Surekha Punekar

Surekha Punekar is a folk artist and Indian actress known mainly for her Lavani performances. In 2019, she was a contestant in the TV reality show Bigg Boss Marathi 2, which aired on Colors Marathi. She came from a financially low family and worked as a maid to earn money. She performed as an artist in various Tamasha troupes on the Lavani written by the well-known poet Bashir Momin Kavathekar Lokshahir Bashir Momin Kavathekar (born March 1947 >> Read More... in her initial days. After serving in various Tamasha troupes, she then started her own Tamasha troupe along with her sister Lata Punekar with the support of Baba Pathan and Momin Kavathekar. This was initially operated by Kavathe Yamai.

However, the venture was unprofitable, so the troupe closed. From 1998 onwards, she started performing stage shows named Natarangi Nar. But they received a cold response from the audience; she even performed for an audience of just three people. The show eventually became famous, especially after winning the first prize in the Lavani competition in Akluj Lavani Mahotsav. And finally, Surekha had the opportunity to perform her Lavani show in the USA. In 2011, she debuted as the director of the stage show ‘Nashikchi Naar’.