01 July,2026 11:06 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Vijaya Mehta (Pic/Instagram)
Veteran Indian theatre director and actor Vijaya Mehta, who played a pivotal role in shaping Marathi theatre, died on Tuesday night due to age-related ailments. She was 92. Fondly called "Bai," Mehta was a pioneering director, actor, and producer who reshaped modern Indian theatre and cinema. Several actors have penned emotional tributes remembering her legacy.
Affectionately known as "Bai," Mehta passed away at her residence in south Mumbai, noted actor Vijay Kenkre confirmed. "She passed away around 9:30-10 pm. I learnt about her demise through her daughter. It's a personal loss. She has been my guru," Kenkre, who served as chief assistant on her 1990s television serial Lifeline, told PTI.
She was one of the founding members of Mumbai's Rangayan theatre group, along with playwright Vijay Tendulkar and actors Arvind Deshpande and Shreeram Lagoo.
Expressing his grief, Kher shared an emotional video and post, recalling Vijaya Mehta's immense contribution to theatre and cinema. He thanked his "Vijaya Bai" for her "generosity, affection, guidance, and for reminding so many of us that acting is not about performing... it is about understanding life."
Expressing his grief, he wrote, "She never imposed her knowledge. She illuminated it. She never raised her voice. She raised your standards. Her discipline came wrapped in grace, her warmth in humility, and her brilliance in simplicity. The cruelest thing about death is that within moments of hearing the news, we are forced to speak about someone we love in the past tense. The heart takes much longer to accept what the mind has just been told."
Mehta was one of the founding members of Mumbai's Rangayan theatre group, alongside renowned playwright Vijay Tendulkar and veteran actors Arvind Deshpande and Shreeram Lagoo. Her six-decade career included staging landmark plays like Ek Shoonya Bajirao and Ajab Nyay Vartulacha, and directing acclaimed films such as Rao Saheb and Pestonjee.
Born Vijaya Jaywant on November 4, 1934, in Baroda, she trained under Ebrahim Alkazi and Adi Marzban. Beyond theatre, Vijaya Mehta carved a distinct place for herself in Indian parallel cinema with memorable performances in acclaimed films such as Kalyug and Party, earning critical acclaim for her nuanced portrayals.
(With inputs from ANI)
