Madhavi (actress)

Early life

Madhavi was born in Hyderabad, India to Sasirekha and Govinda Swamy, on 14 September 1962. She grew up with a sister and a brother, named Keerthi Kumari and Dhananjai respectively. She learnt Bharat Natyam from Uma Maheswari and folk dance from Mr. Bhatt from an early age and gave more than a thousand dance performances. She attended Stanley Girls High School in Hyderabad, Abids Branch.

Career

Director Dasari Narayana Rao gave her a starring role in the Telugu film Thoorupu Padamara when she was a teenager. The film became a huge hit. She acted in a number of films with Telugu Megastar Chiranjeevi. Her first movie with Chiranjeevi was Intlo Ramaiah Veedhilo Krishnaiah in 1982. She acted again with Chiranjeevi in the movie Khaidi. Her last movie in Telugu was Big Boss (another Chiranjeevi film). K. Balachander then cast her in a supporting role in his Telugu film Maro Charithra (1978). She reprised her role in its Hindi remake Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1981), which became the top-grossing film of 1981. In both films, she showed remarkable sensitivity as a lonely wealthy woman who falls in love with Kamal Haasan's character. She earned a Filmfare Award nomination as Best Supporting Actress. K. Balachander was so impressed with her performance in both films that he introduced her to the Tamil film industry with Thillu Mullu (1981) opposite Rajinikanth. By the end of the decade, she was starred opposite Amitabh Bachchan in the Hindi film Agneepath (1990).

Madhavi acted alongside Kamal Haasan in Raja Paarvai, Tik Tik Tik, Kaakki Sattai and Mangamma Sabadham. Her films with Rajinikanth include Garjanai, Thambikku Entha Ooru, Un Kannil Neer Vazhindal and Viduthalai. She showed her ability in movies like Enga Oor Kannagi, and Nirabaraadhi. She also played Zeenat Aman's role from the Hindi hit film Insaf Ka Tarazu) (1980) in the Telugu remake "Edi Dharmam Edi Nyayam" (1982) and the Tamil remake Needhi Dhevan Mayakkam (1982).

She appeared in many Malayalam films especially in those starring superstars Mammootty and Mohanlal. She played the Zeenat Aman role from the Hindi hit film Don in the Malayalam remake titled Shobaraj (1986). Her portrayal of Unniyarcha in the National Award-winning movie Oru Vadakkan Veeragadha was critically appreciated and is often recognised as one of the best roles in her career. Her portrayal as a mother who met her end with leukaemia in Akashadoothu won her the Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actress and Filmfare Award for Best Actress for 1993. Other notable films include Ormakkayi, Changatham, Novemberinte Nashtam and Nombarathi Poovu. She was later seen in supporting roles in films such as Aksharam and Aayiram Naavulla Ananthan. Most of her author-backed roles were in Malayalam films. She has won three Kerala State Film Awards, one for Best Actress and two for Second Best Actress.

She also acted in a number of Kannada movies alongside popular Kannada actors including Rajkumar, Vishnuvardhan, Anant Nag and Ambareesh.With Rajkumar she acted in many commercially successful and critically acclaimed movies like Haalu Jenu, Bhagyada Lakshmi Baramma, Anuraga Aralithu, Shruthi Seridaaga, Jeevana Chaitra, Aakasmika, Odahuttidavaru, etc. Her performance in Haalu Jenu and Malaya Marutha was widely acclaimed.

Personal life

In 1996, her spiritual teacher Swami Rama arranged her marriage to one of his followers, a pharmaceutical businessman named Ralph Sharma, who is half-Indian and half-German. Ralph first met his Guru, Swami Rama at the age of 23 at the Himalayan Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy., whereas Madhavi first met Guru Swami Rama, in 1995. She married within a few weeks on 14 February 1996 of their introduction. They have three daughters and live in New Jersey.

Awards

Filmfare Award for Best Actress

Malayalam

Complete list of Madhavi's Malayalam Movies are available from the MSI Database.

Hindi