Urvashi (actress)

Urvashi (born Kavitha Manoranjini 25 January 1969) is an Indian actress, dubbing artist, television host, scriptwriter and film producer known for her works in the Southern film industry, predominantly in Malayalam and Tamil films, and also worked in Kannada and Telugu films. In a career spanning over four decades, she has won one National Film Award, five Kerala State Film Awards, two Tamil Nadu State Film Awards and three Filmfare Award South respectively. Known for her distinct style of acting, she is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors in Malayalam and Tamil cinema.

Urvashi was a prominent lead actress of the 1980s and 1990s, primarily in Malayalam Films. She has written the films Ulsavamelam and Pidakkozhi Koovunna Noottandu, the latter was also produced by her. She won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Achuvinte Amma (2005), which was her comeback movie after a period of 6 years. She has won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress, with a record five times, which includes three consecutive wins from 1989 to 1991. She has also received two Tamil Nadu State Film Awards including Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize for Magalir Mattum and Tamil Nadu State Film Honorary Kalaivanar Award.

Early and personal life
Urvashi was born to popular drama actors Chavara V. P. Nair and Vijayalakshmi in Kollam district. She is the granddaughter of famous Malayali writer Sooranad Kunjan Pillai. Her elder sisters are actors Kalaranjini and Kalpana. Her family has resettled in Thiruvananthapuram. Her two brothers, Kamal Roy and Prince had also acted in few Malayalam movies. Prince (Nandu of Layanam fame) committed suicide at the age of 26. She had her primary education from Fort Girl's Mission High School, Thiruvananthapuram, until fourth grade and later at Corporation Higher Secondary School, Kodambakkam until ninth grade, when the family shifted to Chennai. Firstly, Urvashi was cast by director K.Bhagyaraj in his village based film Mundhanai Mudichu. The film was successful and declared super hit at box office. She could not continue her studies since she had become busy with her movie career by then.

Urvashi married film actor Manoj K. Jayan on 2 May 2000. They have a daughter, Teja Lakshmi born in November 2001. However, they got divorced in 2008. Urvashi then married Chennai based builder Sivaprasad in November 2013. The couple had a boy, Ishaan Prajapathi in August 2014.

Career
She acted in around 702 films in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi. She started her acting career as a child artist, at the age of 10, in a Malayalam movie Kathirmandapam, released in 1979, as Jayabharathi's daughter. She acted as Srividya's dance student in the movie Digvijayam, released in 1980, she plays Krishna in the song sequence Madhumaasa Nikunjathil, where her sister Kalpana plays Radha. She has also acted as a child artist in Ninaivukal Maraivathillai, a Tamil movie, in 1983, but it was never released. Then she acted as a heroine, at the age of 13, to Karthik in the movie Thodarum Uravu, which completed shooting in 1983, but released in 1986.

Her first released film as heroine was Munthanai Mudichchu (Tamil, directed by K. Bhagyaraj) in 1983, making her debut movie. Ethirppukal (Malayalam, 1984) was one of her earlier films in Malayalam. During the peak of her career, she starred in M. P. Sukumaran Nair's award-winning film Kazhakam in 1995, without taking a single penny as remuneration. She was awarded Best Actress for this role. She has acted in some advertisements, and has participated in many stage shows also.

She has acted in successful movies with Kamal Haasan which became super hit blockbuster in Tamil cinema. She also hosted Kannada Show Krazy Couple on Zee Kannada