Meghana Raj

Last updated

Meghana Raj
Meghana Raj.jpg
Raj in 2016
Born
Meghana Sundar Raj

Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Alma mater Christ University
Years active2009–present
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2018;died 2020)​
Children1
Parents
Relatives Dhruv Sarja (brother-in-law)
Arjun Sarja (uncle)
Aishwarya Arjun (sister-in-law)

Meghana Sundar Raj Sarja is an Indian actress who primarily works in Malayalam and Kannada films along with a few Telugu and Tamil films. She made her acting debut in the 2009 Telugu film Bendu Apparao R.M.P . [1] She has won Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actress for her performance in Iruvudellava Bittu , a 2018 Kannada film. [2]

Contents

Early life

Meghana Raj was born as the only daughter to film actors Sundar Raj, a Tamilian, [3] and Pramila Joshai, a Kannadiga. Her father Sundar has acted in more than 180 films, predominantly in Kannada language, [4] while her mother Pramila also a noted Kannada film [ citation needed ] producer.[ citation needed ] She completed her schooling from Baldwin Girls' High School and holds Bachelor's degree in psychology at Christ University, Bangalore. [5]

Acting career

2009–11: Debut, breakthrough and setback

Meghana Raj debuted as a theatre artist, when she was a child, acting alongside her father in the play Jokumaraswamy. During the audio launch function of the Tamil film Poi in February 2006, she was invited by its director K. Balachander to pursue an acting career, starring in one of his forthcoming films. Accepting his offer, she was given the lead female role in the Tamil film Krishnaleelai, a Balachander production, directed by Selvan.[ citation needed ] However, despite continuing shooting throughout 2008, which was completed in early 2009, the film got stuck in production hell, and its release got delayed for various reasons.

Even before the release of that film, she commenced shooting for a Telugu film Bendu Apparao R.M.P , which would eventually be her first feature film release. She played the character of a school teacher in the comedy entertainer, starring Allari Naresh and Kamna Jethmalani as well, which released in October 2009 and went on to become highly successful at the box office. [6] She debuted in the Kannada films by enacting the female lead role in Punda , a remake of the 2007 Tamil film Polladhavan . [5] Meghana's next release was her debut Tamil film, the Boopathy Pandian-directed Kaadhal Solla Vandhen , while she also signed up her first Malayalam project, the horror film Yakshiyum Njanum under Vinayan's direction, which was released in August 2010. [7] Although the film was just an average grosser, its glamorous and sensual songs on Meghana was a hit among the youth and made her an instant favorite among the youth. During that time she also acted in two more projects, Nanda Nanditha , which is a remake of the 2008 Kannada film Nanda Loves Nanditha and the Tamil film Kalla Siripazhaga.

2011–13: Beautiful and commercial success

Meghana starred in the Malayalam film Beautiful which was released in December. The film was a success both commercially and critically, with critics regarding it as one of the best Malayalam movies of 2011. [8] Meghana's portrayal of Anjali, a home nurse in the film won her very good reviews. Since getting noticed with Beautiful, Meghana got a lot of Malayalam films offers [9] and was briefly the most sought out actress in Malayalam. [9]

It was during this time when Meghana started to undergo a total physique revamp by going through a strict diet and exercise regime. [10]

Her 2012 Malayalam film Namukku Parkkan did a decent business at the box office. Subsequent films Mullamottum Munthiricharum , Banking Hours 10 to 4 , Maad Dad , Madirasi and Red Wine failed to perform. However, her next film Memories opposite Prithviraj Sukumaran opened to overwhelmingly positive reviews and was a box office success.

2013–15: Second wind in Sandalwood and continuing success

Meghana Raj returned to Kannada films in late 2013 with the film Raja Huli , followed by Bahuparak ; her performances in both films were well appreciated. [11] Meghana's next Kannada movie Aatagara was released in late August 2015 to both critical and commercial acclaim [ citation needed ]. Her next film was Vamshodharaka.

