Urmila Matondkar (born 4 February 1974) is an Indian actress and politician. Known for her work primarily in Hindi films, in addition to Telugu, Malayalam, Marathi and Tamil films, she has received numerous accolades, including a Filmfare Award and a Nandi Award. Having established a distinctive on-screen persona, she is known for her acting skills, style statements and dancing skills.
After making her debut as a child actor in the 1977 film Karm, Matondkar gained recognition with Masoom (1983) and later worked as a teenage actress, appearing in supporting roles in some films and television shows during the late 1980s. Her first lead role came with the Malayalam film Chanakyan (1989), and her subsequent lead role in Indian cinema with Narsimha (1991), both of which were commercial successes. After a brief setback, Matondkar emerged as a star with Ram Gopal Verma's romantic drama Rangeela (1995). She had further success in the drama Judaai (1997), the crime film Satya (1998), the love triangle Dillagi (1999), the romantic comedy Khoobsurat (1999), and the thriller Jungle (2000). She also played the leading lady in Malayalam, Telugu and Tamil films such as Antham (1992), Gaayam (1993), Thacholi Varghese Chekavar (1995), Indian (1996) and Anaganaga Oka Roju (1997).
Matondkar subsequently garnered critical recognition for portraying a range of intense characters in several psychological thrillers and horror films, including a paranoid young woman in Kaun? (1999), an obsessive lover in Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya (2001), a possessed woman in Bhoot (2003) and a violent avenger Ek Hasina Thi (2004). During these years, she also collaborated with independent filmmakers in art-house cinema, including the dramas Tehzeeb (2003), Pinjar (2003), Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara (2005) and Bas Ek Pal (2006). She has since worked intermittently in films and television, including voice-over for the animated comedy Delhi Safari (2012), acting in the Marathi film Ajoba (2014) and serving as a talent judge on dance reality shows such as Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa (2007), Dance Maharashtra Dance (2012–2013) and DID Super Moms (2022).
Off-screen, Matondkar has participated in various concert tours and stage shows, and has walked the ramp on numerous occasions, most frequently for fashion designer Manish Malhotra. In 2019, Matondkar entered active politics, joining the Indian National Congress and contesting the Lok Sabha election that year, before later joining the Shiv Sena in 2020. Throughout her career, she has been involved with several humanitarian causes and is vocal about issues faced by women and children.
Early life and child artist
Matondkar was born on 4 February 1974 in Bombay (present-day Mumbai) in a middle-class Hindu Maharashtrian family. Her father, Shrikant Matondkar is a retired officer of the erstwhile Grindlays Bank, while her mother Sunita Matondkar, is a retired state government employee. Matondkar has three siblings: an elder sister, Mamta, who is a former actress-turned-lawyer, another sister, Pooja, and a brother, Kedar, who served in the Indian Air Force. Matondkar has consistently expressed pride in her Marathi roots, stating that she is a proud "Marathi mulgi".. Reflecting on what being Maharashtrian means to her, she has stated, "It means dignity and a great sense of self-respect. I take immense pride in my roots, culture, Marathi literature and language."
Matondkar studied at DG Ruparel College in Mumbai. She recalled visiting her grandparents' home in Konkan during summer vacations, describing it as "absolutely scenic, serene and a divine experience" with "old stunning temples, running waters, untouched clean sea and white shores." As a child artist, she made her film debut in B.R. Chopra's Karm (1977). Subsequently, she featured in Shreeram Lagoo's Marathi film Zaakol (1980), Shyam Benegal's crime Kalyug (1980), Shekhar Kapur's drama Masoom (1983), Praveen Bhatt's Bhavna (1984), K. Viswanath's Sur Sangam (1985). Her appearance in the song "Lakdi Ki Kathi" from Masoom became widely popular, and the song became a beloved children's classic.
She continued to work as a teenage actress and acted in Rahul Rawail's Dacait (1987) and Kalpataru's Bade Ghar Ki Beti (1989). During this period, Matondkar also did small roles in a few television shows, such as Zindagi, Katha Sagar and Indradhanush. She worked in a serial called Titliyan, where she initially played a minor role that was later extended. Years later, she recalled her role in the serial, saying, "I was supposed to die in the second episode. But the makers liked the way I acted. My role was extended and went on and on." She also stated that she did not actively plan to become an actress in childhood, saying, "I always liked acting but it was not that I was dying to become an actress. It just happened."
