Anuradha Menon, also known as Anu Menon,
is an Indian actress and theatre artist. Lola Kutty, the popular
Channel "> VJ, is her
alter ego
An alter ego (Latin for "other I", " doppelgänger") means an alternate self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other self, one with a differen ...
.
Acting career
Originally from
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
, Anuradha Menon grew up in
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
. Her parents Mini and Mohan Menon worked in the advertising industry. Anuradha Menon started taking part in theatre productions in school. She was associated with ''
The Madras Players
The Madras Players are the oldest English-language theatre group in Chennai, India. The Madras Players have staged over 240 theatre productions for more than 50 years.
History
The Madras Players has its origins from Kilpauk General/Mental Hospi ...
'' for some years. In 2000, she played Shubra in Madras Players' ''Lizard Waltz'' (written by Chetan Shah and directed by Bhagirathi Narayanan). She also studied theatre at a school in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
for one year, London school of drama. Then, she moved to
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
as it was the hub of English theatre in India.
It was in Mumbai that she got her break into Indian theatre. She acted as a governess in
Divya Palat
Divya Palat (born 23 May 1979 in Calcutta, India) is a Producer and Director for theatre plays like ''A Personal War- Stories of the Mumbai Terror Attacks'' and was a Hindi actress who has done films, such as '' Masti'' with Vivek Oberoi, '' Dh ...
's "The Verdict." In this she was required to act with a heavy Malayali accent and this is what landed her the "Lola Kutty" role in Television. In 2004, while auditioning for a producer, she was spotted by VJ Gaurav of
Channel "> Gaurav immediately recommended her to Channel
[
] where she became popular as "Lola Kutty".
After she became famous as Lola Kutty, Anuradha Menon also got some film offers, but she considers theatre as her priority.
She has performed in many notable plays including ''Zen Katha''
and ''Sammy!'' (both directed by
Lillete Dubey
Lillete Dubey (born 7 September 1953) is an Indian actress and theatre director. She has worked in Indian and international theatre, television and films in Hindi and English languages. Dubey began her career with Barry John in Delhi and was the ...
). In the two-act award-winning play ''Sammy!'', she played an ensemble of roles, including
Sarojini Naidu
Sarojini Naidu (''née'' Chattopadhyay; 13 February 1879 – 2 March 1949) was an Indian political activist, feminist and poet. A proponent of civil rights, women's emancipation, and anti-imperialistic ideas, she was an important person in Indi ...
. In ''Only Women'' (directed by Deesh Mariwala), she played a
nurse
Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...
called Jasmine. The play deals with Jasmine's impending engagement and how it affects her swings in moods, one of which leads to fatal error in the profession, and how things are sorted out.
Apart from film roles in ''
Quick Gun Murugun
''Quick Gun Murugun: Misadventures of an Indian Cowboy'' is a 2009 Indian English-language Comedy Western film directed by Shashanka Ghosh and written by Rajesh Devraj. The film stars Rajendra Prasad as the title character alongside Rambha, An ...
'' and ''
Happy New Year'' in the character of Lola Kutty, she has acted in films such as ''
Raat Gayi, Baat Gayi?
''Raat Gayi, Baat Gayi?'' ( hi, रात गई बात गई?) (,Similar Proverb transl. 'Don't cry over spilt milk') is a 2009 Bollywood film written and directed by Saurabh Shukla. The film features Rajat Kapoor, Vinay Pathak, Neha Dhupia, ...
''
and ''
Amit Sahni Ki List''
Stand-Up
Anuradha Menon, otherwise known as Anu Menon, has donned the stand-up comedian's hat after Lola Kutty. She has popularly opened for
Brad Sherwood
Bradley Sherwood is an American actor, singer, comedian, game show host and writer.
Career
His first acting job was a recurring role on '' L.A. Law'' as Ned Barron, which lasted for six episodes from 1991 to 1992.
Sherwood was introduced to i ...
and
Colin Mochrie while they were on their India Tour. Her stand-up special ''Wonder Menon'' released in 2019 on
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming and Renting, rental service of Amazon (c ...
