Kasthuri Shankar
Kasthuri Shankar | |
|---|---|
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1991-2001 2009-present |
Kasthuri Shankar is an Indian actress, model and television presenter who has appeared in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada language films.[1]
Personal life
[edit]She was born in a Brahmin[2] family to Sumathi, a lawyer and P.S. Shankar. She has one younger brother. She married and has a son and a daughter. Her daughter is a leukemia survivor.[3]
Career
[edit]After graduation from Ethiraj College for Women, Kasthuri won Miss Chennai in 1992. In the same year, she won the Femina Miss Madras beauty pageant too. While studying in college, she started her career in modelling over interest in the domain.[4] Not only was she a successful model, but also, she was a finalist in the BBC's Mastermind India 2000 quiz. Her acting career began in 1991 with the film, Aatha Un Koyilile (1991). From working on small budget Tamil films, she went on to work into more mainstream movies alongside legends, such as Kamal Haasan in Indian (1996). A 30-minute documentary film, Kasthuri: A South Indian Film Star, was released as a tribute to her success in the film industry. She gained attention for her acting skills in Annamayya (1997) and dance performance in Kaadhal Kavithai (1998).
However, she decided to make a comeback as a supporting actress and television host. Her debut comeback film was Malai Malai (2009) and also worked on Vina Vidai Vettai (2013-2014) for Puthuyugam TV.
She also notably portrayed a key supporting role as an investigative agent in Adhik Ravichandran's Anbanavan Asaradhavan Adangadhavan (2017), appearing alongside Silambarasan.[5]
Politics
[edit]Kasthuri campaigned for the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) in Madurai during the 2024 Indian general elections.[citation needed]
Other work
[edit]Television
[edit]Kasthuri works as quiz master at staged events and on television. She had taken an early interest during childhood in participating in quiz events, and later continued making competitive appearances, and notably appeared as a contestant on BBC's Mastermind India in 2000. She later made a comeback to hosting television-based quiz shows in the 2010s, and worked on Vina Vidai Vettai for Puthuyugam TV.[6]
After rejecting the opportunity to appear on the Tamil reality television show Bigg Boss Tamil in 2018, she joined the third season of the show in 2019 as a wildcard entry contestant.[7]
After that, she made her comeback to Telugu audience in Intinti Gruhalakshmi serial which airs on Star Maa now.[8]
Columns
[edit]In the late 1990s, Kasthuri wrote a weekly column titled "Keep It Simple Stupid" in the Kumudham magazine.[9]
Topless photoshoot
[edit]In 2014, she was photographed topless and half-nude as a part of Jade Beall's book The Bodies of Mothers: A Beautiful Body Project.[10][11][12]
Social commentary and controversies
[edit]Kasthuri is an active commentator regarding social issues through an occasional column with the Times of India and via Twitter, and her tweets have sometimes elicited debate in the media.[13] In early 2017, she questioned Rajinikanth's ability as a potential politician, and her opinion garnered criticism from the actor's fans.[14][15] In late 2018, she criticised Rajinikanth's ignorance over the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case and engaged in a further exchange with Rajinikanth's supporters.[16] Kasthuri spoke out as a part of the Me Too movement in India, suggesting that her reluctance to give into patriarchal behaviour meant that she was removed from several film projects. She revealed that one male actor took a particular vengeance against her for her rebuff to his advances, and subsequently made it difficult for her to work on other projects.[3][17][18] She criticised directors Bharathiraja and S. Shankar in April 2019, she said director Bharathiraja and his son has black skin and they use North Indian girls with lighter skin in their movies while S. Shankar goes a long way and imports white skin foreign girls in his movies.[19] While Kasthuri declares herself an Indian patriot, her husband and two children are all US-born American citizens. During the row over the comments made by DMK MP Elangovan against Hindi, Kasthuri criticized him stating that she was personally offended as she was of mixed lineage herself,[20] referring to the fact that her father was a Nair and her mother an Iyer.
