Malashri
Malashri | |
|---|---|
| Born | Sri Durga 10 August 1973 Madras, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Other names | Malashree |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Spouse | Ramu |
| Children | 2 |
Sri Durga (born 10 August 1973), known by the screen name Malashri, is an Indian film actress. She has worked predominantly in Kannada films in addition to Telugu and Tamil films. A leading actress of Kannada cinema in the late 1980s and 1990s, Malashri garnered praise for her portrayal of a homely Indian girl and character roles. She was popularly called Kanasina Rani ("Dream Girl") in the media.[1]
Malashri began her career as a child artiste and has appeared in 34 films of Tamil and Telugu. She made her debut in a lead role with the Kannada film Nanjundi Kalyana (1989). Her portrayal of a haughty, shrewish woman in the movie won her many accolades heralding her as one of the top actresses in Kannada Cinema. She went to establish herself as a leading actress in Kannada cinema with the films Gajapathi Garvabhanga (1989), Policena Hendthi (1990), Kitturina Huli (1990), Rani Maharani (1990), Hrudaya Haadithu (1991), for which she won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress, Ramachaari (1991), Belli Kalungura (1992), Solillada Saradara (1993) and Gadibidi Aliya (1995). In the 2000s, Malashri began to work exclusively in action films like Chamundi (2000), Kannadada Kiran Bedi (2009), Shakti (2012), Veera (2013) and Ganga (2015) for which she won her first Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actress.[2]
Career
Child artiste
Malashri began her career in films as a child actor after being roped in by the directors of her mother's films. She appeared in 34 films as a child actor, out of which she played the role of a boy in 26 of them.[3] In a talk show, Majaa Talkies, she said that as a child, she was a fan of actor Amitabh Bachchan and would dress up like him, appearing as boy, which prompted directors to cast her in their films. Among them include the 1979 films, Imayam and Neela Malargal.[4]
Lead roles
Writer and lyricist Chi. Udaya Shankar first introduced Malashri to Rajkumar family who were on the look out for a fresh face. In a lead role, she was introduced first by the Parvathamma Rajkumar, and cast her opposite her son Raghavendra Rajkumar for the film Nanjundi Kalyana (1989), who also rechristened her name as Malashri. She went on to act in two other films from Vajreshwari Combines, namely, Gajapathi Garvabhanga opposite Raghavendra again, and Mruthyunjaya with Shiv Rajkumar.
She took on the famous double role in Rani Maharani (immortalized earlier by Vanisri in Ganga Manga/Rani Vani and Sridevi in Chaalbaaz). With this film, she silenced her critics once and for all with a powerhouse performance. But it was not until her next film Hrudaya Haadithu that she openly won all praises from the masses, elite and critics alike. Her portrayal of a young girl inflicted with heart problem and her simple desires in life won her the Filmfare Best actress award in the year 1991. As she churned out hit after hit. Even director V. Ravichandran, who till then believed only in importing heroines from the film industries of other states, cashed in hugely on her popularity by casting her in Ramachaari (a remake of Tamil Hit Chinna Thambi). This enabled him to come out of the financial crisis he was facing due to the debacle of Shanti Kranti during that time.
However, in the mid-90s, Malashri had a string of less successful films like Prema Khaidi, Snehada Kadalalli, Megha Mandara, Harishina Kumkuma, and Solillada Saradara. She had a few comeback hits in the new millennium with "angry woman" roles in Chamundi, Durgi and Kannada Kiran Bedi.
Personal life
Malashri was born and brought up in Madras (now Chennai) into a Tamil speaking family.[5] She shot to fame with Nanjundi Kalyana in 1989 but her personal life hit an all-time low the same year when her mother died in a road accident. She had an affair with actor Sunil, her co-star in many films.[6] But in 1994 she met with a car accident when her car got hit by a truck. While Malashree suffered multiple injuries, Sunil died within an hour. It was rumoured that they even had plans of getting married.[7] She is currently married to film producer Ramu and they have a daughter together, Ananya (b. 2001).[8] Her sister Subhashri was also an actress, who appeared in South Indian films.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Imayam | Tamil | Credited as Baby Durga | |
| Neela Malargal | Tamil | |||
| 1989 | Nanjundi Kalyana | Devi | Kannada | |
| Gajapathi Garvabhanga | Sowmya | Kannada | ||
| Chinnari Sneham | Telugu | |||
