An actor (sometimes actress for female; see terminology) is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity. The ancient Greek word for an "actor," ''(hypokrites)'', means literally "one who interprets"; in this sense, an actor is one who interprets a dramatic character.

Terminology

After 1660, when women first appeared on stage, ''actor'' and ''actress'' were initially used interchangeably for female performers, but later, influenced by the French ''actrice'', ''actress'' became the usual term. The etymology is a simple derivation from ''actor'' with ''ess'' added. The word ''actor'' refers to a person who acts regardless of gender, and "is increasingly preferred", while ''actress'' refers specifically to a female person who acts. ''Actress'' "remains in general use", although in a survey of a "wide cross-section of current British English", compiled in 2010, ''actor'' was almost twice as commonly found as ''actress''. Within the profession, however, the re-adoption of the neutral term dates to the 1950s–60s, the post-war period when women's contribution to cultural life in general was being re-evaluated. ''Actress'' remains the common term used in major acting awards given to female recipients.

The gender-neutral term "player" was common in film in the early days of the Motion Picture Production Code with regards to the cinema of the United States, but is now generally deemed archaic. However, it remains in use in the theatre, often incorporated into the name of a theatre group or company (such as the East West Players).

History

The first recorded case of an actor performing took place in 534 BC (though the changes in calendar over the years make it hard to determine exactly) when the Greek performer Thespis stepped on to the stage at the ''Theatre Dionysus'' and became the first known person to speak words as a character in a play or story. Prior to Thespis' act, stories were only known to be told in song and dance and in third person narrative. In honour of Thespis, actors are commonly called ''Thespians''. Theatrical legend to this day maintains that Thespis exists as a mischievous spirit, and disasters in the theatre are sometimes blamed on his ghostly intervention.

Actors were traditionally not people of high status, and in the Early Middle Ages travelling acting troupes were often viewed with distrust. In many parts of Europe, actors could not even receive a Christian burial, and traditional beliefs of the region and time period held that this left any actor forever condemned. However, this negative perception was largely reversed in the 19th and 20th centuries as acting has become an honoured and popular profession and art.

Techniques

Method acting

Method acting is a technique developed from the acting 'system' created in the early 20th century by Konstantin Stanislavski in his work at the Moscow Art Theatre and its studios. The Group Theatre first popularised the Method in the 1930s; it was subsequently advanced and developed in new directions by Stella Adler, Sanford Meisner, Uta Hagen, Lee Strasberg (at the Actors Studio in the 1940s and 50s), and others. In Stanislavski's system', the actor analyzes the character in order to play him or her with psychological realism and emotional authenticity. Using the Method, an actor may recall emotions or reactions from his or her own life and use them to identify with the character being portrayed.

Method actors are often characterized as immersing themselves so totally in their characters that they continue to portray them even off-stage or off-camera for the duration of the project. However, this is a popular misconception. While some actors do employ this approach, it is generally not taught as part of the Method. Stella Adler, who was a member of the Group Theatre, along with Strasberg, emphasised a different approach of using creative imagination.

Method acting offers a systematic form of actor training in which the actor's sensory, psychological, and emotional abilities are developed; it revolutionized theatre in the United States.

Presentational and representational acting

Presentational acting refers to a relationship between actor and audience, whether by direct address or indirectly by specific use of language, looks, gestures or other signs indicating that the character or actor is aware of the audience's presence. (Shakespeare's use of punning and wordplay, for example, often has this function of indirect contact.)

In representational acting, "actors want to make us 'believe' they are the character; they pretend." The illusion of the fourth wall with the audience as voyeurs is striven for.

As opposite gender

In the past, only men could become actors in some societies. In the ancient Greece and Rome and the medieval world, it was considered disgraceful for a woman to go on the stage, and this belief persisted until the 17th century, when in Venice it was broken. In the time of William Shakespeare, women's roles were generally played by men or boys.

When an eighteen-year Puritan prohibition of drama was lifted after the English Restoration of 1660, women began to appear on stage in England. Margaret Hughes is credited by some as the first professional actress on the English stage. This prohibition ended during the reign of Charles II in part due to the fact that he enjoyed watching actresses on stage. The first occurrence of the term ''actress'' was in 1700 according to the OED and is ascribed to Dryden.

In Japan, men (onnagata) took over the female roles in kabuki theatre when women were banned from performing on stage during the Edo period. This convention has continued to the present. However, some forms of Chinese drama have women playing all the roles.

In modern times, women sometimes play the roles of prepubescent boys. The stage role of Peter Pan, for example, is traditionally played by a woman, as are most principal boys in British pantomime. Opera has several "breeches roles" traditionally sung by women, usually mezzo-sopranos. Examples are Hansel in ''Hänsel und Gretel'', Cherubino in ''The Marriage of Figaro'' and Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier.

Women in male roles are uncommon in film with the notable exceptions of the films ''The Year of Living Dangerously'' and ''I'm Not There''. In the former film Linda Hunt played the pivotal role of Billy Kwan, for which she received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. In the latter film Cate Blanchett portrayed Jude Quinn, a representation of Bob Dylan in the sixties, for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Women playing men in live theatre is particularly common in presentations of older plays, such as those of Shakespeare, that have large numbers of male characters in roles where the gender no longer matters in modern times.

Having an actor dress as the opposite sex for comic effect is also a long-standing tradition in comic theatre and film. Most of Shakespeare's comedies include instances of overt cross-dressing, such as Francis Flute in ''A Midsummer Night's Dream''. The movie ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' stars Jack Gilford dressing as a young bride. Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon famously posed as women to escape gangsters in the Billy Wilder film ''Some Like It Hot''. Cross-dressing for comic effect was a frequently used device in most of the thirty Carry On films. Dustin Hoffman and Robin Williams have each appeared in a hit comedy film (''Tootsie'' and ''Mrs. Doubtfire'', respectively) in which they played most scenes dressed as a woman.

