Careers don’t always move in straight lines, and Amruta Khanvilkar knows that better than most. With over two decades of work across films, television and OTT, the actress says timing, instinct and the courage
to trust one’s choices have shaped her journey, sometimes in unexpected ways.
Amruta believes her reputation for being selective has worked in her favour over the years. She says she has always prioritised the relevance of a character over its length or visibility on screen. “I’ve been selective with the kind of projects or roles I play. When people know that she won’t choose something random, they don’t come up with random stuff or roles that make no sense,” she says, explaining that impact matters more than screen time. “The length of the role or the number of scenes don’t matter to me. Even if I have one scene to play, my only focus is, ‘is it impactful?’ Is it going to make an impact on the audience or the story?”, she told Hindustan Times.
Currently seen in Taskaree: The Smugglers Web alongside Emraan Hashmi, Amruta credits the OTT space for allowing her to explore a wider range of performances. According to her, the evolution of digital storytelling has opened up new possibilities. “Over the years, the dynamics of web space have changed, and that’s been for the good. I’ve tried to widen my range as an actor,” said the 41-year-old.
She also added that being choosy has never come with regret. “While everyone knows that I’m selective with roles, it doesn’t mean that I regret saying no to roles that I couldn’t play. They weren’t meant for me.”
One project that stands out as a turning point in her career is Alia Bhatt-starrer Raazi. Amruta described the casting as completely unexpected and deeply personal for her at the time. “Raazi was a very shocking casting for me. I wasn’t in a very good space at that time, professionally and personally. I had started doubting myself, doubting my choices, and everything, and Raazi just came along and pulled me out of so many things.”
She said that the film arrived when she needed reassurance the most. “That film gave me confidence, which I needed back then to keep going. It was like a whiff of fresh air, and it boosted me. Some bigger things are working out for you at times, and that was very godsent for me. It really pulled me up in my life.”
While Amruta continues to look for challenging and unconventional roles, she remains realistic about the unpredictability of casting. She believes actors can only focus on what lies within their control. “Casting is really not in any actor’s hands. As an actor, you can go and perform, do your best on screen, but we can’t worry about something that’s not even in our control. Losing out on a role is indeed upsetting, but we can’t let ourselves live in the past, plus how do you know why someone got cast or why you lost out on a role? At my end, I just try to do the best, even if it’s a small part, it has to make a difference,” she ended.
Amruta Khanvilkar, one of the highest-paid actresses in Marathi films, has won several honours, including a Maharashtra State Film Award, a Zee Chitra Gaurav Puraskar and three Maharashtracha Favourite Kon awards. She began her journey as a contestant on India’s Best Cinestars Ki Khoj in 2004, made her Marathi debut with Golmaal (2006) and entered Hindi cinema with Mumbai Salsa (2007). She gained early success with films like Saade Maade Teen, Phoonk and Gaiir, before becoming widely popular for her Lavani performance “Wajale Ki Bara” in Natarang (2010).
Khanvilkar earned critical acclaim for films such as Katyar Kaljat Ghusali (2015), Shala, Aayna Ka Bayna, Welcome Zindagi and Choricha Mamla. In Hindi cinema, she was noted for her performances in Raazi (2018) and Malang (2020), and made her OTT debut with Damaged. Her portrayal of a Tamasha dancer in Chandramukhi brought her major critical and commercial success, followed by Pondicherry and Har Har Mahadev (2022). More recently, she has featured in Hindi web series Lootere, 36 Days and Taskaree.
Beyond films, she has appeared on reality shows like Nach Baliye 7 (winner) and Khatron Ke Khiladi 10, and has hosted dance-based television shows including Dance Maharashtra Dance and Dance India Dance 6.
