Kausalya (actress)


Nandini, also known as Kausalya, is an Indian film actress and model, who has starred mainly in South Indian cinema. After starting her career as a lead heroine, she has since gone on to portray supporting roles.

Career

Nandini was pursuing a modelling career, before she debuted in the 1996 Malayalam film April 19 by Balachandra Menon. The following year, she appeared in her first Tamil film Kaalamellam Kadhal Vaazhga with Murali and went on to star in several successful films in Tamil like Nerukku Ner, Priyamudan, Sollamale, Pooveli and Vaanathaippola. In Malayalam, her best performance is regarded to be in Ayal Kadha Ezhuthukayanu opposite Mohanlal and including Karumadikuttan with Kalabhavan Mani.
She had starred in over 30 films in Tamil and Malayalam in lead roles, while securing a 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 and Santosh Subramaniam and ventured into television with the series Manaivi which aired 436 episodes on Sun TV.
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 were readied but then stalled in quick succession.

Personal life

Nandini was born to Shivasankaran, an officer at Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation and a Tamil mother Poornima, a house wife, on 30 December 1979. She has a brother Shanmugha who is a business man. She remains unmarried.

Filmography

Television