Occasionally, the issue is further complicated, for example, by a woman playing a woman acting as a man pretending to be a woman, like Julie Andrews in ''Victor/Victoria'', or Gwyneth Paltrow in ''Shakespeare in Love''. In ''It's Pat: The Movie'', filmwatchers never learn the gender of the androgynous main characters Pat and Chris (played by Julia Sweeney and Dave Foley).

A few roles in modern films, plays and musicals are played by a member of the opposite sex (rather than a character cross-dressing), such as the character Edna Turnblad in ''Hairspray''—played by Divine in the original film, Harvey Fierstein in the Broadway musical, and John Travolta in the 2007 movie musical. Linda Hunt won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing Billy Kwan in ''The Year of Living Dangerously''. Felicity Huffman was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for playing Bree Osbourne (a male-to-female transsexual) in ''Transamerica''.

See also

Acting

Bit part

Body double

Cameo appearance

Casting (performing arts)

Cast member

Celebrity

Character actor

Charisma

Child actor

Drama school

Dramatis personæ

Ensemble cast

Extra (actor)

GOTE

Improvisational theatre

Leading actor

Lists of actors

List of awards in theatre

List of film awards

Master of Fine Arts

Matinee idol

Method acting

Meisner technique

Mime

Movie star

Movie studio

Pornographic actor

Practical Aesthetics

Pre-production

Presentational acting and Representational acting

Q Score

Stunt work

Supporting actor

Thespis

Understudy

Vaudeville

Viewpoints

Voice Actor

References

Sources

Csapo, Eric, and William J. Slater. 1994. ''The Context of Ancient Drama.'' Ann Arbor: The U of Michigan P. ISBN 0-472-08275-2.

Elam, Keir. 1980. ''The Semiotics of Theatre and Drama''. New Accents Ser. London and New York: Methuen. ISBN 0-416-72060-9.

Weimann, Robert. 1978. ''Shakespeare and the Popular Tradition in the Theater: Studies in the Social Dimension of Dramatic Form and Function.'' Ed. Robert Schwartz. Baltimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0-8018-3506-2.

Further reading

''An Actor's Work'' by Constantin Stanislavski

''A Dream of Passion: The Development of the Method'' by Lee Strasberg (Plume Books, ISBN 0-452-26198-8, 1990)

''Sanford Meisner on Acting'' by Sanford Meisner (Vintage, ISBN 0-394-75059-4, 1987)

''Letters to a Young Actor'' by Robert Brustein (Basic Books, ISBN 0-465-00806-2, 2005).

''The Empty Space'' by Peter Brook

''The Technique of Acting'' by Stella Adler

External links

Actors' Equity Association (AEA): a union representing U. S. theatre actors and stage managers.

American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA): a union representing U. S. television and radio actors and broadcasters (on-air journalists, etc.).

British Actors' Equity: a trade union representing UK artists, including actors, singers, dancers, choreographers, stage managers, theatre directors and designers, variety and circus artists, television and radio presenters, walk-on and supporting artists, stunt performers and directors and theatre fight directors.

Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance: an Australian/New Zealand trade union representing everyone in the media, entertainment, sports, and arts industries.

Screen Actors Guild (SAG): a union representing U. S. film and TV actors.

Category:Entertainment occupations Category:Acting Category:Theatrical professions Category:Television terminology

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name	Meera Jasmine
birth name	Jasmine Mary Joseph
birth place	Thiruvalla, Kerala, India
occupation	Actress
yearsactive	2001–present
website	}}

Meera Jasmine () is an Indian actress, who appears in regional Indian films that includes Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films. She won the National Film Award for Best Actress in 2004 and is a two time recipient of the Kerala State Film Award, the Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, as well as the Kalaimamani Award from the government of Tamil Nadu.

Early life

Meera Jasmine was born in Thiruvalla, Pathanamthitta district, Kerala, India, to Joseph and Aleyamma. She completed her schooling in Bala Vihar, Thiruvalla and Marthoma Residential School, Thiruvalla. She appeared for her Higher Secondary Exams in March 2000. She had enrolled for a BSc degree in Zoology at Assumption College, Changanassery and completed nearly three months when she was spotted by director Blessy (who was then an assistant director to director Lohithadas) and offered a role in ''Soothradharan''.

Career

Malayalam

Meera Jasmine made her debut in the Malayalam film ''Soothradharan''. Her second film was ''Gramaphone'', directed by Kamal, in which she appeared alongside Navya Nair and Dileep. Her role as a Jewish girl was appreciated by Malayalam critics. Her third film was ''Swapnakkoodu'', a romantic comedy alongside Prithviraj, Kunchako Boban, Jayasurya, and Bhavana under director Kamal. Her performance was appreciated and the film was a high commercial success. Among the five main characters, the one who scored the most was again Meera. She rose to fame in Malayalam cinema with the film ''Kasthooriman'' directed by her mentor Lohithadas, in which she enacted comedy and sentimental scenes. She received her first Filmfare award for her performance in ''Kasthooriman''. The film was also a success at the box office, running for 100 days. The same year, she acted in T. V. Chandran's acclaimed ''Padam Onnu Oru Vilapam''. She played a 15-year-old Muslim girl who was forced to marry an older man, for which she was awarded a State Award and the National Award in addition with several other awards. It was followed by her performance as Raziya in ''Perumazhakkalam'' alongside Kavya Madhavan.

