Tulasi (actress)

Last updated

Tulasi
Born
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
OccupationActress
Years active1967-present

Tulasi (or Tulasi Shivamani) is an Indian actress who primarily works in Telugu, Kannada, and Tamil cinema. Later she appeared in lead actress and supporting actress roles. [1] She has acted in over 300 films in Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, and Bhojpuri languages. [2] She won two Nandi Awards and one Filmfare Award.

Contents

Career

Tulasi made her debut in the Telugu language when she was three months old in 1967. For a song in a 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 featured in a song when she was 3+12 years old in Jeevanatarangalu and said that she became a full-fledged actor when she was four. [3]

She got married at age 28 to Kannada director Sivamani. [2] She stated, "I met him in the morning and by evening we tied the knot". [4] They have one son, Sai Tarun. 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 began to act mainly in mother roles in Telugu and Tamil film industries. Her notable supporting roles include performances in Sasirekha Parinayam , Mr. Perfect , Darling , Srimanthudu, Iddarammayilatho , Nenu Local , 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

YearFilmRoleLanguageNotes
1967 Bharya Telugu
1973 Arangetram Tamil
1977 Chillarakottu Chittamma Telugu
1978 Seetamalakshmi Telugu
1979 Sankarabharanam SankaramTelugu
Kothala Raayudu [8] Paapa, Satyam's nieceTelugu
1981 Nyayam Kavali PadmaTelugu
Mudda Mandaram Telugu
Rama Dhandu Telugu
1982Iddaru KodukuluPadmaTelugu
Bhakthadruva Markhandeya Telugu
Jagannatha Rathachakralu [9] LakshmiTelugu
Sakalakala Vallavan Tamil
Trisulam Telugu
Nalugu Stambhalata Telugu
Subhalekha LakshmiTelugu
1983 Maga Maharaju Telugu
Ee Pillaku Pellavuthundha Telugu
Konte Kodallu BhagyalakshmiTelugu
Nelavanka LalitaTelugu
Mantri Gari Viyyankudu SuseelaTelugu
1984 Anubandham Telugu
Kotha Dampathulu Telugu
Nallavanuku Nallavan Tamil
Disco King Telugu
Nagabekamma Nagabeku Kannada
Indina Ramayana Kannada
1985 Preminchu Pelladu Telugu
Rechukka RojaTelugu
Sri Katna Leelalu [10] JyothiTelugu
Muchataga Mugguru Telugu
Mugguru MitruluTelugu
SrivaruRajaniTelugu
1986 Driver Babu RadhaTelugu
Henne Ninagenu Bandhana Kannada
Bhayam BhayamTelugu
Naa Pilupe Prabhanjanam GayathriTelugu
Aadi Dampatulu Telugu
Piranthaen Valarnthaen Tamil
Poojaku Panikiraani Puvvu Telugu
1987 Aranyakanda NeelaTelugu
Dhoorathu Pachai TulasiTamil
Thambathyam ArunaTamil
Raaga Leela Telugu
1988 Kanchana Seetha Telugu
Brahma Vishnu Maheshwara Kannada
Jeevana GangaTelugu
1989Zoo Laka TakaTelugu
1990 Alajadi Telugu
Appu Malayalam
1991 Amma Rajinama Telugu
1992 Killer Telugu
Chitram Bhalare Vichitram MeeraTelugu
1993 Kannayya Kittayya Telugu
Vintha KodalluTelugu
1994 Mahanadhi ManjuTamil
1994Raithu BharatamTelugu
2003 Excuse Me Kannada
2005 Yashwanth Kannada
Jootata Nandini Devi MallangowdaKannada
Gunna Kannada
2006 Chellata Kannada
Sevanthi Sevanthi Kannada
Honeymoon Express Kannada
Sirivanta Kannada
Jothe Jotheyali Kannada
2007 Poojari Kannada
Ee Preethi Onthara Kannada
Savi Savi Nenapu Kannada
2008 Moggina Manasu Deeksha's motherKannada
Sangama Kannada
Neenyare Kannada
2009 Sasirekha Parinayam Telugu
Rajkumari Kannada
Naa Girlfriend Baga Rich Sravya's motherTelugu
Josh SharadammaKannada Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Kannada
Minchu Kannada
Raaj the Showman Kannada
