Iruvar (English: The Duo) is a 1997 Tamil political drama film co-written, directed and produced by Mani Ratnam, telling a fictionalized account of the lives of 1980s Tamil Nadu political icons M. G. Ramachandran and M. Karunanidhi and their influential relationship between Tamil cinema and Dravidian politics. The film starred Mohanlal and Prakash Raj in the lead roles with Aishwarya Rai, a former Miss World beauty pageant, making her screen debut through this film in dual characters. Gouthami, Tabu, Revathi and Nassar play other supporting roles, while the film had music composed by A. R. Rahman and cinematography by Santosh Sivan.

The film was showcased in the Masters section at the 1997 Toronto International Film Festival. The film was a critical success and won the Best Film award at the Belgrade International Film Festival and two National Film Awards.

Plot[link]

Set in 1950s, the film begins with Anandan (Mohanlal), a struggling actor, seeking opportunities which will give him a big break in the film industry. Under his uncle's help, Anandan is given an opportunity to audition for the lead role in a forthcoming film. He arrives in the studio and practices his combat skills with sword props provided on the sets while waiting for the director and the crew. At this juncture, he meets Tamizhselvan (Prakash Raj), a small time writer who enters the studio with some sarcastic poetry and this prompts both into a little debate. The debate turns into a mutual respect into each other, and impressed by Tamizhselvan's skills, Anandan requests Tamizhselvan to write dialogues for him to recite during the audition.

With the help of Tamizhselvan's dialogues, Anandan floors the director during the audition and is hired as the hero of the film. Anandan's friendship with Tamizhselvan grows as a result, and Anandan is introduced to Tamizhselvan's political party which is led by Velu Annachi (Nassar). He grows to the party's ideology as time passes by. Anandan then marries a village belle Pushpa (Aishwarya Rai) while Tamizhselvan marries another village girl (Revathy) under the supervision of the party leader. When Anandan returns to Madras, he is greeted by the bad news that the production of the film has been cancelled due to financial difficulties. As Tamizhselvan jubilates at his party's victory, a depressed Anandan is forced to return to old ways of playing extras in the movies. He even loses motivation and doesn't act some parts out well, causing further demotion in his roles. Anandan also sends Pushpa back to her village due to his financial difficulties. At one of the shootings, Anandan is greeted by his mother and uncle with the news that Pushpa has died due to a freak accident in her house. Tamizhselvan travels down to console a grief-stricken Anandan of his wife's death.

Few days later, Anandan's assistant (Delhi Ganesh) informs him that he has been called up for an audition of the same director's new project (the director who hired him for the stalled movie). Anandan is elated and calls up Tamizhselvan, who abandons his pregnant wife while she is giving birth to rush to aid Anandan. He writes dialogues for Anandan once again and the movie starts rolling. Anandan is paired with a rising actress Ramani (Gauthami) for the film. The film receives tremendous response upon release and becomes a huge success, propelling Anandan into fame. At this time, Tamizhselvan encourages Anandan to use his popularity to help the party gain attention. While shooting for his next venture, Anandan and Ramani have some romantic brushes, which causes Ramani's uncle (Nizhalgal Ravi), who lusts over her, to beat her up. Ramani comes to Anandan seeking refuge, and Anandan marries her. At this juncture, the party leader Velu Annachi(Nassar) passes away. Before passing away, Anna Durai has handed Anandan an important mantle in the party, much to the displeasure of Tamizhselvan who thinks Anandan is just a film star is not exactly passionate about the party. When Anna passes away, both Tamizhsevan and Anandan's names come to the fore as the party's new leader, and Tamizhselvan is voted the new leader. He however keeps Anandan only as a party spokesperson and doesn't provide him a ministry position. During a car trip with fellow members, Anandan's aides start breeding hatred by Anandan on Tamizhselvan, saying that Tamizhselvan purposely did not include Anandan in the cabinet. An infuriated Anandan chases the flamers away from his car, but has doubts in his mind nevertheless. Anandan finally asks Tamizhselvan for a ministry position which Tamizhselvan ridicules, finally flaming rivalry between the two.

Tamizhselvan is later shown to have an extramarital affair with a village girl who loves literature (Tabu), whom he first met while fighting for his party's causes before the party became successful. He marries her as his second wife subsequently. Meanwhile, Anandan, after his marriage with Ramani, calls up a new actress to audition to be his next heroine (it was a norm for an actor to work with same actress repeatedly during those days). The actress Kalpana (Aishwarya Rai again) resembles the late Pushpa, making Anandan uncomfortable. Ramani however insists that the actress is very talented and should be hired. Their association starts and the open nature of Kalpana's approach towards him makes Anandan more uncomfortable. Anandan finally reveals the truth about Pushpa, and this sparks off an affair between Anandan and Kalpana. In an ensuing party function held to pay tribute to Anna, Anandan creates controversy by revealing some inside truths of discomfort within the party, prompting Tamizhselvan to sack him from the party.

Anandan retaliates by forming his own party to stand in the election. His party priorities see him distancing himself from Kalpana, to whom he has promised to marry. An infuriated Kalpana walks out and starts doing social work. Anandan's star power enables him to win the election as he uses his films to spread his political propaganda. As he becomes the new chief minister, a key deputy jumps from Tamizselvan's party to Anandan's party, in the belief that Anandan's reign will see less dirty politics. This sparks off a cat and mouse game as Tamizhselvan and Anandan start devising tactics to outdo each other. This includes Anandan having to order Tamizhselvan's arrest after some riots broke out. It slowly dawns that Anandan's reign is no different than Tamizhselvan's and the deputy points out that the same corruption exists in Anandan's reign, to which Anandan says its the nature of politics. Anandan meets Kalpana again while she is doing social work after a while, and sends his assistant (Delhi Ganesh) to bring her back. While in the car, Kalpana, Anandan's assistant, and his driver meet with a fatal accident.

A distraught Anandan loses motivation after that as life begins to dawn upon him. Tamizhselvan, who just gets released from jail also slows down in his tactics to dethrone Anandan as age catches up with both of them. During the wedding of the daughter of one of the party members (who served under both of their reign), Anandan and Tamizhselvan meet each other and share a gracious handshake. The wedding takes place in the same place where they first met, prompting some memories and sly smiles from both of them. At the conclusion of the wedding, Anandan loses his footing and falls. The next morning, Ramani tries in vain to wake up Anandan but he had died in his sleep.

