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Radha (actress)
Radha | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Radha at 60th South Filmfare Awards 2013 | |
| Born | Udaya Chandrika 3 June 1965 |
| Years active | 1981-1991 |
| Political party | Bharatiya Janata Party |
| Spouse(s) | Rajasekaran Nair ( m. 1991) |
| Children | Karthika Nair (b.1992) Vignesh Nair (b.1995) Thulasi Nair (b.1997) |
| Parent(s) | Kunjan Nair (father) Sarasamma (mother) |
| Relatives | Ambika (Sister) Mallika (Sister) Suresh (Brother) Arjun (Brother) |
| Awards | Kalaimaamani, Cinema express, film critics |
Udaya Chandrika, better known by her screen name Radha (born 3 June 1965),[1][2] is an actress in the South Indian film industry. She is mainly known for her work in Tamil and Telugu films. She also did few Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi films. She was one of the top heroines in the film industry from 1981 to 1991.
Her elder sister Ambika, was also an actress. Radha is arguably the most successful among the "Kallara Sisters", the three sisters (Ambika, Mallika, Radha) in the art scene hailing from Kallara, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
Ambika and Radha acted together in a number of films, during the peak of their careers. They also co-owned a movie studio called "ARS Studios" in 1986. She appeared on television as one of the judges in the STAR Vijay Jodi Number One Season 7 and 8 Reality Dance program.
Personal life[edit]
Radha hails from Kallara Village near Kilimanoor in Thiruvananthapuram District in Kerala. She is the third daughter of Kunchan Nair and Sarassama. Her siblings are Ambika, Mallika, Suresh and Arjun.[3][4] Her elder sister Ambika is also a popular actor of the Indian Silver Screen. The two sisters dominated the '80s and were an unavoidable factor in the South Indian film industry at the time.
Radha married hotelier Rajasekaran Nair on 10 September 1991. The couple has two daughters Karthika Nair, Thulasi Nair and one son Vignesh Nair.
In 2021, Radha along with husband Rajasekaran Nair joined Bharatiya Janata Party.[5] Rajasekaran Nair is the party's candidate from Neyyatinkara constituency for the 2021 Kerala Legislative Assembly election.[6]
Career[edit]
Tamil cinema[edit]
Radha started her career in 1981 starring as the protagonist in director Bharathiraja's Alaigal Oivathillai alongside debutant Karthik. The movie was a runaway hit and is regarded as a cult classic. The on-screen chemistry that she shared with Karthik was highly successful and led to many movies such as Ilanjodigal, Pakkathu Veetu Roja, Valibamey Vaa Vaa and Nalla Thambi. Radha played a small role in the movie Tik Tik Tik, which also starred Kamal Haasan. Tik Tik Tik played a significant role in her career. Later, she starred alongside Kamal Haasan in movies such as Thoongadhey Thambi Thoongadhey (1983), Oru Kaidhiyin Diary (1985), Japanil Kalyanaraman (1985) and Kadhal Parisu (1987).
She received a Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil in Muthal Mariyathai (1985).
Ambika and Radha shared screen space in films such as Enkeyo Ketta Kural (1982), Vellai Roja (1983), Idaya Kovil (1985), Manakanakku (1986), Kadhal Parisu (1987) and Annanagar Mudhal Theru (1988). The two sisters were at the zenith of their fame when they acted in Kadhal Parisu, in which they played the roles of very glamorous, highly desirable women. Ambika and Radha managed their careers very carefully, and after attaining considerable success, they were very selective about taking up roles in Tamil movies and only performed with top actors and directors. It was very rare to see both the sisters in the same movie after their early years in the Tamil film industry.
She also had commercial successes such as Amman Kovil Kizhakale (1986), Mella Thirandhathu Kadhavu (1986), Ninaive Oru Sangeetham (1987), Jallikattu (1987), Sattam Oru Vilayaattu (1987), Uzhavan Magan (1987) and Rajadhi Raja (1989). In Kollywood, she has performed alongside several top heroes such as Sivaji Ganeshan, Sivakumar, Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, K. Bhagyaraj, Vijayakanth, Sathyaraj, Mohan, Prabhu, Karthik, T. Rajendar and Arjun.
Telugu cinema[edit]
Her first Telugu film was with Shoban Babu in Mr. Vijay (1986). Her notable films in Telugu include Shakthi (1983), Iddaru Dongalu (1984), Agni Parvatam (1985), Palnati Simham (1985), Simhasanam (1986), Yamudiki Mogudu (1988), Ramudu Bheemudu (1988) and State Rowdy (1989). She acted in 19 films alongside superstar Krishna, 16 films with Chiranjeevi, 6 films with Balakrishna and worked with all major heroes such as NTR, ANR, Shoban Babu and many more. Her glamour roles were brought out by K. Raghavendra Rao and A. Kodandarami Reddy.
Kannada cinema[edit]
She has acted in 4 Kannada films. She acted alongside veteran Vishnuvardhan and actress Lakshmi in Sowbhagya Lakshmi (1986), a remake of the Hindi film Maang Bharo Sajana, which in turn was a remake of a Telugu movie. She has done films with Ravichandran. In 1991, she did the action movie Ranachandi (1991) in which she played a cop with Sarath Babu as her husband and Mukhyamantri Chandru as the villain. A massive hit in Kannada, it is still remembered by Kannada movie-goers.
