Kasthuri (actress)

From Bharatpedia, an open encyclopedia


For the singer, see Kasturi Shankar.

Kasthuri
Occupation
Years active1991-2001
2009-present

Kasthuri is an Indian actress, model and television presenter who has appeared in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada language films. She is playing the role of Tulasi in Intinti Gruhalakshmi.She had her schooling in Madras and started modelling while in high school. She won the Miss Madras title in 1992.[1] Kasthuri debuted in the Tamil film Aatha Un Koyilile (1991). In the early 2010s, she made a comeback and took on roles as a supporting actress and as a television host.[citation needed]

Personal life[edit]

She married Ravikumar, a doctor in 2000.[2] The couple have 2 children, a son and a daughter. Her daughter is a leukaemia survivor.[3]

Career[edit]

After graduation from Ethiraj College for Women, Kasthuri won Miss Chennai in 1992. Being a state-level hockey champion and an RD cadet in air force wing is one of her many accomplishments from her youth. ‘Beauty with brains’. Not only was she a successful model, but also, she was a finalist in the BBC’s Mastermind India 2000 quiz. Her acting career began in 1991 with the film, Aatha Un Koyilile (1991). From working on small budget Tamil films, she went on to work into more mainstream movies alongside legends, such as Kamal Haasan in Indian (1996). A 30-minute documentary film, Kasthuri: A South Indian Film Star, was released as a tribute to her success in the film industry. She gained attention for her acting skills in Annamayya (1997) and dance performance in Kaadhal Kavithai (1998). After her marriage she took a break from her career and settled in the USA.

However, she decided to make a comeback as a supporting actress and television host. Her debut comeback film was Malai Malai (2009) and also worked on Vina Vidai Vettai (2013-2014) for Puthuyugam TV. Kasthuri raises her voice on social issues by writing a column in The Times of India newspaper occasionally.[4]

She also notably portrayed a key supporting role as an investigative agent in Adhik Ravichandran's Anbanavan Asaradhavan Adangadhavan (2017), appearing alongside Silambarasan.[5]

Other work[edit]

Television[edit]

Kasthuri works as quiz master at staged events and on television. She had taken an early interest during childhood in participating in quiz events, and later continued making competitive appearances, and notably appeared as a contestant on BBC's Mastermind India in 2000. She later made a comeback to hosting television-based quiz shows in the 2010s, and worked on Vina Vidai Vettai for Puthuyugam TV.[6]

After rejecting the opportunity to appear on the Tamil reality television show Bigg Boss Tamil in 2018, she joined the third season of the show in 2019 as a wildcard entry contestant.[7]

After that, she made her comeback to Telugu audience in Intinti Gruhalakshmi serial which airs on Star Maa now.[8]

Columns[edit]

In the late 1990s, Kasthuri wrote a weekly column titled "Keep It Simple Stupid" in the Kumudham magazine.[9]

Topless photoshoot[edit]

In 2014, she was photographed topless and half-nude as a part of Jade Beall's book The Bodies of Mothers: A Beautiful Body Project.[10][11][12] The images from the shoot were later illegally shared by Indian websites, and Kasthuri announced that she would take legal action against the sites.

Comments and social issues[edit]

Kasthuri is an active commentator regarding social issues through an occasional column with the Times of India and via Twitter, and her tweets have sometimes elicited debate in the media.[13] In early 2017, she questioned Rajinikanth's ability as a potential politician, and her opinion garnered criticism from the actor's fans.[14][15] In late 2018, she criticised Rajinikanth's ignorance over the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case and engaged in a further exchange with Rajinikanth's supporters.[16] Kasthuri spoke out as a part of the Me Too movement in India, suggesting that her reluctance to give into patriarchal behaviour meant that she was removed from several film projects. She revealed that one male actor took a particular vengeance against her for her rebuff to his advances, and subsequently made it difficult for her to work on other projects.[3][17][18] She criticised directors Bharathiraja and S. Shankar on April 2019, she said director Bharathiraja and his son has black skin and they use North Indian girls with lighter skin in their movies while S. Shankar goes a long way and imports white skin foreign girls in his movies.[19]

A person, who claimed himself to be actor Ajith's fan, had allegedly made sexist comments against Kasturi Shankar on January 2020. A week after this, Kasthuri Shankar blasted him, by suggesting him to ask his mother or sister if he wants a woman for sex. She used the tag #dirtyajithfans, which started trending in India. Some fans of Ajith created #DirtyKasthuriAunty to counter this. A war of words continued and created a controversy.[20][21]

Filmography[edit]

