Sarada (born Saraswati Devi; 25 June 1945) is an Indian actress and politician. Known for her work predominantly in Malayalam films and

Telugu films Telugu cinema, also known as Tollywood, is the segment of Cinema of India, Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Telugu language, widely spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Telugu cinema is based ...

, Sarada is the recipient of three

National Award The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorate ...

s. She has also appeared in few

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...

as well as

Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...

language films. She is also known as Urvasi Sarada as

National Film Award for Best Actress The National Film Award for Best Actress (officially known as the Rajat Kamal Award for the Best Actress) is an honour presented annually at the National Film Awards of India since 1968 to an actress for the best performance in a leading role wi ...

was officially designated the ''Urvasi Award''. She won three National Awards for her roles in ''

Thulabharam ''Thulabharam'' () is a 1968 Indian Malayalam-language film, directed by A. Vincent. It is based on the Kerala People's Arts Club play of the same name, written by Thoppil Bhasi. Thoppil Bhasi also adapted the play for the screen. The film had ...

'' (1968), '' Swayamvaram'' (1972), and '' Nimajjanam'' (1977). Sarada has garnered the

NTR National Award The NTR National Award is an annual award presented by the Government of Andhra Pradesh to recognize people for their lifetime achievements and contributions to the Cinema of India. The NTR National Award is an honorary Nandi Award in the honour ...

by the Government of Andhra Pradesh for her contributions to

Indian cinema The Cinema of India consists of motion pictures produced in India, which had a large effect on world cinema since the late 20th century. Major centers of film production across the country include Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, ...

Early life

Sarada was born Saraswati Devi in

Tenali Tenali is a city in Guntur district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a municipality and the headquarters of Tenali mandal and Tenali revenue division. The city is renowned for art, culture, drama and hence, it is called ''Andhra ...

, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India. Her parents Venkateswar Rao and Satyavathi Devi belonged to a family of agriculturalists. She has a brother, named Mohan Rao. Sarada was sent to

Madras Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

in her childhood to live with her grandmother Kanakamma. Sarada describes her grandmother as a "strict disciplinarian" who in the later days "wouldn't even let the heroes touch her" and allowed "rehearsals only on Sundays". Sarada started to learn dance when she was six. She used to perform during Dasara and other temple festivals. It was because of her mother's desire that she learned dance. Her mother wanted her to become a "big star in cine field". Though Sarada's father was not too interested in the idea, he did not stop her. Sarada married Telugu actor Chalam, the couple later divorced. Currently Sarada is living with her brother's family in Chennai.

Early career

When she grew up, she started acting in Telugu theatre. Her debut in cinema was with a minor role in the

Telugu film Telugu cinema, also known as Tollywood, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Telugu language, widely spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Telugu cinema is based in Film Nagar, Hy ...

Kanyasulkam ''Kanyasulkam'' is a Telugu play written by Gurajada Apparao in 1892.20th Century Telugu Luminaries, Potti Sriramulu Telugu University, Hyderabad, 2005 It is one of the earliest modern works in an Indian language, and it is the first Telugu play ...

''. However, she returned to theatre after that and did a major role in the

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...

version of ''

Rakta Kanneeru ''Raktha Kanneeru'' () is a 2003 Indian Kannada-language film directed by Sadhu Kokila, starring Upendra and Ramya Krishna. The film was produced by Munirathna and was later dubbed in Telugu. The screenplay and dialogues of the film were writ ...

'', a

drama. The play went to get staged over 100 times in

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...

Film career

In 1959, she began her career as Sarada. The change in name was attributed to the presence of a few other actors in the industry with the devotional name, Saraswati. She came under contract to L.V. Prasad, a

producer. Though she didn't get to act in any of his films, she got her formal training in acting under him, including the

Navarasa Indian art evolved with an emphasis on inducing special spiritual or philosophical states in the audience, or with representing them symbolically. Rasas in the performing arts The theory of rasas still forms the aesthetic underpinning of al ...

lessons. She largely attributes her performances and growth in the field to this training. Her first break came with the

