Rohini (actress)

Personal life

A native of Anakapalli, Andhra Pradesh Rohini spent all her childhood in Chennai. Her father was a panchyat officer and mother was a housewife. Her father always wanted to become an actor, though he couldn't be an actor he encouraged his daughter to become an actress and he fulfilled his ambition through his daughter. Her mother died when she was five years old and father remarried later.

She was married to famous Actor Raghuvaran in 1996 and they have a son Rishi Varan born in 1998. The couple later got separated and divorced in 2004.[1]

Career

She started her career in 1976 as a child artiste. She was first seen as a wide-eyed 5 year old in Yashoda Krishna, a Telugu film. She is also a popular dubbing artist in the Tamil industry. She has voiced six characters in five of Mani Ratnam's films. She lent her voice to actresses like Jyothika (Vettaiyadu Villaiyadu), Aishwarya Rai (Iruvar and Raavanan), Manisha Koirala (Bombay) and Amala (Shiva). She has also dubbed for Girija Shettar in Mani Rathnam's only Telugu movie till date Geethanjali.

She wrote lyrics for the Tamil film Pachaikili Muthucharam, before ending another hiatus by writing all songs in the album, Maalai Pozhudhin Mayakathilaey. Her acting skills were recognized and she was given the Kalaimamani award recently.

She writes episodes for Tamil TV serials. She started writing scripts for TV series way back in 1996, and has adapted the Sahithya Academy Award winning novel Verukku Neer for a tele film in 2005. She hosted the live TV talk show Kelvigal Aayiram for Vijay TV, which she said "dealt with issues close to my heart". She moderated the Tamil programme Azhagiya Tamizh Magal on Kalaignar TV and has worked as the anchor of Raj TV’s show, Rohini’s Box Office in which she reviewed the latest releases.

Being an activist for AIDS awareness, Rohini has also directed short films for M.G.R. Medical University and Tamil Nadu Aids Control Society. In 2008, Rohini had directed a 50-minute documentary Silent Hues about film industry’s child artists, she being one herself. In 2013, she has directed a feature film Appavin Meesai which is yet to be released.

Awards

Filmography

Television