2016 onwards

Raj at the presentation of the film 'Allama', during the 47th International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2016), in Panaji, Goa on 26 November 2016, along with the cast of the film The Director T.S. Nagabhararana with the cast and crew at the presentation of the film 'Allama', during the 47th International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2016), in Panaji, Goa on November 26, 2016.jpg
Raj at the presentation of the film ‘Allama’, during the 47th International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2016), in Panaji, Goa on 26 November 2016, along with the cast of the film

Post 2016 Meghana Raj starred in Hallelooya, Lakshmana, Bhujanga and Allama. Meghana was recently chosen to portray princess Bhanumati in the Kannada magnum opus Kurukshetra . [12]

Personal life

After a 10-year relationship with fellow Kannada actor Chiranjeevi Sarja, Meghana got engaged to him on 22 October 2017. [13] They got married on 2 May 2018. [14] Sarja died on 7 June 2020 from cardiac arrest when Meghana was expecting their first child. [15] [16] Their son, Raayan Raj Sarja, was born on 22 October 2020. [17] [18] [19]

Filmography

YearFilmRoleLanguageNotes
2009 Bendu Apparao R.M.P GayatriTelugu
2010 Punda MeghaKannadaSuvarna Film Award for Best Debut Actress in Kannada
Kaadhal Solla Vandhen Sandhya PanchacharamTamil
Yakshiyum Njanum AathiraMalayalam
2011 August 15 Lakshmi
Raghuvinte Swantham Rasiya Rasiya
Uyarthiru 420 IyalTamil
Pachuvum Kovalanum SukanyaMalayalam
Beautiful Anjali/AnnieThe Kochi Times Film Award for Promising Newcomer [20]
Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Malayalam
Ponnu Kondoru Aalroopam
2012 Nanda Nanditha NandhithaTamil
Telugu
Achante Aanmakkal MeeraMalayalam
Namukku Parkkan Renuka
Mullamottum Munthiricharum Suchitra
Banking Hours 10 to 4 Revathy
Lucky JanakiTelugu
Poppins Malayalam
Madirasi Maya
2013 Maad Dad Annamma [21]
Red Wine Ann Mary
Up & Down: Mukalil Oralundu Deepa
Memories Teena
Good Bad & Ugly Kavya
Raja Huli KaveriKannada
2014 Bahuparak Sneha / Preethi
100 Degree Celsius RevathyMalayalamAlso playback singer for song "Pacha Manja"
The Dolphins Mridula
2015 Aatagara SakshiKannada
Vamshodharaka
2016 Hallelooya Dr. Meera MenonMalayalam
Lakshmana AnjaliKannada[ citation needed ]
Bhujanga Rachana
2017 Allama Maya
Noorondu Nenapu Shruthi Aras
Jindaa
2018 MMCH Megha
Iruvudellava Bittu Poorvi Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actress [2]
Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Kannada
Nominated – Filmibeat Award for Best Actress – Kannada
2019 Onti Paaru
Kurukshetra Bhanumati
2022 Selfie Mummy Googl Daddy Shalini
2023 Tatsama Tadbhava Arika [22]
Buddhivanta 2†Samantha D’SouzaCompleted [23]

As singer

YearSongFilmLanguageNotes
2014Simple Preeti Bahuparak KannadaSung with Srinagar Kitty
2014Pacha Manja 100 Degree Celsius Malayalam
2019What a Beautifullu Hudugi Sinnga KannadaSung with Naveen Sajju
2020Allondhu Neeli Bhanu Shivarjuna Sung with Sanjith Hegde

Television

YearShowRoleChannelNotes
2022 Dancing Champion Judge Colors Kannada [24]

Awards and nominations

Public image

Meghana's official Facebook page has received more than 2.5 million likes. [25] [ non-primary source needed ] She was ranked No.19 in Kochi Times' 'Most desirable Woman 2015' poll [26] was ranked No.10 in Bangalore Times' 'Most desirable Women 2015'. [27]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soundarya</span> Indian actress, producer