Tamizhselvan receives the news that Anandan has died. He attends the funeral but is unable to see the body as it is being dressed for the funeral parade. Realizing that people there will always assume him as an enemy of Anandan, he heads back to the place they first met and in an emotional monologue, recites poetry mourning his friend's death which depicts the depth of their friendship. The film ends as Anandan's body is paraded across the streets, mourned by a legion of film fans and politicians, finally coming to the crematorium and being cremated.

Cast[link]

• Mohanlal as Anandan
• Prakash Raj as Tamizhselvan
• Aishwarya Rai as Pushpa/Kalpana
• Gauthami as Ramani
• Tabu as Senthamarai
• Revathi as Maragatham
• Nasser as Ayya Veluthambi
• Rajesh as Madhivanan
• Delhi Ganesh as Nambi
• Nizhalgal Ravi
• Major Sundarrajan
• Kaka Radhakrishnan

Production[link]

Development[link]

In October 1995, Mani Ratnam announced that he was set to make a feature film titled Anandan featuring dialogues written by Suhasini with Mohanlal and Aishwarya Rai in the lead roles.^[1] Initial speculation suggested that the film would visualise the duel between LTTE supremo Vellupillai Prabhakaran and his former deputy Mahattiya, who was executed in 1995 for an alleged plot to kill his mentor, with Aishwarya Rai reported to be playing Indira Gandhi.^[2] Mani Ratnam was quick to deny any political backdrop claiming that the film would be about the Indian movie industry, however this proved to bluff the public as the film was to be set within a political canvas. The film was later retitled Iruvar (The Duo) and the idea to make a film on the lives of 1980s Tamil Nadu political icons M. G. Ramachandran and M. Karunanidhi and their influential relationship between Tamil cinema and Dravidian politics by Mani Ratnam was sparked by a conversation he had with renowned Malayalam author, M. T. Vasudevan Nair.^[3]

Casting[link]

When interviewed about the difficulties of casting, Mani Ratnam revealed he "struggled" citing that that casting "is most important as far as performance is concerned" and that "fifty per cent of the job is done if you cast correctly".^[3] Mohanlal was chosen to play Anandan, a character inspired by the former actor-politician M. G. Ramachandran and about his performance in the film, Mani Ratnam claimed that Mohanlal had "the ability to make everything absolutely realistic with the least amount of effort". He described that debutant Aishwarya Rai, the former Miss World beauty pageant winner, who appeared in two different characters - one inspired by actress-politician Jayalalitha, as a "tremendous dancer" and "having a lot of potential". The director revealed that the only difficulty Mohanlal and Aishwarya had was the language, both being non-Tamil speakers adding that the pair had to work hard over the dubbing trying to get as close to the Tamil tongue.^[3] The actor to play the role of Tamizhselvan, inspired by politician M. Karunanidhi, took substantially longer to finalise with the initial choice, Nana Patekar, withdrawing after several discussions. Mohanlal's Malayalam counterpart Mammootty was offered the role but declined the offer, as did leading actors Kamal Hassan, Sathyaraj and Mithun Chakraborty.^[4][5] Mani Ratnam also called Madhavan, then a small-time model for the screen test, but left him out of the project citing that he thought his eyes looked too young for a senior role.^[6][7] Subsequently Prakash Raj, who had played a small role in Mani Ratnam's 1994 film Bombay was signed up to essay the character. Prakash Raj initially told Mani Ratnam that he was unprepared to essay such a delicate role in such short notice, with Prakash Raj later revealing that Mani Ratnam nurtured the character and brought self-confidence into the actor. Renowned for being a perfectionist film-maker, Mani Ratnam made Prakash Raj take 25 takes for his first shot, lasting over six hours.^[4] Actress Tabu was also signed to play an important role in the film and shot for Iruvar alongside her Tamil debut film, Kadhal Desam.^[8]

Filming[link]

The film was shot across 1996 and schedules were canned all across India from Tamil Nadu to Leh with Mohanlal stating that it was the longest duration he had shot for a film.^[9] The film was briefly stopped by the FEFSI strike of 1996, making technicians unavailable for use, but Mani Ratnam carried on filming and completed a song using only natural light. After the shooting for Iruvar was completed, Mani Ratnam asked Prakash Raj to dub in Tamil himself for the first time, with his work taking four days to complete.^[4]

Release[link]

The censors saw the film on December 31, 1996 and opined that various characters in the film reflected the personal lives of some politicians and accordingly a certificate was denied. Following the producer’s protest, it was seen by an eight-member revising committee on January 2, 1998 which suggested deletion of some objectionable portions and cleared the film for “UA’ certification. Four dialogues from the film were subsequently cut.^[10]

Two days before the release of the film, Dravidar Kazhagam president K. Veeramani threatened to mobilise public opinion against its screening in theatres, because he felt that it contained “objectionable” footage denigrating the Dravidian movement founded by Periyar.^[11] The politician threatened legal action, if the film was screened in theatres without removing what he perceived as the “offending” portion, but Mani Ratnam dismissed that Veeramani was making rushed conclusions without having seen the film.^[11]

A month after release in February 1997, the regional chief of the censor board G. Rajasekharan brought up the issue again and referred the film to the Indian Home Office for “advice”, threatening that if more scenes were not deleted, it might ultimately, lead to a law and order problem.^[10]

Criticism[link]

The movie dealt with a very sensitive subject. The two men whose lives were chronicled enjoy an enormous fan following. The dash and flair and captivating oratorical abilities of M. Karunanidhi has attracted many millions over the 50 years of his political life. M. G. Ramachandran enjoys a semi-divine status in Tamil Nadu with people constructing temples for him. On account of this the movie invited much criticism from both the camps. Moreover the personal lives of the lead characters (their extramarital relations, ego problems) have been portrayed with near accuracy in the film. M. G. Ramachandran is shown as a relentless womanizer who meets his match in the wiles of J Jayalalithaa.When the movie was released, various political parties staged demonstrations to prevent theaters from showing the movie. Still the movie is regarded as one of Mani Rathnam's best work ever. The movie enjoys enormous fan following among the Tamils in the world and has achieved cult status. DVDs of the movie are continuously in demand.

Awards[link]

The film won the following awards:

1997 Belgrade International Film Festival

• Won - Best Film of the Festival of the Auteur Films - Iruvar - Mani Ratnam

The film won two National Film Awards in 1998, with Prakash Raj winning the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Tamizhselvan,^[4] and Santosh Sivan's work in the film gaining the Best Cinematography award.

