# Anuradha Patel
**Anuradha Patel** is an Indian film and television actress, best known for portraying Maya in Gulzar's *Ijaazat* (1987) and for being the granddaughter of the veteran actor [Ashok Kumar](https://www.edgepedia.org/ashok-kumar) of the [Ganguly family](https://www.edgepedia.org/ganguly-family).[1](https://www.cinemaazi.com/people/anuradha-patel?ctr=1161&filterBy=&people=&search=) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0665351/) She worked steadily through the 1980s in [Hindi cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/hindi-cinema), left the big screen for roughly a decade in the mid-1990s, and returned in the 2000s to a long run of supporting roles in mainstream Hindi films.[1](https://www.cinemaazi.com/people/anuradha-patel?ctr=1161&filterBy=&people=&search=)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birth | Bombay (now Mumbai); 1961 per Cinemaazi and other film references, while IMDb lists 1965[1](https://www.cinemaazi.com/people/anuradha-patel?ctr=1161&filterBy=&people=&search=) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0665351/) |
| Family | Granddaughter of Ashok Kumar; daughter of Bharati Jaffrey and Dr Virendra Patel[1](https://www.cinemaazi.com/people/anuradha-patel?ctr=1161&filterBy=&people=&search=) • [3](https://artikeldigital.com/en/Anuradha_Patel) |
| Debut | *Love in Goa* (1983), her first film as heroine[1](https://www.cinemaazi.com/people/anuradha-patel?ctr=1161&filterBy=&people=&search=) |
| Signature role | Maya in *Ijaazat* (1987), nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress[1](https://www.cinemaazi.com/people/anuradha-patel?ctr=1161&filterBy=&people=&search=) |
| Marriage | Married actor Kanwaljit Singh on 13 April 1988; two sons, Siddharth Singh (musician) and Aaditya (painter)[1](https://www.cinemaazi.com/people/anuradha-patel?ctr=1161&filterBy=&people=&search=) |
| Career break | Last 1990s screen appearance in the Gujarati film *Manvini Bhavai* (1994), returning to Hindi films with *Tujhe Meri Kasam* (2003)[1](https://www.cinemaazi.com/people/anuradha-patel?ctr=1161&filterBy=&people=&search=) |
| Other work | Director of the Dynamic Finishing Academy for personality development, public speaking, grooming and confidence building, conceptualized in 1987[1](https://www.cinemaazi.com/people/anuradha-patel?ctr=1161&filterBy=&people=&search=) |
## Background and family
Anuradha Patel was born in Bombay to Bharati and Dr Virendra Patel, one of three children.[1](https://www.cinemaazi.com/people/anuradha-patel?ctr=1161&filterBy=&people=&search=) Her mother is identified in film references as Bharati Jaffrey, an actress and the daughter of Ashok Kumar, which makes Anuradha a granddaughter of the Ganguly film family that also included [Kishore Kumar](https://www.edgepedia.org/kishore-kumar).[3](https://artikeldigital.com/en/Anuradha_Patel) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0665351/bio/) Through her mother she is connected by marriage to the actress [Kiara Advani](https://www.edgepedia.org/kiara-advani): Advani's mother and Anuradha are step-sisters, making Anuradha Advani's step-aunt.[5](https://www.anandabazar.com/app/photogallery/meet-the-actress-who-is-granddaughter-of-bollywood-actor-got-married-to-television-actor-and-related-to-kiara-advani-dgtl-photogallery-prnt/cid/1616746)
Published birth dates disagree. Cinemaazi, the filmography site artikeldigital, and the Anandabazar photogallery give 30 August 1961, while IMDb gives 14 March 1965.[1](https://www.cinemaazi.com/people/anuradha-patel?ctr=1161&filterBy=&people=&search=) • [3](https://artikeldigital.com/en/Anuradha_Patel) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0665351/) She studied at St Xavier's College in Mumbai and took a course in interior design at Nirmala Niketan College, during which she received modeling and film offers.[1](https://www.cinemaazi.com/people/anuradha-patel?ctr=1161&filterBy=&people=&search=)
## 1980s film career
Her first signed film, *Khiladi*, a story of three sisters with [Shabana Azmi](https://www.edgepedia.org/shabana-azmi) and [Bindiya Goswami](https://www.edgepedia.org/bindiya-goswami), was shelved midway; Azmi was cast opposite Kanwaljit Singh, whom Anuradha later married.[1](https://www.cinemaazi.com/people/anuradha-patel?ctr=1161&filterBy=&people=&search=) In 1983 she signed *Love in Goa* as her first release, opposite Master Mayur in his solo hero role.[1](https://www.cinemaazi.com/people/anuradha-patel?ctr=1161&filterBy=&people=&search=) • [6](https://timescontent.timesofindia.com/photo/bollywood/Anuradha-Patel/11729)
**Key films.** In *Utsav* (1984), an erotic drama produced by [Shashi Kapoor](https://www.edgepedia.org/shashi-kapoor) and directed by [Girish Karnad](https://www.edgepedia.org/girish-karnad) and based on the Sanskrit play *Mrichakatika* by Śūdraka, she played Aditi, Charudatta's wife, alongside Rekha, Shashi Kapoor, Shankar Nag, Amjad Khan and others.[1](https://www.cinemaazi.com/people/anuradha-patel?ctr=1161&filterBy=&people=&search=) • [3](https://artikeldigital.com/en/Anuradha_Patel) Her appearance in the film's song "Mann Kyoon Behka" with Rekha drew wide attention.