Early work and recognition (2003–2010) Kothare began her acting career with the Marathi television series
Tuzyavina (2003–2004) on
Zee Marathi, where she appeared alongside
Varsha Usgaonkar,
Yatin Karyekar and
Chinmay Mandlekar. In 2005, she played a brief role in
Ankur, a drama directed by Pratima Kulkarni, which also aired on Zee Marathi. In 2006, she made her film debut as the lead in
Mahesh Kothare's comedy-drama
Shubha Mangal Saavadhan, starring alongside veteran actors
Ashok Saraf and
Reema Lagoo. She portrayed a young girl who falls in love with a man whose parents disapprove of her father's lifestyle, leading to complications in their married life. The film was a commercial success. The same year, she appeared in a supporting role in
Rajendra Talak's critically acclaimed drama
Savalee, and also portrayed the younger version of Lagoo's character in
Sanjay Surkar's
Aai Shappath..!. In 2007, she returned to television and made her Hindi television debut with Classic Productions'
Maayka, which aired on
Zee TV. The show initially centered around her character, but her role was eventually written off following a reported fallout between the channel and the production house. Around the same time, she played the lead opposite Darshan Dave in
Mera Sasural on
Sahara One, a series that depicted a young Kashmiri girl's emotional journey as she adapted to her married life. She became a household name when she replaced
Manasi Salvi in
Satish Rajwade's mystery drama
Asambhav, opposite
Umesh Kamat and
Neelam Shirke. The series, based on the concept of
reincarnation in Hindu culture, gained significant popularity and was later remade in Bengali and Kannada. Between 2009 and 2011, she appeared in the Marathi television series
Gosht Eka Lagnachi and
Vegh.
Breakthrough and acclaim (2011–2017) Kothare received widespread acclaim for her performance in Samruoddhi Porey's drama film
Mala Aai Vhhaychy!, in which she played a surrogate mother from the
Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. The film, inspired by a real case encountered by Porey during her time as a practicing lawyer at the
Bombay High Court, explored the growing phenomenon of surrogacy in India. A critical and commercial success, the film earned praise, Ulhas Shirke of
Marathi Movie World wrote, “Kanetkar in the role of Yashoda, who impresses the most with her extraordinary acting skills. She had as many as four most difficult scenes, which only an experienced and matured actress would have done; but young Urmila performs with authority.” For her performance, she won the
Zee Chitra Gaurav Puraskar for Best Actress and received a nomination for
Maharashtracha Favourite Kon in the Favourite Actress category, as well as the film also won the
National Film Award for Best Marathi Feature Film. In the same year, she was seen opposite
Adinath Kothare for the first time in Mahesh Kothare's action drama
Dubhang, which was notable for being the first Marathi film to utilize
Dolby Digital 7.1 sound technology. Though the film received mixed reviews, the lead pairing was well received. Blessy Chettiar of
DNA wrote, “The chemistry between the lead pair is the only saving grace of
Dubhang,” while Namita Nivas of
The Indian Express commented, “Urmila is good as the understanding wife who loves her husband immensely and trusts him blindly.” Her performance earned her a second nomination for the Zee Chitra Gaurav Puraskar. She also had a brief role in
Viju Mane’s critically acclaimed drama
Khel Mandala, based on a father-daughter relationship. Ulhas Shirke of
Marathi Movie World mentioned, “Urmila plays the committed TV News channel Journalist very effectively.” After a year-long gap, she returned to the screen in a supporting role in the coming-of-age romantic comedy
Duniyadari (2013), directed by
Sanjay Jadhav and based on the popular novel by late author
Suhas Shirvalkar. She portrayed the daughter of a police inspector who is initially targeted by the protagonist, Shreyas, as part of a revenge plan, but eventually becomes his love interest. Upon release, the film received widespread critical acclaim and became a major box office success, running for 50 weeks in theatres and earning ₹32 crore (US$3.8 million) worldwide. It went on to become the highest-grossing Marathi film of its time and later achieved cult status in Marathi cinema. Kothare’s performance was appreciated by critics—Keyur Seta of
Marathi Stars noted that “Kanitkar gives a cute as well as mature performance,” whereas Ulhas Shirke wrote, “Though Urmila Kanitkar Kothare finds a limited role, she plays an important character in the film, displaying her emotions clearly.” Kothare won the
Maharashtracha Favourite Kon Award for
Favourite Supporting Actress for her performance. The film received mixed reviews, though Kothare’s performance was singled out for praise. A critic from
The Times of India commented, “The acting is all over the top save Urmila, who stands out with a believable portrayal of a village woman.” In 2014, she had six releases, beginning with
Ravi Jadhav’s romantic drama
Timepass, in which she appeared in a supporting role. Next, she starred opposite Adinath in
Gajendra Ahire’s psychological thriller
Anvatt, marking their final on-screen collaboration. The duo portrayed a married couple who relocate to a remote village to honor the last wish of Vinay’s late grandfather. Their on-screen kissing scene also generated significant buzz and became a talking point upon the film’s release. The
Times of India noted, “Urmila, who looks every bit the hassled wife torn between her faith in her husband and the fear of the unknown.” The film received critical acclaim, with both actors earning praise for their performances. She was also seen as a Lavani dancer in Laxman Utekar’s critically acclaimed drama