In the film ''Achuvinte Amma'' (2005), she enacted the young, adorable character Achu. She then paired with Mohanlal in ''Rasathanthram'' (2006). She played as a girl pretending to be a boy in the first half of the film. The film went on to became a commercial success. Her next film with Dileep - ''Vinodayathra'', which again was directed by Sathyan Anthikkad. She was next featured opposite Mammootty in the critically acclaimed film ''Ore Kadal''. The film was showcased in film festivals and won awards. Her performance as an innocent middle class woman won praise from audiences. Media quoted her as, "Matching step with the megastar in this histrionic race is Meera Jasmine, who amazes you with a stunning delineation of her difficult role" . Her next film was ''Calcutta News'' with Dileep. Blessy, who introduced her to film field, was the director of ''Calcutta News''. In ''Innathe Chintha Vishayam'' (2008), she collaborated with Sathyan Anthikkad for his fourth consecutive film, again opposite Mohanlal, but failed to succeed. Her next films ''Minnaminnikoottam'' with Kamal and ''Rathri Mazha'' with Lenin Rajendran, which released after a long post-production delay, were box office failures. More than a year later, she played the role of a music lover and singer in Rajeev Anchal's ''Paattinte Palazhy''. Though the film was commercially not successful, her character was noted and her performance gave her a comeback. Her next film, ''Four Friends'', was a multi-starrer directed by Saji Surendran. She played the role of a cancer patient in this film. In the 2011 film ''Mohabbat'', in she played the lead role opposite Anand Michael and Munna.

Tamil

Jasmine's Tamil film entry made her a well-known star in the South. The successes of the Tamil film ''Run'' and ''Bala'' (2002) gave her the chance to work with the established actors of the Tamil film industry. She won the Filmfare Best Female Debut Actress award for ''Run''. The success of the films led her to work with directors such as Mani Ratnam in ''Aayutha Ezhuthu'' and SS Stanley in ''Mercury Pookkal''. Her latest Tamil film, Mambattiyan got released in Dec' 2011. Meera has acted in 15 Tamil films.

Telugu and Kannada

Jasmine became noted in the Telugu film industry with ''Run'', the dubbed version of the same-titled Tamil film. She was in the Telugu films in 2004 with ''Ammayi Bagundi'' and ''Gudumba Shankar'' but also entered Kannada cinema by co-starring with Puneet Rajkumar in ''Maurya''. Her Kannada film ''Arrasu'' again with Puneet Rajkumar and Ramya is a hit. Her other Kannada films include ''Devaru Kotta Thangi'' and ''Ijjodu''.

Jasmine's biggest commercial suceess in Telugu remains ''Bhadra'' with Ravi Teja in the male lead. Her other Telugu films are ''Raraju, Maharadhi, Yamagola Malli Modalayindi, Gorintaku'' and ''Maa Ayana Chanti Pilladu'', in which she is paired for a second time with Sivaji.

Controversy

She offered prayers at Raja Rajeshwara temple at Taliparamba in Kerala where the entry of non-Hindus is prohibited. This led to a controversy and sparked off a protest by Hindu devotees. Later, she paid as penalty to the temple authorities to conduct the purification rituals.

Awards

;National Film Awards

2004 - Best Actress, ''Paadam Onnu: Oru Vilapam''

;Kerala State Film Awards

2003 - Best Actress, ''Paadam Onnu: Oru Vilapam, Kasthuri Maan''

2007 - Best Actress, ''Ore Kadal''.

;Tamil Nadu State Film Awards

2005 - Tamil Nadu State Film Award (Special Prizes), ''Kasthuri Maan''

Tamil Nadu Government

2008 - Kalaimamani Award

;Filmfare Awards South 2003 - Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Malayalam), ''Kasthoorimann''

2006 - Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Malayalam), ''Achuvinte Amma''

2007 - Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Malayalam), ''Ore Kadal''

;Asianet Film Awards 2003 - Best Actress Award, ''Paadam Onnu: Oru Vilapam''

2004 - [[Asianet Film Awards#Best Actress| Best Actress

Award]], ''Perumazhakkalam''

2005 - Best Actress Award, ''Achuvinte Amma''

2007 - Best Actress Award, ''Ore Kadal''

;V. Shantaram Awards

2003 - V Shantaram Award for Best Actress, ''Paadam Onnu: Oru Vilapam''.

2007 - V Shantaram Award for Best Actress, ''Ore Kadal''

;Vanitha Film Awards

2004 - Vanitha-Chandrika Film Award For Best Actress, ''Perumazhakkalam''

2007 - Vanitha-Nipon Paint Film Award for Best Actress, ''Ore Kadal''

;Mathrubhumi Film Awards''' 2003 - Mathrubhumi - Medimix Award for Best Actress, ''Paadam Onnu: Oru Vilapam'' 2004 - Mathrubhumi - Medimix Award for Best Actress, ''Perumazhakkalam''

;Other Awards 2001 - Bharathan Award For Best Female Debut Actress, ''Soothradharan'' 2002 - Dinakaran Award For Best Female Debut Actress, ''Run''

2003 - National Film Academy Award for Best Actress, ''Paadam Onnu: Oru Vilapam''.

2003 - Kaveri-Film Critics Award, ''Paadam Onnu: Oru Vilapam''

2003 - Kerala Film Audience Council Award, ''Paadam Onnu: Oru Vilapam''

2003 - Kerala Film Critics Association Award, ''Paadam Onnu: Oru Vilapam'' 2004 - Tikkurishi Award for Best Actress, ''Perumazhakkalam''.

