Suhasini Maniratnam | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Suhasini at Vaanam Kottatum audio launch | |
| Born | Suhasini Charuhasan (1961-08-15)15 August 1961 (age 64) Paramakudi,Madras State, India |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Father | Charuhasan |
Suhasini Maniratnam (née Charuhasan; born 15 August 1961)[1] is an Indian actress who works inTelugu,Tamil,Kannada andMalayalam films.[2]
Suhasini Maniratnam was born atParamakudi[3] in theRamanathapuram district ofTamil Nadu to lawyer and veteran actorCharuhasan and Komalam. She studied at Yadhava Christian School and at a government middle school[4] inParamakudi before moving toMadras at the age of 12 to live with her uncleKamal Haasan and her grandmother.[5] She then resumed her education at Ramakrishna Mission Sarada Vidyalaya in Chennai and thereafter atQueen Mary's College, Chennai.[6]
Suhasini's entry into the world of films was accidental. Before completing herB.Sc. degree[7] at college, she enrolled at the Madras Film Institute to learncinematography. She became the first woman to graduate from the Madras Film Institute and began her career as a technician on the film set.
Suhasini is aBrahmin[8] by caste, and her paternal cousinsAnu Hasan,Shruti Haasan, andAkshara Haasan have also since become actors.[9]
While working as a camera assistant toAshok Kumar, the cinematographer, during her second year at Film Institute, she was spotted by DirectorMahendran. Suhasini made her film debut in 1980 with the Tamil movieNenjathai Killathe. For her first movie, she won theTamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actress. She was introduced to Malayalam cinema through Padmarajan'sKoodevide (1983), which also featuredMammootty. She appeared in theAFI Fest nominated feature filmVanaprastham (1999), which starredMohanlal.
She has acted with the lateVishnuvardhan inBandhana (1984),Suprabhatha (1988),Muthina Haara (1990),Himapatha (1995),Hendithghelthini (1998),Maathaad Maathaadu Mallige (2007) andSchool Master (2010).
She won theNational Film Award for Best Actress for her role in the 1985 Tamil filmSindhu Bhairavi, directed byK. Balachander.[10]
In 1991, Suhasini directed the anthology mini-seriesPenn shown onMadras Doordarshan. The series featured eight standalone episodes examining the lives of South Indian women, and starred several of her contemporaries such asShobana,Revathi,Radhika andAmala as protagonists.[11][12][13]
In 1995, she stepped into direction, helming her first filmIndira. In November 1997, Suhasini directed a short television film titledSwayamvaram featuringSuchitra Krishnamoorthi andRajiv Menon. The script had been written bySujatha and commissioned by Revathi andSuresh Menon.[14]
Suhasini directed a segment titled "Coffee, Anyone?" inAmazon Prime'sPutham Pudhu Kaalai (2020) and featured in the leading role alongside her cousinsShruti Haasan,Anu Hasan and her mother Komalam.[15][16]
Suhasini and her husbandMani Ratnam have been involved in the running of theirproduction companyMadras Talkies since 1997.
Suhasini was appointed the honorary consul of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in 2015. She held the post until 2020.[17]
“Women empowerment starts at home. My mother raised me to be independent and my father was progressive. He was the one who encouraged me to become an actress. I have been very lucky,” shared Suhasini.[18] during a conversation withMohammed Ali Baig atCinematics
Suhasini founded Naam Foundation in 2010 with the objective to empower single women from disadvantaged backgrounds by offering opportunities for self-worth and independence.[19]The foundation offers a range of programs including medical aid, self-defense training, vocational and education support, counseling, and legal aid for women and their children.
Suhasini married film directorMani Ratnam on 26 August 1988 and the couple has a son, Nandan, born in 1992.[20]
 | This section of abiography of a living personneeds additionalcitations forverification. Please help by addingreliable sources.Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced orpoorly sourcedmust be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentiallylibelous. Find sources: "Suhasini Maniratnam" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(October 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Order based on number of films that she acted in.
