Remember actress who played Sita’s mother in Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan? Was brutally murdered, police believed the reason was…, her name was…
Ramanand Sagar’s mythological series Ramayan holds a special place in audiences’ hearts. Aired between 1987 to 1988 on DD National, the show became cult-classic, and made several actors household names. One of them was Urmila Bhatt, the actress who portrayed the role of Sita’s mother Maharani Sunaina, in the show. She garnered appreciation for her notable performance, and later starred in other rememberable television serials. She was also a popular film actress, whose work spanned across Gujarat, Rajasthan and Hindi film industries.
Who was Urmila Bhatt?
Born on November 1, 1993, Urmila started working as a theatre artist, and later joined Sangeet Kala Academy in Rajkot as a folk dancer and singer. She rose to fame with her Gujarati drama Jesal Toran. Urmila then acted in over 75 Gujarati films, and over 15-20 Rajasthani films.
In the late 1960s, she stepped into Hindi film industry and did films like Sunghursh (1968) and Hamraaz (1967). A few other popular films done by her are Ankhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se (1978), Geet Gaata Chal (1975), Besharam (1978), Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985), Balika Badhu (1976), Dhund (1973) and Alibaba Marjinaa (1977). Besides that, she portrayed several supporting characters. After Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan, she made episodic appearances in Shyam Bengal’s Bharat Ek Khoj in 1989 and in Zee TV’s Zee Horror Show in 1996.
Urmila Bhatt’s tragic death
On February 22, 1997, Bhatt was found murdered at her Juhu residence. According to the police, her death came to light the other day, when her son-in-law visited her and found that no one answered the door bell. He immediately called his wife, and the two then found that the house was raided, and her mother was killed by robbers. Police too suspected robbery to be the motive. According to reports, she was alone at home, and her husband was away in Baroda. Died at 63, Urmila is survived by her husband, a son and a daughter.
Her death was a shocker to the entire entertainment fraternity. From theatre, television to films, her impeccable contribution in the industry is widely remembered till date.
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