2005 - Amrita Film Fraternity Award for Best Actress, ''Achuvinte Amma''

2006 - Jeevan TV-Mastro Mania award for Best Actress, ''Rasathanthram''

2007 - Dubai AMMA award for Best Actress, ''Ore Kadal''

2007 - FOKANA Award for Best Actress, ''Ore Kadal'' 2007 - Amrita Film Award for Best Actress, ''Ore Kadal'' 2007 - Sreevidya Puraskaaram (Best Actress), ''Ore Kadal''

2007 - Tharangini Film Award for Best Actress, Ore Kadal

2008 - Best Actress at 8th Annual Imagine Indian Film Festival, Spain, "Ore Kadal"

2008 - Dubai AMMA award for Best Actress, ''Calcutta News''

2009 - Veera Pazhassi Awards -Swarna Mayoogam

Filmography

Shivani ''Run (2002 film) Aarthi ''Kasthoorimann'' Sushi Jennifer Kamala Divya Shahina Meera Indrani ''Ammayi Bagundi'' Sasi Alamelu Gowri Raziya ''Achuvinte Amma'' Anu Uma Hema ''Mercury Pookkal'' Kanmani Jyothi ''Arasu (2007 film) Kalyani Ayyakka Anupama Shweta Aishwarya Deepti ''[[Calcutta News">Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Malayalam) ''[[Calcutta News'' Kamala Priya Charulatha Meera Lakshmi Rajeswari ''Mariyadhai'' Meera Kalyani Chandram Lakshmi ''Aakasa Ramanna'' Samyuktha Cheeni Meghala Jasmine Veena Gowri ''Ilaignan'' Sajna Kannaathal ''Aathi Narayana''

Year !! Title !! Role !! Language !! Notes
rowspan="1"	2001	''Soothradharan''	|	Malayalam
rowspan="2"	2002	Run'' ||	Priya	Tamil language>Tamil
''Bala (2003 film)	Bala''	|	Tamil
rowspan="8"	2003	|	Priyamvada	Malayalam	Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Malayalam)>Filmfare Award for Best Malayalam Actress
''Pudhiya Geethai''	|	Tamil
''Gramaphone (film)	Gramaphone''	|	Malayalam
''Swapnakkoodu''	|	Malayalam
''Anjaneya (film)	Anjaneya''	|	Tamil
''Paadam Onnu: Oru Vilapam''	|	Malayalam	National Film Award for Best ActressKerala State Film Award for Best ActressAsianet Film Awards#Best Actress>Asianet Award for Best Actress
''Joot''	|	Tamil
''Chakram (2003 film)	Chakram''	|	Malayalam
rowspan="5"	2004	|	Janani,Satya	Telugu language>Telugu
''Aayutha Ezhuthu''	|	Tamil
''Maurya (film)	Maurya''	|	Kannada
''Gudumba Shankar''	|	Telugu
''Perumazhakkalam''	|	Malayalam	Asianet Film Awards#Best Actress>Asianet Award for Best Actress
rowspan="4"	2005	|	Ashwathy	Malayalam	Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Malayalam)
''[[Bhadra (film)	Bhadra''	|	Telugu
''Kasthuri Maan''	|	Tamil	Tamil Nadu State Film Award (Special Prizes)>Tamil Nadu State Special Award for Best Actress
''Sandakozhi''	|	Tamil
rowspan="3"	2006	|	Anbu Chelvi	Tamil
''Rasathanthram''	|	Malayalam
''Raraju''	|	Telugu
rowspan="7"	2007	Arasu'' ||	Aishu	Kannada
''Maharadhi''	|	Telugu
''Thirumagan''	|	Tamil
''Vinodayathra''	|	Malayalam
''Parattai Engira Azhagu Sundaram''	|	Tamil
''Yamagola Malli Modalayindi''	|	Telugu
''Ore Kadal''	|	Malayalam	Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress 2008
rowspan="7"	2008	|	Krishnapriya	Malayalam	Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Malayalam)>Filmfare Award for Best Malayalam Actress
''Innathe Chintha Vishayam''	|	Malayalam
''Nepali (film)	Nepali''	|	Tamil
''Minnaminnikoottam''	|	Malayalam
''Rathri Mazha''	|	Malayalam
''Gorintaku''	|	Telugu
''Maa Ayana Chanti Pilladu''	|	Telugu
rowspan="4"	2009	|	Chandra	Tamil
''Bangaru Babu''	|	Telugu
''A Aa E Ee (2009 Telugu film)	A Aa E Ee''	|	Telugu
''Devaru Kotta Thangi''	|	Kannada
rowspan="7"	2010	|	Tara	Telugu
''Sivappu Mazhai''	|	Tamil
''Ijjodu''	|	Kannada
''Pen Singam''	|	Tamil
''Hoo (2010 film)	Hoo	|	Kannada
''Paattinte Palazhy''	|	Malayalam
''Four Friends (2010 film)	Four Friends''	|	Malayalam
rowspan="3"	2011	|	Meera	Tamil
''Mohabbat (2011 film)	Mohabbat''	|	Malayalam
''Mambattiyan''	|	Tamil
rowspan="3"	2012	|		Tamil
''Moksha (2011 film)	Moksha''	|	Telugu	Post-production
''Samuelinte Makkal''	|	Malayalam	Filming

References

External links

|- ! colspan="3" style="background: #DAA520;" | National Film Award |- |-

Category:Indian film actors Category:Tamil film actors Category:Malayali actors Category:People from Kerala Category:Saint Thomas Christians Category:Indian Christians Category:Living people Category:Kerala State Film Award winners Category:National Film Award winners Category:Malayalam film actors Category:People from Pathanamthitta Category:Filmfare Awards South winners

kn:ಮೀರಾ ಜಾಸ್ಮಿನ್ ml:മീര ജാസ്മിൻ mr:मीरा जास्मिन fi:Meera Jasmine ta:மீரா ஜாஸ்மின்

#redirectSanthosh Pandit

name	Suresh Gopi
birth name	Suresh Gopinathan Nair
birth date	June 26, 1959
birth place	Kollam, Kerala, India |
occupation	Film actor, playback singer
years active	1965, 1986 - present
parents	K Gopinatha Pillai, V Gyanalaxmi
spouse	Radhika
children	Lekshmi (deceased), Gokul, Bhagya, Bhavna, and Madhav
other names	Suresh
website	http://www.bharatsureshgopi.com }}

Suresh Gopinathan Nair (born 26 June 1959), often credited as Suresh Gopi (), is a national award winning Indian film actor who works mainly in Malayalam cinema; he is famous for his roles in police dramas. He is noted for his leading roles as much as his character roles. He is also famous for his philanthropic efforts.