Career
Debut and initial roles (1989–1994)
Matondkar made her formal debut as a grown-up in 1989, with T. K. Rajeev Kumar's Malayalam blockbuster Chanakyan, opposite Kamal Haasan. Her Bollywood debut came with N. Chandra's 1991 action drama film Narsimha, which starred Sunny Deol. Matondkar played Meenu Singh, the rebellious daughter of a crime boss (played by Om Puri) and love-interest of Ravi Behl's character. Upon release, the film emerged as a commercial success.
In 1992, Matondkar starred in Rajiv Mehra's ghost comedy Chamatkar, alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Naseeruddin Shah. In the same year, her first Telugu film came with the action-crime Antham, and its Hindi bilingual Drohi, opposite Nagarjuna. She played Bhavna, an ornithologist who is in love with Nagarjuna's character. Upon release, the film received positive reviews from critics. The film also marked first of Matondkar's many collaborations with director Ram Gopal Verma.
In 1993, Matondkar appeared in Shreemaan Aashique opposite Rishi Kapoor and Bedardi opposite Ajay Devgn— both these films failed critically and commercially. Varma's Telugu political thriller Gaayam (1993) was her next release. The film garnered positive reviews, with six state Nandi Awards, and emerged a Super Hit at the box office. Matondkar's performance earned her a Nandi Award for Best Supporting Actress. She gained wider public recognition with the 1994 hit romantic drama Aa Gale Lag Ja, starring alongside Jugal Hansraj.
Rangeela and rise to prominence (1995–1999)
In 1995, Matondkar established herself as a leading actress of contemporary Hindi cinema by featuring in Varma's musical romance Rangeela, one of the top-grossing productions of the year. Co-starring Aamir Khan and Jackie Shroff, the film emerged as a blockbuster with a gross of ₹334 million. Matondkar played Mili Joshi, an effervescent fun-loving friend of a street-toughened orphan, with ambitions of becoming an actress. At the 41st Filmfare Awards, Rangeela was nominated for 12 awards including a first Best Actress nomination for Matondkar. The film was screened at the International Film Festival of India.
"I was happy that the masses in the south had accepted me, but then I felt that the Hindi audiences also should... Rangeela was a very wonderful film, a great experience. The music by A R Rahman, the direction, coupled with the technical expertise of Ram Gopal Verma and the acting abilities of all the artists were all useful."
In the same year, she also starred alongside Mohanlal in the Malayalam action Thacholi Varghese Chekavar. She played Maya, the only witness in a homicide who is kept under house arrest by her parents. The next year, she played Sapna, the daughter of an RTO official in S. Shankar's Indian (1996), which marked her first Tamil film. It was also dubbed and released in Hindi under the title Hindustani. Featuring Kamal Haasan in dual roles alongside Matondkar and Manisha Koirala, it was the most expensive Indian film at that time, with a budget of ₹150 million. Nirupama Subramanian of India Today felt the film was a commercial potboiler and wrote, "Indian has dances, foot-tapping melodies by A. R. Rahman and two pretty women, Manisha Koirala and Urmila Matondkar". Both Indian and Hindustani were commercial successes. The film was India's official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film for the Academy Awards in 1996, but was not nominated.
Matondkar's first release of 1997 was Raj Kanwar's melodrama Judaai. A remake of the 1994 Telugu film Shubhalagnam, it tells the story of Kajal (played by Sridevi), lured by wealth who asks her husband, Raj (played by Anil Kapoor), an honest engineer, to marry Janhvi (played by Matondkar), the rich daughter of his boss. The Indian Express asserted that "it is Urmila Matondkar who comes out with flying colours". The film emerged as a commercial success and her performance fetched her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award nomination. Her next releases were the crime comedy Daud alongside Sanjay Dutt, the romantic drama Mere Sapno Ki Rani alongside Sanjay Kapoor and the action romance Aflatoon alongside Akshay Kumar. All these films underperformed at the box-office. She next reunited with Varma for her third Telugu release, the road movie Anaganaga Oka Roju, starring alongside J. D. Chakravarthy. The film involves the comic travails of a couple eloping, on the run from their parents who get entangled as murder suspects of a politician, in a police and political mafia road hunt for an incriminating audio tape. The film received positive reviews and emerged as a box office hit.
