Urvasi – A multi-talented actress

Kavitha Manoranjini Nair was given the screen name, Urvasi by K. Bhagyaraj when he introduced her as a lead actress in his 1983 hit film, Mundhanai Mudichu.

By that time, Urvasi had acted in numerous Malayalam films as a child actress, having made her acting debut at the age of 10 in a Malayalam film. Her first signing for a lead role was opposite Karthik in the film Thodarum Uravu which was shot in 1983, but only released in 1986. Thus, it was her second signing – Mundhanai Mudichu –that marked her official debut to the Tamil screen. Mundhanai Mudichu was a colossal hit and firmly entrenched her place in the Tamil film industry.

To date, she has acted in more than 700 films in Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu. She has also scripted and produced films and holds the current record of the most number of Kerala state awards by an actress, having won the award six times. She is also the recipient of a national award, two Tamil Nadu state awards and three Filmfare awards.

In a career spanning 40 years, Urvasi has played a wide range of characters and her versatility has led to her being regarded as one of the top actresses of South Indian cinema. She continues to be a much sought-after character artist.

Urvasi turned 56 on 25 January.