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Sulbha Arya Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 15, 2026 • 3 min read

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Quick Info

Date of birth15 July 1950

Age68 (as of 2018)

BirthplaceMumbai, Maharashtra

ProfessionFilm, Television and Stage Actress; Theatre leader; Former college teacher

NationalityIndian

Marital statusWidowed

SpouseIshan Arya (died 1996)

FamilyTwo sons: Sameer Arya (cinematographer) and Sagar Arya (actor)

Sulbha Arya Biography

Sulbha Arya is an Indian film, television and stage actress with a career that spans decades. Born in Mumbai in 1950, she has appeared in landmark TV shows

Early life and background

Sulbha Arya was born on 15 July 1950 in Mumbai, Maharashtra. She is Indian by nationality and grew up in Mumbai, where she later built her career in theatre, television and film. Her religious background is Hinduism and she is identified with the Komati community. Details about her parents and formal education are not publicly documented in the available profile.

Career

Arya’s work spans stage, television and cinema. She is recognised as a veteran performer in both Hindi and Marathi languages and is noted for roles in popular television and film productions. Early in her TV career she was part of Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi, the Indian television sitcom that premiered in 1984. That period also marked the beginning of her screen career, with a film debut credited in Lorie in 1984.

Across the years she has taken on memorable supporting and character parts. On television she earned wide recognition for the role of Shanti Masi in the family drama Sasural Genda Phool. In mainstream cinema she appeared as Kanta Ben in the 2003 dramedy Kal Ho Naa Ho, and she took part in the Marathi production Ventilator, released in 2016 and produced by Priyanka Chopra’s company.

Her work in film has been acknowledged with at least one industry award: she won the Screen Award for Best Comedian for her contribution to the film Masoom (1997).

Beyond acting, Arya has been active in theatre circles and is associated with the Indian People’s Theatre Association, serving in a leadership role as its president. She also has a background in academia, having taught Logic and Psychology for more than 25 years at MVLU College in Andheri, Mumbai.

Public profile

Arya’s family connections link her to the Indian film community through marriage and her children. She was married to cinematographer and producer Ishan Arya, who died in 1996. The couple had two sons: Sameer Arya, who is a cinematographer and has worked on mainstream Hindi films, and Sagar Arya, who works as an actor. Sagar is married into a family with film-industry ties; his wife is Anwesha Bhattacharya, daughter of director Basu Bhattacharya.

Colleagues and friendships have also been a notable part of Arya’s public persona. She shared a close working friendship with the late actor Farooque Shaikh; their rapport was marked by a long-standing camaraderie that included playful on-set sparring. In comments reported about their relationship, Arya once described him in very affectionate terms.

Latest updates

In the 2010s Arya continued to appear in film projects, including the Marathi film Ventilator in 2016. Her ongoing involvement with theatre and IPTA indicates continued engagement with performance and cultural work beyond screen appearances.

Physical traits and personal tastes

Arya’s physical appearance is described with brown eyes and salt-and-pepper hair. She has expressed a fondness for the ghazal singer Jagjit Singh and enjoys comedy as a favourite genre. Her dietary habits are listed as both vegetarian and non-vegetarian in available notes.

Selected legacy

Over a long career in stage, television and cinema, Sulbha Arya has become known for strong character work and for being part of milestone projects in Indian television history. Her contributions as a performer, educator and theatre leader form the core of her public legacy.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Sulbha Arya, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

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Recent Work

Ventilator

Marathi production produced by Priyanka Chopra's company; Sulbha Arya appeared in the film.

2016
Kal Ho Naa Ho

Played the role of Kanta Ben in the 2003 dramedy.

2003
Lorie

Credited as a film debut in 1984.

1984
Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi

Part of the cast of the 1984 television sitcom.

1984
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Career Highlights

  1. Veteran Hindi and Marathi film, television and stage actress
  2. Part of India’s early television sitcom Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi (1984)
  3. Best known for the role of Shanti Masi in Sasural Genda Phool
  4. Winner of the Screen Award for Best Comedian for Masoom (1997)
  5. President of the Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA)
  6. Taught Logic and Psychology at MVLU College for over 25 years
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Sulbha Arya born?

Sulbha Arya was born on 15 July 1950.

What is Sulbha Arya known for?

Sulbha Arya is known for film, Television and Stage Actress; Theatre leader; Former college teacher.

What is Sulbha Arya’s marital status?

Sulbha Arya's marital status is listed as Widowed.

Who is Sulbha Arya married to?

Sulbha Arya is publicly listed as married to Ishan Arya (died 1996).