Kanaka Vijayalakshmi, known by her

stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...

Maadhavi, is a popular Indian Film actress who has acted in several Telugu,

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

Kannada Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in all neighbouring states. It has 44 million native speakers, and is additionally a ...

and

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...

films. In a career spanning 20 years, she has acted in more than 300 films. She was one of the most leading and most successful actresses of

South Indian Cinema Cinema of South India, refers to the cinema of the four major film industries in South India; primarily engaged in making feature films in the four major Dravidian languages of the region, namely Telugu cinema, Telugu, Tamil Cinema, Tamil, Ma ...

throughout the 1980s and in early 1990s. She was very popular among Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Hindi Film fields. She is one of the most accomplished, most versatile and most respected actresses of Indian Cinema. She has won innumerable State Film Awards and Filmfare Awards for her legendary performance and portrayal of different kinds of roles in many South Indian Movies.

Early life

Maadhavi was born in 1962 in Velupucherla village in

Eluru Eluru ( ) is a city and the district headquarters of Eluru district in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the List of municipal corporations in India#Andhra Pradesh, 14 municipal corporations ...

district,

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...

, India to Sasirekha and Govindaswamy. She grew up with a sister and a brother, named Keerthi Kumari and Dhananjay respectively. She learned ''

Bharatanatyam ''Bharatanatyam'' is a Indian classical dance form that came from Tamil Nadu, India. It is a classical dance form recognized by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, and expresses South Indian religious themes and spiritual ideas of Hinduism and Jainism.< ...

'' from Uma Maheswari and folk dance from Bhatt from an early age and gave more than a thousand dance performances. She attended Stanley Girls High School in

Hyderabad Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...

, Abids Branch.

Career

Director

Dasari Narayana Rao Dasari Narayana Rao (4 May 1942 – 30 May 2017) was an Indian film director, screenwriter, actor, producer, lyricist, and politician, primarily known for his work in Telugu cinema. Over his four decade career, he directed more than 150 feature ...

gave her a starring role in the Telugu film ''Thoorupu Padamara'' when she was a teenager. The film became a huge hit. K. Balachander then cast her in a supporting role in his Telugu film ''

Maro Charitra ''Maro Charitra'' () is a 1978 Indian Telugu-language romantic tragedy film written and directed by K. Balachander. It stars Kamal Haasan and Saritha in the lead with Madhavi appearing in prominent roles. The film deals with cross-cultural ...

'' (1978). She reprised her role in its Hindi remake ''

Ek Duuje Ke Liye ''Ek Duuje Ke Liye'' () is a 1981 Indian Hindi romantic tragedy film directed by K. Balachander. A remake of Balachander's Telugu film '' Maro Charitra'', it stars Kamal Haasan and Rati Agnihotri as a pair of lovers from different families ...

'' (1981), which became the top-grossing film of 1981. In both films, she played a lonely wealthy woman who falls in love with

Kamal Haasan Parthasarathy Srinivasan (born 7 November 1954), known professionally as Kamal Haasan, is an Indian actor, filmmaker and politician who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. Considered as one of the most accomplished actors of Indian Cinema, Haas ...

's character. She earned a Filmfare Award nomination as Best Supporting Actress. K. Balachander introduced her to the

Tamil film industry Tamil cinema is the segment of cinema of India, Indian cinema dedicated to the production of Film, motion pictures in the Tamil language, the main spoken language in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is nicknamed Kollywood, a portmanteau of the nam ...

with '' Thillu Mullu'' (1981), opposite

Rajinikanth Shivaji Rao Gaikwad (born 12 December 1950), known professionally as Rajinikanth, is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. In a career spanning over five decades, he has done 170 films that includes films in Tamil, Hindi, ...

. By the end of the decade, she starred opposite

Amitabh Bachchan Amitabh Bachchan (; 11 October 1942) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi cinema. He is often considered one of the greatest, most accomplished and commercially successful actors in the history of Indian cinema.* * * * * With a cinemati ...

in the

film '' Agneepath'' (1990). She has acted in many Kannada movies with stalwarts like

Dr. Rajkumar Singanalluru Puttaswamaiah Muthuraj (24 April 1929 – 12 April 2006), better known by his stage name Dr. Rajkumar, was an Indian actor and singer who worked in Kannada cinema. Regarded as one of the greatest and versatile actors in the his ...

, Vishnuvardhan, Anant Nag and

Ambareesh Malavalli Huchchegowda Amarnath (29 May 1952 – 24 November 2018), known by his screen name Ambareesh, was an Indian actor, media personality, politician from the state of Karnataka. Alongside Rajkumar and Vishnuvardhan, he is counted ...

. She starred in seven movies with Rajkumar - '' Haalu Jenu'', '' Bhagyada Lakshmi Baramma'', '' Anuraga Aralithu'', '' Shruthi Seridaaga'', '' Jeevana Chaitra'', '' Aakasmika and'' Odahuttidavaru. With Vishnuvardhan too she has acted in seven movies - ''

Onde Guri ''Onde Guri'' is a 1983 Indian Kannada-language action film directed by H. R. Bhargava and produced by M. P. Shankar, who wrote the story, under Bharani Chithra. The film stars Vishnuvardhan, alongside Madhavi, M. P. Shankar, Ramakrishna, Ti ...

