Smita Gondkar (स्मिता गोंडकर), also known as Smithaa, is an Indian actress, model, professional stunt rider, and adventure sports athlete born on 18 April 1984 in Mysore, Karnataka. Her family relocated to Pune where she grew up, and she completed her schooling at Ferguson High School, Pune, and her graduation from Maharashtra State Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology. From childhood she was drawn to both acting and adventure, representing the Maharashtra State Kayaking Team as captain at various National Games events, and earning professional certification in Judo and martial arts. Before her acting career, she worked with people from 55 different nations alongside Disney Cruise Line in the United States, and later trained Army Cadets in white-water rafting at the National Institute of Water Sports, Goa. She made her Marathi film debut in Mumbaicha Dabewala (2007) and went on to appear in Hip Hip Hurrah, Ashi Fasali Nanachi Tang, Navra Maza Bhavra (2013), Wanted Bayko Number One, Gadbad Gondhal (also nominated for Best Actress at Ambarnath Marathi Film Festival), Mr. & Mrs. Unwanted (2016, for which she won Best Actress - Feature Category at ALTFF Toronto 2017), Vijay Dinanath Chauhan, and Sobat, among others. She also appeared in the Bollywood film Ek Krantiveer: Vasudev Balwant Phadke (2007). She became widely popular through the viral Marathi music video Pappi De Parula (2014). She won the National Geographic reality adventure series Flight of the Hawkz (2012), being the only woman selected from across India to compete with 11 others. She participated in MTV Stunt Mania as the only female semi-finalist in 2009. She also gave a TEDx talk titled 'Trust Your Existence' at TEDxSIESGST in 2022 on self-belief and personal resilience. In 2017, she filed a case of abuse and bigamy against her husband Siddharth Bantiya. In April 2018, she entered Bigg Boss Marathi Season 1, finishing as the second runner-up (third place) at the grand finale on 22 July 2018.

Winning the National Geographic adventure series Flight of the Hawkz (2012, the only female selected from across India); Marathi films Mumbaicha Dabewala (2007), Hip Hip Hurrah, Gadbad Gondhal, and Mr. & Mrs. Unwanted (2016); Best Actress (Feature Category) at the Alternative Film Festival Spring (ALTFF), Toronto (2017) for Mr. & Mrs.; Marathi music video Pappi De Parula (millions of YouTube views); white-water rafting training instructor for Army Cadets at the National Institute of Water Sports, Goa; TEDx talk 'Trust Your Existence' (2022); finishing as second runner-up on Bigg Boss Marathi Season 1 (2018).

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