Akkineni Nageswara Rao Akkineni Nageswara Rao (20 September 1923 – 22 January 2014), widely known as ANR, was an Indian actor and producer, known for his works majorly in Telugu cinema. He starred in many landmark films in his seventy five-year career, and became on ...

starrer '' Iddaru Mitrulu'', which was a major hit. Noted for the role in the film, she got chances from

and

Malayalam film Malayalam cinema is an Indian cinema, Indian film industry of Malayalam-language motion pictures. It is based in Kochi, Kerala, India. The films produced in Malayalam cinema are known for their cinematography and story-driven plots. In 1982, ...

s as well. The year 1965 changed her career as Sarada carved her niche for herself in the Malayalam film industry with her performances in '' Shakuntala'', ''

Murappennu ''Murappennu'' is a 1965 Malayalam-language drama film directed by A. Vincent and written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair. The film stars Prem Nazir in the lead role with an ensemble supporting cast including Sharada, Madhu, Jyothilakshmi, K. P. Um ...

'', ''

Udhyogastha ''Udhyogastha'' is a 1967 Indian Malayalam film, directed by P. Venu and produced by P. K. Devadas and P. S. Das. The film stars Prem Nazir, Sathyan, Madhu and Sharada in the lead roles. The film was scored by M. S. Baburaj. Plot Udhyogasth ...

'' by

P. Venu P. Venu (8 November 1940 – 25 May 2011), was an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter, and lyricist with over 20 films to his name.His directorial venture Udhyogastha in 1967 was the first-ever multi-star cast film of the south Indi ...

, '' Kattu Thulasi'' and '' Inapravukal''. After that, she focused in Malayalam films, acting only a few roles in other languages. Recognition came in 1967 in the form of a national honorary award for her performances in various films of 1966 including ''

Iruttinte Athmavu ''Iruttinte Athmavu'' () is a 1967 Indian Malayalam-language film directed by P. Bhaskaran and written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair based on his own short story of the same name. It stars Prem Nazir and Sharada in lead roles with Thikkurissy Sukum ...

''. The award was the predecessor to the

, which was instituted in 1968. In 1969, she won her first National Film Award for Best Actress for her performance in ''

''. She went on to win the award 2 more times, for '' Swayamvaram'' (1972, Malayalam) and '' Nimajjanam'' (1978, Telugu). She also won the

Kerala State Film Award The Kerala State Film Awards are the film awards for a motion picture made in Kerala. The awards started in 1969 by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala and since 1998 the awards have been bestowed by Kerala State Cha ...

s for Best Actress one time. After 1993, she became choosy and accepted only a few films. Her major films of late were ''

Mazhathullikkilukkam ''Mazhathullikkilukkam'' () is a 2002 Indian Malayalam-language comedy-drama film directed by the Akbar-Jose duo. The film stars Dileep, Navya Nair, Sharada and Bharathi. The movie was produced by Sharada under the banner of Sharada Product ...

'' (2002, Malayalam), ''

Rappakal ''Rappakal'' is a 2005 released Malayalam film directed by Kamal. Mammootty, Nayanthara and Sharada appears in lead roles. Plot This is a heartfelt story of a male help/valet and his motherly affection to the elderly woman, whom he looks aft ...

'' (2005, Malayalam), ''

Nayika The Ashta-Nayika is a collective name for eight types of ''nayika''s or heroines as classified by Bharata in his Sanskrit treatise on performing arts - '' Natya Shastra''. The eight nayikas represent eight different states (''avastha'') in rela ...

'' (2011, Malayalam) and ''

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secretar ...

'' (2006, Telugu). She owns a chocolate factory named Lotus Chocolates. She was elected as a Member of Parliament on

Telugu Desam Party The Telugu Desam Party (; TDP) is an Indian regional political party operating in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana at the state and central level. Since its founding by N. T. Rama Rao (often referred to as NTR) on 29 March 1982, the party has fo ...

ticket from her native town of

Awards

National Film Awards

*1968 -

: ''

'' (Malayalam) *1972 -

: '' Swayamvaram'' (Malayalam) *1977 -

: '' Nimajjanam'' (Telugu)

Tamil Nadu State Film Awards Tamil Nadu State Film Awards were given for excellence in Tamil cinema in India. They were given annually to honour the best talents and provide encouragement and incentive to the South Indian film industry by the Government of Tamil Nadu. The aw ...