, Gandugali Rama, Chinnadantha Maga, Rudranaga, Khaidi,

Chanakya Chanakya (ISO 15919, ISO: ', चाणक्य, ), according to legendary narratives preserved in various traditions dating from the 4th to 11th century CE, was a Brahmin who assisted the first Mauryan emperor Chandragupta Maurya, Chandragup ...

'' and ''

Malaya Marutha ''Malaya Marutha'' ( ) is a 1986 Kannada-language musical film starring Vishnuvardhan, Saritha and Madhavi. The film was directed and written by K. S. L. Swamy (Lalitha Ravi) and produced by C. V. L Shastry under "Shastry Movies" production h ...

.'' Madhavi acted alongside

in '' Raja Paarvai'', '' Tik Tik Tik'', ''

Kaakki Sattai ''Kaakki Sattai'' () is a 1985 Indian Tamil-language action film directed by Rajasekhar, starring Kamal Haasan, Ambika, Maadhavi, Sathyaraj, Rajeev and Thengai Srinivasan. The film, released on 11 April 1985, during the week of Puthandu, ...

'', '' Sattam'', ''Ellam Inba Mayam'' and '' Mangamma Sabadham''. Her films with

include '' Garjanai'', '' Thillu Mullu'', '' Thambikku Entha Ooru'', '' Un Kannil Neer Vazhindal'' and '' Viduthalai''. She was in ''Enga Oor Kannagi'', '' Neethi Devan Mayakkam'' and ''Nirabaraadhi''. She acted in a number of films with Telugu actor

Chiranjeevi Konidela Chiranjeevi (born Konidela Sivasankara Varaprasad; 22 August 1955) is an Indian actor, philanthropist and former politician known for his work in Telugu cinema. Known as the "Mega Star", he is widely regarded as one of the most succe ...

. Her first movie with Chiranjeevi was '' Intlo Ramayya Veedhilo Krishnayya'' in 1982. She acted again with Chiranjeevi in the movie '' Khaidi'' which was a massive hit. Her last movie in Telugu was '' Big Boss'' (another Chiranjeevi film). She appeared in many

films especially those starring

Mohanlal Mohanlal Viswanathan (; born 21 May 1960), known mononymously as Mohanlal, is an Indian actor and filmmaker who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema, Malayalam cinema besides also having sporadically appeared in Tamil cinema, Tamil, Hin ...

and

Mammootty Muhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail (born 7 September 1951), known mononymously by the hypocorism Mammootty (), is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in Malayalam-language films. He has also appeared in Tamil, Telugu, ...

. She portrayed Unniyarcha in the National Award-winning movie '' Oru Vadakkan Veeragadha'' (1989). Her portrayal as a mother who dies of

leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia; pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and produce high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or '' ...

in '' Akashadoothu'' won her the Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actress and

Filmfare Award for Best Actress The Filmfare Award for Best Actress is given by '' Filmfare'' as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise the female performer who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role. The award was first given in ...

for 1993. Other films include '' Ormakkayi'', ''Changatham'', '' Novemberinte Nashtam'' and '' Nombarathi Poovu'' Most of her author-backed roles were in Malayalam films. She has won three

Kerala State Film Awards The Kerala State Film Awards are the film awards for a motion picture made in Kerala. The awards started in 1969 by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala and since 1998 the awards have been bestowed by Kerala State Cha ...

, one for Best Actress and two for Second Best Actress.

Personal life

In 1996, her

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

spiritual teacher

Swami Rama Swami Rama (; 1925 – 13 November 1996) was an Indian yoga guru. He moved to the US in 1969, initially teaching yoga at the YMCA, and founding the Himalayan Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy in Illinois in 1971; its headquarters moved t ...

arranged her marriage to one of his followers, a pharmaceutical businessman named Ralph Sharma. Ralph first met Swami Rama at the age of 32 at the

Himalayan Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy The 'Himalayan Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy'' (HIYSP) is an international non-profit organization, which promotes yoga and holistic health through yoga retreats, residential programs, health products and services, media publications i ...

., and Maadhavi first met him in 1995. They married on 14 February 1996. They have three daughters and live in

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

Awards and honours

Filmography

Telugu

Malayalam

Hindi

Tamil

Kannada

References

External links

Official website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Madhavi Living people Actresses in Telugu cinema Actresses in Malayalam cinema Actresses from Hyderabad, India Actresses in Tamil cinema Actresses in Kannada cinema Kerala State Film Award winners Filmfare Awards South winners Actresses in Odia cinema Indian film actresses 20th-century Indian actresses Year of birth missing (living people) Telugu actresses People from Eluru Actors from West Godavari district Actresses from Andhra Pradesh