Mastani was the second wife of Maratha Peshwa Bajirao I. She is said to have been a beautiful and brave woman, skilled in arts, literature, and warfare.
Mastani was born to Bundelkhand's Maharaja Chhatrasal of the Rajput clan. She was born in Mau Sahaniya, now a village in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh. There is a Mastani Mahal in Dhubela where Mastani lived.
In April 1740, while Bajirao was inspecting his lands at Khargon, he suddenly became ill from fever and died. Bajirao's mortal remains were consigned to flames on April 28, 1740, at Raver Khedi on the banks of Narmada River.
Bajirao's mother and brother; Chimaji Appa put Mastani and her son in a prison cell. She tried to escape but the guards ganged up on her and knocked her unconscious. She stayed there for a few years. During this course of time she became weak, ill and eventually died, a sad, tragic painful death. After the death of Bajirao, Mastani died soon in 1740 and Kashibai took care of their son Shamsher Bahadur and made facilities to train him in weaponry.
Mastani's grave is in Pabal and is called Mastani's samadhi or mazaar
In the 2015 drama film Bajirao Mastani directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Mastani was portrayed by Deepika Padukone.