[5](https://www.anandabazar.com/app/photogallery/meet-the-actress-who-is-granddaughter-of-bollywood-actor-got-married-to-television-actor-and-related-to-kiara-advani-dgtl-photogallery-prnt/cid/1616746)
Her most regarded role came in Gulzar's *Ijaazat* (1987), a musical romance based on [Subodh Ghosh](https://www.edgepedia.org/subodh-ghosh)'s Bengali story *Jatugriha*, co-starring Rekha and [Naseeruddin Shah](https://www.edgepedia.org/naseeruddin-shah). She played Maya, the former lover whose return disrupts a marriage, and was nominated for the [Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress](https://www.edgepedia.org/filmfare-award-for-best-supporting-actress); the film, part of the Parallel Cinema genre, won two National Film Awards in the music category.[1](https://www.cinemaazi.com/people/anuradha-patel?ctr=1161&filterBy=&people=&search=) • [7](https://www.femina.in/media/magazines/2022/july/Filmfare_July_2022.pdf) Retrospective writing treats her Maya as the film's unpredictable counterpoint to Rekha's dignified Sudha.[8](https://www.outlookindia.com/amp/story/art-entertainment/rekha-at-71-pushing-the-boundaries-of-womens-representation-one-film-at-a-time)
Through the decade she appeared in films including *Phir Aayee Barsat* (1985), *Paththar* (1985), *Sadaa Suhagan* (1986), *Dharm Adhikari* (1986), *Rukhsat* (1988) and *Dayavan* (1988), often opposite leading heroes of the time such as Govinda and [Mithun Chakraborty](https://www.edgepedia.org/mithun-chakraborty).[1](https://www.cinemaazi.com/people/anuradha-patel?ctr=1161&filterBy=&people=&search=) • [9](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/anuradha_patel) She also worked in Bengali cinema, pairing with [Prosenjit Chatterjee](https://www.edgepedia.org/prosenjit-chatterjee) in *Jyoti* (1988), and made a special appearance in the Marathi film *Eina Mina Dika* (1989).[1](https://www.cinemaazi.com/people/anuradha-patel?ctr=1161&filterBy=&people=&search=) • [5](https://www.anandabazar.com/app/photogallery/meet-the-actress-who-is-granddaughter-of-bollywood-actor-got-married-to-television-actor-and-related-to-kiara-advani-dgtl-photogallery-prnt/cid/1616746)
## Television and the career break
When lead roles became scarce, she moved to television, featuring in serials such as *Chhapte Chhapte* (1985), *Katha Sagar* (1986) and later *Mrs Mukhyamantri* (2019), with cameos in *Dekho Magar Pyaar Se* and *Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi* opposite [Jeetendra](https://www.edgepedia.org/jeetendra).[1](https://www.cinemaazi.com/people/anuradha-patel?ctr=1161&filterBy=&people=&search=) After *Manvini Bhavai* (1994) in Gujarati cinema she stayed away from the big screen for about a decade, continuing modeling work and raising her family.[1](https://www.cinemaazi.com/people/anuradha-patel?ctr=1161&filterBy=&people=&search=) • [5](https://www.anandabazar.com/app/photogallery/meet-the-actress-who-is-granddaughter-of-bollywood-actor-got-married-to-television-actor-and-related-to-kiara-advani-dgtl-photogallery-prnt/cid/1616746)
## Return to film and later work
She returned in 2003 with *Tujhe Meri Kasam* and then appeared in a steady series of Hindi films, mostly in supporting and character roles: *Dus Kahaniyaan* (2007), *Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na* (2008), *Aisha* (2010), *Ready* (2011), *Khap* (2011), *Rabba Main Kya Karoon* (2013), *Radhe Shyam* (2022) and *Satyaprem Ki Katha* (2023).[1](https://www.cinemaazi.com/people/anuradha-patel?ctr=1161&filterBy=&people=&search=) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0665351/) IMDb credits her with 52 acting appearances and one producer credit.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0665351/)
Beyond acting, she runs the Dynamic Finishing Academy, a finishing school for personality development, public speaking, grooming and confidence building that she conceptualized in 1987, and she continues to appear in advertisements.[1](https://www.cinemaazi.com/people/anuradha-patel?ctr=1161&filterBy=&people=&search=) She was honored with the Perfect Achievers Award for Best Personality Development classes in 2018.[1](https://www.cinemaazi.com/people/anuradha-patel?ctr=1161&filterBy=&people=&search=)
## References
1. [Anuradha Patel – Biography, Films, Legacy, Cinemaazi](https://www.cinemaazi.com/people/anuradha-patel?ctr=1161&filterBy=&people=&search=)
2. [Anuradha Patel (I) – IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0665351/)
3. [Anuradha Patel, artikeldigital](https://artikeldigital.com/en/Anuradha_Patel)
4. [Anuradha Patel – Biography – IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0665351/bio/)
5. [Anuradha Patel photogallery, Anandabazar Patrika](https://www.anandabazar.com/app/photogallery/meet-the-actress-who-is-granddaughter-of-bollywood-actor-got-married-to-television-actor-and-related-to-kiara-advani-dgtl-photogallery-prnt/cid/1616746)
6. [Anuradha Patel file photograph, Times Content](https://timescontent.timesofindia.com/photo/bollywood/Anuradha-Patel/11729)
7. [Filmfare July 2022, Femina magazine archive](https://www.femina.in/media/magazines/2022/july/Filmfare_July_2022.pdf)
8. [Rekha At 71, Outlook India](https://www.outlookindia.com/amp/story/art-entertainment/rekha-at-71-pushing-the-boundaries-of-womens-representation-one-film-at-a-time)
9. [Anuradha Patel Movies List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/anuradha_patel)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Film people and crafts › Film actors and performers › Indian and South Asian film actors by industry and language › Hindi film actors, 1970s–1980s › Surnames M to W*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 19, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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