Personal life

He was born in Kollam into a Hindu family to Gnanalekshmi and Gopinathan Pillai. Suresh Gopi did his schooling at the Infant Jesus Anglo-Indian High School at Thangasseri. He graduated with a BSc in Zoology and M.A in English literature from Fatima Mata National College in Kollam. He is married to Radhika, the granddaughter of late actress Aranmula Ponnamma, and has five children: Lekshmi (deceased in a traffic accident at the age of two in 1992), Gokul, Bhagya, Bhaavni, and Madhav. He is settled at Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) and is currently living in Sasthamangalam

Career

1965: Child artist

Suresh Gopi first appeared onscreen as a child in K. S. Sethumadhavan's ''Odeyil Ninnu'' (1965). It was a popular film that had Sathyan in the lead role along with Prem Nazir.

1980s: Early career

He returned to acting in the mid-80s with Sathyan Anthikkad's ''T.P. Balagopalan M.A.'' (1986), where he played a prospective groom in a small scene. He went on to play supporting and villain roles. Some other roles of his include Balan in ''Nandi Veendum Varika'' (1986), Kumar in ''Rajavinte Makan'' (1986), Vinod in ''January Oru Orma'' (1987), Shekaran Kutty in ''Irupatham Noottandu'' (1987), Suresh in ''New Delhi'' (1987), Harry in ''Oru CBI Diary Kurippu'' (1988), Unni in ''1921'' (1988), and Aromal Chekavar in ''Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha'' (1989). He played the comic role of Inspector "Minnal" Prathapan in ''Manu Uncle'' (1988) and of Dr. Narendran in Padmarajan's ''Innale'' (1989).

He played Sethumadhavan in Siddique-Lal's blockbuster ''In Harihar Nagar'' (1990). Another role was of Christopher Luke in Viji Thampy's ''Nagarangalil Chennu Raparkam'' (1990). The film that helped him get noticed as a serious police officer was the satirical comedy ''Aanaval Mothiram'' (1990), where he played Sub-Inspector Nandakumar and co-starred with Sreenivasan.

1990s: Peak

The films that made Suresh Gopi a bankable lead actor were ''Thalastaanam'' (1992), ''Ekalavyan'' (1993), ''Mafia'' (1993) and ''Commissioner'' (1994), all by Shaji Kailas and scripted by Ranji Panicker. All of them were police dramas and had, more or less, similar themes. He became immensely popular with his role as Bharathchandran IPS in the block-buster movie ''Commissioner''. Renji Panicker's dialogues employed by Suresh Gopi in English became quite popular with the masses.

During this period, most of his films were dubbed and simultaneously released in Telugu, which made him a sensation in Andhra Pradesh.

During the early to mid 90s, he also played characters of substance in films such as Jayaraj's ''Paithrukam'' (1993), Fazil's ''Manichithrathazhu'' (1993), Sathyan Anthikkad's ''Samooham'' (1993) and Sibi Malayil's ''Sindoora Rekha'' (1995).

The success of his cop roles led to more films of such nature, where he either played police officers or other tough characters in films such as ''City Police'' (1993), ''The City'' (1994), ''Rudraksham'' (1994), ''Kashmeeram'' (1994), and ''Mahatma'' (1996), with most of them failing to get noticed.

In 1997, with Jayaraj's ''Kaliyattam'' (1997), an adaptation of Shakespeare's ''Othello'', Suresh Gopi won the National Film Award for Best Actor for playing Kannan Perumalayan. He proved he was more than just another mainstream actor. This was a turning point in his career.

In the late 90s, Suresh Gopi was noted for playing in Joshi's films such as ''Lelam'' (1998) and ''Pathram'' (1999), again, scripted by Ranji Panicker. He played Nasrani character Chackochi in ''Lelam'' and journalist Nandagopal in ''Pathram'' where he co-starred with Manju Warrier. Suresh Gopi, Jayaram, and Manju Warrier teamed up in Sibi Malayil's ''Summer in Bethlahem'' (1998) which was a commercial success.

2000 - Present

He started off 2000 with ''Millennium Stars'' directed by Jayaraj. The movie was a colossal flop and severely affected the careers of all the stars involved. But he had a success later the same year in ''Thenkasipattanam''. After 2000, when his films were doing fairly well, he decided to stop acting in movies depicting violence, a decision he would later regret. It was also rumored that he was giving up his acting career for pursuing a political career. He acted in off-beat movies and accepted only soft roles from 2001 to 2005. With his movies failing to make an impact, he had just one release each in 2002 and 2003. In 2005, he decided to return to action movies. Ranji Panicker, scriptwriter of his most successful movie, ''Commissioner'', directed the sequel ''Bharathchandran I.P.S.'' portraying him as the police commissioner. The movie was a super hit and was followed by a number of movies in the same genre, in which he played the typical police officer or detective. Some of them were successful, like ''The Tiger'', ''Chinthamani Kolacase'' directed by Shaji Kailas, ''Nadiya Kollappetta Rathri'' directed by K. Madhu and ''Detective''. All the others, such as ''Time'', ''Aayudham'', ''Thavalam'', ''Rashtram'', ''Pathaka'', ''Bullet'' and ''Smart City'', were flops. In between he attempted to do a different role with negative shades in ''Lanka'' which, flopped at the box office and ignited a controversy for an unaesthetic kissing scene with his female co-star, Mamta Mohandas. In 2006 he reunited with his favorite director Shaji Kailas for the movie ''Time'', which had huge expectations but bombed at the box office. It was dubbed into Telugu as ''Police Ante Veedera'' and Hindi as ''On Duty'', but failed to fetch better results.

Before coming to the film world, he had displayed great interest in the field of literature; his favourite authors are Bernard Shaw and Shakespeare. He is famous for his philanthropic efforts.

