Renuka Shahane – Famous TV host and actress with ‘Surabhi’ and ‘Hum Apke Hain Kaun’ to her credit

Renuka Shahane is a popular TV personality and film actress. She is best known for co-hosting Indian cultural magazine show Surabhi telecasted on Doordarshan in the 1990s, and for playing Salman Khan’s sister-in-law in Bollywood blockbuster ‘Hum Aapke Hain Kaun’, for which she was nominated for best actress in a supporting role at Filmfare awards. She mostly plays supporting roles on big screen, and is a recipient of Filmfare award for best actress for Marathi film “Aboli” in 1994. She is the daughter of noted theatre personality and critic Shanta Gokhale, and is married to Bollywood villain Ashutosh Rana.

Renuka Shahane’s early life

Renuka Shahane was born in 1966 in Maharashtra into family with close links to art and literal fields. Her father Lt. Cdr. Vijaykumar Shahane and mother Shanta Gokhale were legally separated, and she has one sibling – Girish Shahane. Later her mother had a brief marriage with filmmaker Arun Khopkar and a long-term relationship with writer Jerry Pinto. The siblings were brought up by mother Shanta. Renuka took BA and MA in Psychology.

She started her professional career through Marathi cinema

Marathi film Hach Sunbaicha Bhau marked her screen debut in 1992. However it was her role as an anchor in Doordarshan’s cultural show Surabhi, which made her a star of mini screen. She anchored the show aside Siddharth Kak, and her cute smile and short haircut earned millions of hearts. Before that she has already begun her television career when Doordarshan was the only channel available. Her lead role in Imtihaan in the 1990s was well appreciated.

Her role as Salman Khan’s sister-in-law in Hum Apke Hain Kaun is extremely popular

Renuka sharing screen space with Salman Khan in Hum Apke Hain kaun

Her success in TV shows helped her to bag the most memorable role of her film career – Pooja Choudhury in Hum Apke Hain Kaun. It was her debut Bollywood film. She was featured as Madhuri Dixit’s elder sister who dies in an accident, and she was a part of many of its hit songs including Deedi Tera Devar Deewana, Maye Ni Maye, Joote Do Paise Lo, Wah Wah Ramji, Lo Chali Mein, Dikdhana etc. She became a household name after the release of the film. In 1996 her supporting role in Masoom got noticed. Though she appeared in many movies later, none of those roles were popular. Yet she remained popular through TV show, Surabhi.

In 2018 she made a strong comeback through Bollywood film, 3 Storeys. She made brief appearances in Highway, Dil Ne Jise Apna Kahaa, and a few other Marathi films too. In 2018 she became a part of the web series, What the Folks. She has also done theatre and short films. Some of her popular shows on Doordarshan in the 1990s include Imtihaan, Ghutan, 9 Malabar Hill, Kora Kagaz, Junoon, Sailaab and Mrs. Madhuri Dixit. She also hosted the musical show Antakshari for Zee Television.

Renuka Shahane – Some interesting and less-known facts

RenukaShahane and Siddharth Kak – The star anchors of 1990s

1. She played Shah Rukh Khan’s love interest in 1990 Doordarshan series, Circus.

2. She was the co-host of Surabhi, the longest-running cultural series on Indian television, the show which made her famous. The show which was entered in Limca Book of Records was telecasted during 1990-2001, with an one-year break in 1991. Best known as Doordarshan show during its glorious years, it was later telecasted on Star Plus.

3. She was also the assistant director of the show Surabhi, and did small tasks like adding music to videos, editing videos etc.

4. For the audition of Doordarshan show Surabhi, she was given a script about Tanjavur temples, which she was asked to recite. But she forgets the script and kept smiling. Siddharth Kak’s wife liked her sweet smile because in those days Doordarshan anchors never smiled. Thus Renuka got selected for the show without audition.

Renuka in her trademark short hair style for ‘Surabhi’ TV show

5. Like her mother she too had two marriages. She is legally separated from her first husband Vijay Kenkare, a theatre personality after a brief marriage and is currently married to Ashutosh Rana.

6. Her brother Girish Shahane is an artist, contemporary writer, columnist and art critic.

7. She had a brief stint in Telugu cinema. In 1993 she played lead role in her Telugu debut movie, Money and also appeared in 1995 Telugu film Money Money.

8. Renuka’s hit Telugu movie Money was later remade in Hindi as Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega. Interestingly Paresh Rawal played villain’s role in this Telugu flick.

9. She tried luck in film direction and directed Marathi movie Rita in 2009.

10. She played the daughter of Smita Jayakar and Raza Murad in 1990s series, Ghutan. Raza Murad played a rough husband in the series while Smita Jayakar played an unhappy and depressed wife with hidden sorrows and frustrations.

11. She is known for championing women’s causes on social media, and has supported Tanushree Dutta and others in MeToo movement.

12. She is one year older than her husband Ashutosh.