Kavitha (born: 30 December 1979[1]), commonly known as Kausalya (in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada film industries) or Nandini (in Malayalam film industry), is an Indian actress and model, who has starred mainly in South Indian cinema. After starting her career in leading roles, she has since gone on to portray supporting roles.[2]

Kausalya
Born
Kavitha

(1979-12-30) 30 December 1979 (age 44)
Other namesNandini, Tamilselvi
Occupations
  • Actor
  • model
Years active1996–2010
2014–present

Career

Nandini was pursuing a modelling career, before she debuted in the 1996 Malayalam film April 19 by Balachandra Menon.[3][4][5] The following year, she appeared in her first Tamil film Kaalamellam Kadhal Vaazhga (1997) with Murali and went on to star in several successful films in Tamil like Nerukku Ner (1997), Priyamudan (1998), Sollamale (1998), Pooveli (1998), Vaanathaippola (2000) and Kutty (2001).

She went on to appear in many Malayalam films including Ayal Kadha Ezhuthukayanu (1998), Karumadikkuttan (2001), Sundara Purushan (2001), Shivam (2002), Udayam (2004), Vajram (2004), Maanikyan (2004) and Sooryan (2007).

She won Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil for her performance in Pooveli. She mostly acted in saree-clad and conservative roles. By the mid-2000s, she turned character artiste and went on to portray supporting roles in films such as Thirumalai (2003) and Santosh Subramaniam (2008) and ventured into television with the series Manaivi which aired 436 episodes on Sun TV.[6]

In 2004, she attempted to make a comeback as a lead actress but unfortunately several of her projects became delayed. Films such as Thiagarajan's Police which starred her alongside Prashanth, Manadhil with Karthik, Vendumadi Nee Enakku and Rosappoo Chinna Rosappoo with Sathyaraj, were readied but then stalled in quick succession.[7]

Kausalya returned to the Tamil industry after 6 years with the action film, Poojai (2014).[8]

Personal life

Kausalya was born in Bangalore, Karnataka. Her father Shivashankar Siddalingappa, a Bangalorean, worked as a depot manager at Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation.[9] Her mother is half Marathi and half Kannadiga, and was born and brought up in Sri Lanka. Her grandmother was from Sri Lanka.[10]

Awards

Filmfare Award South

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Language Notes
1996 April 19 Nandhini Malayalam
1997 Kaalamellam Kadhal Vaazhga Kausalya Tamil
Nerukku Ner Akila Tamil
Lelam Gouri Parvathi Malayalam
1998 Sorry Kannada [12]
Jolly Anitha Tamil
Priyamudan Priya Tamil
Sollamale Swetha Tamil
Pooveli Maha Tamil Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil
Unnudan Gowri Tamil
Ayal Kadha Ezhuthukayanu Priyadarshini Malayalam
1999 Alludugaaru Vachcharu Mahalakshmi Telugu
Thachiledathu Chundan Usha Malayalam
Panchadara Chilaka Kalyani Telugu
Aasaiyil Oru Kaditham Lakshmi Tamil
2000 Vaanathaippola Nandini Tamil
Eazhaiyin Sirippil Kausalya Tamil
Thai Porandhachu Geetha Tamil
Raja Kaliamman Meena Tamil
Sandhitha Velai Agalya Tamil
James Pandu Kausalya Tamil
Ilaiyavan Janani Tamil
Kuberan Kavitha Tamil
2001 Engalukkum Kaalam Varum Lakshmi Tamil
Thaali Kaatha Kaliamman Karpagam Tamil
Naranathu Thampuran Hemalatha Malayalam
Kunguma Pottu Gounder Saraswathi Tamil
Karumadikuttan Nandinikutty Malayalam
Kutty Rohini Tamil
Sundara Purushan Sridevi Malayalam
Manadhai Thirudivittai Indhu Tamil
Jameendar Malayalam
2002 Devan Jacqueline Tamil
Shivam Dr. Gayathri Bhadran Malayalam
2003 Ree Swalpa Barteera Kausalya Kannada
Gandhi Nagara - Kannada
Badri Soni Kannada
Thirumalai Nagalakshmi Tamil
2004 Udayam Anju Malayalam
Vajram Nanda Devarajan Malayalam
Gowri Nagalaxmi Telugu
Manathil - Tamil
2005 Maanikyan Nirmala Menon Malayalam
Mahanandi Mrs. Swami Telugu
2007 Sooryan Raji Malayalam
Viyyalavari Kayyalu Bhoopati Rayudu's wife Telugu
2008 Santosh Subramaniam Santosh's sister Tamil
2009 I G Inspector General Yamini Malayalam
Ghauttham Geetha Kannada
Satrumun Kidaitha Thagaval Tamil
2010 Rambabu Gadi Pellam Telugu
2014 Poojai Susheela Tamil
2015 Elinjikkavu PO Lekshmi Malayalam
2016 Anuraga Karikkin Vellam Anuradha Malayalam
2017 Sangili Bungili Kadhava Thorae Sangili Aandavar's sister Tamil
Rarandoi Veduka Chudham Kaushalya Telugu
Brahma.com Kamu's mother Tamil
2018 Koottali Lakshmi Tamil
Jayamahal Queen Matangi Kannada
Echcharikkai Jaanu Tamil
Mandharam Lakshmi, Rajesh's mother Malayalam
Savyasachi Mahalakshmi Telugu
2019 4 Letters Anjali's mother Telugu
Natpe Thunai Prabhakaran's mother Tamil
Khyla Mithra Tamil
2021 Michaelpatty Raja Laila's real mother Tamil
Engada Iruthinga Ivvalavu Naala Sanjay's mother Tamil
Rang De Arjun's mother Telugu
Uthra Devi Tamil
2022 Hero Subbu's mother Telugu
Radha Krishna Tamil
2023 Saandrithazh Tamil
2024 Purushothamudu Telugu
TBA Qurbani Malayalam Post production

