Actor · Telugu cinema
Radha
Radha movies: 36 Telugu films on file, 1982–1990. Earliest on file: Gopala Krishnudu (1982). Latest release: Kodama Simham (9 August 1990).
- Films on file
- 36 (36 as actor)
- Years on file
- 1982–1990
- Born
- 3 June 1965 · June birthdays (Wikidata)
- Selected films on file
- Donga, Bazaar Rowdy, Agni Parvatam
- Record
- Q14943379 on Wikidata
Radha (born Udaya Chandrika) is a former Indian actress who worked mainly in Telugu and Tamil films, with a few Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi films. She was one of the leading heroines of the 1980s, from her debut in 1981 until 1991. In Telugu she acted in 19 films with Krishna, 16 with Chiranjeevi and 6 with Balakrishna, in hits such as Donga (1985), Simhasanam (1986) and Yamudiki Mogudu (1988).
She was born on 3 June 1965, according to Wikipedia, citing The Times of India; Wikidata gives the same date. Sources differ on her birthplace: Wikipedia says she was born in Palwancha, Khammam district, in present-day Telangana, to a family from Kallara village near Kilimanoor, Kerala, while Wikidata lists Thiruvananthapuram. Her elder sister is the actress Ambika; the two acted together in several films and co-owned ARS Studios from 1986.
Career
She began in Bharathiraja’s Tamil film Alaigal Oivathillai (1981) opposite the debutant Karthik, a hit now regarded as a cult classic (The Times of India). Her role in Muthal Mariyathai won her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil in 1985.
Her Telugu career began with Gopala Krishnudu (1982), and Wikipedia lists Shakthi (1983), Iddaru Dongalu (1984), Agni Parvatam (1985), Palnati Simham (1985), Ravana Brahma (1986), Simhasanam, Yamudiki Mogudu, Ramudu Bheemudu (1988) and State Rowdy (1989) among her notable Telugu films. Her films with Chiranjeevi on our records include Donga, Adavi Donga (1985), Rakshasudu (1986), Lankeshwarudu (1989), Kondaveeti Donga and Kodama Simham (1990). She worked with N. T. Rama Rao, Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Krishnam Raju and Sobhan Babu as well.
In Malayalam her role as Nirmala in K. G. George’s Irakal (1985) is widely regarded as her best work; she also produced Ayitham (1987), and Innathe Program (1991) was her last Malayalam film. She stepped away from films after her marriage in 1991 and later judged television dance shows.
Awards
- Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil for Muthal Mariyathai (source cited by Wikipedia).
Personal life
Her husband is the hotelier Rajasekaran Nair. The two joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2021, according to Wikipedia, citing Keralakaumudi. Their daughters Karthika and Thulasi have also acted in films.
Sources: Wikipedia and the references it cites (linked above), Wikidata, and Tollywood Desk’s film records.
Career on file
Radha appears in 36 Telugu films on file at Tollywood Desk, dated from 1982 to 1990. The earliest of them is Gopala Krishnudu (1982), and the most recent release is Kodama Simham (1990). The most widely covered of these, counted by Wikipedia language editions, are Donga (1985), Bazaar Rowdy (1988) and Agni Parvatam (1985). Other recent releases on file are Kondaveeti Donga (1990), Two Town Rowdy (1989) and Lankeshwarudu (1989).
Kaikala Satyanarayana is the most frequent co-star, sharing 22 films with Radha, followed by Chiranjeevi (16) and Allu Rama Lingaiah (15). Among directors, A. Kodandarami Reddy cast Radha most often, in 11 films; next are K. Raghavendra Rao (5) and K. Murali Mohana Rao (2). Music on 18 of them is by K. Chakravarthy, with Raj-Koti (7) and Ilaiyaraaja (5) next. Across these films the credits on file name 17 different directors, 7 music directors and 54 other credited actors.
Runtime is on file for 26 of them; they average 141 minutes, and the longest is Lankeshwarudu at 157 minutes. By decade the list splits into 1980s (34) and 1990s (2). 1988 is the busiest single year, with eight films.
Figures come from the films on file at Tollywood Desk and change as records are added.