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Koodevide | Alice | |
| Adaminte Vaariyellu | Vasanthi | ||
| 1984 | Thathamme Poocha Poocha | Kalyani | |
| Unni Vanna Divasam | Anu | ||
| Aksharangal | Bharathi | ||
| Aarorumariyathe | Sudha | ||
| Ente Upasana | Lathika | ||
| 1985 | Katha Ithuvare | Rekha | |
| 1986 | Pranamam | Usha/Thulasi | |
| Rakkuyilin Ragasadassil | Janani | ||
| 1987 | Ezhuthapurangal | Rajalakshmi | Won—Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress |
| Manivathoorile Aayiram Sivarathrikal | Neena | ||
| 1988 | Oohakachavadam | Malathy | |
| 1989 | Oru Sayahnathinte Swapnam | Capt. Alice Cherian | |
| 1993 | Samooham | MLA Rajalekshmi | |
| 1997 | Bhaaratheeyam | Revathy | |
| 1999 | Varnachirukukal | Anjali Gupta | |
| Vanaprastham | Subhadra Thamburatti | ||
| 2001 | Theerthadanam | Vinodini | Won—Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress |
| 2002 | Nammal | Snehalatha | |
| 2005 | Vacation | Celina | |
| 2006 | Pachakuthira | Akash's mother | Photo appearance |
| 2009 | Vilapangalkkappuram | Dr. Mary Varghese | |
| Nammal Thammil | Rosy IAS | ||
| Makante Achan | Rema | ||
| 2013 | Kalimannu | Dr. Sophy | |
| 2015 | Love 24x7 | Dr. Sarayu | |
| Salt Mango Tree | Deepika | ||
| 2017 | Solo | Mrs.Vidya Ramachandran | |
| 2021 | Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham | Khadeejumma | |
| 2023 | Pookkaalam | Clara | [33] |
| Year | Title | Role | Language | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Stumble | Nandini | English | [34] |
| 2015 | Waiting | Pankaja | Hindi |
| Year | Title | Credited as | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Writer | |||
| 1991 | Penn | Yes | Yes | TV Series |
| 1993 | Thiruda Thiruda | No | Dialogue | |
| 1995 | Indira | Yes | Yes | |
| 1997 | Iruvar | No | Dialogue | |
| 1999 | Ganesh Vasanth | Yes | Yes | |
| 2010 | Raavanan | No | Dialogue | |
| 2020 | Putham Pudhu Kaalai | Yes | Yes | Amazon Prime film; for the segmentCoffee, Anyone? |
| Year | Title | Role | Language | Channel | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hasini Pesum Padam | Host | Tamil | Jaya TV | ||
| Autograph | |||||
| Weekend with Stars | Zee Tamil TV | ||||
| Ninaivu Kurippugal | DD Podhigai | ||||
| 2020 | Bigg Boss 4 | Herself | Star Vijay | Guest | |
| 2022 | Modern Love Hyderabad | Gangamma | Telugu | Amazon Prime Video | |
| 2024 | Jai Mahendran | Shobha | Malayalam | Sony LIV | [35] |
| Soul Stories | Rani | Manorama Max | [36] | ||
| Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale | Herself | English | Netflix | Documentary film |
| Year | Title | Actress | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Thalapathi | Shobhana | ||
| 1993 | Thiruda Thiruda | Heera Rajagopal | ||
| 1997 | Iddaru | Tabu | Telugu dubbed version | |
| 1998 | Uyire | Manisha Koirala | Tamil dubbed version |
| 1977–1980 |
|
|---|---|
| 1981–1990 |
|
| 1991–2000 | |
| 2001–2010 |
|
| 2011–present |
|
| 1981–1990 |
|
|---|---|
| 1991–2000 |
|
| 2001–2010 |
|
| 2011–present |
|
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
