Kasthuri Shankar
Occupations
  • Actress
  • model
Years active1991-2001
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

She was born 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.[2]

Career

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.[3] 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.[4]

Other work

Television

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.[5]

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.[6]

After that, she made her comeback to Telugu audience in Intinti Gruhalakshmi serial which airs on Star Maa now.[7]

Columns

In the late 1990s, Kasthuri wrote a weekly column titled "Keep It Simple Stupid" in the Kumudham magazine.[8]

Topless photoshoot

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.[9][10][11]

Comments and social issues

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.[12] In early 2017, she questioned Rajinikanth's ability as a potential politician, and her opinion garnered criticism from the actor's fans.[13][14] In late 2018, she criticised Rajinikanth's ignorance over the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case and engaged in a further exchange with Rajinikanth's supporters.[15] 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.[2][16][17] 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.[18] 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,[19] 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.[20]

Her hashtag #TheVidiyalArasu denoting DMK government in tamilnadu led by MK Stalin went viral in the social media[21]

Filmography

YearFilmRoleLanguageNotes
1991Aatha Un KoyilileKasthuriTamil
ChakravarthyPraseethaMalayalam
Rasathi Varum NaalRadhaTamil
1992Government MappillaiMallaria
ChinnavarMeena
Urimai OonjaladugiradhuUma
Senthamizh PattuShanmathi
AbhiramiDhanam
Gang WarKaveriTelugu
1993Rakkayi KoyilVellaiyammaTamil
Pudhiya MugamRaja's first wife
Pass MarkShanthi
AathmaUma
Udan PirappuSumathi
Nippu RavvaBharathiTelugu
Enga MuthalaliKalyaniTamil
1994Amaidhi PadaiThayamma
Watchman VadivelRadha
Raja PandiPonnuthaayi
Thendral Varum TheruNalini
JaanaKasturiKannada
1995Sindhu BathShobanaTamil
Chinna ManiChinna Mani
KolangalUma
Aakaya PookalKamakshi
God FatherArunaTelugu
AgrajanSreedeviMalayalam
RadholsavamChempakam
Aniyan Bava Chetan BavaAmmu
1996Ibbara Naduve Muddina AataKannada
IndianKasthuriTamil
KrishnaLizy
Soggadi PellamJyothiTelugu
MerupuPrema
Rendu Kutumbala KathaHema
1997ChilakkottuduKasturi
Ratha YatraGanga
AnnamayyaAkkalamma
Maa Ayana Bangaram
1998Mangalya PallakkuSeethalakshmiMalayalam
Thutta MuttaDr. SeemaKannada
One Man ArmyKasthoori
SnehamRadhikaMalayalam
Kaadhal KavidhaiSwapnaTamil
1999HabbaAnuKannada
SuyamvaramUmaTamil
PanchapaandavarNandiniMalayalam
2001Engalukkum Kaalam VarumPoojaTamil
DosthSpecial appearance in the song "Hey Sal Sal"
Akasa VeedhiloPadmaTelugu
Premakke SaiVedhaKannada
2002AdheenaPrincess AdheenaMalayalam
2009Malai MalaiLakshmiTamil
2010Thamizh PadamSpecial appearance in the song "Kuthuvilakku"
Gudu Gudu GunjamMalleeshwariTelugu
Don SeenuLakshmi
2011PathinaaruIlavarasiTamilGuest appearance
Thoonga NagaramSpecial appearance
2012NaangaChithra
2013Azhagan AzhagiSpecial appearance in the song "Ethuvarai Vaanam"
Naan Rajavaga PogirenBharathi
2014VadacurrySatish's sister in law
Naan Ponnu Ondru KandenSpecial appearance in the song "Othaya Retaya"
2017Anbanavan Asaradhavan AdangadhavanRuby
SamanthakamaniKrishna's motherTelugu
2018Traffic RamasamyWitness in courtTamilGuest appearance
Thamizh Padam 2Special appearance in the song "Vaa Vaa Kaama"
2020Velvet NagaramGauri
2021EPCO 302S. Durga IPS
2022GodfatherBrahma's motherTelugu
2023TamilarasanTamil
Rayar ParambaraiTamil
StrikerTamil
Television
YearTitleRoleLanguageChannelNotes
EshtadanamMalayalamDD MalayalamSerial
1995Kaiyalavu ManasuVaniTamilSun TVSerial
2000Mastermind IndiaContestantTamilBBC
2010Sun Kudumbam Awards 2010HostSun TV
2010Star SingerSpecial judgeMalayalamAsianetReality show
2013-14Vina Vidai VettaiHostTamilPuthuyugam TV
2014Vina Vidai Vettai JuniorsHostPuthuyugam TV
2014Wow 2ParticipantTeluguE TV
2019Bigg Boss Tamil 3ContestantTamilStar VijayEvicted
Day 63
2020 – presentIntinti GruhalakshmiTulasiTeluguStar MaaSerial
2020CashParticipantTeluguETVReality Show
2020Agni NatchathiramRudraTamilSun TVSerial
2021ParamparaIndiraTeluguDisney+ HotstarWeb series
2021Sixth SenseParticipantTeluguStar MaaGame show
2022AruviHerselfTamilSun TVSerial
2022Sreedevi Dance CompanyHerselfTeluguETV

References

  1. "Actor Kasthuri Shankar Opens up About Losing Parents, Seeing Daughter Battle Cancer". 29 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 Sundar, Mrinalini. "Casting couch in filmdom isn't a myth, it does exist". The Times of India.
  3. "Career as an actress". The Times of India.
  4. "I am too old for Vijay, too young for Rajinikanth: Kasthuri".
  5. "In the limelight again". journeyline.in.
  6. "Bigg Boss Tamil 3 contestant Kasthuri makes shocking revelations over her payment dues". 30 September 2020.
  7. Pasupuleti, AuthorPriyanka. "Kasthuri Shankar testing her luck on small screen". Telangana Today. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  8. "Minnoviyam". Archived from the original on 20 April 1999.
  9. "Actor Kasthuri's photo shoot for motherhood wins hearts, she says amazed at response". The News Minute. 30 October 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  10. "Actress Kasthuri Poses Semi-nude for Photo-book 'Bodies of Mothers'". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  11. 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.
  12. "The Word View: Ek Gaon Mein Ek Kisan Raghuthatha!". The Times of India.
  13. Subramanian, Anupama (23 May 2017). "I am a true fan of Rajini sir: Kasturi". Deccan Chronicle.
  14. "Kasthuri Says She's A "True Fan" Of Rajinikanth". 23 May 2017.
  15. "Rajinikanth, actress Kasthuri engage in war of words over Rajiv Gandhi assassination case". Asianet News Network Pvt Ltd.
  16. "Kasthuri: "People Think Women Can't Climb Up The Ladder Without The Favours of a Man!"". 12 March 2017.
  17. "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.
  18. Rajkumar (17 April 2019). "பொது மேடையில் பாரதி ராஜாவின் நிறம் குறித்து கேலி செய்த கஸ்தூரி.! இதே வேல தானா.!". Tamil Behind Talkies. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  19. "Video | "I Am a Proud Shudra": Actor Kasturi Shankar Amid Language Row".
  20. "'Avvai Shanmughi' Kamal's kutty daughter is now grown up - Red hot pics - Tamil News". IndiaGlitz.com. 19 January 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  21. "twitter.com". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 24 September 2023.
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