Malayalam cinema[edit]
Though hailing from Kerala, she did not enjoy much success in Malayalam, unlike her sister Ambika, who had an equally successful career in both Tamil and Malayalam. She has acted only in six Malayalam films. Her most notable role was in K. G. George's state award-winning film Irakal in 1985; her portrayal of the character Nirmala is widely regarded as the best in her career. Her other significant role was in Sathyan Anthikad's Revathikkoru Pavakkutty (1986), where her costars were Bharat Gopy, Mohanlal and Menaka. She also produced a film Ayitham (1987), in which she played one of the lead characters, alongside Ambika (actress), Sukumaran and Mohanlal. Innathe Program (1991) was her last movie in Malayalam, which was also a hit.
Selected filmography[edit]
Tamil films[edit]
Telugu films[edit]
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Pandirimancham | Madhuravani | |
| Samasara Veena | |||
| Parama Sivudu | Gowri | ||
| 1990 | Kodama Simham | Bijili | |
| Kondaveeti Donga | Sri Kanya | ||
| Qaidi Dada | |||
| Aayudham | |||
| 1989 | Lankeshwarudu | ||
| Soggadi Kaapuram | |||
| Parthudu | |||
| Dorikithe Dongalu | |||
| Rudranetra | Hamsalekha | ||
| State Rowdy | Radha | ||
| Ramudu Bheemudu | Ganga | ||
| Manchi Kutumbam | |||
| Ajatha Satruvu | |||
| Rikshawala | |||
| Sarwabhoumudu | Rani | ||
| Two Town Rowdy | DPadmini / Puppy | ||
| Vicky Daada | Revathi | ||
| 1988 | Marana Mrudangam | Anusha | |
| Yamudiki Mogudu | Radha | ||
| Donga Ramudu | Ganga | ||
| Raktabhishekam | Aparna | ||
| Jamadagni | |||
| Doragarintlo Dongudu | |||
| Bharya Bhartalu | |||
| Rowdy No.1 | |||
| Mugguru Kodukulu | Roja | ||
| Chuttalabbayi | |||
| Prana Snehithulu | |||
| 1987 | Jebu Donga | ||
| Thandri Kodukula Challenge | Gowri | ||
| Dongodochadu | |||
| Muddayi | |||
| 1986 | Rakshasudu | Shailaja / Shailu | |
| Kondaveeti Raja | Padma | ||
| Simhasanam | Jaswanthi | ||
| Krishna Paramatma | |||
| Adavi Raja | |||
| Muddula Krishnaiah | Radha | ||
| Driver Babu | |||
| Kaliyuga Krishnudu | Anuradha | ||
| Nippulanti Manishi | Radha / Aasha | ||
| Ravana Brahma | Radha | ||
| 1985 | Adavi Donga | Saroja | |
| Rakta Sindhuram | Rekha | ||
| Puli | Radha | ||
| Vintha Mogudu | |||
| Donga | Manjulatha | ||
| Agni Parvatam | Radha / Lulli | ||
| Palnati Simham | |||
| 1984 | Naagu | Rajani | |
| Goonda | |||
| Adarshavanthudu | Lakshmi | ||
| Vasantha Geetam | Madhavi / Mary | ||
| Dongalu Baboi Dongalu | Satya | ||
| Raktha Sambandham | |||
| Iddaru Dongalu | |||
| 1983 | Chanda Sasanudu | Rani | |
| Shakthi | |||
| 1982 | Mr. Vijay | ||
| Gopala Krishnudu | Radha | ||
| Prema Moortulu |
Malayalam films[edit]
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Innathe Programme | Indumathi | |
| 1987 | Ayitham | Chinnaponnu | |
| 1986 | Irakal | Nirmala | |
| Revathikkoru Pavakkutty | Susanna | ||
| 1984 | Umanilayam | Uma | |
| 1983 | Mortuary | Radhadevi |
Kannada films[edit]
| Year | Film | Direction | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Premaraya | ||
| 1991 | Ranachandi | ||
| 1986 | Sowbhagya Lakshmi | ||
| 1986 | Usha | Durgadevi | |
| 1985 | Savira Sullu | Radha | |
| 1984 | Digvijaya | Cameo appearance |
Television[edit]
- As Judge
- Jodi Number One season 6
- Jodi Number One season 7
- Jodi Number One season 8
- Jodi Number One season 9
- Kalakka Povathu Yaru Season 8
- Kodeeswari (Guest)
References[edit]
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ Collections. Update Video Publication. 1991. p. 394.
- ↑ "Ambika – Profile and Biography". Veethi. 14 June 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
- ↑ "Ambika: Profile". Kerala9. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2014-11-16.
- ↑ https://keralakaumudi.com/en/news/mobile/news.php?id=505550&u=development-based-on-caste-and-religion-will-be-ended-k-surendran
- ↑ https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/kerala-assembly-election-2021-full-list-of-bjp-candidates/2212793/
External links[edit]
  |
- 1965 births
- Living people
- Actresses from Thiruvananthapuram
- Actresses in Tamil cinema
- Actresses in Telugu cinema
- Indian film actresses
- Actresses in Malayalam cinema
- Tamil Nadu State Film Awards winners
- Filmfare Awards South winners
- Actresses in Kannada cinema
- Actresses in Hindi cinema
- 20th-century Indian actresses