Her next release was the crime thriller Satya (1998), for which she received another Filmfare Best Actress nomination. The film was received favourably by critics and was a huge hit at the box office, solidifying Matondkar's position as a leading lady of Bollywood. Satya was on CNN-IBN's 2013 list of the 100 greatest Indian films of all time, in the 100 Filmfare Days series and on the "70 iconic movies of independent India" list. It was mentioned in Rachel Dwyer's 100 Bollywood Films (where she called it a "masterpiece"), and in critic and author Shubhra Gupta's 50 Films That Changed Bollywood, 1995-2015.
In 1999, Matondkar had six film releases; three of them − Jaanam Samjha Karo, Hum Tum Pe Marte Hain and Mast − were commercial failures. However, Matondkar's performances were generally well received by critics, (nn a review for Jaanam Samjha Karo, Rediff stating, "Urmila is just about the only heroine who can give Karisma a run for her money when it comes to pelvic thrusts"). Later in 1999, she starred opposite Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol in the romantic film Dillagi. The film did an average business and her role was well appreciated. Her next movie that year was Varma's psychological horror thriller Kaun, opposite Manoj Bajpayee, where she played a nameless character. Khalid Mohamed of The Times of India (who would later cast her in Tehzeeb) wrote, "She rivets the viewer's interest, carrying off entire reels on her shoulders, through a gamut of quicksilver facial expressions. Vulnerable and baffled, she is utterly believable as the traumatised girl-next-door". Matondkar next played the love interest of Sanjay Dutt's character in the action comedy Khoobsurat. It emerged as a box-office average grosser.
Critical recognition (2000–2006)
During the 2000s, Matondkar revealed strong, dramatic and psychological features in her roles, and delivered a number of critically acclaimed performances. In 2000, Matondkar re-united with Varma for the action Jungle, alongside Fardeen Khan and Sunil Shetty. She played Anu, who is hostaged by the chief of bandits, when he starts liking her. Taran Adarsh wrote, "Urmila is at ease in a role that gives her ample scope to showcase her talent. Her scenes with Durga can easily be singled out, for they have been shot with brilliance." The film was both critically and commercially successful. She next starred opposite Govinda in David Dhawan's romantic comedy Kunwara. The film underperformed at the box office, with a grossing of ₹182 million (US$1.9 million).
The next year, Matondkar portrayed Ria, an obsessed lover, in Rajat Mukherjee's romantic thriller Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya, a film which received critical acclaim. Her performance was highly acclaimed and several critics noted her for showing great emotional range and depth. Taran Adarsh opined, "the 'actual hero' of the film is definitely Urmila. Her career-best performance, she oozes intensity, love, hate, relentlessness and obsessive behaviour with perfection." A critic of Planet Bollywood described her as "the star of the show" and added, "Urmila is simply mind blowing in this film. If you hate everything else in the film, her performance will surely win you over! Her last two scenes in the film are simply breath taking." The film emerged successful at the box office with gross earnings of ₹281 million (US$2.9 million). Matondkar received various Best Villain nominations for her performance, including a Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role nomination.
In 2002, Matondkar appeared alongside an ensemble cast (Waheeda Rehman, Anil Kapoor, Fardeen Khan, Mahima Chaudhary, Abhishek Bachchan and Tara Sharma), in the drama Om Jai Jagadish. She played the role of Neetu, the love interest of the protagonist (played by Fardeen Khan). The film failed commercially. Anees Bazmee's psychological thriller Deewangee was her next release. She played Sargam, a popular singer, who is the object of conflict between the protagonist and antagonist. Co-starring Ajay Devgan and Akshaye Khanna, the film was well received by critics and was moderately successful at the box office. Deepa Gumaste, writing for Rediff, praised the performances of the three leads and wrote: "As usual, the heroine has little to do apart from looking cute in the first half and scared in the second. It is another matter that she is supposed to be the object of the film's conflict. For what it is worth, Urmila Matondkar executes her part well".