Soundtrack[link]

The film's soundtrack features six songs composed by A. R. Rahman with lyrics penned by Vairamuthu. It has songs ranging from pure Carnatic to Tamil folk and jazz. Rahman blended two Carnatic ragas—"Naatai" and "Ghambeera Naatai"—in "Narumugaye". "Venilla Venilla", sung by veteran singer Asha Bhonsle, and "Hello Mister Edirkatchi" are based on jazz music. "Udal Mannukku" and "Unnodu Njan Irundha" were recitals sung by actor Arvind Swamy.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Iruvar at the Internet Movie Database

Aishwarya Rai
Aishwarya Rai in Cannes film festival 2012
Born	Aishwarya Rai (1973-11-01) 1 November 1973 (age 38)[1] Mangalore, Karnataka, India
Residence	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India[2]
Other names	Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Occupation	actor, model
Years active	1991–present
Spouse	Abhishek Bachchan (2007–present)
Children	Aaradhya Bachchan
Signature	150px

Aishwarya Rai, known also as Aishwarya Rai Bachchan after her marriage^[3] (Tulu pronunciation [əjɕʋərjaː rəj]; born 1 November 1973) is an Indian film actress. She worked as a model before starting her acting career, and ultimately won the Miss World pageant in 1994. Rai has featured in films in various languages including Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, and Bengali.

Often cited by the media as the "most beautiful woman in the world",^[4][5][6] Rai made her acting debut with Mani Ratnam's Tamil film Iruvar (1997), and had her first commercial success in Jeans (1998). She found success in Bollywood with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999) and Devdas (2002) and eventually won two Filmfare Awards in the Best Actress category.

After a series of unsuccessful films during 2003–2005, she appeared in the blockbuster action thriller Dhoom 2 (2006) and subsequently featured in such films as Guru (2007), Jodhaa Akbar (2008), and Enthiran (2010). She gained critical acclaim for her performances in offbeat, independent films such as Chokher Bali (2003), Raincoat (2004), and Provoked (2007).^[7][8] Rai has thus established herself as one of the leading contemporary actresses of Indian cinema.^[9][10]

Rai's off-screen roles include duties as brand ambassador for various charity organisations and campaigns. She is married to fellow actor Abhishek Bachchan, son of actors Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan. In 2009 she was honoured with the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award given by the Government of India.

Early life and background[link]

Rai was born into an ethnic Bunt^[11] family in Mangalore, Karnataka.^[12] Her father, Krishnaraj, was a marine biologist, while her mother, Brindya, is a housewife.^[1] She has one elder brother, Aditya Rai, who is an engineer in the merchant navy. He co-produced one of her movies, Dil Ka Rishta (2003).^[13]

The family moved to Mumbai, where Rai attended the Arya Vidya Mandir High School.^[1] Rai did her intermediate schooling at Jai Hind College for a year,^[14] and then joined DG Ruparel College^[15] in Matunga, securing 90 percent in the HSC exams.^[1][16] She trained in classical dance and music for five years during her teens.^[16] Her favourite subject was zoology, so she initially considered a career in medicine.^[16] With plans to become an architect, she enrolled at Raheja College, but later gave up her education to pursue a career in modelling.^[14]

Modelling career[link]

One of her earliest modelling assignment was, when she was in the ninth grade, for Camlin Pencils.^[16] One of her professors at Jai Hind College took pictures of her which were published in a fashion magazine.^[17] In 1991 Rai took part in the Ford Supermodel Contest and also appeared in Vogue Magazine.^[15] She has been on the cover of Vogue three times.^[18]

Rai became popular after appearing in a Pepsi commercial with actor Aamir Khan.^[16] She modelled for Longines watches, Coca-Cola,^[19] Lakmé Cosmetics, Casio pager, Philips, Palmolive,^[17] Lux, and Fuji films.^[20] She continued to model while pursuing her studies in architecture.^[1][17] She was named the official brand ambassador for De Beers diamonds in India.^[20]

In the 1994 Miss India contest, she won second place, behind Sushmita Sen, and was crowned Miss India World.^[21] She went on to win the Miss World^[22] title the same year, where she also won the Miss Photogenic award.^[23] After winning the pageant, she gave up her studies and spent one year reigning as Miss World in London.^[21] Rai continued to pursue a career as a model until she became an actress.^[24]

Acting career[link]

Early work (1997–98)[link]

Rai made her acting debut in Mani Ratnam's Tamil biopic film Iruvar (1997), where she worked alongside Mohanlal.^[25] The film was a critical success and won many awards, including Best Film award at the Belgrade International Film Festival,^[26] and two National Film Awards.^[26] Rai appeared in dual roles, one of which was a depiction of political leader and former actress J. Jayalalithaa.^[27] Rai made her Bollywood debut in the film in Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya, opposite Bobby Deol, which released the same year; the film was unsuccessful at the box office.^[28] Her third project, Jeans (1998), a high-budget Tamil film directed by S. Shankar, was a commercial success. The film included the song "Poovukkul", written by Vairamuthu, in which Rai's character is compared to the seven wonders of the world and described as the eighth.^[29][30] The film was India's official entry to the Academy Awards in that year.^[31]

Success (1999–2002)[link]

In 1999 Rai starred in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, opposite Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan.^[32] The film had Rai playing Nandini, who is forced to marry Devgan despite being in love with another man (Khan). Her husband tries to help her locate her previous love, and his caring attention eventually wins her over. Rai's portrayal won her critical acclaim, with a review on Rediff.com stating, "Aishwarya looks beautiful as usual ... This film will most likely draw her accolades from all over, may be even get her recognised as an actress the way Manisha Koirala did in Khamoshi. In many scenes, there is no trace of makeup and she looks very fresh".^[33] The film was her first box office success in Bollywood, and earned her a Filmfare Best Actress Award.^[34]

In the same year she appeared in Subhash Ghai's Taal,^[35] in which she played Mansi, a young village woman who becomes a big pop star after being hurt by her lover, played by Akshay Khanna. The film was an average grosser in India but was a big success outside India, especially in the United States, where it became the first Indian film in the top 20 on Variety's box office list.^[36] Her performance was praised, with a reviewer from Rediff.com writing, "After being praised for her looks and acting talent in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Aishwarya has excelled in Taal. She looks ethereal and unlike the former film, has a very sober and soft role. Though she looks pained and tragic in most of the film, she does a good job of a woman who is very protective of her father and one who doesn't think twice before rejecting a lover who has insulted her father."^[37] She received another Best Actress nomination from the Filmfare Awards for her work in the film.^[38]