In 2008, Suresh Gopi appeared in multi-starrer ''Twenty: 20'' produced by AMMA. Again, he acted with Mohanlal in ''Pakal Nakshatrangal'', an off-beat movie directed by Rajiv Nath.

In 2010, he appeared with Mohanlal, Dileep and Sarath Kumar for another multi-starrer ''Christian Brothers''.

In 2011, Suresh Gopi acted in the film Melvilasom, which though did not succeed that well commercially was critically lauded. Melvilasom, with nuances in theme and story was another novelty that Malayalam cinema saw in 2011.

In 2012, the making of yet another sequel of Commissioner, ''The King & the Commissioner'' with Mammootty has released on 23 March 2012. Malayalam TV Channel, Asianet declared that Suresh Gopi will anchor Kodeeshwaran program, which is the Malayalam edition of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and Kaun Banega Crorepati.

Awards

National Film Awards:

Best Actor - 1998 - ''Kaliyattam''

Kerala State Film Awards:

Best Actor - 1998 - ''Kaliyattam''

Film Critics Awards:

Film Critics Best Actor Award (three times)

Best Supporting Actor Award (four times)

In July 2005, he was considered for the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of a mentally distressed person in ''Ullam'' and as a doctor in ''Makalkku'', but lost out to Mammootty.

Trivia

Suresh Gopi's father was a friend of producer Balaji and they both named their sons Suresh. Suresh Balaji is also a well known producer in South Indian industry. Balaji is superstar Mohanlal's father-in-law.

Suresh Gopi films of 1990's were criticized for excessive violence and after 2000 Suresh Gopi pledged not to use a gun in any of his movies. This led to a five year downfall to his career. He revoked his pledge in 2005 to appear in Bharathchandran I.P.S. in which he appears with a revolver in the first scene.

He is a strong supporter of Indian National Congress and was close to former Kerala Chief Minister K. Karunakaran.

See also

Cinema of Kerala

References

External links

Official Website

Suresh Gopi biography and filmography

Category:Indian actors Category:Malayali actors Category:People from Thiruvananthapuram Category:Indian child actors Category:National Film Award winners Category:Kerala State Film Award winners Category:Living people Category:People from Kollam Category:1959 births Category:Malayalam film actors

ml:സുരേഷ് ഗോപി ta:சுரேஷ் கோபி

name	Kavya Madhavan
native name	കാവ്യ മാധവൻ
birth name	Kavya Madhavan
birth date	September 19, 1984
birth place	Nileshwaram, Kasargod, Kerala, India
residence	Thammanam, Kochi, Kerala, India
nationality	Indian
ethnicity	Malayali
citizenship	India
occupation	Film actress
other names	Minu
yearsactive	1991 - present
notable works	''Oomappenninu Uriyadappayyan'', ''Perumazhakkalam'', ''Mizhi Randilum'', ''Khaddama'', ''Bhaktha Janangalude Sradhakku''
parents	P. MadhavanShyamala
relatives	Midhun (brother)
spouse	Nischal Chandra (2009-2011)
website	}}

Kavya Madhavan () is an Indian film actress who works in Malayalam cinema. She made her debut in ''Pookkalam Varavayi'' (1991) as a child artist. In 1999, she became a lead actress in Lal Jose's ''Chandranudikkunna Dikhil''.She won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress twice,for her performances in the films Perumazhakkalam (2004) and Khaddama (2010).

Background

She was born on September 19, 1984 in the village of Nileshwaram in Kasargod district, Kerala, India, to P. Madhavan and Shyamala. She attended Nileswaram GLP School and entered the film industry as a child artist. She learned dancing during her school days and participated in competitions. She was a ''Kalathilakam'' in a Sub District Schools Youth Festival.

Movie career

She first appeared as a child in Kamal's film ''Pookkalam Varavayi'' (1991). Her talent was soon recognized, and she was offered other projects such as ''Pavam IA Ivachan'' (1994) and ''Azhakiya Ravanan'' (1996). When she was in ninth standard, she got an offer to play as a heroine in Lal Jose's film ''Chandranudikkunna Dikhil'', which became a super hit. After her leading role, she became popular in the Malayalam film industry. It has been claimed that she was the busiest female actress in Malayalam. She and Dileep are sometimes referred to as the Golden pair. The Dileep-Kavya pairing has produced several big hits, including ''Chandranudikkunna Dikhil'' (1999) and ''Meesa Madhavan'' (2002). In 2010 the pair acted in the film ''Pappy Appacha''. Kavya’s films include ''Mizhi Randilum'', ''Dhosth'', ''Madhuranombarakattu'', ''Sadanandante Samayam'' and ''Meesa Madhavan'', of which the last movie earned record collections in the Malayalam film industry. Her other films include ''Chakkara Muthu'', ''Iruvattam Manavatti'', ''Annorikkal'', ''Kochi Rajavu'', ''Aparichithan'', ''Perumazhakkalam'', ''Gowrisankaram'', ''Runway'', ''Athisayan'', ''Thilakkam'' and many more. She has acted in a few Tamil films; ''Kasi'' was her first film in Tamil that performed well at the box office. She has also acted in some more Tamil films, En Mana Vaanil and Sadhu Miranda. She has acted with various superstars in the Malayalam industry including Mohanlal, Mammootty, Jayaram, Suresh Gopi and Dileep. She also wrote lyric for the song 'En Khalbillulloru Pennaanu' for the film ''One Way Ticket''.

Personal life

She was married to Nishal Chandra on February 5, 2009 at Kollur Mookambika Temple. After the marriage she went to Kuwait to stay with her husband. However, she returned home in June the same year and did not go back thereafter. She filed a divorce petition with the Family Court at Ernakulam on July 24, 2010. Kavya and Nishal had appeared before the Ernakulam Family Court on May 25, 2011 and expressed their willingness, for a mutual divorce. She was granted divorce by court on May 30, 2011.