| Chinna Chinna Aasaigal | Tamil | Credited as Rasika | ||
| 1990 | Prema Khaidi | Neelima | Telugu | |
| Policena Hendthi | Vanaja | Kannada | ||
| Mruthyunjaya | Shailaja | Kannada | ||
| Raja Kempu Roja | Geetha | Kannada | ||
| Rani Maharani | Suma / Rani | Kannada | Dual roles | |
| Prathap | Rani | Kannada | ||
| 1991 | Hrudaya Haadithu | Asha | Kannada | Filmfare Award for Best Actress |
| Kitturina Huli | Bharathi | Kannada | ||
| Thavarumane Udugore | Lakshmi | Kannada | ||
| Readymade Ganda | Kannada | |||
| S. P. Bhargavi | Bhargavi | Kannada | ||
| Ramachaari | Nandini | Kannada | ||
| Gandu Sidigundu | Kannada | |||
| Rowdy & MLA | Kannada | |||
| Halli Rambhe Belli Bombe | Kannada | |||
| Gruha Pravesha | Kannada | |||
| Kollur Kala | Kannada | |||
| Mangalya | Kannada | |||
| 1992 | Belli Kalungura | Bhadra | Kannada | |
| Hatamari Hennu Kiladi Gandu | Kannada | |||
| Shivanaga | Kannada | |||
| Belli Modagalu | Seetha | Kannada | ||
| Sindhoora Thilaka | Kannada | |||
| Vajrayudha | Kannada | |||
| Malashree Mamashree | Malashri | Kannada | ||
| Solillada Saradara | Kannada | |||
| Nagaradalli Nayakaru | Kannada | |||
| Kanasina Rani | Kannada | |||
| Sahasi | Kannada | |||
| Prema Sangama | Kannada | |||
| Megha Mandara | Megha | Kannada | ||
| Gruha Lakshmi | Kannada | |||
| Halli Krishna Delhi Radha | Radha | Kannada | ||
| Snehada Kadalalli | Kannada | |||
| Mana Mecchida Sose | Kannada | |||
| Marana Mrudanga | Kannada | |||
| Belliyappa Bangarappa | Herself | Kannada | Guest appearance | |
| Kaliyuga Seethe | Kannada | |||
| 1993 | Hendthi Helidare Kelabeku | Mala | Kannada | |
| Mangalya Bandhana | Kannada | |||
| Kalyana Rekhe | Kannada | |||
| Navibbaru Namagibbaru | Kannada | |||
| Paruvu Prathistha | Prema | Telugu | ||
| Akka Chellelu | Telugu | |||
| Urmila | Urmila | Telugu | ||
| Lovers | Telugu | |||
| Bava Bavamaridi | Geeta | Telugu | ||
| 1994 | Police Alludu | Telugu | ||
| Allari Police | Kasturi | Telugu | ||
| Bhale Maavayya | Vyjayanti | Telugu | ||
| Bangaru Mogudu | Rani | Telugu | ||
| Thodi Kodallu | Vyjayanthi | Telugu | ||
| 1995 | Mutthinantha Hendthi | Kannada | ||
| Gadibidi Aliya | Kannada | |||
| Giddu Dada | Kannada | |||
| Lady Police | Kannada | |||
| Putmalli | Putmalli | Kannada | ||
| Hello Sister | Kannada | |||
| Gharana Alludu | Telugu | |||
| 1996 | Sahasa Veerudu Sagara Kanya | Ganga | Telugu | |
| Circle Inspector | Kannada | |||
| Arishina Kunkuma | Kannada | |||
| Nirnaya | Kannada | Special appearance | ||
| 1997 | Surya Putrulu | Telugu | ||
| Ganga Yamuna | Ganga | Kannada | ||
| C.B.I. Durga | Durga | Kannada | ||
| Lady Commissioner | Kannada | |||
| Akka | Kannada | |||
| Zindabad | Kannada | |||
| 1998 | Lady Tiger | Kannada | ||
| Agni Sakshi | Kannada | |||
| Goonda Matthu Police | Kannada | |||
| Tiger Padmini | Padmini | Kannada | ||
| 2000 | Chamundi | Kannada | ||
| 2001 | Bhavani IPS | Bhavani | Kannada | |
| 2004 | Durgi | Durga | Kannada | |
| 2007 | Bhasmasuran | Malayalam | ||
| 2009 | Kannadada Kiran Bedi | Kiran Bedi / Bellary Bhagyalakshmi | Kannada | |
| 2012 | Shakti | Shakthi | Kannada | |
| 2013 | Veera | Kannada | ||
| 2013 | Election | Indira | Kannada | |
| 2014 | Gharshane | Nethra | Kannada | |
| 2015 | Mahakali | Devi | Kannada | |
| 2015 | Ganga | Ganga | Kannada | Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actress |
| TBA | Boys | Kannada | Filming | |
| TBA | Uppu Huli Kaara | Kannada | Filming | |
| TBA | John Jani Janardhan | Kannada | Filming | |
| TBA | Malashree | Malashri | Kannada | Announced[9] |
Awards
- Other awards
- 2011: NTR Award[10]
References
- ^ "The name is star, super star". The Times of India. 11 November 2008.
- ^ Karnataka State Film Awards, 2015: Full List
- ^ "I played a boy in 26 films: Malashri". The Times of India. 29 March 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
- ^ Malashri (17 August 2015). Majaa Takies - 17th October 2015 - ಮಜಾ ಟಾಕೀಸ್ - Full Episode (in Kannada). Colors Kannada. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
- ^ "Combat queen". The Hindu. 17 April 2009. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Malashree's comeback effort". Rediff. 5 May 2000. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Kannada Actress Malashree Profile". karnatakaspider. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "IT'S MOTHER MALASHREE". chitraloka.com. Archived from the original on 3 March 2001. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
- ^ "Action queen returns with a new role". The Indian Express. 28 September 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Land for Telugu institute: Somanna". The New Indian Express. 5 June 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2015.