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Leena Chandavarkar Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth29 August 1950

Age74 Years

BirthplaceDharwad, Karnataka

ProfessionActress

NationalityIndian

Marital statusWidow

SpouseFirst husband: Siddharth Bandodkar; Second husband: Kishore Kumar

FamilySon - Sumeet Kumar

Leena Chandavarkar Biography

Leena Chandavarkar is a former Indian film actress who rose to prominence in the late 1960s and 1970s. A Fresh Face runner-up as a teenager, she made her電影

Early life and background

Leena Chandavarkar was born on 29 August 1950 in Dharwad, Karnataka. Raised in a family with an army officer father, she completed her schooling at Basel Mission High School in Karnataka and finished her formal education at the 12th grade. Growing up in Karnataka, she spoke Kannada natively and later worked on improving her Hindi with the help of industry mentors.

Career

Leena entered public notice as a teenager when she finished as a runner-up in a nationwide Fresh Face competition organized by Filmfare. That early exposure opened the door to films, and she made her screen debut in 1969 with the movie Man Ka Meet. The film also marked the debut of actor Vinod Khanna.

Across the 1970s Leena established herself as a lead actress in Hindi cinema. A standout moment came with the 1970 film Humjoli, whose song “Dhal Gaya Din Ho Gayi Shaam” became widely popular and helped make her a household name. She appeared opposite prominent actors of the era, including Jeetendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Dharmendra, Rajesh Khanna and Dilip Kumar.

On the set of Manchali (1973) she first crossed paths with singer-actor Kishore Kumar, who would later become her husband. Leena also participated in television, appearing on the reality program K For Kishore in 2007.

Public profile

Leena was known for a traditional and conservative public persona; she avoided doing bikini shots and credited established seniors in the film industry with guiding her entry into Hindi cinema. The actress has said that Nargis helped her in early days by teaching her Hindi, non-classical dancing and driving, serving as an informal mentor during Leena’s transition into Mumbai films.

Personal life

Leena’s first marriage was to Siddharth Bandodkar on 8 December 1975; he was the son of Dayanand Bandodkar, the first Chief Minister of Goa. Tragically, Siddharth died from an accidental gunshot wound on 7 November 1976, leaving Leena a widow in her mid-20s. She later married singer-actor Kishore Kumar in 1980. The couple had a son, Sumeet Kumar. Kishore Kumar died on 13 October 1987; Leena did not remarry after his death.

Family and present life

Leena lives with her son Sumeet and remains connected with members of Kishore Kumar’s wider family; she shares a household with her stepson Amit Kumar, Amit’s family, and Kishore Kumar’s first wife Ruma Guha Thakurta. In later years she has contributed lyrics for her son Sumeet’s music albums.

Miscellaneous

Her listed physical details include a height of approximately 161 cm (about 5'3") and a weight around 55 kg. Her eye color is described as brown and her hair as black. Leena follows Hinduism and is identified with the Brahmin caste. She has described herself as non-vegetarian and has cited Kishore Kumar and Nargis among her favourites in music and acting respectively.

Latest updates

As of 2024 Leena Chandavarkar is 74 years old. She continues to be remembered for her work in Hindi cinema during a prolific period for the industry and for her associations with several prominent film personalities of her era.
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Recent Work

K For Kishore

Television reality show appearance

2007
Man Ka Meet

Film debut

1969
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Career Highlights

  1. Runner-up in Filmfare Fresh Face competition as a teenager
  2. Breakthrough with the hit song from Humjoli (1970)
  3. Worked opposite leading actors of 1970s Hindi cinema
  4. Married to singer-actor Kishore Kumar and mother of Sumeet Kumar
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Leena Chandavarkar born?

29 August 1950

What is Leena Chandavarkar known for?

Actress

What is Leena Chandavarkar’s marital status?

Widow

Who is Leena Chandavarkar married to?

First husband: Siddharth Bandodkar; Second husband: Kishore Kumar