Kalyani Natarajan is an Indian actress who appears in Telugu and Tamil films. She played prominent roles in Saivam (2014), Pisaasu (2014) and Mahanubhavudu (2017).[citation needed]

Kalyani Natarajan
Born
Kalyani
NationalityIndian
OccupationActress
Years active2013–present
SpouseBalakrishnan Natarajan[1]

Personal life and career

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A Tamilian from Mumbai, Kalyani has a degree in English literature and worked as a teacher and consultant.[2] She had an interest in theatre and acted in plays in Mumbai.[3] While in Mumbai, she was part of several major drama troupes. Later, she began acting in commercials including a jewellery commercial with Trisha.[1]

Her stage plays in Mumbai enabled her to get a role in Settai (2013), which was shot in Mumbai. In the same year, she played Imran Khan's sister-in-law in Dharma Productions' Gori Tere Pyaar Mein (2013). She was also cast as Sathyaraj's wife in A. L. Vijay's Thalaivaa (2013). However, she left the latter film.

She collaborated again with director A. L. Vijay for Saivam (2014), which was her first major break.[citation needed] Kalyani had shot for 38 days in Karaikudi for the film.[4][1] While she was in Chennai during the release of Saivam, she met director Mysskin and auditioned for a role in Pisaasu (2014), a role which she bagged.[citation needed] Atlee signed her to play a doctor in Theri (2016) after seeing her performance in Pisaasu.[citation needed]

Kalyani made her Telugu film debut with Dictator (2016) and has acted in Mahanubhavudu (2017), Vijetha (2018), Dear Comrade (2019) amongst others.[4][5][6][7] She is one of the most prominent and sought-after actors to play maternal roles in several films.[4][8][9]

Her short film debut was with Daro Mat (2017) in which she played a toxic mother-in-law.[10] She is one of the founding members of a Mumbai-based theatre production house Clean Slate Creations along with her husband Balakrishnan Natarajan, who is also an actor in Hindi cinema.[4]

Filmography

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Key
Denotes films that have not yet been released

Telugu films

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Year Film Role Notes
2016 Dictator Mrs. Lakshmi Narayana
2017 Mahanubhavudu Anand's mother
2018 Vijetha Lakshmi
Geetha Govindam Neelu's mother
Shailaja Reddy Alludu Chaitu's mother
Kavacham Vijay's mother
Padi Padi Leche Manasu Vaishali's mother
2019 Dear Comrade Bobby's mother
ABCD: American Born Confused Desi Aravind's mother
2020 Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo Nandini's mother
Bheeshma Kalyani
Solo Brathuke So Better Virat's mother
2021 FCUK: Father Chitti Umaa Kaarthik Umaa's mother
Varudu Kaavalenu Karthik's relative
2022 Aadavallu Meeku Johaarlu Saradamma
Kotha Kothaga Padma
Aa Ammayi Gurinchi Meeku Cheppali Sumithra
The Ghost Dr. Iyer
Meet Cute Sashikala TV series
2023 Waltair Veerayya Vikram’s mother
Amigos Siddharth's mother
Ravanasura Hanumanth Rao’s wife
Rangabali Shaurya’s mother
2024 Siddharth Roy Siddhartha Roy's mother
The Family Star Aunty
Mr. Bachchan Jikki's mother

Tamil films

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Year Film Role Notes
2013 Settai House owner
2014 Saivam Meenakshi
Pisaasu Janaki Soundarrajan
2015 Oru Naal Iravil Shekhar's wife
2016 Maalai Naerathu Mayakkam Manoja's mother
Theri Forensic examiner
Remo Kavya's mother
2017 Kuttram 23 Dr. Tulsi
Mupparimanam Kathir's mother
Daro Mat Mother-in-law Short Film
Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru Priya's mother
2018 Sarkar Sundar's mother
Thuppakki Munai Bose's mother
2019 Embiran Priyan's mother
Lisaa Lisaa's mother
2021 Master College staff member
2022 Nitham Oru Vaanam Arjun's mother
2024 Indian 2 Chitra Varadharajan

Hindi films

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Year Film Role Notes
2013 Gori Tere Pyaar Mein Sriram's sister-in-law

References

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  1. ^ a b c ""வீட்ல தமிழ் பேசலைன்னா என் மாமியார் டென்ஷன் ஆகிடுவாங்க!" நெகிழும் நடிகை கல்யாணி" [If I don't speak in Tamil my mother-in-law will get tensed – Actress Kalyani Natarajan]. Vikatan. 17 July 2017. Archived from the original on 11 April 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  2. ^ యంగ్ హీరోలకు తల్లిగా నటిస్తున్న ఈ యాక్ట్రెస్ బ్యాగ్రౌండ్ తెలిస్తే..? మైండ్ బ్లాకే..!. iDreamPost.com (in Telugu). 3 September 2024.
  3. ^ Santhanam, Kausalya (2 June 2011). "Heavy on nostalgia". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d Chowdhary, Y. Sunita (2 December 2017). "Kalyani Natarajan: 'My base is home'". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 10 April 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  5. ^ Adivi, Sridhar (28 September 2017). "Unveiled: The curious characters of Maruti's Mahanubhavudu". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 1 October 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  6. ^ "Mahanubhavudu review: A clean entertainer". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 19 October 2019. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  7. ^ kavirayani, suresh (16 July 2018). "Vijetha movie review: Murali is winner in outdated story". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  8. ^ "Kavacham Movie Review & Rating". The Hans India. 7 December 2018. Archived from the original on 12 March 2019. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  9. ^ "Mupparimanam Review {2/5}: Shanthnu whose character undergoes physical and mental agony has put up a decent job". The Times of India.
  10. ^ Daro Mat (Dont Be Afraid) - New Tamil Short Film 2019 || Tamil Short Cuts || Silly Monks, 4 April 2019, retrieved 17 December 2021
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