019, she once again collaborated with director Mrinal Kulkarni for romantic comedy Ti & Ti, which was shot in London and its suburb. She played the other 'Ti' in the story of arranged marriage couple Anay and Sai (played by and Behere respectively). Ullhas Shirke of Marathi Movie World ascribed her performance by calling it, "Kulkarni grabs all the attention with her superb performance" Her other two films of that year was Hirkani and Vicky Velingkar, in the both films she performed titular role. , the historical drama directed by about a brave woman and an amazing mother who lived near the in during the regime Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Mihir Bhanage of The Times of India asserted, "The one thing that stands out about the film is Sonalee's performance. The actress sheds her glam image and delivers a beautiful performance, so much that you start associating her with the real character that the movie is based on." The film was a huge commercial success with grossing over ₹12 crore at the box office. Kulkarni received Filmfare Critics Award, and Maharashtracha Favourite Kon in Best Actress catory. Her next release, , a comic book artist and a clock seller gets entangled in an unexpected mystery and rises against all odds. It got mixed reviews from the critics and was below average at the box office.

Experiment with unconventional roles (2020–present)
In 2020, Kulkarni played supporting role of youngest daughter-in-law of Uhbe family and her character pretends that she is not behind the struggle of power in ' political drama , The film won seven Filmfare Awards, including Best Supporting Actress for Kulkarni (shared with Geetanjali Kulkarni for Karkhanisanchi Waari). Kulkarni first release of 2021 was Hemant Dhome's drama film , the story about a group of seven women travelling to United Kingdom and discovering themselves, starred alongside an of , , Siddharth Chandekar, , Suchitra Bandekar, Mrinmayee Godbole and . The film was highly acclaimed and grossed ₹14.07 crore (US$1.8 million) at the box office, becoming the second highest grossing Marathi film of 2021. Her next portrayed of Usha, the banana vendor in 's Pandu was huge success with grossed ₹59 million at box office. She received Filmfare Award nomination and won for Best Actress.

In 2022, she collaborated with for musical drama , she played a budding reporter who dreams of working with a popular news anchor. Mihir Bhanage of The Times of India wrote, "Sonalee shines in her scenes and is consistent." The film was a commercial failure. Kulkarni subsequently appeared in Victoria - Ek Rahasya, a horror-thriller film directed by Virajas Kulkarni. She made her debut with Lijo Jose Pellissery-directed 2024 period fantasy film Malaikottai Vaaliban opposite .

Personal life
In her childhood, she used to live in Pradhikaran, Nigdi, Pune.

Sonalee married Kunal Benodekar on 7 May 2021 in Dubai.

Filmography
Films
2007Apsara RambhaCameo appearance in the song "Indra Darbari, Nache Sundari"
Bakula
2008Baap Re Baap Dokyala Taap-Cameo appearance in the song "Your Place Or Mine"
Reshma
Gaja's Girlfriend
Mallika Lokhande
Chal Love Kar
2010Radha
Sanika
Nayna Kolhapurkar
Ashiwini
Adhya
Nanda
Paro
2013Megha
Menaka
Marathi
Aditi
Nandini
Hooker
-
Rupali Thorat
Gauri Bhosale
Anjali
Isha
Priyanka
Hirkani
Vicky Velingkar
Monica Ubhe
Maithili
Usha Chavan
Shefali
Mission PerformanceNiyati SharmaHindi
2023Victoria - Ek RahasyaAnkitaMarathi
Ananya Pandit
2024Malaikottai VaalibanRangapattinam Rangarani
2025Special appearance in dance numberMarathi
2025Parinati Marathi
Marathi

Television
2006Ha Khel Sanchitacha
2018Apsara AaliJudge
2019-2020Yuva Dancing QueenZee YuvaJudge
2020Dancing Queen Judge
2022BestsellerAmazon Prime VideoS.I Urmilla Ranade
2024Hou De CharchaSun MarathiAnchor

Accolades
2008Maharashtra State Film AwardsBest Newcomer FemaleBakula Namdeo Ghotalerowspan="4"
Zee Gaurav PuraskarBest Actress
2010Maharashtracha Favourite Kon?Popular Face of the Year
Favourite Actress
2015Zee Chitra Gaurav PuraskarBest Actress
Sanskruti KaladarpanBest Actress in a Leading Role
20152nd Filmfare Awards MarathiBest Actress
20174th Filmfare Awards MarathiHampi
2019Zee Chitra Gaurav PuraskarLux Golden Beauty of the YearTi & Ti
20205th Filmfare Awards MarathiBest Actress Critics
Best Actress
Best Actress
Maharashtracha Favourite Kon?Favourite Actress
Zee Chitra Gaurav PuraskarLux Golden Beauty of the Year
City Cine AwardsBest Actress
2021Maharashtracha Favourite Kon? Suvarnadashak SohalaFavourite Actress of the Decade &
Popular Face of the Decade
6th Filmfare Awards MarathiBest ActressPandu
Best Supporting Actress
2022Best ActressPandu
City Cine Awards
Fakt Marathi Cine SanmanPopular Face of the Year
20237th Filmfare Awards MarathiBest Actress
Fakt Marathi Cine SanmanBest Actress in a Lead RoleVictoria - Ek Rahasya
2024Zee Chitra Gaurav PuraskarMost Influential Actress of the Year
Suvarnaratna Awards-2019 Best Actress Award

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