A person, who claimed himself to be actor Ajith's fan, had allegedly made sexist comments against Kasturi Shankar in January 2020. A week after this, Kasthuri Shankar blasted him, by suggesting him to ask his mother or sister if he wants a woman for sex. She used the tag #dirtyajithfans, which started trending in India. Some fans of Ajith created #DirtyKasthuriAunty to counter this. A war of words continued and created a controversy.[citation needed]
Filmography
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Aatha Un Koyilile | Kasthuri | Tamil | |
| Chakravarthy | Praseetha | Malayalam | ||
| Rasathi Varum Naal | Radha | Tamil | ||
| 1992 | Government Mappillai | Mallaria | ||
| Chinnavar | Meena | |||
| Urimai Oonjaladugiradhu | Uma | |||
| Senthamizh Pattu | Shanmathi | |||
| Abhirami | Dhanam | |||
| Gang War | Kaveri | Telugu | ||
| 1993 | Rakkayi Koyil | Vellaiyamma | Tamil | |
| Pudhiya Mugam | Raja's first wife | |||
| Pass Mark | Shanthi | |||
| Aathma | Uma | |||
| Udan Pirappu | Sumathi | |||
| Nippu Ravva | Bharathi | Telugu | ||
| Enga Muthalali | Kalyani | Tamil | ||
| 1994 | Amaidhi Padai | Thayamma | ||
| Watchman Vadivel | Radha | |||
| Raja Pandi | Ponnuthaayi | |||
| Thendral Varum Theru | Nalini | |||
| Jaana | Kasturi | Kannada | ||
| 1995 | Sindhu Bath | Shobana | Tamil | |
| Chinna Mani | Chinna Mani | |||
| Kolangal | Uma | |||
| Aakaya Pookal | Kamakshi | |||
| God Father | Aruna | Telugu | ||
| Agrajan | Sreedevi | Malayalam | ||
| Radholsavam | Chempakam | |||
| Aniyan Bava Chetan Bava | Ammu | |||
| 1996 | Ibbara Naduve Muddina Aata | Kannada | ||
| Indian | Kasthuri | Tamil | ||
| Krishna | Lizy | |||
| Soggadi Pellam | Jyothi | Telugu | ||
| Merupu | Prema | |||
| Rendu Kutumbala Katha | Hema | |||
| 1997 | Chilakkottudu | Kasturi | ||
| Ratha Yatra | Ganga | |||
| Annamayya | Akkalamma | |||
| Maa Ayana Bangaram | ||||
| 1998 | Mangalya Pallakku | Seethalakshmi | Malayalam | |
| Thutta Mutta | Dr. Seema | Kannada | ||
| One Man Army | Kasthoori | |||
| Sneham | Radhika | Malayalam | annamayya_telugu | |
| Kaadhal Kavidhai | Swapna | Tamil | ||
| 1999 | Habba | Anu | Kannada | |
| Suyamvaram | Uma | Tamil | ||
| Panchapandavar | Nandini | Malayalam | ||
| 2001 | Engalukkum Kaalam Varum | Pooja | Tamil | |
| Dosth | Special appearance in the song "Hey Sal Sal" | |||
| Akasa Veedhilo | Padma | Telugu | ||
| Premakke Sai | Vedha | Kannada | ||
| 2002 | Adheena | Princess Adheena | Malayalam | |
| 2009 | Malai Malai | Lakshmi | Tamil | |
| 2010 | Thamizh Padam | Special appearance in the song "Kuthuvilakku" | ||
| Gudu Gudu Gunjam | Malleeshwari | Telugu | ||
| Don Seenu | Lakshmi | |||
| 2011 | Pathinaaru | Ilavarasi | Tamil | Guest appearance |
| Thoonga Nagaram | Special appearance | |||
| 2012 | Naanga | Chithra | ||
| 2013 | Azhagan Azhagi | Special appearance in the song "Ethuvarai Vaanam" | ||
| Naan Rajavaga Pogiren | Bharathi | |||
| 2014 | Vadacurry | Satish's sister in law | ||
| Naan Ponnu Ondru Kanden | Special appearance in the song "Othaya Retaya" | |||
| 2017 | Anbanavan Asaradhavan Adangadhavan | Ruby | ||
| Samanthakamani | Krishna's mother | Telugu | ||
| 2018 | Traffic Ramasamy | Witness in court | Tamil | Guest appearance |
| Thamizh Padam 2 | Special appearance in the song "Vaa Vaa Kaama" | |||
| 2020 | Velvet Nagaram | Gauri | ||
| 2021 | EPCO 302 | S. Durga IPS | ||
| 2022 | Godfather | Brahma's mother | Telugu | |
| 2023 | Tamilarasan | Tamil | ||
| Rayar Parambarai | Rayar's sister | |||
| Striker | ||||
| 2024 | Simbaa | Telugu |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Language | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eshtadanam | Malayalam | DD Malayalam | |||
