Tulasi (actress)
Tulasi (or Tulasi Shivamani) (born 20 June 1967) is an Indian actress. She started her career as a child actress, then became a lead actress and later did supporting roles in mother characters.[1] She has acted in over 300 films in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi languages.[2]
Career
Tulasi made her debut in the Telugu when she was three months old in 1967. For a song in the film, a baby was needed and Tulasi was placed in the cradle after actress Savitri had requested Tulasi's mother, who was a friend of her.[3] She was then featured in one song when she was one-and-half year old in Jeevanatarangalu and said that she became a full-fledged actor when she was three.[3] She had never been to school.[3]
She got married at age 28 to Kannada director Sivamani.[2] She stated that "I met him in the morning and by evening we tied the knot".[4] She has one son Sai Tarun with him. Tulasi decided to quit acting after getting married, working only occasionally as a voice actor in Telugu films, including ones by Mani Ratnam.[1] When her son was around six years old, she received several mother character roles. She initially declined them all, but finally signed on one Kannada film, Excuse Me, in which she played mother to Divya Spandana and which became a big hit.[2] After that she was doing three films a year in Kannada.
She later also began acting in mother roles in Telugu and Tamil films like Sasirekha Parinayam, Mr. Perfect, Darling, Iddarammayilatho, Mahanati & Dear Comrade in Telugu and Pillaiyar Theru Kadaisi Veedu, Easan, Mankatha, Sundarapandian, Aadhalal Kadhal Seiveer and Pandiya Naadu in Tamil. Tulasi has said that Aadhalal Kadhal Seiveer, in which she had played mother to Manisha Yadav's character, changed her life and brought her an "identity as a screen mother".[2] Her portrayal of Chellamma in Pannaiyarum Padminiyum was praised too,[1] with critics stating that she was "brilliant",[5][6] and had given her "career best performance".[7]
Partial filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Bharya | Telugu | ||
| 1969 | Jeevana Tarangalu | Telugu | ||
| 1977 | Chillarakottu Chittamma | Telugu | ||
| 1978 | Seetamalakshmi | Telugu | ||
| 1979 | Sankarabharanam | Sankaram | Telugu | |
| 1981 | Nyayam Kavali | Padma | Telugu | |
| 1981 | Mudda Mandaram | Telugu | ||
| 1981 | Rama Dhandu | Telugu | ||
| 1982 | bhakthadruva markhandeya | |||
| 1982 | Sakalakala Vallavan | Tamil | ||
| 1982 | Nalugu Stambhalata | Telugu | ||
| 1982 | Subhalekha | Lakshmi | Telugu | |
| 1983 | Maga Maharaju | NA | Telugu | |
| 1983 | Ee Pillaku Pellavuthundha | Telugu | ||
| 1983 | Konte Kodallu | Bhagyalakshmi | Telugu | |
| 1983 | Nelavanka | Lalita | Telugu | |
| 1983 | Trisulam | Telugu | ||
| 1983 | Mantri Gari Viyyankudu | Suseela | Telugu | |
| 1984 | Anubandham | Telugu | ||
| 1984 | Nallavanuku Nallavan | Tamil | ||
| 1984 | Disco King | Telugu | ||
| 1984 | Nagabekamma Nagabeku | Kannada | ||
| 1984 | Indina Ramayana | Kannada | ||
| 1985 | Preminchu Pelladu | Telugu | ||
| 1985 | Muchataga Mugguru | Telugu | ||
| 1985 | Srivaru | Telugu | ||
| 1985 | Sri Katna Leelalu | Telugu | ||
| 1986 | Henne Ninagenu Bandhana | Kannada | ||
| 1986 | Piranthaen Valarnthaen | Tamil | ||
| 1986 | Poojaku Panikiraani Puvvu | Telugu | ||
| 1987 | Aranyakanda | Neela | Telugu | |
| 1987 | Dhoorathu Pachai | Tamil | ||
| 1987 | Thambathyam | Tamil | ||
| 1987 | Raaga Leela | Tamil | ||
| 1988 | Kanchana Seetha | Telugu | ||
| 1988 | Brahma Vishnu Maheshwara | Kannada | ||
| 1988 | Jeevana Ganga | Telugu | ||
| 1990 | Alajadi | Telugu | ||
| 1990 | Appu | Malayalam | ||
| 1991 | Killer | Telugu | ||
| 1992 | Chitram Bhalare Vichitram | Meera | Telugu | |
| 1994 | Mahanadi | Manju | Tamil | |
| 1999 | Kannayya Kittayya | Telugu | ||