In 2000 she appeared in Mansoor Khan's Josh alongside Shahrukh Khan and Chandrachur Singh, in which she plays a Catholic named Shirley who falls in love with the sibling of her brother's enemy.^[39] The film was a commercial success.^[40] Later that year she appeared in Satish Kaushik's Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai, opposite Anil Kapoor. It was a moderate success, and her performance earned her a Filmfare Best Actress Award nomination.^[41] Later that year she played a supporting role in Aditya Chopra's Mohabbatein, alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan. The second-highest grosser of the year, the film was a major commercial success, and earned her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award nomination.^[41][42] Later that year, she starred in the Tamil film Kandukondain Kandukondain, alongside Mammooty, Ajith Kumar, and Tabu. Rai plays Tabu's younger sibling, a dreamer at heart, whose hopes come crashing down when she discovers she's been cheated by her lover.^[43] Directed by Rajiv Menon, the movie was a successful venture commercially.^[7][44]

In 2002 Rai appeared alongside Shahrukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas, an adaptation of Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel of the same name.^[45] She played the role of Paro (Parvati), the love interest of the protagonist, played by Khan. The film received a special screening at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival.^[46] It became the highest-grossing film of the year in India and overseas, earning a revenue of Rs 390 million domestically.^[47][48] Devdas won numerous awards, including 10 Filmfare Awards, and Rai received her second Filmfare Best Actress Award for her performance.^[49]

Professional setback (2003–05)[link]

In 2003 she acted in Rituparno Ghosh's Bengali film Chokher Bali, an adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore's novel of the same name.^[50] She portrays the character of a young woman called Binodini,^[51] who is left on her own when her sickly husband dies soon after they are married.^[52] Rai's performance in the film was well-received by critics, with "Derek Elley" from Variety writing, "Rai dominates the film with her delicately sensual presence and physical grace".^[53] The film was critically acclaimed and did well at the box office,^[54][55] That year she appeared in the Bollywood film Dil Ka Rishta, with Arjun Rampal, and Rohan Sippy's Kuch Na Kaho, alongside Abhishek Bachchan,^[56] neither of which fared well at the box office.^[56][57]

In 2004 she appeared alongside Martin Henderson in Bride and Prejudice, Gurinder Chadha's Bollywood-style English adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. She played Lalita Bakshi, the film's version of Austen's character Elizabeth Bennet. Based on 131 reviews, the film has a rating of 64 percent at the review website Rotten Tomatoes.^[58] She played a negative role for the first time in Rajkumar Santoshi's Khakee, which also featured Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgan, and Jayapradha. The film was a box office success.^[59] In the same year she worked with director Rituparno Ghosh for the second time, in Raincoat, where she starred alongside Ajay Devgan. The film was highly acclaimed by critics, with Rai receiving rave reviews for her performance.^[60] The Hindu commented "Raincoat can easily be Aishwarya Rai's best performance, and as Neerja, the former beauty queen appears to have shed her inhibitions about looking unglamorous. What is more, she seems to have made an earnest effort to emote, using less of her body and limbs and more of her face, and eyes in particular".^[61]

In 2005 she appeared in Shabd, a film based on a love triangle, alongside Sanjay Dutt and Zayed Khan. The film was unsuccessful at the box office; it received average reviews from critics.^[62] Her next release was Paul Mayeda Berges's The Mistress of Spices, based on the novel of the same name by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni,^[63] in which she starred alongside Dylan McDermott.^[64] The film received negative reviews from critics,^[65] and was a commercial failure.^[66] The same year she made a special appearance in a hugely popular seven-minute dance sequence for the song "Kajra Re", with Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan, in Shaad Ali's Bunty Aur Babli.^[67]

Recent work (2006–present)[link]

In 2006 Rai portrayed the title role in J P Dutta's Umrao Jaan, the story of a courtesan and poetess from 19th-century Lucknow. The movie is the second adaptation of the Urdu novel Umrao Jaan Ada (1905), by Mirza Hadi Ruswa. Rai's work received mixed reviews, and the film was a critical and commercial failure. Critics particularly felt the new version is poor when compared to the acclaimed 1981 version by Muzaffar Ali, which starred Rekha in the title role. BBC critic Poonam Joshi wrote, "While only Aishwarya could emulate the grace and poise of Rekha, she doesn't quite capture the intensity of Umrao's abiding melancholy", commenting that "her incandescent beauty and artistry... does indeed keep the audience watching, though not necessarily emotionally engaged."^[68] Later that year she appeared as a master thief, Sunheri, in the Yash Raj Films production of Dhoom 2, directed by Sanjay Gadhvi. The ensemble cast included Hrithik Roshan, Abhishek Bachchan, Bipasha Basu, and Uday Chopra. The movie was a blockbuster, and became the highest grossing film of the year in India, earning revenues of over Rs 770 million domestically.^[69] A controversy arose regarding a scene containing a kiss between her and Hrithik Roshan.^[70] Rai's performance received mostly negative reviews, with a reviewer on Rediff.com writing, "Ash's character too is all gloss and no depth. You seldom feel any tension in her behaviour and expressions as she accompanies the master thief on potentially dangerous missions. Sunehri enters the film nearly 50 minutes after its opening in a disguise. In no time, she is wearing the flimsiest of clothes. Once she opens her mouth—and she does it two minutes after appearing in the film—she spoils the image. There is no sensuality any more, and half an hour later, one wonders what made the master thief fall for her."^[71] Nonetheless, her performance earned her a sixth nomination for Filmfare Best Actress Award.