Her first release of 2003 was the supernatural horror Bhoot. She played Swati, a ghost-possessed woman. Taran Adarsh wrote praised her performance and wrote: "...the film clearly belongs to Urmila Matondkar all the way. To state that she is excellent would be doing gross injustice to her work. Sequences when she is possessed are simply astounding. If this performance doesn't deserve an award, no other performance should. It beats all competition hollow". Khalid Mohamed wrote, "Matondkar is consistently excellent - controlled and persuasively vulnerable – as the beleaguered wife, evoking your concern and empathy. She's the major triumph of Bhoot actually". She received her first Filmfare Award under the Best Actress (Critics' Choice) as well as various Best Actress awards at different award ceremonies, including Star Screen Awards, Zee Cine Awards and Bollywood Movie Awards. She received another Filmfare Award for Best Actress nomination and also received the national honour Rajiv Gandhi Award for the work in the film, also recognising her achievements in Bollywood. The film became successful at the box office with gross earnings of ₹224 million (US$2.3 million).
She achieved further critical acclaim for her portrayal of the title role of a girl in a strained relationship with her mother, in Khalid Mohammed's crime drama Tehzeeb (2003). Rediff complimented her by stating, "Urmila as the emotionally scarred Tehzeeb, who is uncomfortable expressing her feelings even to her husband, has done a commendable job. The only person she expresses her love to is her mentally challenged sister."
She next played the role of Puro, a North Indian girl who leads a happy life but her dreams of a happy future are shattered when, one evening, she is kidnapped by Bajpayee's character, in the background of the 1947 India partition in the critically acclaimed Pinjar (2003). Derek Elley of Variety reviewed the film commenting, "A handsomely shot drama centered on a Hindu woman's travails during the 1947 Partition, "Pinjar" ranks as one of the better Bollywood treatments of this still hot-button issue. Good performances, especially by lead actress Urmila Matondkar and by Manoj Bajpai as her Muslim partner, compensate for a slightly wobbly structure".
In 2004, Matondkar starred in the thriller Ek Hasina Thi. The film (which marked the debut of Sriram Raghavan) tells the story of a Sarika Vartak, a deceived woman, played by Matondkar, who is jailed and arrested for having links with the underworld, because of her lover, played by Khan, and later flees from prison to seek revenge on him. Upon release, the film was positively received by critics, with Matondkar's performance earning praise. The Deccan Herald commented: "An author-backed role ensures that Urmila gets to do everything just right. Whether it's kicking a bully into shape in the dreary prison of which she's an inmate or whether it's making nice with Karan while plotting his ruin, she's a total treat. She carries off the transition from naive to knowing effortlessly. Seductive and steely, she's quite explosive." The film was a box office success. For her performance, Matondkar received nominations at the Filmfare, Screen, Zee Cine and IIFA ceremonies. The film was premiered at the New York Asian Film Festival.
In 2005, she played the title role in the horror Naina. The film tells the story of Matondkar's character who after receiving an eye transplant, realises that she can see into the supernatural world. The film was premiered in the Marché du Film section at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival. She next starred as Trisha Chaudhary, a caring daughter of Professor Uttam Chaudhary, played by Anupam Kher, in Jahnu Barua's art drama Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara. The film was well received by critics, with Rediff stating, "Her credibility as a versatile actress is further established in her reserved albeit realistic delivery of emotions." Matondkar won her second Bollywood Movie Award for Best Actress.
In 2006, she appeared in Pankaj Parashar's romance Banaras: A Mystic Love Story with Ashmit Patel and Dimple Kapadia. The film was not well received by critics, with Raja Sen commenting: "And then there's Urmila. Let's start with the good. She looks great, refreshingly beautiful and striking. That's about it. This is an actress who has worked hard to earn respectability, but this role, like the film itself, suffers from inconsistency". Her next release was Onir's Bas Ek Pal (2006).
Career slowdown and intermittent work (2007–present)
From 2007 onward, Matondkar’s film appearances became increasingly sporadic, beginning with a song appearance in Ram Gopal Varma's Aag and a cameo in the ensemble song "Deewangi Deewangi", in Farah Khan's Om Shanti Om. In the same year, she was seen in the action-thriller Speed as part of an ensemble cast. Noting her reduced acting appearances during this phase, Taran Adarsh wrote in his review, "Urmila handles her part with dexterity and adds freshness to the goings-on since she has cut down on her acting assignments".
In 2008, Matondkar appeared alongside Himesh Reshammiya in the thriller Karzzzz, a remake of the 1980 film Karz. Her performance as Kamini (originally played by Simi Garewal) received praise, although the film was a critical and commercial failure. She also re-united with Sanjay Dutt for the social-comedy EMI - Liya Hai Toh Chukana Padega! in the same year.
