This actress worked with only one director, eventually became his third wife; spent her final days at Rajkamal Studios

Veteran Hindi and Marathi actor Sandhya Shantaram passed away on Saturday at the age of 94 due to age-related ailments. She was the third wife of legendary filmmaker and actor V Shantaram, and worked only with him throughout her career. In fact, she’s one of the few female actors who worked with only one filmmaker through her career. Another name that comes to mind is Priya Rajvansh, who acted in only Chetan Anand’s movies.

Sandhya, born in 1932 in Kochi, came from a family with strong ties to the theatre. Her father worked as a backstage theatre professional. Even her sisters worked in theatre. However, she aspired to act in films. In 1951, Shantaram discovered her, thanks to the striking resemblance of her voice with that of Jayashree, Shantaram’s second wife. He christened her Sandhy