Revathi menon : From girl-next-door to woman of substance

Veteran actress Revathi has never really retired from good cinema. Essentially a south Indian actress, she is also known for her directorial abilities. Latest in…

Veteran actress Revathi has never really retired from good cinema. Essentially a south Indian actress, she is also known for her directorial abilities. Latest in her kitty is a southern remake of the 2014 Bollywood film Queen. However, the industry is still not tired of the woman that she is – strong, bold and extremely emphatic. We try and highlight her life’s journey in this short piece.

Kangana Ranaut’s much acclaimed film Queen is currently the topic of interest for yester years actress Revathi. Born in Kochi, Asha Kutty Nair (Revathi’s real name) was once the poster girl of the charming girl-next-door. Soon,  Revathi shrugged off her acting clothes and slowly donned the thinking cap of a director.

Let’s take this time to look back on the journey of Revathi, first with her performances in front of the camera and then her innings behind the directorial lens.

For a boy of the late 80s and early 90s, Revathi will probably be their first crush. Her winsome dimpled smile; innocent and demure looks and no-nonsense acting made her the ideal girlfriend of dreams.

She was an import of the South Indian industry and she had started her work in Tamil and Malayalam cinema. Later on she shifted focus to Bollywood as well. Kilukkam with Mohanlal, Anjali with Prabhu, Magalir Mattum with Kamal Haasan and Mouna Ragam with Karthik and Kanchana are some of her famous movies down south. Bollywood remembers her for her role in Love opposite  superstar Salman Khan.

The number of awards on her mantle show how well her acting prowess has been appreciated. She has won several awards, including three National Film Awards in three different categories, and six Filmfare Awards South. Besides acting, Revathi is also a trained Bharatanatyam dancer.

The latest development is that Revathi will be directing a  yet-to-be-titled movie inspired by Queenand the casting is currently in process. The film will be made in Telugu and Tamil.