Awards and achievements

Kerala State Film Awards

2004: Best Actress - ''Perumazhakkalam''

2010: Best Actress - ''Khaddama''

Kerala Film Critics Awards

2000: Second Best Actress - ''Chandranudikkunna Dikhil''

2001: Second Best Actress - ''Kochu Kochu Santhoshangal''

2003: Second Best Actress - ''Mizhi Randilum''

2005: Best Actress - ''Anandabhadram''

2010: Best Actress - ''Khaddama''

Asianet Film Awards

2000: Special Jury Award - ''Kochu Kochu Santhoshangal'', ''Madhuranombarakattu''

2002: Best Star Pair - ''Meesa Madhavan''

2002: Best Actress - ''Oomappenninu Uriyadappayyan''

2004: Special Jury Award Actress - ''Perumazhakkalam''

2009: Best Actress - ''Banaras''

2011: Best Actress - ''Khaddama''

Vanitha-Surya TV Film Awards

2004: Best Actress - ''Mizhi Randilum''

2006: Best Actress - ''Anandabhadram''

2011: Best Actress - ''Khaddama''

Mathrubhumi Film Awards

2002: Best Popular Actress

2002: Best Star Pair - (Dileep and Kavya)

2003: Second Best Actress - ''Mizhi Randilum''

2004: Special Jury Award Actress - ''Perumazhakkalam''

2007: Best Popular Actress

2009: Best Actress - ''Banaras''

2011: Best Actress - ''Khaddama''

Amrita TV FEFKA Film Awards

2010: Best Actress - ''Khaddama''

2011: Best Popular Actress - ''All Films (2011)''

Kerala Film Audience Awards

2001: Monisha Award

2003: Best Actress – ''Oomappenninu Uriyadappayyan''

Other Awards

2000: Bharathan Award - Navagatha Prathibha ''Chandranudikkunna Dikhil''

2003: Fourth Raju Pilakkad Chalachithra Award - ''Oomappenninu Uriyadappayyan''

2007: Sathyan Memorial Award for Best Actress - ''Nadiya Kollappetta Rathri''

2010: Jaihind TV Film Award for Best Actress - ''Khaddama''

2011: Bharath Murali Award - ''Khaddama''

2011: Sathyan Award 2011: Lalitha-Padmini-Ragini Memorial Award 2011 Viewers Choice Award for Best Actress - Khaddama

2011: Reporter TV Film Award for Best Actress - ''Khadamma''

2011: Surya TV Film Awards for Best Actress - ''Khadamma''

2011: Ramu Kariat Film Awards for Best Actress - ''Khadamma''

2011: Manappuram Kanyaka Minnale Film Awards for Young Megastar Female

2011: Thikkurissy Foundation Film Awards for Best Actress - ''Khadamma''