*2013 -

Kalaimamani The Kalaimamani is the highest civilian award in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. These awards are given by the ''Tamil Nadu Iyal Isai Nataka Mandram'' (literature, music and theatre), a unit of the Directorate of Art and Culture, Government of ...

for contributions to Tamil Cinema

Kerala State Film Awards

*1970 -

Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress The Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress is an honour presented annually at the Kerala State Film Awards of India since 1969 to an actress for the best performance within the Malayalam film industry. Until 1997, the awards were managed direct ...

–

Thriveni ''Thriveni'' is a 1970 Indian Malayalam-language film, directed by A. Vincent and produced by C. V. Sridhar via Chitralaya, the company's only film in the language. The film stars Sathyan, Prem Nazir, Sharada, Savita G. Thampi and Kaviyoo ...

& Thara

Filmfare Awards South Filmfare Awards South is the South Indian segment of the annual Filmfare Awards, presented by the Filmfare magazine of The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Indian film industry encompassing ...

* 1987 -

Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Malayalam The Filmfare Best Actress Award is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Malayalam films. The awards were extended to "Best Actress" in 1972. Film world, p 43 The year indicates the year of release of ...

Oru Minnaminunginte Nurunguvettam ''Oru Minnaminunginte Nurunguvettam'' () is a 1987 Malayalam-language drama film directed by Bharathan, written by John Paul and produced by M. G. Gopinath and Babu Thiruvalla. The film stars Nedumudi Venu, Sharada and Parvathy in lead roles ...

* 1997 – Lifetime Achievement Award

Nandi Awards The Nandi Awards are the awards that recognise the excellence in Telugu cinema, Telugu theatre and Telugu television, and Lifetime achievements in Indian cinema. Presented annually by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the award is named after ...

* 1984 -

Nandi Award for Best Supporting Actress The Nandi Award for Best Supporting Actress was institute since 1981: See also * Nandi Awards * Cinema of Andhra Pradesh References {{DEFAULTSORT:Nandi Award For Best Supporting Actress Supporting Actress A supporting actor is an actor ...

- '' Bobbili Brahmanna''(in

) * 2010 -

for Lifetime Achievement

Other Awards

* 1970 - Bengal Film Journalists' Association (BFJA) Award for Best Actress in Hindi –

Samaj Ko Badal Dalo ''Samaj Ko Badal Dalo'' () is a 1970 Bollywood drama film directed by V. Madhusudhana Rao. The film stars Parikshit Sahni, Sharada (reprising the latter's role from the original version and making this picture as her Hindi film debut), Prem Ch ...

* 2017 - Prem Nazir

Award An award, sometimes called a distinction, is something given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration. An awar ...

* 1999 - Doctorate from Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University, Hyderabad * 2020 -

Vanitha Film Awards The Vanitha Film Awards are presented annually by ''Vanitha'', an Indian magazine from the ''Malayala Manorama'' group in the south Indian state of Kerala. The awards ceremony has been instituted to honour both artistic and technical excellence i ...

- Lifetime Achievement Award

Notable filmography

Telugu

Malayalam

Tamil

Hindi

Kannada

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sharada Living people 1945 births Telugu actresses Indian film actresses Actresses in Tamil cinema Actresses in Kannada cinema Actresses in Hindi cinema India MPs 1996–1997 Actresses from Andhra Pradesh Actresses in Telugu cinema Indian actor-politicians Actresses in Malayalam cinema People from Guntur district Best Actress National Film Award winners Kerala State Film Award winners Filmfare Awards South winners Lok Sabha members from Andhra Pradesh Women in Andhra Pradesh politics 20th-century Indian women politicians 20th-century Indian politicians 21st-century Indian women politicians 21st-century Indian politicians People from Tenali Women members of the Lok Sabha Telugu Desam Party politicians Indian stage actresses Actresses in Telugu theatre 20th-century Indian actresses 21st-century Indian actresses