Cinema VinesVeteran actress Usha Nadkarni, whose career has spanned nearly seven decades across Marathi and Hindi cinema, television, and theatre, has made it clear that she will never accept a Lifetime Achievement Award. In a recent interview with Rajshri Marathi, she explained that she feels her work is far from finished and that awards would only underscore a career she considers still in progress. “I won’t even accept Lifetime Achievement awards. Zee gave them to younger girls but not me, because they know I’ll just keep working! I have no space for awards anyway. I’m not old; just my age has increased. I want to keep working,” she said.
Despite her long tenure in the industry, Nadkarni has always managed her own affairs. She has never kept formal accounts, employed a manager or public‑relations team, and has never asked for a vanity van on sets. She recalled an early incident when the van provided to her had a broken air‑conditioning unit and a faulty latch, yet she accepted it without complaint. She also remembered the days when actors would change clothes in tin sheds or tempos, noting that people were more adaptable then than they are now.
One of her most striking revelations was that she bought her first home only at the age of 70. Nadkarni explained that fear of taking on debt had kept her from purchasing property earlier. “I was scared of taking a loan because if I died, people would say ‘she died leaving a loan’. Plus, I worked in Marathi, where the pay is less. Even when I did Hindi TV, the pay was sometimes very low. My first ever earning in this field was ₹25,” she added.
Her refusal of awards is part of a broader philosophy that hard work speaks for itself. Nadkarni believes that if people want to collaborate with her, they will find their way. She has continued to stay active in the entertainment world, appearing on reality shows such as Bigg Boss Marathi in 2018 and Celebrity MasterChef in 2025, proving that she has no plans to slow down.