After a brief hiatus from major film roles, Matondkar lent her voice to the character of 'Begum' in the animated musical-comedy Delhi Safari (2012) for its Hindi version and made an appearance in the Marathi film Hridayanath (2012), in an item song. She was then seen in a cameo role in the adventure-comedy Life Mein Hungama Hai, which released after a delay of several years in 2013 and went unnoticed.
In 2014, Matondkar appeared in her first full-fledged role in Marathi cinema in the adventure-drama Ajoba. In the film, she portrayed Purva Rao, a wildlife activist in search of leopards. Daily News and Analysis wrote, "..this one's another jewel in her crown. She portrays Purva with a mild aggressive and rebellious streak. But all of these are an undercurrent to Purva's actions."
Four years later, Matondkar made a very brief return to Bollywood with a special appearance in the song "Bewafa Beauty", in the dark comedy Blackmail (2018). In 2022, Matondkar was announced to star with Shreyas Talpade in the Marathi film Tee Mee Navhech; however, no significant updates on the project have been announced since.
As of 2026, she is set to make her OTT debut with a crime-thriller web series titled Tiwari, which has been facing post-production delays.
Other work
Reality television
In 2003, Matondkar appeared in an episode of the series Dil Ki Baatein on Sahara TV, which featured Bollywood celebrities presenting vignettes from their personal lives. In 2006, she was announced as a talent judge for Sahara One's reality show Superstars alongside choreographer Shiamak Davar, but the show likely got shelved. However, a year later, both Matondkar and Dhavar judged the second season of Sony Entertainment's dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, alongside veteran actor Jeetendra. Describing her experience of judging the show, Matondkar said, "I'm ecstatic about being able to be part of this show. I was facing the participants and audience for the first time. There were no written lines, no cues, no second chances. Either it worked or it didn't work for you. It was a concept that I liked."
Matondkar then hosted Sony TV's singing reality show Waar Parriwar in 2008. She said that she agreed to host the show because she felt comfortable with its family-oriented format and emphasised her preference for authenticity over scripted drama in reality television. In 2011, she was roped in for the second season of Colors' dance reality show Chak Dhoom Dhoom. She replaced Mallika Sherawat, and joined Javed Jaffrey and Terence Lewis in the judging panel. Matondkar subsequently ventured into Marathi television, with Zee Marathi's dance reality show Marathi Paaul Padte Pudhe (2011–2012), where she served as a judge in its second season.. She then featured as the 'Grand Master' judge in Dance Maharashtra Dance (2012–2013), on the same channel.
After ten years, she returned to Hindi television and featured as a co-judge alongside Remo D'Souza and Bhagyashree in the third season of DID Super Moms (2022) on Zee TV. In an interview for the show, Matondkar supported the inclusion of personal backstories of the contestants on reality television, stating that it was important for audiences to understand their journeys and struggles.
Over the years, Matondkar has also appeared as a celebrity guest on several other shows, including Movers & Shakers, Boogie Woogie, The Manish Malhotra Show, Indian Idol, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, Dance Deewane, Zee Comedy Show, and Khupte Tithe Gupte.
Fashion and stage appearances
Throughout her career, Matondkar has walked the runway for fashion designers such as Manish Malhotra, Rohit Verma, Krishna Mehta and Jaya Rathore. She has stated that she enjoys walking the ramp because it involves "style and glamour". She has walked the ramp for Malhotra on multiple occasions, including fashion events like the Lakme Fashion Week. In February 2013, Matondkar along with Parineeti Chopra, walked for Malhotra in London, to support the Angeli Foundation, that works to empower the Girl Child in India.
Matondkar has also been a frequent performer at various Indian film award ceremonies and events, such as Filmfare Awards, Filmfare Awards South, IIFA Awards, Stardust Awards,Bollywood Movie Awards, International Film Festival of India among others. She has also performed at non-film events, including the inaugural ceremonies of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and the Afro-Asian Games in 2003, as well as award ceremonies organised by CEAT Cricket Ratings, in 2003 and 2007. She co-hosted the 9th IIFA Awards, alongside Boman Irani and Riteish Deshmukh in 2008. In April 2010, she co-hosted the launch event of the IPL franchise Pune Warriors India (then named Sahara Pune Warriors) in Pune, alongside Mahesh Manjrekar. In 2013, she performed at the GR8! Women Awards in Dubai, where she paid tribute to 100 years of Hindi Cinema through a medley of Bollywood hits. In 2018, she performed for Star Plus's special called Adbhut Ganesh Utsav, as part of a celebrity line-up celebrating the Ganesh Chaturthi festival.
