Radha (actress)
Udaya Chandrika, better known by her screen name Radha (born 3 June 1965),[1][2] is an Indian film actress known mostly for her work in Tamil and Telugu films. She has also acted in few Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi. She was one of the top south Indian heroine for a decade 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 in Thiruvananthapuram District, Kerala. Ambika was also a highly successful actress in Tamil and Malayalam. 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. Later they converted the studio into the Jolly Jimkana hotel complex in 2013. She appeared on television as one of the judges in the STAR Vijay Jodi Number One Season 6 Reality Dance program.
Radha | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Radha at 60th South Filmfare Awards 2013 | |
| Born | Udaya Chandrika 3 June 1965 |
| Years active | 1981—1991 |
| Spouse(s) | Rajasekaran Nair (m.1991-present) |
| Children | Karthika Nair (b.1992) Vignesh Nair (b.1995) Thulasi Nair(b.1997) |
| Parent(s) | Kunjan Nair, Sarasamma |
| Awards | Kalaimaamani, Cinema express, film critics |
She is known for her dance sequences in the South Indian film industry, alongside star actors like Chiranjeevi and Kamal Haasan. She received a Filmfare award for best actress Tamil for her exceptional performance as a low caste, fearless, compassionate boat woman who starts a platonic relationship with the middle aged village head in Muthal mariyathai. For the same role she was nominated for National award for best actress.
Personal life
Radha hails from Kallara Village near Kilimanoor in Thiruvananthapuram District in Kerala. Her mother Kallara Sarasamma was Mahila Congress leader during 2014.[3] She has two elder sisters, Ambika and Mallika, and two younger brothers, Arjun and Suresh.[4][5]
Radha married Rajasekaran Nair on 10 September 1991. The couple has two daughters and one son: Karthika Nair and Vignesh Nair, Thulasi Nair; both daughters have started their career as actors. For the past 25, years the family has owned a chain of restaurants in Mumbai and Kovalam at Kerala, which have won the best coastal beach resort award. Radha's sister Ambika is also a famous actress. Karthika Nair started her career as an actress with the Telugu film Josh. Her other daughter Thulasi Nair started her career as an actress with the 2012 Maniratnam film Kadal.
Career
Radha was spotted by director Bharathiraja and was cast as a teenager in Alaigal Oivathillai in 1981 opposite newcomer Karthik.
Tamil cinema
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 Pakkathu Veetu Roja, Valibamey Vaa Vaa and Ilanjodigal. In the same year, 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 Oru Kaidhiyin Diary, Thoongadhey Thambi Thoongadhey, Kadhal Parisu and Jappanil Kalyanaraman.
Ambika and Radha shared screen space in films such as Enkeyo Ketta Kural, Kadhal Parisu, Anna Nagar Mudhal Theru, Idhaya Kovil Manakanakku and Vellai Roja. 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 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.
Telugu cinema
She acted in her first Telugu film with Shoban Babu in Mr. Vijay. Her notable films in Telugu include Simhasanam, Shakti, Iddaru Dongalu, Yamudiki Mogudu, State Rowdy, Palnati Simham, Raamudu Bheemudu and Agni Parvatam. She has acted in highest number of movies (19 films) with Super Star 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
Radha has done 4 Kannada films. She acted with veteran Vishnuvardhan and actress Lakshmi in Soubhagya Lakshmi, a remake of the Hindi film Maang Bharo Sajana. It in turn is a remake of a Telugu movie. She has done films with Ravichandran. In 1991, she did the movie Ranachandi, with co-actors Sharat Babu, Ramesh Bhat, Mukhyamantri Chandru and Sudhir. In the film, she played a cop with Sharat Babu as her husband and Mukhyamantri Chandru as the villain. She had many stunts and fight sequences. It was a big hit in Kannada and is still remembered by Kannada movie-goers.
Malayalam cinema
Though hailing from Kerala, Radha did not enjoy success in Malayalam, unlike Ambika, who had an equally successful career in both Tamil and Malayalam. Radha acted only in six Malayalam films. Her most notable role was in K. G. George's state award-winning film Irakal (1986); her portrayal of the character Nirmala is widely regarded as the best in her career. Her other significant roles was in Sathyan Anthikad's Revathikkoru Pavakkutty (1986), where her costars were Gopi, Mohanlal and Menaka. She also produced a film Ayitham (1987), in which she played one of the lead characters, along with Ambika, Sukumaran, and Mohanlal.
Her other hit Malayalam movie was Innathe Programme (1991) which was her last movie in malayalam.
