Veteran actress Praveena Deshpande passes away at 60 after long battle with cancer

Mumbai (The Uttam Hindu): The Hindi and Marathi entertainment industry is mourning the loss of renowned actress Praveena Deshpande, who passed away at the age of 60. She had been courageously fighting multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer, since 2019. The actress breathed her last on 17 February. Her grieving family confirmed the sad news through her official social media handle.

Praveena Deshpande’s last rites were performed today at 3 pm at a Hindu crematorium in Chakla Parsi Wada, Andheri East, Mumbai. Her demise has left an irreplaceable void in the film and television fraternity.

Gained wide recognition with Salman Khan’s film Ready

Praveena Deshpande was widely respected for her powerful supporting and character roles in Hindi and Marathi cinema. While she appeared in several films, she gained major recognition from Ready, starring Salman Khan. Her portrayal of the character Shalu Choudhary earned her lasting appreciation from audiences.

She also delivered memorable performances in films such as Parmanu with John Abraham, Ek Villain starring Sidharth Malhotra, and Jalebi. Despite not playing lead roles, her strong screen presence and emotional depth always stood out.

A familiar and respected face on television

Alongside films, Praveena Deshpande enjoyed immense popularity on television. She played significant roles in several well-known serials, including Ghar Ek Mandir, Kumkum, Karam Apnaa Apnaa, and Kulfi Kumar Bajewala.

Her portrayals of strong motherly and supporting characters made her a household name, especially among family audiences, and earned her a loyal fan following.

Journey began in theatre, will be seen in The Family Man 3

Before entering films and television, Praveena Deshpande began her artistic journey in theatre, which laid a strong foundation for her acting skills. Among her final projects, she appeared in a key cameo in director Neeraj Pandey’s crime thriller web series Taskari (2026), starring Emraan Hashmi, which marked her last on-screen appearance to be released.

According to reports, she also completed shooting for the much-awaited season 3 of The Family Man, where she played the role of Manoj Bajpayee’s character’s mother. Fans will now see her one final time through this series.