Other media appearances
As a celebrity, Matondkar has appeared in advertisements and endorsed several brands throughout her career, including Lux and Snickers. In 2003, Matondkar was among several Bollywood celebrities, including Vivek Oberoi, who appeared in a WHO–backed anti-tobacco public service advertising campaign warning against the glamorisation of smoking in Bollywood and public culture.
In 2004, Matondkar featured in the music video of the song "Deewanay", by the Pakistani pop-rock band Fuzön, directed by Prahlad Kakkar and Saqib Malik. The collaboration aimed at promoting India–Pakistan peace and cultural exchange, drawing major media attention when she visited Lahore to shoot the video. In 2007, Matondkar marked a rare venture into singing by lending her vocals to the song "Mehbooba Dilruba", for Asha Bhonsle's music album Asha & Friends Vol. 1, and also appeared in the accompanying video of the song with Bhonsle.
Political career
Prior to entering active politics, Matondkar was associated with various charitable initiatives and has particularly supported causes related to the empowerment of women in India. In 2011, she was among several film personalities who rallied in support of Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement in Mumbai.
Matondkar officially joined the Indian National Congress on 27 March 2019. She stated in an interview that she had been approached for political roles earlier in her career too, but had chosen to decline them before eventually entering politics due to socio-political concerns. She contested from Mumbai North constituency in the 2019 Lok Sabha Election, but lost.
She resigned from the Congress on 10 September 2019, citing petty internal politics. On 1 December 2020, Matondkar joined the Shiv Sena in presence of party president Uddhav Thackeray. Shiv Sena hoped to add a nationally recognised face and voice, well conversant in Marathi, Hindi as well as English, to represent the party.
In 2022, Matondkar participated in Bharat Jodo Yatra, joining Rahul Gandhi during the march, despite having earlier left the Congress.
Reception and impact
Artistry
Matondkar has been described by critics as one of the most talented actresses and has also been praised for her dancing skills. The Tribune described her as a versatile actress and a "glam doll" who successfully transitioned from child artist roles to a leading performer.
Following the success of Rangeela (1995), media coverage frequently described Matondkar as a "sex symbol" of contemporary Hindi cinema, a label that she acknowledged as being shaped largely by publicity and promotional framing, which contributed to her being typecast. She was included in The Tribune's list of Bollywood's top five actresses of 1998. By the early 2000s, publications such as Rediff noted that she had moved beyond the early "glamour" label, establishing herself through varied and often unconventional roles in films such as Kaun?, Bhoot, and Pinjar. In a 2003 feature interview in The Tribune, Matondkar was described as an established actress whose career included both commercial films and roles across varied genres. She featured in Rediff's "Top Bollywood Actresses" listing in the same year.
"I have always tried to make life interesting for myself by doing different roles that connect mainstream cinema with its offbeat counterpart. I guess I have been daring and lucky with my roles. I want to do every kind of role with a reasonable amount of panache. I want to be a fair combination of style and substance"
Film critic Sukanya Verma described Matondkar as "a thinking actress who performs spontaneously," adding that "it is her charismatic image that stays with the audience. She is an actress with a lot of style and a fair amount of substance." Planet Bollywood described Matondkar as "a force to reckon with in the industry" in its review of Ek Hasina Thi (2004). Praising her dancing skills, choreographer Saroj Khan said of Matondkar, "You only have to show her the step once. Urmila is that quick ... Rhythm is in her blood." Music composer Anu Malik described Matondkar as "a person with soul" and said that her "sensuous looks" suited rhythm and blues music. Actor Fardeen Khan, Matondkar's co-star in Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya (2001), described her as "a director's actor" who "completely surrenders herself to the character." Director Khalid Mohamed stated that Matondkar had originally been considered for the title role in Fiza (2001) and he later rewrote portions of Tehzeeb (2003) to suit her character, noting that, "Urmila surprised me with her performance. She was all there! I had misjudged her."