Sowmya Sathyanarayana, better known by her stage name Soundarya, was an Indian actress known for her works primarily in Telugu cinema. She was regarded as one of the greatest actresses in the history of Telugu cinema. She also acted in a few Kannada, Tamil, Hindi and Malayalam films. She has received three Nandi Awards, two Karnataka State Film Awards and six Filmfare Awards South. In 2002, she received the National Film Award for Best Feature Film as a producer for the Kannada film Dweepa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mamta Mohandas</span> Indian actress (born 1984)

Mamta Mohandas is an Indian actress, producer and playback singer who primarily works in Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu films. Mamta is a recipient of several awards including a Kerala State Film Award and two Filmfare Awards South.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Priyamani</span> Indian actress (born 1984)

Priya Mani Raj, known professionally as Priyamani, is an Indian actress and television personality who predominantly works in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi and Kannada films. She is the recipient of several awards, including a National Film Award, three Filmfare Awards South and a Tamil Nadu State Film Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhama Kurup</span> Indian actress

Rekhitha R. Kurup, better known by her stage name Bhamaa, is an Indian former actress who predominantly appeared in Malayalam and Kannada-language films. She made her cinematic debut in 2007 with the Malayalam film Nivedyam, directed by A. K. Lohithadas and had acted in over 41 films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikita Thukral</span> Indian actress and model

Nikita Thukral is an Indian actress and model, who mainly appears in Kannada film industry and also appeared in a few Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharmiela Mandre</span> Indian actress (born 1989)

Sharmiela Mandre is an Indian actress and producer who primarily works in Kannada films. She made her acting debut with Sajni (2007) and then received success with Krishna, the same year. Mandre turned producer with the Tamil film Evanukku Engeyo Matcham Irukku (2018).

<i>Bendu Apparao R.M.P</i> 2009 Indian film

Bendu Apparao R.M.P is a 2009 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy film written and directed by E V V Satyanarayana, and produced by D. Ramanaidu. The film Allari Naresh, Kamna Jethmalani and Meghana Raj in lead roles. It has music composed by Koti.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chiranjeevi Sarja</span> Indian actor

Chiranjeevi Sarja was an Indian film actor who appeared in Kannada films. Hailing from a family of actors, Sarja acted in more than 20 films in a career spanning 11 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nazriya Nazim</span> Indian actress and producer (born 1994)

Nazriya Nazim Fahadh is an Indian actress, producer and singer who primarily works in Malayalam and Tamil films. Known for her strong women portrayals, Nazriya is a recipient of several accolades including two Kerala State Film Awards, one Tamil Nadu State Film Award and one Filmfare Award South.

<i>Un Samayal Arayil</i> 2014 film directed by Prakash Raj

Un Samayal Arayil in Tamil, Oggarane in Kannada (transl. Tempering) and Ulavacharu Biryani in Telugu, is a 2014 Indian romantic comedy film directed by Prakash Raj. A remake of Aashiq Abu's 2011 Malayalam film Salt N' Pepper, the film is simultaneously shot in three languages. It stars Prakash Raj alongside Sneha, Urvashi, Tejus and Samyukta Hornad. The film features the original score and soundtrack by Ilaiyaraja. The regular shoot commenced from 26 September at Mysore.

<i>Whistle</i> (2013 film) 2013 Indian film

Whistle is a 2013 Indian Kannada-language horror thriller film starring Chiranjeevi Sarja alongside Pranitha Subhash, and directed by Prashant Raj. The story revolves around an engaged couple, who are chasing their dreams, the first of its kind in the Kannada Film Industry. It is a remake of the 2012 Tamil film Pizza. Notable directors Guruprasad and Chi. Gurudutt appear as supporting roles in the film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sruthi Hariharan</span> Indian actress

Sruthi Hariharan is an Indian actress and producer who primarily appears in Kannada language films also worked in few Tamil and Malayalam films. Sruthi is a recipient of a National Film Award, three Filmfare Awards South and one Karnataka State Film Awards.