In 2007 she appeared in Mani Ratnam's Guru as Sujata. Speculated to be based on the life of Indian businessman Dhirubhai Ambani, it is a rag to riches story about an ambitious small-town man who ends up as the owner of the biggest corporation in India. The film premièred at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto, Canada, the first Indian film to have a mainstream international premiere in that country.^[72][73] The film was critically acclaimed, and performed well at the box office.^[74] Critical reception for Rai was mixed. While Nikhat Kazmi from The Times of India wrote that she is "just okay, and fails to register the growth in her character", Rediff.com's Raja Sen described it as "arguably her finest performance, visible especially when she takes over the film's climax."^[75][76] Rai received her seventh Filmfare nomination for Best Actress for her performance. In the same year she starred alongside Naveen Andrews and Miranda Richardson in Jag Mundhra's British film Provoked, as Kiranjit Ahluwalia, an Non-resident Indian woman who kills her abusive husband after facing severe domestic violence. Rai received mostly positive reviews for her portrayal. It was screened in the Marché du Film Cannes Film Market during the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. Ahluwalia sat next to Rai during the screening, reportedly holding her hand and sobbing during the most violent scenes.^[77] In the same year Rai appeared as a warrior from Kerala named Mira in Doug Lefler's epic film The Last Legion, alongside Sir Ben Kingsley, Colin Firth, and Thomas Sangster. The film was a critical failure.^[78]

In 2008 Rai starred alongside Hrithik Roshan in Ashutosh Gowariker's historical drama Jodhaa Akbar. The story is a partly fictionalised account of the life of Muslim Mughal emperor Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar, played by Roshan, and his Hindu wife Jodha Bai, played by Rai. The film was a critical and commercial success, earning revenues of over Rs 590 million domestically. Rai's performance in the film was praised by critics, with Rajeev Masand writing, "Aishwarya Rai is wonderfully restrained and uses her eyes expertly to communicate so much, making this one of her finest outings on screen".^[79] She earned her eighth nomination for Best Actress at the Filmfare Awards for her performance. Later that year she co-starred with husband Abhishek Bachchan and father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan in Ram Gopal Verma's Sarkar Raj, a sequel to his previous film, Sarkar.^[80] She plays the CEO of a major power company that is proposing a new power plant in rural Maharashtra. The film was a critical and commercial success.^[81][82]

In 2009 she appeared in Harald Zwart's spy comedy film The Pink Panther 2, playing the role of criminology expert Sonia Solandres. Like its predecessor, the sequel received negative reviews from critics,^[83] and did a moderate business of $34,590,360 at the U.S box office.^[84] In 2010 she collaborated with Mani Ratnam for a bilingual project, two films featuring Rai portraying a character based on the goddess Sita. The films were shot simultaneously, with Rai's role being one of the only roles which were played by the same performer in both versions. Upon release, the project received mixed reviews. Though both her portrayals of Ragini were praised, the Hindi version—Raavan, alongside Abhishek Bachchan—failed commercially, whilst the Tamil version—Raavanan—was successful. The Hindi version of the film got decent reviews in various US media, including the New York Times and Los Angeles Times, with the former saying, "Raavan has Bollywood glamour aplenty, with the lovely if occasionally dramatically challenged Aishwarya Rai Bachchan", and the latter describing Rai as a scene-stealer.^[85]

Rai paired with Rajinikanth in the science fiction Tamil film Enthiran (2010), directed by S. Shankar.^[86] The film—the most expensive ever made in India—was released worldwide in 2010, and is the highest-grossing Indian film when all its versions are totalled.^[87][88][89] She appeared in Vipul Shah's Action Replayy opposite Akshay Kumar, which received mixed reviews from critics. Rai's final release in 2010 was Guzaarish, her third collaboration with director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and actor Hrithik Roshan. The film tells the story of Ethan Mascarenhas (Roshan), a former magician who has been quadriplegic for twelve years; after years of struggle he files an appeal to the court for euthanasia. Rai played Ethan's strict, devoted, and supportive nurse Sophie D'Souza. The film opened to positive reviews, and Rai's portrayal was praised. According to Nikhat Kazmi, "Aishwarya is a stunning picture of fire and grace, walking away with certain scenes by her sheer vitality."^[90][91] In 2011 she received her ninth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. As of May 2011, she is set to appear in Rajkumar Santoshi's next film, Ladies and Gentlemen, along with Abhishek Bachchan,^[92] and in Madhur Bhandarkar's next directorial venture, Heroine.^[93] The shooting of both films was postponed, due to Rai's pregnancy.^[94][95] She will not appear in Heroine, which is going forward with Kareena Kapoor.^[96]

Social work[link]

In 1999 Rai participated in a world tour called the Magnificent Five, along with Aamir Khan, Rani Mukerji, Akshaye Khanna, and Twinkle Khanna.^[97] In the same year, she was appointed as Longines Ambassador of Elegance.^[98] In 2003 she became the first Indian actress to be a jury member at the Cannes Film Festival.^[99] In 2003 she became a global brand ambassador of L'Oréal, alongside Andie MacDowell, Eva Longoria, and Penélope Cruz.^[100][101] Rai is the brand ambassador for The Eye Bank Association of India's nationwide campaign to promote eye donation in India.^[102] In 2005 she became a brand ambassador for Pulse Polio, a campaign established by the Government of India in 1994 to eradicate polio in India.^[103] In the same year, Rai was appointed spokesperson for the International Year of Microcredit, raising awareness of the main goals and priorities of the United Nations' poverty alleviation efforts.^[104][105]

In February 2005 Rai performed alongside other Bollywood stars at the HELP! Telethon Concert, an event to raise money for the victims of the 2004 tsunami earthquake.^[106] Along with other members of the Bachchan family, she laid the foundation of a special school for underprivileged girls in Daulatpur village in Uttar Pradesh in 2008. Construction is being funded by the Bachchan family, and the school will be named after Rai.^[107] She appeared along with various other Bollywood actors at the closing ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. The performance showcased Indian culture as a lead-up to India hosting the 2010 Commonwealth Games.^[108]

In 2009 Rai was appointed as the first Goodwill Ambassador of Smile Train, an international charity that provides free Cleft lip and palate surgery to children in need. Her work with Smile Train will focus not only on India, but on 76 different developing countries around the world.^[109][110]

Personal life[link]

In 1999 Aishwarya began dating Bollywood actor Salman Khan; their relationship was often reported in the media until the couple separated in 2001. Rai cited "abuse (verbal, physical and emotional), infidelity and indignity" on the part of Khan as reasons for ending the relationship.^[111] In a 2009 Times of India article, Khan denied ever beating her: "It's not true that I hit a woman."^[112]