Year Film Role Language Notes
1991 Aatha Un Koyilile Kasthuri Tamil
Chakravarthy Praseetha Malayalam
Rasathi Varum Naal Radha Tamil
1992 Government Mappillai Mallaria
Chinnavar Meena
Urimai Oonjaladugiradhu Uma
Senthamizh Pattu Shanmathi
Abhirami Dhanam
Gang War Kaveri Telugu
1993 Rakkayi Koyil Vellaiyamma Tamil
Pudhiya Mugam Raja's first wife
Pass Mark Shanthi
Aathma Uma
Udan Pirappu Sumathi
Nippu Ravva Bharathi Telugu
Enga Muthalali Kalyani Tamil
1994 Amaidhi Padai Thayamma
Watchman Vadivel Radha
Raja Pandi Ponnuthaayi
Thendral Varum Theru Nalini
Jaana Kasturi Kannada
1995 Sindhu Bath Shobana Tamil
Chinna Mani Chinna Mani
Kolangal Uma
Aakaya Pookal Kamakshi
God Father Aruna Telugu
Agrajan Sreedevi Malayalam
Radholsavam Chempakam
Aniyan Bava Chetan Bava Ammu
1996 Ibbara Naduve Muddina Aata - Kannada
Indian Kasthuri Tamil
Krishna Lizy
Soggadi Pellam - Telugu
Merupu Prema
1997 Chilakkottudu Kasturi
Ratha Yatra Ganga
Annamayya Akkalamma
Maa Ayana Bangaram
1998 Mangalya Pallakku Seethalakshmi Malayalam
Thutta Mutta Dr. Seema Kannada
One Man Army Kasthoori
Sneham Radhika Malayalam
Kaadhal Kavidhai Swapna Tamil
1999 Habba Anu Kannada
Suyamvaram Uma Tamil
Panchapaandavar Nandini Malayalam
2001 Engalukkum Kaalam Varum Pooja Tamil
Dosth - Special appearance in the song "Hey Sal Sal"
Akasa Veedhilo Padma Telugu
Premakke Sai Vedha Kannada
2002 Adheena Princess Adheena Malayalam
2009 Malai Malai Lakshmi Tamil
2010 Thamizh Padam - Special appearance in the song "Kuthuvilakku"
Gudu Gudu Gunjam Malleeshwari Telugu
Don Seenu Lakshmi
2011 Pathinaaru Ilavarasi Tamil Guest appearance
Thoonga Nagaram - Special appearance
2012 Naanga Chithra
2013 Azhagan Azhagi - Special appearance in the song "Ethuvarai Vaanam"
Naan Rajavaga Pogiren Bharathi
2014 Vadacurry Satish's sister in law
Naan Ponnu Ondru Kanden - Special appearance in the song "Othaya Retaya"
2017 Anbanavan Asaradhavan Adangadhavan Ruby
Samanthakamani Krishna's mother Telugu
2018 Traffic Ramasamy Witness in court Tamil Guest appearance
Thamizh Padam 2 - Special appearance in the song "Vaa Vaa Kaama"
2020 Velvet Nagaram Gauri
2021 Thamilarasan Filming
2021 Un Kadhal Irundhal Filming
Television
Year Title Role Language Channel Notes
Eshtadanam Malayalam DD Malayalam Serial
1995 Kaiyalavu Manasu Vani Tamil Serial
2000 Mastermind India Contestant Tamil BBC
2010 Sun Kudumbam Awards 2010 Host Sun TV
2013-14 Vina Vidai Vettai Host Puthuyugam TV
2014 Vina Vidai Vettai Juniors Host Puthuyugam TV
2019 Bigg Boss Tamil 3 Contestant Star Vijay Evicted
Day 63
2020 – present Intinti Gruhalakshmi Tulasi Telugu Star Maa Serial
2020 Cash Participant Telugu ETV Reality Show
2020 Agni Natchathiram Rudra Tamil Sun TV Serial

References[edit]

  1. ↑ https://www.filmibeat.com/celebs/kasthuri/biography.html
  2. ↑ James, Anu (29 October 2015). "Actress Kasthuri goes topless to highlight motherhood, photos go viral". www.ibtimes.co.in. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Casting couch in filmdom isn't a myth, it does exist - Times of India". The Times of India.
  4. ↑ https://nettv4u.com/celebrity/tamil/movie-actress/kasthuri
  5. ↑ https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2017/jun/22/i-am-too-old-for-vijay-too-young-for-rajinikanth-kasthuri-1619372.html
  6. ↑ "In the limelight again". www.journeyline.in.
  7. ↑ https://www.zoomtventertainment.com/tamil-cinema/article/bigg-boss-tamil-3-contestant-kasthuri-makes-shocking-revelations-over-her-payment-dues/660190
  8. ↑ Pasupuleti, AuthorPriyanka. "Kasthuri Shankar testing her luck on small screen". Telangana Today. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  9. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/19990420125444/http://www.minnoviyam.com/star/track14.html
  10. ↑ "Actor Kasthuri's photo shoot for motherhood wins hearts, she says amazed at response". The News Minute. 30 October 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  11. ↑ "Actress Kasthuri Poses Semi-nude for Photo-book 'Bodies of Mothers'". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  12. ↑ Team, DNA Web (31 October 2015). "South Indian actress Kasthuri poses topless for Jade Beall's 'A Beautiful Body Project'". DNA India. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  13. ↑ "The Word View: Ek Gaon Mein Ek Kisan Raghuthatha! - Times of India". The Times of India.
  14. ↑ Subramanian, Anupama (23 May 2017). "I am a true fan of Rajini sir: Kasturi". Deccan Chronicle.
  15. ↑ "Kasthuri Says She's A "True Fan" Of Rajinikanth". 23 May 2017.
  16. ↑ "Rajinikanth, actress Kasthuri engage in war of words over Rajiv Gandhi assassination case". Asianet News Network Pvt Ltd.
  17. ↑ "Kasthuri: "People Think Women Can't Climb Up The Ladder Without The Favours of a Man!"". 12 March 2017.
  18. ↑ "Winds of change in Kollywood? More women actors speak up about misogyny in the industry". The News Minute. 25 March 2017. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  19. ↑ Rajkumar (17 April 2019). "பொது மேடையில் பாரதி ராஜாவின் நிறம் குறித்து கேலி செய்த கஸ்தூரி.! இதே வேல தானா.!". Tamil Behind Talkies. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  20. ↑ "'Avvai Shanmughi' Kamal's kutty daughter is now grown up - Red hot pics - Tamil News". IndiaGlitz.com. 19 January 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  21. ↑ Hooli, Shekhar H. (19 January 2020). "Kasturi Shankar faces backlash for shutting down sexist Ajith fans; #DirtyKasthuriAunty trends on Twitter". www.ibtimes.co.in. Retrieved 25 June 2021.

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