Megha Dhade (मेघा ढाडे) is an Indian actress and film producer born on 22 May 1988 in Jalgaon, Maharashtra, into a middle-class Marathi Hindu family. Her father passed away from shock when she became pregnant in her teenage years - a period of profound personal hardship during which her brother did not speak to her for nearly seven years. She gave birth to a daughter, Sakshi, and subsequently left college mid-way to move to Mumbai in pursuit of an acting career. Initially she had to stay at a railway station for a few days before finding her footing. She completed her graduation from the University of Mumbai while working in the industry. Her acting breakthrough came through Ekta Kapoor's Hindi TV serial Kasautii Zindagii Kay (2004), where she played Sanjana. She subsequently appeared in various Hindi television serials including Kis Dhesh Mein Hai Mera Dil and Kasturi. Having always been deeply connected to Marathi theatre and cinema, she transitioned to the Marathi film industry with Matter (2012). Finding no producers for her next project, she took matters into her own hands and produced the Marathi film Superstar (2011) under her production house Sakshi Entertainment - an experience that revealed a fear of water when she participated in the Marathi reality show Zhunj Marathmoli (2014). She is married to Aditya Pawaskar (whom she later nicknamed Pari) and they have two children. In April 2018, she entered Bigg Boss Marathi Season 1 - the first season of the Marathi franchise, hosted by Mahesh Manjrekar on Colors Marathi - filmed at a lavish house set in Lonavala. On 22 July 2018, she was declared the winner, becoming the first-ever winner of Bigg Boss Marathi and walking away with ₹18.60 lakh in prize money. She subsequently entered Bigg Boss 12 (Hindi) as a wildcard contestant on 22 October 2018 alongside Rohit Suchanti.
Marathi films Superstar (2011, which she also produced under Sakshi Entertainment) and Matter (2012); Hindi TV serials Kasautii Zindagii Kay (2004, as Sanjana) and Kis Dhesh Mein Hai Mera Dil; Marathi reality show Zhunj Marathmoli (2014); becoming the first-ever winner of Bigg Boss Marathi Season 1 (2018, hosted by Mahesh Manjrekar); wildcard entry into Bigg Boss 12 (Hindi, 2018).