Tapaal, adding another memorable character to her diverse portfolio. Additionally, she starred opposite
Siddharth Chandekar in the romantic drama
Baavare Prem He, where her performance received praise from Mihir Bhanage of
The Times of India, who observed, “Urmila’s expressive eyes do half the work for her portrayal and the rest she does through her acting.” Her final release of the year was Jadhav’s
Pyaar Vali Love Story, where she appeared alongside
Swapnil Joshi and
Sai Tamhankar. In the film, she played the outspoken yet endearing Nandini, a role that received considerable praise. Mihir Bhanage of
The Times of India remarked, “It is Urmila’s foul-mouthed yet lovable and sensible Nandini that steals the show,” and Ulhas Shirke described her as the “scene-stealer” in the film’s first half. In 2015, she played the role of a wealthy young woman who falls in love with a dedicated but economically disadvantaged man in the period romantic drama
Kaakan, directed by actress
Kranti Redkar in her directorial debut; however, their love remains unfulfilled due to class differences. The film was met with critical and audience acclaim. Mihir Bhanage of
The Times of India stated, “Urmila, as always, does most of the work through her expressive eyes. She is the perfect person for the role; bubbly, childish yet caring and sensitive." Saumitra Pote of
Maharashtra Times also appreciated the on-screen chemistry, noting, “The way they express each other through their eyes alone is amazing.” In the same year, she also appeared in brief roles in
Timepass 2, the sequel to
Timepass, and the dark comedy
Welcome Zindagi. For the latter, critic Keyur Seta of
Marathi Stars remarked, “Kothare scores high in a difficult cameo.” The following year, she had only one release in the romantic action film
Guru, opposite
Ankush Chaudhari, marking her third collaboration with director Sanjay Jadhav. Mihir Bhanage of
The Times of India noted, “In a film that is entirely Ankush’s, Urmila holds fort and prevents herself from being just the glam-quotient of the film by making the most of her role.” The film had an average run at the box office. She had two major releases in 2017, the first being
Satish Rajwade’s romantic drama
Ti Saddhya Kay Karte, in which she portrayed the wife of Anurag, played by Chaudhari. The film emerged as one of the most successful Marathi films of the year, earning worldwide. She once again worked in a film based on the concept of surrogacy, but this time portrayed a woman seeking a surrogate mother in the drama
Karaar, alongside
Subodh Bhave and
Kranti Redkar. The film received mixed reviews, but the lead performances were appreciated, Ganesh Matkari of
Pune Mirror wrote, "Out of the three main characters, Jayashree has the maximum screen time but the least impact, due to no fault of Urmila, who plays the part. The other two are stronger characters and represent two sides of the conflict." Around the same time, she also played the title role in
Vitha, a biographical film based on legendary tamasha dancer
Vithabai Narayangaonkar, portraying her dedication, love, and struggle for the stage; however, the film remains unreleased.
Career fluctuation and television comeback (2018–present) In 2018, she appeared opposite
R. Madhavan in a small role as his wife in
Amazon Prime Video’s crime thriller series
Breathe. She was next seen in 2021 in the murder mystery
SIX, where she portrayed a handicapped girl—one of the six suspects. The series premiered on Disney+ Hotstar as part of their Quix short-format series. In 2022, she appeared across all three major platforms. Her first release of the year was Abhijit Panse's thriller-mystery series
RaanBaazaar. One of the most anticipated shows of the year, it featured her in the role of an ambitious politician determined to rise to power by any means necessary—by hook or by crook. The same year, she once again reteamed with
Planet Marathi OTT for the period horror series
Athang. Both series received rave reviews and went on to become some of the most successful Marathi web shows. Her next release was the
National Film Award-winning family drama
Ekda Kaay Zala, directed by
Saleel Kulkarni. The film revolves around a father who imparts life lessons to his son through stories and entertainment, with her playing a supportive wife and nurturing mother who often feels sidelined, yet harbors her own unspoken thoughts, desires, and emotional depth. While reviewers noted that her role was limited, they felt she did full justice to it. Jaideep Pathakji of
Maharashtra Times commented, "Urmila plays her allotted role very honestly."
ABP News critic Vinod Ghatge commented, “Kothare is as important as them both. She does the job of maintaining the balance of the film.” She was also nominated for the
Zee Chitra Gaurav Puraskar for Best Supporting Actress. After twelve years, Kothare made her comeback on television with
Star Pravah's
Tuzech Mi Geet Gaat Aahe, a remake of the Bengali daily soap
Potol Kumar Gaanwala (2017). She portrayed the love interest of a musician who chose music over their love, and who was pregnant during that time. The show was a superhit during its run. She next reunited with
Satish Rajwade in the romantic drama film
Autograph – Ek Japun Thevavi Ashi Lovestory, co-starring Chaudhari, Amruta Khanvilkar, and Manasi Moghe. Originally slated for a theatrical release in December 2022, the film instead premiered directly on the Star Pravah television channel in May 2023 for reasons unknown. Her performance earned her nominations for Best Supporting Actress at both the
Fakt Marathi Cine Sanman and the Sanskruti Kaladarpan. She also made her Marathi stage debut with
Filter Coffee, a play written and directed by
Mahesh Manjrekar, in which she portrayed a painter who has lost interest in life after her husband's death but gradually falls in love with a charming and clever man. == Personal life ==