Veteran actor Ashalata dies of COVID-19

Veteran actor and Marathi theatre personality Ashalata Wabgaonkar died at the age of 79 after battling COVID-19. Actor Renuka Shahane shared a tribute to the late actor in a tweet written in Marathi, which roughly translates to this heart-wrenching message: "Today has been a sad day. COVID-19 took a very beautiful life. Ashalata Tai merged into infinity. Extremely kind, loving, sensitive, great artist. Peace be upon the soul of Ashalata Tai, who has always blessed me, addressing me as 'Baby'. A heartfelt tribute." Shabana Azmi, who worked with Ashalata Wabgaonkar in 1980 movie 'Apne Paraye', tweeted: "Deeply saddened. I had the pleasure of working with Ashalata Ji in Basu Chatterjee's 'Apne Paraye' and she was a delight to work with. Condolences to the family."

As per several reports, Ashalata Wabgaonkar was diagnosed with COVID-19 while shooting for Marathi TV show 'Aai Kalubai' in Maharashtrian city Satara last week. She was reportedly admitted to a private hospital in Satara last weekend, where she died on Tuesday. 20 other members of the show have also reportedly tested positive.

Ashalata Wabgaonkar featured in over 100 movies in Hindi and Marathi. Her legacy as a theatre artiste will be remembered for Marathi plays such as 'Mahananda', 'Varyavarchi Varaat', 'Guntata Hridhya He'.