Rai is married to actor Abhishek Bachchan, they met in 1997.^[18] Their engagement was announced on 14 January 2007 and later confirmed by his father, Amitabh Bachchan.^[113] The couple married on 20 April 2007 according to traditional Hindu rites of the Bunt community, to which she belongs.^[114] Token North Indian and Bengali ceremonies were also performed. The wedding took place in a private ceremony at the Bachchan residence, "Prateeksha", in Juhu, Mumbai.^[114] They have been described as a supercouple in the Indian media.^[115][116] Rai is very close to her family and lived with them in Bandra, Mumbai, until her marriage.^[117][118] Rai is Hindu and deeply religious.^[4]

Rai gave birth to a baby girl on 16 November 2011.^[119] Her daughter became quite popular by the name of "Beti B" which was christened by the fans and the media, since the couple took over four months to name their daughter. The baby girl was finally named as Aaradhya Bachchan in March 2012.^[120]

Awards and honours[link]

Aishwarya Rai is a two-time winner of the Filmfare Best Actress Award, and has been nominated for Filmfare Awards eleven times.^[41][121] She has won numerous times at the International Indian Film Academy Awards, Star Screen Awards, Zee Cine Awards, and others. In 2009 Rai was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest Indian civilian award, for her contributions to Indian cinema.^[122] In 2001 Forbes named Rai among the top five Indian movie stars.^[123] In a reader poll conducted by UK's Hello! magazine, she was voted "the most attractive woman of 2003".^[124] In the same year, Rai appeared in Rolling Stone magazine's annual "Hot List".^[125] In 2004 she was chosen by TIME magazine as one of the world's most influential people, and appeared on the cover of its 2003 Asia edition.^{[126][127][128]} In October 2004 a wax figure of Rai was put on display in London's Madame Tussaud's wax museum.^[129] She was the sixth Indian and the second Bollywood personality—after her father-in-law, Amitabh Bachchan—to get this honour. In 2007 the same figure was displayed at Madame Tussaud's Museum in Times Square in New York.^[130]

Aishwarya Rai with her husband, Abhishek Bachchan, at the IIFA Awards (2007)

In 2005 she was the subject of a 60 Minutes profile on 2 January, which said that "at least according to thousands of Web sites, Internet polls and even Julia Roberts", she was "the world's most beautiful woman".^[4] The same year, a tulip in the Netherlands was named "Aishwarya Rai" after her.^[131] Also in 2005, Mattel released a limited edition of Barbie dolls of Aishwarya Rai in the United Kingdom.^[132] The British magazine Maxim ranked Rai first on their list of "Hottest Women of India".^[133]

Rai appeared on such shows as Late Show with David Letterman, and was the first Bollywood personality to appear on Oprah's "Women Across the Globe" segment. In 2005 Harpers and Queen's list of "Most Beautiful Women in The World" ranked her ninth.^[134] In May 2006 Aishwarya was featured in People Magazine as one of the "World's Most Beautiful People".^[135] The UK magazine Eastern Eye ranked her third in the list of "Asia's Sexiest Women" in 2006,^[136] and she was ranked eighth in 2009.^[137] In 2008 American television channel E!: Entertainment listed Aishwarya's eyes as the sexiest on their Sexiest Body Parts list.^[138] In 2009 she made appearances on Martha Stewart's show Martha and on the The Tyra Banks Show.^[139][140] In the same year Forbes listed Rai at 387th out of 1,411 actors on their list of the most bankable stars in Hollywood. She is the highest-ranked Indian actor on the list.^[141][142]

In 2009, Rai refused to accept the second-highest Order Of France, Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, as her father was suffering from a serious illness, and she wanted her whole family to attend the award ceremony.^[143] She is the fourth Indian actor—after Sivaji Ganesan, Nandita Das, and Shahrukh Khan—to be chosen for the award. Amitabh Bachchan was chosen for another Order Of France, the Legion of Honour.^[144] In June 2009 she was declared the Female Star of The Decade at the tenth International Indian Film Academy Awards, held in Macau.^[145] In December 2010 she was declared the "Actress of the Decade" at the BIG Star Entertainment Awards.^[146] In March 2011 Rai was honoured by Karnataka Chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa at World Kannada Meet (Vishwa Kannada Sammelana) for her contributions to the arts.^[147] Later that month she was presented with the "Decade of Global Achievement Honour" by FICCI.^[148] She attended the 83rd Academy Awards, along with her husband, Abhishek.^[149]

Filmography[link]

See also[link]

• List of Indian film actresses

References[link]

Further reading[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Aishwarya Rai

• Aishwarya Rai at the Internet Movie Database

Awards and titles for Aishwarya Rai v t e Miss World titleholders (1980–1999) Gabriella Brum (1980) Pilín León (1981) Mariasela Álvarez (1982) Sarah-Jane Hutt (1983) Astrid Carolina Herrera (1984) Hólmfríður Karlsdóttir (1985) Giselle Laronde (1986) Ulla Weigerstorfer (1987) Linda Pétursdóttir (1988) Aneta Kręglicka (1989) Gina Tolleson (1990) Ninibeth Leal (1991) Julia Kourotchkina (1992) Lisa Hanna (1993) Aishwarya Rai (1994) Jacqueline Aguilera (1995) Irene Skliva (1996) Diana Hayden (1997) Linor Abargil (1998) Yukta Mookhey (1999) Complete list (1951–1959) (1960–1979) (1980–1999) (2000–2019) v t e Miss World Continental Queen of Beauty titleholders (1994) Africa Basetsane Makgalemele Americas Irene Ferreira Asia & Oceania Aishwarya Rai Caribbean Anita Bush Europe Branka Bebić v t e Major international pageant titleholders (1994) Miss Universe Sushmita Sen Miss World Aishwarya Rai Miss International Christina Lekka Major international pageants titleholders of 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 v t e Miss India winners in the Grand Slam pageants Miss Universe Sushmita Sen (1994) · Lara Dutta (2000) Miss World Reita Faria (1966) · Aishwarya Rai (1994) · Diana Hayden (1997) · Yukta Mookhey (1999) · Priyanka Chopra (2000) Miss Asia Pacific Zeenat Aman (1970) · Tara Anne Fonseca (1973) · Dia Mirza (2000) Miss Earth Nicole Faria (2010) Miss International - Dominican Republic India Panamá Philippines Puerto Rico USA Venezuela v t e Filmfare Award for Best Actress Rekha (1981) Smita Patil (1982) Padmini Kolhapure (1983) Shabana Azmi (1984) Shabana Azmi (1985) Dimple Kapadia (1986) Not awarded (1987) Not awarded (1988) Rekha (1989) Sridevi (1990) Madhuri Dixit (1991) Sridevi (1992) Madhuri Dixit (1993) Juhi Chawla (1994) Madhuri Dixit (1995) Kajol (1996) Karisma Kapoor (1997) Madhuri Dixit (1998) Kajol (1999) Aishwarya Rai (2000) Complete list (1954–1960) (1961–1980) (1981–2000) (2001–present) v t e Filmfare Award for Best Actress Karisma Kapoor (2001) Kajol (2002) Aishwarya Rai (2003) Preity Zinta (2004) Rani Mukerji (2005) Rani Mukerji (2006) Kajol (2007) Kareena Kapoor (2008) Priyanka Chopra (2009) Vidya Balan (2010) Kajol (2011) Vidya Balan (2012) Complete list (1954–1960) (1961–1980) (1981–2000) (2001–2020)