| 1995 | Kaiyalavu Manasu | Vani | Tamil | Sun TV | |
| 2000 | Mastermind India | Contestant | Tamil | BBC | |
| 2010 | Sun Kudumbam Awards 2010 | Host | Sun TV | ||
| Star Singer | Special judge | Malayalam | Asianet | ||
| 2013–2014 | Vina Vidai Vettai | Host | Tamil | Puthuyugam TV | |
| 2014 | Vina Vidai Vettai Juniors | Host | Puthuyugam TV | ||
| Wow 2 | Participant | Telugu | E TV | ||
| 2019 | Bigg Boss Tamil 3 | Contestant | Tamil | Star Vijay | Evicted Day 63 |
| 2020–2024 | Intinti Gruhalakshmi | Tulasi | Telugu | Star Maa | |
| 2020 | Cash | Participant | Telugu | ETV | |
| Agni Natchathiram | Rudra | Tamil | Sun TV | ||
| 2021 | Parampara | Indira | Telugu | Disney+ Hotstar | |
| Sixth Sense | Participant | Telugu | Star Maa | ||
| 2022 | Aruvi | Herself | Tamil | Sun TV | |
| Sreedevi Dance Company | Herself | Telugu | ETV | ||
| 2024 | Seethe Ramudiki Katnam | Ram's Mother | Telugu | Zee Telugu |
References
[edit]- ^ "Actor Kasthuri Shankar Opens up About Losing Parents, Seeing Daughter Battle Cancer". 29 November 2021.
- ^ https://tamil.samayam.com/latest-news/tiruchirappalli/are-you-tamilan-actress-kasthuri-angry-in-the-brahmin-function/articleshow/106453811.cms
- ^ a b Sundar, Mrinalini. "Casting couch in filmdom isn't a myth, it does exist". The Times of India.
- ^ "Career as an actress". The Times of India.
- ^ "I am too old for Vijay, too young for Rajinikanth: Kasthuri". 22 June 2017.
- ^ "In the limelight again". journeyline.in.
- ^ "Bigg Boss Tamil 3 contestant Kasthuri makes shocking revelations over her payment dues". 30 September 2020.
- ^ Pasupuleti, AuthorPriyanka. "Kasthuri Shankar testing her luck on small screen". Telangana Today. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
- ^ "Minnoviyam". Archived from the original on 20 April 1999.
- ^ "Actor Kasthuri's photo shoot for motherhood wins hearts, she says amazed at response". The News Minute. 30 October 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
- ^ "Actress Kasthuri Poses Semi-nude for Photo-book 'Bodies of Mothers'". The New Indian Express. 30 October 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
- ^ Team, DNA Web (31 October 2015). "South Indian actress Kasthuri poses topless for Jade Beall's 'A Beautiful Body Project'". DNA India. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
- ^ "The Word View: Ek Gaon Mein Ek Kisan Raghuthatha!". The Times of India.
- ^ Subramanian, Anupama (23 May 2017). "I am a true fan of Rajini sir: Kasturi". Deccan Chronicle.
- ^ "Kasthuri Says She's A "True Fan" Of Rajinikanth". 23 May 2017.
- ^ "Rajinikanth, actress Kasthuri engage in war of words over Rajiv Gandhi assassination case". Asianet News Network Pvt Ltd.
- ^ "Kasthuri: "People Think Women Can't Climb Up The Ladder Without The Favours of a Man!"". 12 March 2017.
- ^ "Winds of change in Kollywood? More women actors speak up about misogyny in the industry". The News Minute. 25 March 2017. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
- ^ Rajkumar (17 April 2019). "பொது மேடையில் பாரதி ராஜாவின் நிறம் குறித்து கேலி செய்த கஸ்தூரி.! இதே வேல தானா.!". Tamil Behind Talkies. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
- ^ "Video | "I Am a Proud Shudra": Actor Kasturi Shankar Amid Language Row".
External links
[edit]- Indian film actresses
- Living people
- Actresses in Malayalam cinema
- Actresses in Tamil cinema
- Actresses in Telugu cinema
- Actresses in Kannada cinema
- 20th-century Indian actresses
- 21st-century Indian actresses
- Bigg Boss (Tamil TV series) contestants
- Actresses in Tamil television
- Actresses in Telugu television
- Actresses in Malayalam television