Veteran Ashalata Wabgaonkar passed away after losing a battle to Covid-19 on Tuesday at age 79.
She passed away at a private hospital in Satara, where she was undergoing treatment for the past few days.
Ashalata had acted in several Marathi films, TV serials and theatre productions.
Popularly known as Ashalata, the Goa-born actress had reportedly contracted the infection whilst shooting for a teleserial.
Some of her Marathi plays are Guntata Hridhya He, Varyavarchi Varaat, Chinna (with Smita Patil and Sadashiv Amrapurkar) and Mahananda. Her Marathi stage career took off with the musical play Matsyagandha. She was introduced in Hindi films by Basu Chatterjee in Apne Paraye (along with Bharati Achrekar) for which she was nominated for Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.
She starred in films such as Ankush (1986), Apne Paraye (1980), Ahista Ahista, Shaukeen, Woh Saat Din, Namak Halaal and Yaadon Ki Kasam (1985).
She received training in classical music and is a fine Marathi Natyasangeet singer.
Some of her Marathi films are Umbartha, Sutradhar, Navri Mile Navryala and Vahinichi Maya.