Celebrating Radhika’s acting career which crossed 47 years earlier this month.

M. R. Radhika – now Radhika Sarathkumar – is the daughter of the legendary M.R. Radha. She is the recipient on one national award, three Tamil Nadu Stae Awards, two Nandi Awards and Six Filmfare Awards.

She was born on 26 August 1962 and completed her tertiary education in London. Shortly after her return to India, she met Bharathiraja who had then directed only one film. He offered her the lead role in his second film, Kizhake Pogum Rayil and it took much convincing for her to accept. Even during the filming, she frequently expressed her desire to quit. However, on completion of the film, and its massive popularity, Radhika realised that acting was something that came naturally to her.

She appeared in strong and varied acting roles, proving her natural ability to play almost any kind of role. Her roles in Dharma Devathai, Neethikku Thandanai, Poonthotta Kaavalkaaran, Ninaivu Chinnam, Keladi Kanmani and Kizhakku Cheemaiyile brought her much critical praise.

She shared the screen with all the major actors of her time, including Sivaji Ganesan, Kamalhaasan, Rajinikanth, Vijayakanth, Sivakumar, Mohan, Prabhu, Vijayakumar, K.Bhagyaraj and S.P. Balasubramaniyam.

In 1994 she launched her own production company, Radaan Media Works. After a shaky start, the company became one of the leading producers of TV serials.

Her TV serial Chiththi remains one of the most watched Indian TV soap operas of all time and firmly entrenched her place on the small screen

In 1985 she married actor Prathap Pothan and they produced and co-starred in the national award winning film, Meendum oru Kaadhal Kadhai. They were divorced a year later. Radhika fell in love with Vijayakanth but it remained a one-sided love. She stopped acting with him after he rejected her advances.

She then married British businessman Richard Hardy in 1990 but they divorced in 1992. They had a daughter named Rayane. She married R. Sarathkumar in 2001 and they have a son, Rahul.

Radhika turns 63 today.