Tanvi Azmi
Tanvi Azmi is an Indian actor, best known for Tamil cinema. Tanvi Azmi began their career in 1985 and has been a prominent figure in the industry for over 41 years. With 30 credits to their name, Tanvi Azmi remains one of the most prolific and celebrated talents in the industry. Spanning 40+ years, Tanvi Azmi's career remains one of the longest and most celebrated in Tamil cinema.
- Born
- Age
- 62
Biography
Tanvi Azmi is a Hindi cinema actress, wife of cinematographer Baba Azmi and sister-in-law of Shabana Azmi, known for portraying emotionally complex maternal and supporting roles across four decades. She won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Kashibai in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Bajirao Mastani (2015), also earning a Guild Film Award for the same performance. Her Malayalam film Vidheyan (1993) and later Thappad (2020) — for which she received a Filmfare nomination — demonstrate her ability to move between mainstream Bollywood and character-driven parallel cinema. Her recent appearances in Tribhanga (2021) and Do Patti (2024) have extended her presence into the OTT era.
Career Milestones
Film debut in Pyari Behna, earning first Filmfare nomination for Best Supporting Actress
Breakthrough role as Farida, earning second Filmfare nomination for Best Supporting Actress
View film →Won National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for role of Radhabai (shaved head for the role)
View film →Critical acclaim and Filmfare nomination for Best Supporting Actress
Filmfare OTT nomination for Best Supporting Actress in Netflix original
View film →Iconic Roles
Bajirao Mastani
Bajirao's mother in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's historical epic. Won Tanvi Azmi the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Tribhanga
A critically acclaimed Marathi litterateur who slips into a coma, explored through a multi-generational family drama on Netflix directed by Renuka Shahane.
Akele Hum Akele Tum
Supporting role in this Aamir Khan and Manisha Koirala romantic drama, earning her a Filmfare Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
Darr
Supporting role in Yash Chopra's psychological thriller starring Shah Rukh Khan, Sunny Deol, and Juhi Chawla.
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani
Supporting role in Karan Johar's blockbuster romantic drama starring Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone.
Defining Moments
As Poonam Awasthi, playing the mother of Juhi Chawla's character — her presence in the thriller adds quiet domestic grounding to the film's atmosphere of dread and obsession
Her early supporting work in Yash Chopra's landmark thriller helped establish her as a character actress of note in Hindi mainstream cinema during the 1990s golden era.
View film →As Farida, the devoted wife abandoned by her husband, her emotional confrontation scenes carry the film's emotional weight alongside Aamir Khan's arc — her quiet suffering and dignity made her character a standout
Earned her a Filmfare Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress and established her as a reliable dramatic actress capable of holding her own against leading stars.
View film →Radhabai shaves her head (mundan) and stands in opposition to Bajirao's love for Mastani — a silent, devastating assertion of maternal authority and Rajput dharma that requires no dialogue
Won her the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress. She physically shaved her head for the role. Her portrayal of a mother torn between love for her son and adherence to dharma is widely considered one of the finest supporting performances in modern Bollywood.
View film →As Nayantara Apte — an elderly, senile literary legend at the center of a three-generation story — her fragile yet luminous presence anchors the film's emotional core, particularly in moments where her past is slowly revealed
Her layered performance opposite Kajol was critically acclaimed and earned her a Filmfare OTT Award nomination, cementing her status as one of Indian cinema's most dependable character actors in the streaming era.
View film →As Maaji — a commanding patriarchal figure whose authority slowly unravels — she delivers a morally complex performance in the whodunit thriller, holding scenes with Kajol and Kriti Sanon
Demonstrated her continued relevance and range in the OTT era, with critics specifically calling out her ability to project menace and vulnerability simultaneously in a genre film.
View film →Tanvi Azmi by the Numbers
If you watched every Tanvi Azmi film back-to-back, you'd be at it for roughly 1 day and 20h. Most-paired with Anupam Kher — 4 films together.
Filmography
See all 30 credits →











Collaboration Network
The Constellation
Top 10 most-paired collaborators. Bubble size and line thickness reflect how many films they share with Tanvi Azmi.
Career Analytics
Genre Breakdown
Language Distribution
Films by Decade
Top Co-Actors
See all →Tanvi Azmi has worked most frequently with Anupam Kher (4 films), Deepika Padukone (3 films), Priyanka Chopra (3 films), Manisha Koirala (2 films), and Sushma (2 films).









Did You Know?
Tanvi Azmi is the daughter of veteran Marathi theatre and film actors Usha Kiran and Shankar Bapu Apte.
She is married to actor and director Baba Azmi, who is the son of poet Kaifi Azmi and actress Shaukat Azmi.
Tanvi Azmi is the sister-in-law of actress and former MP Shabana Azmi.
She made her Hindi film debut with the film 'Bazaar' in 1982.
She has acted in several Marathi films and television series in addition to her work in Hindi cinema.
Legacy & Influence
Tanvi Azmi, born into the esteemed Samarth family of Indian cinema, has carved a distinct niche for herself as a versatile and powerful character actress. Her career trajectory, spanning from the 1980s to the present, showcases a remarkable evolution from early roles to becoming a sought-after performer for complex, mature characters. Azmi's contribution lies in her ability to bring profound depth, quiet dignity, and emotional authenticity to her portrayals, often as maternal figures or women of strong moral fiber. Her performance as Radhabai, the stern yet loving mother of Bajirao in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Bajirao Mastani' (2015), stands as a career-defining role. She masterfully conveyed the weight of tradition, political acumen, and conflicted maternal love, holding her own in a grand historical epic and earning widespread critical acclaim. This role cemented her status as a go-to actress for roles requiring gravitas and nuanced expression. Earlier in her career, she demonstrated her range in films like 'Diksha' (1991). In more recent years, she has consistently chosen roles that challenge stereotypes, such as in 'Dekh Tamasha Dekh' (2014). Her presence elevates narratives, often providing the emotional core or a voice of reason. Tanvi Azmi's legacy is one of consistent excellence and intelligent role selection. She represents a bridge between the classic acting traditions of her family and contemporary cinema, proving that character roles are not merely supportive but can be pivotal and memorable. Her work has expanded the scope and respect for mature actresses in mainstream and parallel Hindi cinema, inspiring a generation of performers to seek substance over screen time.