P. Unnikrishnan
Unnikrishnan
Background information
Born	(1965-07-09) July 9, 1965 (age 46) Palakkad, Kerala, India
Genres	Indian classical music
Occupations	Playback Singer, Classical Singer & Judge (Idea Star Singer, Airtel super singer 2008)
Years active	1992 – present
Website	http://www.unnikrishnan.com/

P. Unnikrishnan (born 9 July 1965) (Malayalam:ഉണ്ണികൃഷ്ണൻ) is a Carnatic vocalist and a national award winning playback singer.

Early life and background[link]

Unnikrishnan was born to K. Radhakrishnan and Dr. Harini Radhakrishnan in Palakkad, Kerala.^[1] The family home, Kesari Kuteeram, was a well known landmark of Madras city, with great grandfather Dr KN Kesari being an eminent Ayurvedic physician and the promoter of the popular Telugu women's magazine Gruhalakshmi .

He went to Asan Memorial Senior Secondary School, Chennai, in 1983. He graduated from Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda College, Chennai, and received his B.Com degree from the Madras University. He earned a General Law and Post Graduate Diploma in Personnel Management and Industrial Relations.

He worked as an executive in Parrys Confectionery Ltd. from 1987 to 1992 and quit his job to become a professional singer.

Singing career[link]

Unnikrishnan was initiated into Carnatic Music at age of 12 by Seshadri, Unnikrishnan. He was inspired by Sangita Kalanidhi Dr. S. Ramanathan.^[2] He attended a special workshop for six months on "Veena Dhanammal Bhani" under Sangeetha Kalanidhi T.Brinda and Sangeetha Kalanidhi Dr.T.Vishwanathan.^[3]

He is a national award winning playback singer for his debut film song "Ennavale Adi Ennavale". The song was composed by A. R. Rahman, with whom Unni Krishnan gave most of his memorable songs. He is one of the permanent judges in the reality television show AIRTEL Super Singer on Vijay TV in both the seasons (2006, 2008 & 2010-2011) and 2008 Idea Star Singer on Asianet.

Unnikrishnan is also becoming known for his experimental work. In 2008, he presented a novel jazz concert in Trivandrum with the Eli Yamin Jazz Quartet and pianist Anil Srinivasan.

He prefers singing classical songs to movies.

“Carnatic music has grown to a great extent. The taste of the audience has changed with time. Youngsters have developed a taste for the music form and the number of people flocking to these concerts has increased by leaps and bounds. There is novelty in the genre.”

“The nuances of Carnatic music may be difficult for a layman to understand but music lovers today are willing to put in the effort to enjoy the music. I have seen youngsters talking about this form of music with enthusiasm. People take time off their busy schedules to come and listen to us artistes. So, it’s our responsibility to ensure that they enjoy the music. Even in reality shows, we ask the contestants to develop a taste for Carnatic music so that they can perform better in light music”.^[4]

Personal life[link]

Unni Krishnan is married to Priya, a Bharathanatyam and Mohiniyattam dancer. They were married on November 1996 and have a son named Vasudev Krishna and a daughter named Uthra. Vasudev Krishna was born in 27 May 2000 and Uthra was born in 11 June 2004. He is passionate about cricket and is a member of the Madras Cricket Club and Life Member of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association.^[5] and he is the great grand son of Dr KN Kesari.

Partial Playback Singing Discography[link]

