Famous as Rani Lakshmi Bai of Hindi television, Varsha Usgaonkar is a top Marathi actress of 90s. She is a Konkani and hails from Goa. She was born on 28th February 1968 and is daughter of A.K.S. Usgaonkar, who is the former deputy speaker of Goa. She has two sisters Dr. Mrs. Tosha Kurade and Mrs. Manish Tarkar. She is multitalented actress, who has worked in many Hindi television serials as well as in Marathi and Bollywood movies. She has also sung in a Konkani music album Roop Tujem Lalita Pixem with Ulhas Buyao.
Playing lead role in Brahamchari in Marathi theatre was the stepping stone of her acting career. She gave many super hit Marathi movies. In Bollywood, she played as a lead actress in Ghar Aya Mera Pardesi and Pathreela Rasta. She performed supporting role in Amir Khan's movie Mangal Pandey.
Her television career debuted in 1988, when she played Uttara, wife of Abhimanyu in the serial Mahabharath, of Doordarshan. In 1994, she was seen as a snake queen in Chandrakanta serial. But her most memorable performance is that of Rani Lakshmi Bai in Jhansi ki Rani which aired on television during 1990. In 2000, she married
Ajay Sharma
, who was the son of film and music director Ravishankar. After her husband's death, her sister-in-law accused her of harassment and claimed ownership to the bungalow in which she lived. This was followed by a court case and brought controversies in her life.