The Marathi film industry is mourning the loss of veteran actress Jyoti Chandekar, who passed away on Saturday, August 16, at the age of 68 after a brief illness. Her demise has left a deep void in the hearts of fans and colleagues alike.Tejaswini Pandit performs last rites in tearsOn Sunday, August 17, Jyoti Chandekar’s funeral was held at 11 a.m. with family, friends, and admirers bidding her a tearful goodbye. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray also paid his respects.A heart-wrenching video of her daughter, actress Tejaswini Pandit, has now surfaced on social media. Shared by Marathi news channel Sakal, the clip shows Tejaswini performing her mother’s last rites with courage but breaking down inconsolably while looking at her late mother’s mortal remains.Tejaswini’s emotional statementConfirming the news of her mother’s passing, Tejaswini Pandit shared an emotional statement in Marathi, “It is with deep sorrow that I share the news that our mother, the esteemed and beloved actress Mrs. Jyoti Chandekar Pandit, who lived life on her own terms and always smiled wholeheartedly, passed away today, 16th August, at the age of 68 after a brief illness.”
Battling illness on setIn 2024, while shooting for Tharala Tar Mag, Jyoti Chandekar fell ill due to low sodium levels and was hospitalised. She had to take a two-month-long break before returning to work. Recalling the phase in an interview with The Craft, she had said, “It felt like I literally came back from the brink of death. No production waits two months for a single actor. But everyone waited for me. I wasn’t working for two months, yet they managed everything so beautifully that it still felt like Poorna Aaji… Aaji is here. No one let my absence be felt.”A glorious five-decade careerBeginning her career as a child artiste at the age of 12, Jyoti Chandekar went on to become one of the most respected names in Marathi cinema. She won acclaim for her powerful performances in films like Mee Sindhutai Sapkal (2010), where she played the mother of Sindhutai, Guru (2016), Dholki (2015), Ticha Umbartha (2015), and Duniya Kari Salaam.In the 2023 remake Shyamchi Aai, based on Sane Guruji’s autobiography, she once again showcased her unmatched emotional depth. On television, she became a household name with roles in Tu Saubhagyavati Ho (2012), Chhatriwali (2018), and as the much-loved “Poorna Aaji” in Tharala Tar Mag (2022).Over the years, Jyoti Chandekar’s contribution to cinema and theatre earned her multiple Zee Chitra Gaurav Puraskar awards for Best Supporting Actress, including for Sukhant, Paulwaat, and Ticha Umbartha.