| 2003 | Excuse Me | Kannada | ||
| 2005 | Gunna | Kannada | ||
| 2006 | Chellata | Kannada | ||
| 2006 | Sevanthi Sevanthi | Kannada | ||
| 2006 | Honeymoon Express | Kannada | ||
| 2006 | Sirivanta | Kannada | ||
| 2006 | Jothe Jotheyali | Kannada | ||
| 2007 | Poojari | Kannada | ||
| 2007 | Ee Preethi Onthara | Kannada | ||
| 2007 | Savi Savi Nenapu | Kannada | ||
| 2008 | Sangama | Kannada | ||
| 2008 | Neenyare | Kannada | ||
| 2009 | Ullasa Utsaha | Kannada | ||
| 2009 | Rajkumari | Kannada | ||
| 2009 | Josh | Kannada | Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Kannada | |
| 2009 | Minchu | Kannada | ||
| 2009 | Raaj the Showman | Kannada | ||
| 2009 | Rajani | Kannada | ||
| 2010 | Punda | Kannada | ||
| 2010 | Nanjangud Nanjunda | Kannada | ||
| 2010 | Sihi Gaali | Kannada | ||
| 2010 | Easan | Chezian's Mother | Tamil | |
| 2010 | Darling | Rajeshwari | Telugu | |
| 2011 | Pillaiyar Theru Kadaisi Veedu | Tamil | ||
| 2011 | Mankatha | Tamil | ||
| 2011 | Mr. Perfect | Vicky's Mother | Telugu | |
| 2012 | Rajadhani | Kannada | ||
| 2012 | Julai | Kaameshwari Murthy | Telugu | |
| 2012 | Paagal | Kannada | ||
| 2012 | Sundarapandian | Archana's mother | Tamil | |
| 2013 | Sthreeshakthi | Kannada | ||
| 2013 | Iddarammayilatho | Komali's mother | Telugu | |
| 2013 | Aadhalal Kadhal Seiveer | Shweta's mother | Tamil | Nominated—Vijay Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 2013 | Pandiya Naadu | Sivagami Chidambaram | Tamil | |
| 2013 | Khatarnak Umesh Reddy | Kannada | ||
| 2014 | Pannaiyarum Padminiyum | Chellamma | Tamil | Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 2014 | Ambareesha | Kannada | ||
| 2014 | Ninnindale | Kannada | ||
| 2015 | Aambala | Tulasi | Tamil | |
| 2015 | Oru Vadakkan Selfie | Hari's Mother | Malayalam | |
| 2015 | Srimanthudu | Narayana Rao's sister-in-law | Telugu | |
| 2015 | Kaththukkutti | Arivazhagan's mother | Tamil | |
| 2014 | Ramleela | Kannada | ||
| 2014 | RX Soori | Kannada | ||
| 2016 | Ammayitho Abbayi | Telugu | ||
| 2016 | Kalpana 2 | Kannada | ||
| 2016 | Viraat | Kannada | ||
| 2016 | Saagasam | Tamil | ||
| 2016 | Aarathu Sinam | Aravind's mother | Tamil | |
| 2016 | Zero | Priya's neighbour | Tamil | |
| 2016 | Brahmotsavam | Varalakshmi | Telugu | |
| 2016 | Wagah | Vasu's mother | Tamil | |
| 2016 | Hyper | Surya's mother | Telugu | |
| 2016 | Metro | Arivazhagan's Mother | Tamil | |
| 2017 | Nenu Local | Keerthi's Mother | Telugu | |
| 2017 | Rogue | Telugu Kannada |
||
| 2017 | Meda Meeda Abbayi | Srinu's mother | Telugu | |
| 2017 | Nenjil Thunivirundhal | Kumar's mother | Tamil | |
| 2017 | C/O Surya | Surya's mother | Telugu | |
| 2017 | Oye Ninne | Vishnu's mother | Telugu | |
| 2017 | Richie | Radha | Tamil | |
| 2018 | Nimir | Valli's mother | Tamil | |
| 2018 | Mahanati | Madhuravani's mother | Telugu/Tamil | |
| 2018 | Aatagallu | Munna's mother | Telugu | |
| 2018 | Neevevaro | Kalyan's mother | Telugu | |
| 2018 | Happy Wedding | Akshara's mother | Telugu | |
| 2018 | Nannu Dochukunduvate | Meghana's mother | Telugu | |
| 2018 | Sarkar | M. Masilamani's wife | Tamil | |
| 2019 | Dear Comrade | Jaya's mother | Telugu | |
| 2019 | iSmart Shankar | Telugu | ||
| 2020 | Naadodigal 2 | Jeeva's mother | Tamil |
References
- ^ a b c Rao, Subha J. (9 May 2015). "Chellamma chronicles Actress Tulasi" – via www.thehindu.com.
- ^ a b c d "Tulasi rocks in her third innings". The New Indian Express. 13 November 2013
- ^ a b c Y. Sunita Chowdhary (9 July 2012). "My First Break: Tulasi". The Hindu.
- ^ "Actress Tulasi – Prabhas Thinks I'm Hot". cinegoer.net. 10 August 2011
- ^ "Pannaiyarum Padminiyum". Sify.
- ^ "Review: Pannaiyarum Padminiyum is refreshing". Rediff.
- ^ "News18.com: CNN-News18 Breaking News India, Latest News Headlines, Live News Updates". News18.