Television

Year Title Role Network Language Ref
2004-2006 Manaivi Hamsaveni/Krishnaveni Sun TV Tamil
2004 Chitta Hema / Thattha Surya TV Malayalam
2005 Thanichu Devapriya Raman IAS / Devutty Asianet
2008 Kanden Seethaiyai STAR Vijay Tamil
2010 Dharmayudham Bhairavi Mega TV
2010 Alaipayuthey Kannamma Jaya TV
2014–2015 Akka Manimekhalai Jaya TV
2015 Spandhanam Annie Surya TV Malayalam
2016–2017 Amma Sukanya Suvarna TV Kannada
2020 Chadarangam Bhavani ZEE5 Telugu [13][14]
2022–2024 Sundari Nandan Bharathi Sun TV Tamil

Music video

Year Title Role Channel Language
2006 Amme Namasthuthe Devi Bhaktha YouTube
(Devotional album)
Malayalam
2019 Chottanikkara Amme Narayana Devi Bhaktha YouTube
(Devotional album)
Malayalam

References

  1. ^ "dinakaran". 12 April 2008. Archived from the original on 12 April 2008.
  2. ^ "Acting... A temporary thirst - Kaushalya". www.minnoviyam.com. Archived from the original on 18 February 1999. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  3. ^ "South Africa steady after Aussie late-order flourish". 5 January 2009. Retrieved 8 June 2016.[dead link]
  4. ^ "Kousalya - A Non Resident Chennaiite". Archived from the original on 28 January 2010. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
  5. ^ "Welcome to Sify.com". Sify. Archived from the original on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
  6. ^ "Small screen debut". The Hindu. 5 January 2004. p. 02. Archived from the original on 29 May 2005. Retrieved 8 June 2016 – via The Hindu (old).
  7. ^ "Back stabbing!". chennaionline.com. Archived from the original on 4 August 2001. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  8. ^ "'Poojai' marks Kausalya's comeback after 6 years". Business Standard India. 30 March 2014.
  9. ^ mangalam. "Mangalam - Varika 23-Jun-2014". Archived from the original on 25 June 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  10. ^ "Kousalya - A non Resident Chennaiite". Chennai Online:80. Archived from the original on 12 February 2001. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  11. ^ "Magazine clipping". archive.org. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  12. ^ Kumar, G. S. (22 March 2002). "Acting is Kalyani's passion". The Times of India.
  13. ^ Codingest. "'Chadarangam': Srikanth looks good as a politician". NTV Telugu. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  14. ^ "Srikanth plays NTR in Chadarangam". Cinema Express. 18 February 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2021.