Year	Song Title	Film Name	Language	Music Director	Co-Singers
1994	Ennavale Adi Ennavale	Kadhalan	Tamil	A. R. Rahman	Solo
	Uyirum Neeye	Pavithra	Tamil	A. R. Rahman	SoloLL
	Thenmearku Paruvakkatru	Karuthamma	Tamil	A. R. Rahman	K. S. Chitra
1995	Meenamma Adikalaiyulum	Aasai	Tamil	Deva	Anuradha Sriram
	Pulveli Pulveli (Humming)				K. S. Chitra
	"Maharajan Odu Rani"	Sathi Leelavathi	Tamil	Ilaiyaraja	K. S. Chitra
1996	O Vennilaa	Kadhal Desam	Tamil	A. R. Rahman	Solo
	Thendrale Thendrale				Mano
	Sakhiye Neethan	Anthimanthaarai	Tamil	A. R. Rahman	Solo
	Kaalamellam Kadhal Vaazhga	Kadhal Kottai	Tamil	Deva	K. S. Chitra
	Naalai Ulagam Illai Endral	Love Birds	Tamil	A. R. Rahman	Sujatha Mohan
1997	Narumughaye	Iruvar	Tamil	A. R. Rahman	Bombay Jayashree
	Manam Virumbudhe	Nerukku Ner	Tamil	Deva	Solo
	Soniyaa Soniyaa	Ratchagan	Tamil	A. R. Rahman	Harini, Udit Narayan
	Veesum Kaatrukku	Ullaasam	Tamil	Karthik Raja	Bhavatharini
	Mayilu Mayilu Mayilamma	V.I.P	Tamil	Ranjith Barot	K. S. Chitra, Mano, Ranjini
	Yen Pen Endru	Love Today	Tamil	Siva	Solo
1998	Selaiyile Veedu Kattava	Aval Varuvala	Tamil	S. A. Rajkumar	K. S. Chitra
	Hai Rabba	Jeans	Tamil	A. R. Rahman	Pallavi
	Adhisayam				Sujatha Mohan
	Kanave Kalayaadhe	Kannedhirey Thondrinal	Tamil	Deva	K. S. Chitra
	Taare Taare	Thuttha Muthha	Kannada	Hamsalekha	Solo
1999	Thirakkadha Kattukulley	En Swasa Katre	Tamil	A. R. Rahman	K. S. Chitra
	Roja Roja	Kadhalar Dhinam	Tamil	A. R. Rahman	Solo
	Athikaalayil Sevalai	Nee Varuvai Ena	Tamil	S. A. Rajkumar	Sujatha Mohan
	O Senyorita	Poovellam Kettuppar	Tamil	Yuvan Shankar Raja	Solo
	Poova Poove (Male Version)
	Ippatikippudu	Premaku Velayara	Telugu	S. V. Krishna Reddy	Solo
	Marghazhi Thingal Allava	Sangamam	Tamil	A. R. Rahman	S. Janaki
	Maalaiyin Vedhanai	Sethu	Tamil	Ilayaraja	Solo
	Sikkadha Sittondru				Arun Mozhi
	Kulirudhu Kulirudhu	Taj Mahal	Tamil	A. R. Rahman	Swarnalatha
	Innisai Paadivarum	Thulladha Manamum Thullum	Tamil	S. A. Rajkumar	Solo
	Nilavai Konduvaa	Vaali	Tamil	Deva	Anuradha Sriram
	April Madhathhil				Harini
2000	Roja Poonthotam	Kannukkul Nilavu	Tamil	Ilayaraja	Anuradha Sriram
	Enthan Kuyil
	Poo Virinchachu	Mugavaree	Tamil	Deva	Anuradha Sriram
	Oh Vennilaa	Kushi	Tamil	Deva	Anuradha Sriram
	Unnaikodu Ennai Tharuven	Unnai Kodu Ennai Tharuven	Tamil	S. A. Rajkumar	K. S. Chitra
	Vaada Vaada	Appu	Tamil	Deva	Shankar Mahadevan
	Idam Tharuvaaya				Pop Shalini
	Vasantha Masadalli	Vaali	Kannada	Rajesh Ramnath	Anuradha Sriram
	Enakkena Yerkanavey	Parthen Rasithen	Tamil	Bharathwaj	Harini
	Ovvoru Paadalilum	Ennavale	Tamil	S. A. Rajkumar	Solo
2001	Ivan Yaaro	Minnale	Tamil	Harris Jayaraj	Harini
	Pallanguzhiyin Vattam	Anandam	Tamil	S. A. Rajkumar	Harini
	Or Ayiram Yaanai	Nandha	Tamil	Yuvan Shankar Raja	Solo
	Oru Sundari Vandaalam	Azhagi	Tamil	Ilayaraja	Sadhana Sargam, Malgudi Subha, Arun Mozhi
	Un Samayal Araiyil	Dhill	Tamil	Vidhyasagar	Sujatha Mohan
	Un Perai Sonnale	Dumm Dumm Dumm	Tamil	Karthik Raja	Sadhana Sargam
	Hussusey Hussusey	Majunu	Tamil	Harris Jayaraj	Devan
2002	Theendi Theendi	Bala	Tamil	Yuvan Shankar Raja	Sujatha Mohan
	Theenda Theenda	Thulluvadho Ilamai	Tamil	Yuvan Shankar Raja	Bombay Jayashree
	Vennelalo	Malli Malli Chudali	Telugu	Yuvan Shankar Raja	Bhavatharini
	Rayile	Five Star	Tamil	Parasuram	Solo
	Kannukkule Kaadhala	Thamizh	Tamil	Bharathwaj	Swarnalatha
	Sil Sil Silalaa	Unnai Ninaithu	Tamil	Sirpi	Sujatha Mohan
2003	Nenjodu Kalandhidu	Kaadhal Kondein	Tamil	Yuvan Shankar Raja	Sujatha Mohan
	Mainaave Mainaave	Thithikudhe	Tamil	Vidhyasagar	Sadhana Sargam
	Snehitude Unte	Nee Manasu Naaku Telusu	Telugu	A. R. Rahman	Chinmayi
	Edhuthillaa	Chokka Thangam	Tamil	Deva	Anuradha Sriram
2004	Naam Vayathukku	7G Rainbow Colony	Tamil	Yuvan Shankar Raja	Pop Shalini, Yuvan Shankar Raja, Ganga
	Kaalayil Dhinamum	New	Tamil	A. R. Rahman	Sadhana Sargam
	Vayasa Vayasa	Adhrushtam	Telugu	Mani Sharma	Sujatha Mohan
	Hottu Gottu	Ba Baaro Rasika	Kannada	Mahesh[disambiguation needed ]	K. S. Chitra
2005	Saage Neeli Megham	Seenugadu Chiranjeevi Fan	Telugu	Siva Kaakani	Solo
2006	Sudum Nilavu	Thambi	Tamil	Vidhyasagar	Harini
2007	Prati Dinam	Anumanaspadam	Telugu	Ilayaraja	Solo
2008	Saradaga Ee Samayam	Vinayakudu	Telugu	Sam Prasan	Solo
2009	Vaarayo Vaarayo	Aadhavan	Tamil	Harris Jayaraj	Chinmayi, Mega
	Enduku Chentaki	Konchem Ishtam Konchem Kashtam	Telugu	Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy	Solo
2010	Manasaare	Taare	Kannada	C. R. Bobby	Kavita Krishnamurthy
	Kangaley Kamalalayam	Bale Pandiya	Tamil	Devan Ekambaram	Mrinalini
2012	Ayuvichi	O Manasa	Telugu	Sahaja Rao	Solo

Awards[link]

He is the recipient of many honours and Awards which include Kalaimamani from the Government of Tamilnadu, Best Raaga award from Music Academy, Yuvakala Bharati from Bharat Kalachar. He received the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for his first song Ennavale in 1994 (Kadhalan). He was the first singer to get the Best Male singer National award for a Tamil song. Krishnan is also the recipient of Isai Peroli Award instituted by Kartik Fine Arts for the year 1998. He received national award for uyirum neeye (pavithra). He was awarded "Isai Peroli" "Yuva Kala Barathi" "Nada Bhushanam" and the title "KaLaimamani" by the Govt. of TamilNadu. Krishnan is an "A" grade artist of the All India Radio and has given a number of concerts all over India, U.S.A, The Middle East, The United Kingdom, The Far East, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Artists Profiles : P.Unnikrishnan