. She also featured in
Vir Das
Vir Das (born 31 May 1979) is an Indian comedian, actor and musician. After beginning a career in standup comedy, Das moved to Hindi cinema starring in films like ''Badmaash Company'' (2010), '' Delhi Belly'' (2011), and ''Go Goa Gone'' (2013) ...
's
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming and Renting, rental service of Amazon (c ...
series ''Jestination Unknown'' as herself.
Lola Kutty
![Anuradha Menon at Channel V's launch of India's first live film (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Anuradha_Menon_at_Channel_V%27s_launch_of_India%27s_first_live_film_%28cropped%29.jpg)
Lola Kutty is a
VJ on
Channel "> Described as "the Channel
resident beauty on duty", she is actually an
alter ego
An alter ego (Latin for "other I", " doppelgänger") means an alternate self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other self, one with a differen ...
of Anuradha Menon.
Anuradha Menon appears in many of her public dealings as Lola Kutty. When invited for an interview with
Pooja Bedi
Pooja Bedi (born 11 May 1970) is an Indian actress, television talk show host and newspaper columnist. She is the daughter of Indian actors Kabir Bedi and Protima Bedi. She participated in the reality television shows ''Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa'', '' ...
on
zOOm
Zoom may refer to:
Technology Computing
* Zoom (software), videoconferencing application
* Page zooming, the ability to magnify or shrink a portion of a page on a computer display
* Zooming user interface, a graphical interface allowing for image ...
with Mona Singh (Jassi of ''
Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin
''Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin'' () is an Indian soap opera which aired on Sony Entertainment Television from 1 September 2003 to 4 May 2006. The series was an Indian-themed version of the Colombian drama ''Yo soy Betty, la fea''.
Plot
Based large ...
''), she appeared as "Lola Kutty", unlike Mona Singh (who appeared as her off-screen self).
Lola Kutty is a bespectacled
Keralite lady who speaks English with a heavy
Malayali
The Malayali people () (also spelt Malayalee and also known by the demonym Keralite) are a Dravidian peoples, Dravidian ethnolinguistic group originating from the present-day state of Kerala in India, occupying its southwestern Malabar coast. ...
accent. Unlike other VJs, she has curly oily hair sporting a ''
gajra
A Gajra is a flower garland that is worn by dharmic women across the world during festive occasions, weddings, or as part of everyday traditional attire. They are made usually of varies types of jasmine flowers but rose, crossandra and barl ...
'' and wears silk
sari
A sari (sometimes also saree or shari)The name of the garment in various regional languages include:
* as, শাৰী, xārī, translit-std=ISO
* bn, শাড়ি, śāṛi, translit-std=ISO
* gu, સાડી, sāḍī, translit-std= ...
s. Unlike Jassi of ''
Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin
''Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin'' () is an Indian soap opera which aired on Sony Entertainment Television from 1 September 2003 to 4 May 2006. The series was an Indian-themed version of the Colombian drama ''Yo soy Betty, la fea''.
Plot
Based large ...
'', Lola has no plans for a
makeover
A makeover is a radical change in appearance. When the word is used to describe a change in human physical appearance, it may imply a change in clothing, haircut, or cosmetics. A personal makeover might also include weight loss, plastic surgery, ...
.
She is a huge fan of
Abhishek Bachchan
Abhishek Bachchan (born 5 February 1976) is an Indian actor and film producer known for his work in Hindi films. Part of the Bachchan family, he is the son of actors Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan and the grandson of poet Harivansh Rai Bach ...
. Her assistant is Shiny Alex, who wears
fluorescent
Fluorescence is the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other electromagnetic radiation. It is a form of luminescence. In most cases, the emitted light has a longer wavelength, and therefore a lower photon energy, tha ...
shirts, matching
slipper
Slippers are light footwear that are easy to put on and off and are intended to be worn indoors, particularly at home. They provide comfort and protection for the feet when walking indoors.
