Rohini

Rohini is an Indian actress, lyricist, screenwriter, voice actor and director. She has mainly acted in south Indian, notably Malayalam and Tamil films. Having started her acting career at five, she has about 130 south Indian films to her credit. She received National Award of Special mention and Andhra Pradesh State Award for Best Female Actor in the year 1996 for the film Sthree.

A native of Anakapalli, Rohini spent all her childhood in Chennai. Her father was a panchyat officer and mother was a housewife. Her father always wanted to become an actor, though he couldn't be an actor he encouraged his daughter to become an actress and he fulfilled his ambition through his daughter. Her mother died when she was five years old and father remarried later.

She was married to famous Actor Raghuvaran in 1996 and they have a son Rishivaran born in 1997. The couple later got separated and divorced in 2004. She pursued masters in English literature by correspondence.

She started her career in 1976 as a child artiste. She was first seen as a wide-eyed 5 year old in Yashoda Krishna, a Telugu film. She is also a popular dubbing artist in the Tamil industry. She has voiced six characters in five of Mani Ratnam's films. She lent her voice to actresses like Jyothika (Vettaiyadu Villaiyadu), Aishwarya Rai (Iruvar and Raavanan), Manisha Koirala and Amala (Shiva). She has also dubbed for Girija Shettar in Mani Rathnam's Telugu movie Geethanjali.

She wrote lyrics for the Tamil film Pachaikili Muthucharam, before ending another hiatus by writing all songs in the album, Maalai Pozhudhin Mayakathilaey. Her acting skills were recognized and she was given the Kalaimamani award recently.

She writes episodes for Tamil TV serials. She started writing scripts for TV series way back in 1996, and has adapted the Sahithya Academy Award winning novel Verukku Neer for a tele film in 2005. She hosted the live TV talk show Kelvigal Aayiram for Vijay TV, which she said "dealt with issues close to my heart". She moderated the Tamil programme Azhagiya Tamizh Magal on Kalaignar TV and has worked as the anchor of Raj TV’s show, Rohini’s Box Office in which she reviewed the latest releases.

Being an activist for AIDS awareness, Rohini has also directed short films for M.G.R. Medical University and Tamil Nadu Aids Control Society. In 2008, Rohini had directed a 50-minute documentary Silent Hues about film industry’s child artists, she being one herself. In 2013, she has directed a feature film Appavin Meesai which is yet to be released.

Prepared by: Dr. Susie Pazhavarical