Rajani Kannada
2010 Ullasa Utsaha KamalaKannada
Punda Kannada
Nanjangud Nanjunda Kannada
Sihi Gaali Kannada
Easan Chezian's MotherTamil
Darling RajeshwariTelugu
2011 Pillaiyar Theru Kadaisi Veedu Tamil
Mankatha Tamil
Mr. Perfect Vicky's MotherTelugu
2012 Rajadhani Kannada
Julai Kaameshwari MurthyTelugu
PaagalKannada
Sundarapandian Archana's motherTamil
2013 Sthreeshakthi Kannada
Iddarammayilatho Komali's motherTelugu
Aadhalal Kadhal Seiveer Shweta's motherTamilNominated—Vijay Award for Best Supporting Actress
Pandiya Naadu Sivagami ChidambaramTamil
Khatarnak Umesh Reddy Kannada
2014 Pannaiyarum Padminiyum ChellammaTamil Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Supporting Actress
Ambareesha Kannada
Ninnindale Kannada
2015 Aambala TulasiTamil
Oru Vadakkan Selfie Hari's MotherMalayalam
Srimanthudu Narayana Rao's sister-in-lawTelugu
Kaththukkutti Arivazhagan's motherTamil
Ramleela Kannada
RX Soori Kannada
2016 Ammayitho Abbayi Telugu
Kalpana 2 Kannada
Viraat Kannada
Saagasam Tamil
Aarathu Sinam Aravind's motherTamil
Zero Priya's neighbourTamil
Brahmotsavam VaralakshmiTelugu
Wagah Vasu's motherTamil
Hyper Surya's motherTelugu
Metro Arivazhagan's MotherTamil
2017 Nenu Local SiriTelugu
Rogue Telugu
Kannada
Nakshatram Rama Rao's motherTelugu
Meda Meeda Abbayi Srinu's motherTelugu
Nenjil Thunivirundhal Kumar's motherTamil
C/O SuryaSurya's motherTelugu
Oye Ninne Vishnu's motherTelugu
Richie RadhaTamil
2018 Nimir Valli's motherTamil
Mahanati Madhuravani's motherTelugu
Aatagallu Munna's motherTelugu
Neevevaro Kalyan's motherTelugu
Happy Wedding Akshara's motherTelugu
Nannu Dochukunduvate Meghana's motherTelugu
Sarkar M. Masilamani's wifeTamil
2019 Dear Comrade Jaya's motherTelugu
iSmart Shankar Telugu
RDX Love VillagerTelugu
Queen RanganayakiTamilWeb series
2020 Naadodigal 2 Jeeva's motherTamil
2021 Sashi Raj's motherTelugu
Mosagallu PadmaTelugu
SR Kalyanamandapam SanthiTelugu
Navarasa Kamal's motherTamilWeb series
Ellam Sheriyakum Ancy's motherMalayalam
Adbhutham Vennala's GrandmotherTelugu
Oka Chinna Family Story RukminiTeluguWeb series
Skylab Gowri's motherTelugu
2022 Veeramae Vaagai Soodum Porus's and Dwaraka's motherTamil
F3 Venky's stepmotherTelugu
Konda Konda ChennammaTelugu
Karthikeya 2 Karthik's motherTelugu
Thank You Abhi's motherTelugu
Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu DurgaTamil
Naan Mirugamaai Maara Tamil
Dhamaka Yashoda RaoTelugu
Anukoni Prayanam Telugu
2023 Bhola Shankar Telugu
Lockdown DiarieTamil
Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty Siddhu's mother and Phanindra's wifeTelugu
Saba Nayagan Tamil
2024 Rathnam Malliga's motherTamil

Television

YearTitleRoleNetworkLanguageRef.
2024 Bench Life Meenakshi's mother SonyLIV Telugu

Awards

Nandi Awards [11]
Filmfare Awards South

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References

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  2. 1 2 3 4 "Tulasi rocks in her third innings". The New Indian Express. 13 November 2013
  3. 1 2 Y. Sunita Chowdhary (9 July 2012). "My First Break: Tulasi". The Hindu.
  4. "Actress Tulasi – Prabhas Thinks I'm Hot". cinegoer.net. 10 August 2011
  5. "Pannaiyarum Padminiyum". Sify. Archived from the original on 7 June 2015.
  6. "Review: Pannaiyarum Padminiyum is refreshing". Rediff.
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  8. "Kothala Rayudu Cast and Crew Info".
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