Ranjini (actress)
| Ranjini | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Sasha Selvaraj 1970 (age 43) Singapore |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation |
Film actress Lawyer Business |
Sasha Selvaraj, better known as Ranjini, is a Singapore-born Indian actress known for her roles in the Malayalam and Tamil films of the mid-1980s and early 1990s.
Selvaraj made her debut in the 1985 Tamil film Muthal Mariyathai directed by P Bharathiraja.[1] In 1987, she acted in Lenin Rajendran's Swathi Thirunal, a biopic on the Travancore ruler of the same name. Her second Malayalam film Chithram (1988), written and directed by Priyadarshan, went on to become a huge box office success.
Mohanlal-Ranjini was considered a golden duo in Malaylam cinema as all their films were commercial successes.[2] Koothara, directed by Srinath Rajendran, will mark her comeback to acting after a hiatus of two decades.
Career
Ranjini was born in Singapore as Sasha Selvaraj to Selvaraj and Lilly Selvaraj, originally from Tirunelveli.[3] She was introduced to films by famous director P Bharathiraja, a friend of her father. Bharathiraja gave her the screen name of "Ranjini" for his 1985 film Muthal Mariyathai. Ranjini whose family was in Singapore then had flown down to Chennai taking a break from studies with the hope that the shooting would get over within two weeks.[4]
Her first Malayalam film was Swathi Thirunal in 1987, directed by Lenin Rajendran. The film was a critical success. She went on to act Malayalam films like Chithram, Mukunthetta Sumitra Vilikkunnu (1988) and Kottayam Kunjachan (1990).
Ranjini quit acting in films at the peak of her career to continue her studies and spent more time with her family in Singapore.[5] Her last film was Customs Diary (1993), directed by TS Suresh Babu. She travelled to London to do degree in credit management and later also acquired a law degree. She also worked for BBC for a short time.[6]
She is a graduate lawyer and is currently working as a joint director in an overseas education institution in Kochi, Kerala. She is married to Malayali businessman Pierre Kombara.[7]
Filmography
Tamil films
| Year | No: | Film | Character | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 1 | Mudhal Mariyathai | Sevuli | P. Bharathiraja |
| 1986 | 2 | Avalai Cholli Kutramillai | A.A.Soman | |
| 3 | Kadalora Kavithaigal | Bharathiraja | ||
| 4 | Aayiram Pookkal Malarattum | E. Ramdoss | ||
| 5 | Paru Paru Pattanam Paru | Manobala | ||
| 6 | Needhana Andha Kuyil | |||
| 7 | Nalellam Pournami | |||
| 8 | Mannukkul Vairam | Chitte | Manoj kumar | |
| 1987 | 9 | Kudumbam Oru Koyil | A. C. Tirulokchandar | |
| 10 | Aayusu Nooru | Ponmani Rajan | ||
| 11 | Paasam Oru Vesham | |||
| 12 | Muthukkal Moondru | A. Jagannathan | ||
| 13 | Parisam Pottachu | K.Shozharajan | ||
| 14 | Arul Tharum Ayyappan | Dasarathan | ||
| 15 | Velicham | Sundar.K.Vijayan | ||
| 1988 | 16 | Thaimel Aanai | L.Raja | |
| 17 | Urimai Geetham | Ganga | R. V. Udayakumar | |
| 1989 | 18 | Puthu Mappillai | B.S.Subramaniyan | |
| 19 | Poruthadhu Podhum | P. Kalaimani | ||
| 20 | Neruppu Nila | |||
| 21 | Sariyana Jodi | |||
| 22 | Dilli Babu | Pandiarajan | ||
| 23 | Sagalakala Sammandhi | Visu | ||
| 24 | Ellame En Thangachi | Visu | ||
| 25 | Samsarame Saranam | Jeevabalan | ||
| 1990 | 26 | Kalyana Rasi | K.Sivaprasad | |
| 1991 | 27 | Sir...I Love You | G.N.Rangarajan |
Malayalam films
| No: | Year | Film | Character | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1987 | Swathi Thirunal | Sugandhavalli | Lenin Rajendran | Her debut film in Malayalam |
| 2 | 1988 | Chithram | Kalyani | Priyadarshan | |
| 3 | Mukunthetta Sumitra Vilikkunnu | Sumitra | Priyadarshan | ||
| 4 | Adholokam | Thevalakkara Chellappan | |||
| 5 | 1989 | Varnam | Ammu | Ashokan | |
| 6 | News | Megha | Shaji Kailas | ||
| 7 | Kaalal Pada | Maya Menon | Viji Thampi | ||
| 8 | 1990 | Kauthuka Varthakal | Rose Mary | Thulasidas | |
| 9 | Rajavazhcha | Mini | Sasikumar | ||
| 10 | Anantha Vruthantham | Lateesha | P Anil | ||
| 11 | Prosecution | Jyothi | Thulasidas | ||
| 12 | Orukkam | Radha | K Madhu | ||
| 13 | Mukham | Usha | Mohan | ||
| 14 | Nanma Niranjavan Srinivasan | Mary | Viji Thampi | ||
| 15 | Pavakkooth | Krishna | K. Sreekuttan | ||
| 16 | Thooval Sparsam | Sujatha | Kamal | ||
| 17 | Khandakavyam | Vasan | |||
| 18 | Sandram | Police Officer's wife | Thaha | ||
| 19 | Sunday 7 PM | Dilip's step moter/Dilip's lover | Shaji Kailas | ||
| 20 | Kottayam Kunjachan | Mollykkutty | T S Suresh Babu | ||
| 21 | 1991 | Agni Nilavu | Rekha | N Sankaran Nair | |
| 22 | 1992 | Kingini | A N Thampi | ||
| 23 | |||||
| 24 | 2014 | Ring Master | Elizabeth | Rafi | Come back film |
| 25 | Koothara | Ram's mother | Srinath Rajendran |
Notes
- ↑ "Interview with Ranjini". Vanitha (in Malayalam).
- ↑ People still call me Kalyani: Ranjini (Navamy Sudhish) 24 September 2013
- ↑ http://www.mangalam.com/mangalam-varika/136868
- ↑ Will she? Won’t she? (TS Sreenivasa Raghavan) 9 January 2012
- ↑ People still call me Kalyani: Ranjini (Navamy Sudhish) 24 September 2013
- ↑ Will she? Won’t she? (TS Sreenivasa Raghavan) 9 January 2012
- ↑ Will she? Won’t she? (TS Sreenivasa Raghavan) 9 January 2012
External links
- Ranjini at the Internet Movie Database