<i>Bharjari</i> 2017 Kannada film directed by Chethan Kumar

Bharjari is a 2017 Indian Kannada-language masala film directed by Chethan Kumar and produced by R. S. Productions. The film stars Dhruva Sarja, Rachita Ram and Haripriya, alongside Tara, Suchendra Prasad, Srinivasa Murthy, Avinash, Raghav Uday, Anil Kumar and Raj Deepak Shetty. The music was composed by V. Harikrishna, while the cinematography and editing were composed by Shreesha Kuduvalli and Deepu. S. Kumar.

<i>Aatagara</i> 2015 Indian Kannada mystery thriller film

Aatagara (transl. Player) is a 2015 Indian Kannada-language mystery thriller film directed by K. M. Chaitanya and produced by Dwarakish and Yogish Dwarakish under Dwarakish Chitra. The film, which is based on Agatha Christie's novel And Then There Were None, features an ensemble cast of Chiranjeevi Sarja, Meghana Raj, Parul Yadav, Anu Prabhakar, Achyuth Kumar, Prakash Belawadi, Balaji Manohar, Pavana Gowda, Sadhu Kokila and Aarohitha Gowda, while Ananth Nag, P. Ravi Shankar, Dwarakish, Rohit Padaki and RJ Nethra appear in key supporting roles. The music was composed by Anoop Seelin, while the cinematography and editing were handled by Satya Hegde and P. Haridoss.

<i>Aake</i> (film) 2017 Kannada language neo noir horror film

Aake is a 2017 Indian Kannada language neo noir horror film directed by K. M. Chaitanya. It features Sharmiela Mandre and Chiranjeevi Sarja in the lead. Achyuth Kumar and Prakash Belawadi play the supporting roles.Screenplay was written by Sunanda and Carl Austin.The movie is an official remake of the 2015 Tamil movie Maya.

<i>Samhaara</i> 2018 Indian film

Samhaara (transl. Vanquishing) is a 2018 Indian Kannada-language romantic action thriller film directed by Guru Deshpande. It stars Chiranjeevi Sarja, Hariprriya, Kavya Shetty, Bala Rajwadi and Chikkanna. The score and soundtrack for the film is by Ravi Basrur and the cinematography is by Jagadish Wali. The film is a remake of Tamil film Adhe Kangal (2017) directed by Rohin Venkatesan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sundar Raj</span> Indian actor

Sundar Raj is an Indian actor who predominately works in the Kannada film industry apart from a few Tamil films. Some of his notable films include Tabbaliyu Neenade Magane, Ondanondu Kaladalli, Chandanada Gombe, Kurigalu Saar Kurigalu (2001), Mathadana (2001), Aakasmika (1993).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pramila Joshai</span> Indian actress in the Kannada film industry

Pramila Joshai is an Indian actress in the Kannada film industry. Some of the films of Pramila Joshai as an actor include Saheba (2017), Thayi (2008), Apthamitra (2004). She was credited as Parimalam in her second Tamil film Vaidehi Kathirunthal (1984) which became a blockbuster hit and has attained cult status over the years.

Iruvudellava Bittu is a 2018 Indian Kannada-language Drama movie directed by Kantha Kannalli, who did his debut in the Kannada Film industry as an independent director in 2017 through Jalsa, and produced by Devraj Davanagere, featuring Meghana Raj, Tilak Shekar, Achyuth Kumar, Shri Mahadev, and Sundeep Malani. The soundtrack and score are composed by Sridhar V. Sambhram, known for super hit music albums Mussanjemaatu and Krishnan Love Story. William David, famous for his great work in Rangitharanga and Rajaratha, has worked as a DOP, and Raajakumara fame K. M. Prakash edited the movie. Meghana Raj won the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actress for her performance as "Poorvi" for this Kannada movie in 2018.

