She started her acting career at the age of thirteen years, as a heroine in the bilingual film Vijaychi Lagne (1936).

[3] The autobiography was initially serialised in the Marathi magazine Manoos helped by journalist Arun Sadhu.

[4] Wadkar underwent personal difficulties in her life, which included marital problems, addiction to alcohol, humiliation at several levels and rape at the hands of a magistrate, when seeking to get out of a troubled relationship.

The film won two National Awards, Best Actress for Smita Patil and Best Screenplay for Satyadev Dubey, Shyam Benegal and Girish Karnad.

[7] Wadkar was born Ratan Bhalachander Salgaokar, on 24 January 1923 at Dr. Bhalerao Hospital in Bombay, Maharashtra, India.

Marriage in the courtesan community was a rarity and Wadkar's grandfather Raghunath Salgaokar (Jiji's son) was the first person in the family to marry.

The mother, father, brother and young Wadkar shifted there and she joined a Marathi medium school where she studied till class IV.

The mother insisted that Mohan being a boy should continue his studies, hence it was left on Wadkar to find work.

Sushila was married to Master Vinayak, a renowned actor-director of the early era of Indian cinema.

Indira used the surname Wadkar to avoid using the family name Salgaokar, for fear of reprisal from society against women acting in films.

A bilingual, made in Marathi and Hindi (Shadi Ka Maamla), it was directed by Mama Warerkar.

She became proficient in the language, working in several Hindi films at the time like Meena, Prem Patra, Zamana, and Raj Kumar with Chetan Anand.

In 1938, she was cast in Zamana directed by Ram Daryani, starring Padma Devi who had earlier acted in India cinema's first indigenous colour film, Kisan Kanya.

A bilingual, made both in Marathi and Hindi, it was a historical biopic about 18th century Chief Justice Ram Shastri.

Master Vithal, Lalita Pawar, Keshavrao Bhole were the co-stars with Jagirdar playing the title role.

There were a few females standing watching the shooting, one of them was the actress, Miss Moti, they threw themselves on top of her bearing the brunt of the horse's hooves.

[15] Lokshahir Ram Joshi (1947) made in Marathi and Hindi was co-directed by V. Shantaram and Baburao Painter for Rajkamal Kalamandir.

Termed as the "Classic Marathi Tamasha musical", it was a biopic of the poet, kirtan, and lavani performer Ram Joshi (1758-1812) set in the Peshwa period.

[18] Pudhache Paool (The Next Step) (1950) directed by Raja Paranjpe for Manik Studios, Pune, was about a young man who runs away from his poverty-stricken family to find a better life for himself.

She stated that from "an artistic point" her role as a tamasha dancer in this film was "superior to that of Baya in Ram Joshi.

Mee Tulas Tuzya Angani (I Am A Tulsi Plant in Your Courtyard) in 1955, was directed by Raja Thakur for Navchitra Films and had Wadkar in a vamp's role.

Sangtye Aika (1959) was directed by Anant Mane and starred Hansa Wadkar and Jayshree Gadkar.

Having failed at setting up a printing press, he started a theatre company called Dominic Union and got Wadkar to join it.

Soon she was three months pregnant at age fifteen and Bandarkar and Wadkar were married on 6 September 1937, at Kittebhandari Marriage Hall in Bombay.

She went on to perform several plays, where she met Rajan Jawale, an actor, with whom she formed a bond that lasted till her death.

[citation needed] Wadkar's autobiography started off as a series of interviews conducted by journalist Arun Sadhu, for the Marathi magazine Manoos.

Based on "Sangtye Aika", the film shows her past in black and white, and her present in colour.

The film shows her bound in a patriarchal society, exploited by family, husband, director and Kale.