Urmila Matondkar is the daughter of a lecturer & born in Mumbai. She started her career as a child artist. She subsequently appeared in a number of films. Urmila then made her debut as an actress in Narasimha opposite Sunny Deol. Then she did Ram Gopal Varma's Rangeela. She played a star-struck dancer in the film, & received her first Filmfare Best Actress Award nomination for her performance in the film. 

She has starred in many subsequent RGV pictures, such as Daud, Satya, Kaun, Mast, Jungle, and Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya. Her biggest hits since Rangeela have been Judaai, Satya & Bhoot. She was mainly noted for her performance in Bhoot, a horror movie. Matondkar enacted a ghost-possessed woman; her performance was much appreciated by critics & audiences & she won her first Filmfare Award under the Best Performer category, as well as various Best Actress awards at different award ceremonies. 

She later received the national honour Rajiv Gandhi Award for the film, as a recognition to her achievement in Bollywood. She also turned in strong dramatic performances in Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya, Pinjar, Tehzeeb, Ek Hasina Thi, Naina, Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara and Banaras. 

Urmila is an outstanding dancer & has been a featured performer in many Bollywood item numbers. Her best known item number is the Chamma Chamma & mebooba in Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag. Matondkar lent her voice for Asha Bhonsle's album Asha & Friends where she performed with Bhosle. Today Urmila is known as one of Bollywood's most versatile actresses.