Revathi


Asha Kelunni Nair, better known by her stage name Revathi, is an Indian film actress and director, known for her works predominantly in Tamil and Malayalam cinema.
She has won several accolades, including the National Film Awards in three different categories, and six Filmfare Awards South.

Early life

Revathi was born Asha Kelunni Nair in Cochin to Malank Kelunni Nair, a major in the Indian Army, who hails from Kalladikkod, Palakkad, and Lalitha Kelunni. Malayalam actress Geetha Vijayan is her cousin.
When she was in school, she took part in a fashion show. Group photos were taken during the show and a photo was chosen to be the cover of a popular Tamil magazine. This happened to be her photo, which was seen by the director Bharathiraja, who at that time was on the lookout for a new heroine for his latest venture, Mann Vasanai.

Career

Personal life

Revathi married cinematographer and director Suresh Chandra Menon in 1986. The couple didn't have any children. However, following differences between them, they started living separately from 2005 and were granted divorce on 23 April 2013 by Chennai Additional Family Court.As of 2018, she revealed that she has a five-year old biological daughter named Mahee through In Vitro Fertilisation.

In the media

Revathi is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer, having studied since the age of seven and performed her arangetram in Chennai in 1979. She has been considered as one of the all-time top actresses of Tamil cinema and South Indian cinema. She was one of the most successful leading actresses of South Indian cinema, also one of the highest paid South Indian actresses alongside her contemporaries, like Vijayashanti, Radhika and Radha. Revathi was the only South Indian actress of 80s and 90s to win the Filmfare best actress award in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam, including three consecutive wins in Tamil. Apart from films, Revathi has been involved in a variety of social organisations, the most notable being the Banyan, Ability foundation, Tanker foundation and Vidyasagar, and has also served as a member of several film festivals including the Chennai International Film Festival and the International Film Festival of India.

Awards