History
The recorded history of slippers can be traced ...
s, and
mundu
The mundu (Malayalam: ; ) is a garment worn around the waist in the Indian states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, the Lakshadweep archipelago, and the Indian Ocean island nation of Maldives. It is closely related to sarongs like dhotis and lungis ...
folded up.
In her show Celebrity Forum/Lola TV, Lola Kutty plays interviewer to celebrities esp.
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
personalities.
[
] Lola's shows don't involve vulgar, corny or spicy humor; rather, they rely on witty asides and straight-faced questions for humor.
In 2006, a Limited Edition Deluxe Official 2006 Notebook ''Chronicle of Lola— the VJ, the Woman and the Wisecrack'' was released. The Notebook features various facets of Lola—modelling her "LolaWay products", giving ''gyaan'' (knowledge) and discussing movies. The first edition received a very good response. Lola Kutty has also worked as
agony aunt
An advice column is a column in a question and answer format. Typically, a (usually anonymous) reader writes to the media outlet with a problem in the form of a question, and the media outlet provides an answer or response.
The responses are wr ...
for
The Record Music Magazine
''The Record'' is a monthly music magazine in India. It was established in 1998. The magazine covers articles on pop, rock, hip-hop as well as Bollywood music reviews.
The magazine is published from Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as ...
.
Lola Kutty boosted Channel
s TRP ratings considerably. Apart from India, she has a fan following among
Indian diaspora
Overseas Indians (IAST: ), officially Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs) are Indians who live outside of the Republic of India. According to the Government of India, ''Non-Resident Indians'' are citizens of Indi ...
in the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
and the
UK.
In real life (i.e. aside from her Lola Kutty alter ego), she speaks English with a tinge of UK accent. She is fluent in her mother-tongue,
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...
, as well.
Awards and nominations
Lola TV won three Golds and one Silver at the PROMAX & BDA India Awards
* Gold - Best comedy Promo (Lola TV)
* Gold - Funniest Spot (Lola TV)
* Gold - Best On-Air Branding (Lola - Matchbox ID/Lola TV/Lola Kutty)
* Silver - Best Entertainment Promo (Lola TV Promo)
At The Indian Telly Awards 2006, Lola Kutty was nominated for "Best Anchor Award - Talk Show" for Lola T
Lola Kutty also appeared in the 2009 movie ''
Quick Gun Murugun
''Quick Gun Murugun: Misadventures of an Indian Cowboy'' is a 2009 Indian English-language Comedy Western film directed by Shashanka Ghosh and written by Rajesh Devraj. The film stars Rajendra Prasad as the title character alongside Rambha, An ...
'' as the Locket Girl, and in the 2014 film ''
Happy New Year'' as a television reporter.
Criticism
Lola's character was criticized by some for being offensive to
Malayali people
The Malayali people () (also spelt Malayalee and also known by the demonym Keralite) are a Dravidian ethnolinguistic group originating from the present-day state of Kerala in India, occupying its southwestern Malabar coast. They are predomina ...
. However, in an interview, Anuradha Menon asserted that "Lola is funny as a person, not as a region".
She has also stated that, as a Keralite herself, she was in no way insulting her own people, but only using the peculiar accent for the entertainment of her viewers: "Earlier in Mumbai, anyone from
the south was called a
Madrasi
Madrasi, also spelled as Madrassi, is a term used as a demonym and a regional slur for people from southern India. In earlier usage it was a demonym to refer to the people of Madras Presidency; however this use of the term is now outdated.
S ...
, and I wanted to change that. Though in a very distinct way, I have pointed out the existence of a state called
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
on the map of India!". She also said "Lola is special, for I've created the character and it's quite touching when people love you in the role and appreciate you for it, and the self-deprecatory humour is so much".
References
External links
Anu Menonat
IMDb
IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...
Lola Kutty: Beauty on Duty
{{DEFAULTSORT:Menon, Anuradha
Indian women television presenters
Indian television presenters
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)
Malayali people
Actresses from Chennai
Indian television actresses
Indian VJs (media personalities)