Guru Deshpande is an Indian film director, producer and distributor, known for his work in Kannada film industry. He is well known for Raja Huli starring Yash and Meghana Raj. In 2019, Guru Deshpande turned produced launching his banner G Cinemas and started a Film Institute under the name G Academy in Bengaluru.

References

  1. ↑ "Prescription for laughter" Archived 9 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine . The Hindu . 3 July 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 "Karnataka State Film Awards 2018: Raghavendra Rajkumar and Meghana Raj bag top honours; check out all winners". Bangalore Mirror. Archived from the original on 25 January 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  3. ↑ Web's Most Searched Questions | Google Q&A | Meghana Raj. 27 January 2023. Event occurs at 1:28. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  4. ↑ "Nature Indoors". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  5. 1 2 "Meghana Raj arrives – Kannada Movie News". IndiaGlitz. 11 June 2009. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  6. ↑ "Bendu Appa Rao RMP is a hit – Teluguc inema trade report". Idlebrain.com. 21 October 2009. Archived from the original on 18 July 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  7. ↑ "Vinayan's Yakshiyum Njanum - An eerie love story". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  8. ↑ "'Beautiful' is a milestone in Malayalam cinema". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 7 January 2012. Retrieved 5 December 2011.
  9. 1 2 Sreekumar, Priya (21 December 2011). "Beautiful time of Meghana Raj's life". Deccan Chronicle . Archived from the original on 9 January 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  10. ↑ "I am obsessed with workouts". The Times of India. TOI. Archived from the original on 18 December 2018.
  11. ↑ Meghana Raj gets into the skin of a dancer for a period film Archived 5 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine . Sify.com. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  12. ↑ Meghana Raj roped in for Kurukshetra Archived 28 November 2017 at the Wayback Machine . www.newindianexpress.com (25 November 2017). Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  13. ↑ "Chiranjeevi and Meghana Raj got engaged". Deccan Herald. 22 October 2017. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  14. ↑ "Kannada Actors Meghana Raj And Chiranjeevi Sarja Get Married". NDTV. 3 May 2018. Archived from the original on 7 June 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  15. ↑ Bharadwaj, Aditya (7 June 2020). "Kannada actor Chiranjeevi Sarja passes away at 39". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 8 June 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  16. ↑ "Chiranjeevi Sarja and Meghana Raj were eagerly awaiting an addition to their family when tragedy struck". OnManorama. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  17. ↑ "Happy Memories: Chiranjeevi Sarja's Love Story With Wife Meghna Raj In Pictures". thehansindia. Archived from the original on 8 June 2020. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  18. ↑ "Chirranjeevi Sarja's wife Meghana Raj blessed with baby boy". The Indian Express. 22 October 2020.
  19. ↑ "Meghana Raj and son test positive for coronavirus". The Indian Express. 9 December 2020.
  20. 1 2 "The Kochi Times Film Awards 2011". 23 June 2012. Archived from the original on 23 June 2012. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
  21. ↑ Sudhish, Navamy (31 July 2012). "Director Revathy S Varma, on 'Mad Dad'". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  22. ↑ "Tatsama Tadbhava: Meghana Raj Sarja to return to big screens; Collaborates with Pannaga Bharana for her next". PINKVILLA. 19 February 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  23. ↑ "Exclusive! Meghana Raj to play detective Samantha D'Souza in 'Buddhivantha 2'". The Times of India. 3 October 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  24. ↑ "Meghana Raj is now a permanent judge of Dancing Champion show". The Times of India. 21 January 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  25. ↑ "Meghana Raj Official Facebook". Archived from the original on 16 December 2019 – via Facebook.
  26. ↑ Prakash, Asha (27 April 2016). "Kochi Times most desirable woman 2015". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 30 April 2016.
  27. ↑ "Bangalore Times Most Desirable Women 2015". The Times of India . Archived from the original on 20 July 2018.

[1] [2] [3] [4]

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.