Selected filmography
Tamil films
Telugu films
| Year | Film | Direction | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Pandirimancham | Omkaar | Madhuravani | |
| Parama Sivudu | Anil Kumar | |||
| 1990 | Kodama Simham | K. Muralimohana Rao | Bijili | |
| Kondaveeti Donga | Kondanda Rami Reddy A. | Sri Kanya | ||
| Qaidi Dada | T.L.V. Prasad | |||
| Aayudham | K. Murali Mohan Rao | |||
| 1989 | Lankeshwarudu | Narayana Rao Dasari | ||
| Soggadi Kaapuram | Kodi Ramakrishna | |||
| Parthudu | K. S. R. Das | |||
| Dorikithe Dongalu | K. Murali Mohan Rao | |||
| Rudranetra | K. Raghavendra Rao | Hamsalekha | ||
| State Rowdy | Gopal B. | Radha | ||
| Ramudu Bheemudu | Ganga | |||
| Manchi Kutumbam | G. Rammohan Rao | |||
| Ajatha Satruvu | Viajya Nirmala | |||
| Rikshawala | Krishna | |||
| Sarwabhoumudu | S. S. Ravichandra | Rani | ||
| Two Town Rowdy | Dasari Narayana Rao | Padmini/Puppy | ||
| Vicky Daada | A. Kodandarami Reddy | Revathi | ||
| 1988 | Marana Mrudangam | A. Kondandarami Reddy | Anusha | |
| Yamudiki Mogudu | Ravi Raja Pinisetty | Radha | ||
| Donga Ramudu | K. Raghavendra Rao | Ganga | ||
| Rakthabhishekam | A. Kodanda Ramireddy | |||
| Jamadagni | Bharathiraja | |||
| Doragarintlo Dongudu | Jodi Ramakrishna | |||
| Bharya Bhartalu | K. Murali Mohan Rao | |||
| Rowdy No.1 | S.S.Ravichandra | |||
| Mugguru Kodukulu | Krishna | Roja | ||
| Chuttalabbayi | Kodi Rama Krishna | |||
| Prana Snehithulu | V. Madhusudan Rao | |||
| 1987 | Jebu Donga | A. Kondandarami Reddy | ||
| Thandri Kodukula Challenge | M. Mallikarjuna Rao | |||
| Dongodochadu | Kodi Ramakrishna | |||
| Muddayi | K. S. R. Das | |||
| 1986 | Rakshasudu | Kondanadarama Reddy A. | Shailaja / Shailu | |
| Kondaveeti Raja | K. Raghavendra Rao | Padma | ||
| Simhasanam | ||||
| Krishna Paramatma | ||||
| Adavi Raja | ||||
| Muddula Krishnaiah | Kodi Ramakrishna | Radha | ||
| Driver Babu | Boina Subbarao | |||
| Kaliyuga Krishnudu | Murali Mohana Rao | |||
| Nippulanti Manishi | S.B. Chakravarthy | Radha, Aasha | ||
| Ravana Brahma | K. Raghavendra Rao | |||
| 1985 | Adavi Donga | K. Raghavendra Rao | Saroja | |
| Rakta Sindhuram | Kondaandarama Reddy A. | Rekha | ||
| Puli | Raj Bharath | Radha | ||
| Vintha Mogudu | T.L.V. Prasad | |||
| Donga | Kondanadarama Reddy A. | |||
| Agni Parvatam | K. Raghavendra Rao | Radha/Lulli | ||
| Palnati Simham | Kondanadarama Reddy A. | |||
| 1984 | Naagu | Prasad Thathineni | Rajani | |
| Goonda | Kondanadarama Reddy A. | |||
| Adarshavanthudu | Kodi Ramakrishna | Lakshmi | ||
| Vasantha Geetam | Singeetham Srinivasa Rao | Madhavi/Mary | ||
| Dongalu Baboi Dongalu | ||||
| Raktha Sambandham | Vijaya Nirmala | |||
| Iddaru Dongalu | K. Raghavendra Rao | |||
| 1983 | Chanda Sasanudu | N.T. Ramarao | Rani | |
| Shakthi | K. Raghavendra Rao | |||
| 1982 | Mr. Vijay | |||
| Gopala Krishnudu | Kondanadarama Reddy A. | Radha | ||
| Prema Moortulu | Kondanadarama Reddy A. | |||
Malayalam films
| Year | Film | Direction | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Innathe Programme | P. G. Viswambaran | Indumathi | |
| 1987 | Ayitham | Venu Nagavally | Chinnaponnu | |
| 1986 | Irakal | K. G. George | Nirmala | |
| Revathikkoru Pavakkutty | Sathyan Anthikkad | Susanna | ||
| 1984 | Umanilayam | Joshi | Uma | |
| 1983 | Mortuary | Baby | Radhadevi | |
| 1977 | Vidarunna Mottukal | Child artist | ||
Kannada films
| Year | Film | Direction | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Ranachandi | ||
| 1986 | Soubhagya Lakshmi | Bhargava | |
| 1986 | Usha | G.K. Mudduraj | Durgadevi |
| 1985 | Savira Sullu | G.K. Mudduraj | |
| 1984 | Digvijaya | G.K. Mudduraj | Cameo appearance |
Television
- 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
- http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-06-03/news-interviews/39713742_1_karthika-nair-actress-sivaji-ganesan
- Collections. Update Video Publication. 1991. p. 394.
- "Will Solve Issues Between Government, Party: Rahul". newindianexpress.com. 11 December 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
- "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.