Notable films

{|class="wikitable" |- !No. ! Year ! Film ! Role ! Co-stars ! Director |- | 1 || 1991 || ''Pookkalam Varavayi'' || As Baby Shamili's friend || Jayaram || Kamal |- | 2 || 1994 || ''Pavam IA Ivachan'' || As Innocent's daughter || Jagadish || Roy P. Thomas |- | 3 || 1994 || ''The President'' || Child Artist || Innocent || |- | 4 || 1994 || ''Parassala Pachan Payyannur Paramu'' || Neena || Sreenivasan/Jagathi Sreekumar ||P Venu |- | 5 || 1996 ||''Azhakiya Ravanan''|| Young Anuradha|| Mammootty|| Kamal |- | 6 || 1997 ||''Oral Mathram''|| || Mammootty|| Sathyan Anthikkad |- | 7 || 1997 ||''Snehasindooram''|| || Shankar/Devan/Ambika|| Krishnan Munnaddu |- | 8 || 1997 ||''Bhoothakkannadi''|| Meenu ||Mammootty|| Lohithadas |- | 9 || 1997 ||''Irattakuttikalude Achan''|| As Manju Warrier's sister||Jayaram|| Sathyan Anthikkad |- | 10 || 1997 ||''Krishnagudiyil Oru Pranayakalathu''|| Anjali || Jayaram|| Kamal |- | 11 || 1998 ||''Kattathoru Penpoovu''|| || Murali/Sangeetha|| Mohan Kupplery |- | 12 || 1998 ||''Jeevan Masai''|| || Nedumudi Venu|| T N Gopakumar |- | 13 || 1999 || ''Chandranudikkunna Dikhil'' || Radha || Dileep|| Lal Jose |- | 14 || 2000 || ''Madhuranombarakattu'' || || Biju Menon/Samyuktha Varma/Sarath|| Kamal |- | 15 || 2000 || ''Darling Darling'' || Padmaja/Pappy || Dileep/Vineeth || Rajasenan |- | 16 || 2000 || ''Kochu Kochu Santhoshangal'' || Celin || Jayaram || Sathyan Anthikkad |- | 17 || 2001 || ''Thenkasipattanam'' || Devu || Dileep || Rafi Mecartin |- | 18 || 2001 || ''Rakshasa Rajavu'' || Daisy || Dileep || Vinayan |- | 19 || 2001||''Sahayathrikakku Snehapoorvam'' ||Maya || Kunchacko Boban || M. Shankar |- | 20 || 2001 || ''Dhosth'' || Geethu || Kunchacko Boban || Thulasidas |- | 21 || 2001 || ''Mazhameghapravukal'' ||Malu || Krishna/Shiju || Pradeep |- | 22 || 2002 || ''Onnaman'' ||Suhara || Mohanlal || Thampi Kannamthanam |- | 23 || 2002 || ''Oomappenninu Uriyadappayyan'' || Gopika || Jayasurya || Vinayan |- | 24 || 2002 || ''Kasi (Tamil)'' || As Vikram's sister || Vikram || Vinayan |- | 25 || 2002 || ''Meesa Madhavan'' || Rugmini || Dileep || Lal Jose |- | 26 || 2002 || ''En Mana Vaanil'' (Tamil) || || Jayasurya || Vinayan |- | 27 || 2003 || ''Thilakkam'' || Ammu || Dileep || Jayaraj |- | 28 || 2003 || ''Sadanandante Samayam'' || Sumangala || Dileep || Akbar-Jose |- | 29 || 2003 || ''Katha'' || Meera || Prithviraj/Abbas || Sundardas |- | 30 || 2003 || ''Vellithira'' || As Prithviraj's sister || Prithviraj || Bhadran |- | 31 || 2003 || ''Mizhi Randilum'' || Bhadra / Bhama(Double Role) || Indrajith/Dileep || Ranjith |- | 32 || 2003 || ''Pulival Kalyanam'' || Ganga || Jayasurya || Shafi |-| | 33 || 2003 || ''Gowrisankaram'' || Gauri || Munna || Nemom Pushparaj |- | 34 || 2004 || ''Runway'' || Gopika || Dileep || Joshiy |- | 35 || 2004 || ''Two Wheeler'' || || Jayasurya || |- | 36 || 2004 || ''Aparichithan'' || Meenakshi || Mammootty || Sanjev Sivan |- | 37 || 2004 || ''Greetings'' || Sheethal || Jayasurya || Shajoon Kariyal |- | 38 || 2004 || ''Perumazhakkalam'' || Ganga || Vineeth || Kamal |- | 39 || 2005 || ''Iruvattam Manavatti'' || Bhumika || Kunchacko Boban || Sanal |- | 40 || 2005 || ''Annorikkal'' || Ponnu || Narain || Sarathchandran Wayanad |- | 41 || 2005 || ''Kochi Rajavu'' || Aswathy || Dileep || Johny Antony |- | 42 || 2005 || '' Ananthabhadram'' || Bhadra || Prithviraj || Santhosh Sivan |- | 43 || 2005 || ''Seelabathi'' || Seelabathi || Narain || Shareth |- | 44 || 2006 || ''Lion'' || Sharika || Dileep || Joshiy |- | 45 || 2006 || ''Vadakkumnadhan'' || Bhama || Vineeth || Shajoon Kariyal |- | 46 || 2006 || ''Classmates'' || Thara Kurup || Prithviraj || Lal Jose |- | 47 || 2006 || ''Chakkara Muthu'' || Anitha || Dileep || Lohithadas |- | 48 || 2006 || ''Vasthavam'' || Sumithra || Prithviraj || M. Padmakumar |- | 49 || 2006 || ''Arunam'' || Valli || Vineeth Kumar || Vinod Mankara |- | 50 || 2006 || ''Kilukkam Kilukilukkam'' || Chandini || Kunchacko Boban/Jayasurya/Mohanlal || Sandhya Mohan |- | 51 || 2007 || ''Inspector Garud'' || Sethulakshmi IAS || Dileep || Johny Antony |- | 52 || 2007 || ''Athisayan'' || Maya || Jayasurya || Vinayan |- | 53 || 2007 || ''Nadiya Kollappetta Rathri'' || Naadiya / Naadira (Double Role) || Suresh Gopi || K. Madhu |- | 54 || 2007 || ''Naalu Pennungal'' || || Ravi Vallathol ||Adoor Gopalakrishnan |- | 55 || 2007 || ''Kangaroo'' || Jancy || Prithviraj || Raj Babu |- | 56 || 2008 || ''Twenty:20'' || Ancy || Mohanlal || Joshiy |- | 57 || 2008 || ''Sadhu Miranda'' (Tamil) || Priya || Prasanna || Siddique |- | 58 || 2008 || ''Madampi'' || Jayalakshmi || Mohanlal || B. Unnikrishnan |- | 59 || 2009 || ''Banaras'' || Amritha || Vineeth || Nemom Pushparaj |- | 60 || 2009 || ''Ee Pattanathil Bhootham'' || Ancy || Mammootty ||Johny Antony |- | 61 || 2010 || ''Paappi Appacha'' || Annie || Dileep || Mamas K. Chandran |- | 62 || 2011 || ''Khaddama'' || Aswathy || Biju Menon || Kamal |- | 63 || 2011 || ''Christian Brothers'' || Meenakshi || Dileep || Joshiy |- | 64 || 2011 || ''Chinatown'' ||Rosamma || Mohanlal || Rafi Mecartin |- | 65 || 2011 || ''Bhaktha Janangalude Sradhakku'' || Sumangala || Irshad || Priyanandanan |- | 66 || 2011 || ''Venicile Vyaapari'' || Ammu || Mammootty || Shafi |- | 67 || 2011 || ''Vellaripravinte Changathi'' || || Dileep || Akku Akbar |}

Upcoming films

{|class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Film ! Role ! Opposite ! Director ! Notes |- | 2012 ||''Thambi Durai''|| Kanchana || Prasanna || Muthu Kumar|| FilmingTamil film |- | 2012 ||''Valayar Paramesivam (sequel to runway)''|| Gowri || Dileep || Joshiy|| Announced |- | 2012 ||''Breaking News Live''|| Nayana || Vineeth || Sudhir Ambalapadu|| Filiming |- | 2012 ||''First Bench''|| || Kunchacko Boban/Indrajith || Nishad Valiyaveettil|| Filiming |- | 2012 ||''Vazhave Mayam''|| || lal/Kunchacko boban || Shajun Karyal|| Announced |- | 2012 ||''Ente Amma''|| || Biju Menon || Anil Kunjappan|| Announced |}

References

External links

Category:1984 births Category:Kerala State Film Award winners Category:Living people Category:Malayali actors Category:Malayalam film actors

es:Kavya Madhavan ml:കാവ്യ മാധവൻ