Anjali (actress) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anjali
Anjali at 60th South Filmfare Awards 2013
Born	(1986-06-16) 16 June 1986 (age 39) Razole, Andhra Pradesh, India
Years active	2006–present
Spouse(s)	Chayan Adhikary (CEO of One Cloud BPO)

Anjali (born June 16, 1986) is a talented Indian actress. She mainly works in Tamil and Telugu films. Anjali is known for choosing roles where she can truly show off her acting skills.

She has won many awards, including three Filmfare Awards South and two Nandi Awards. Anjali started her career with modeling. Her first film was the thriller Photo in 2006. Her big breakthrough came with another thriller, Kattradhu Thamizh (2007).

She won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil two times in a row. These awards were for her performances in Angadi Theru (2010) and Engaeyum Eppothum (2011). She also received a Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Angadi Theru. Anjali had continued success in Telugu cinema with films like Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu and Geethanjali. She won a Nandi Award for Best Actress for her role in the horror-comedy Geethanjali (2014).

Anjali's Early Life and Family

Anjali was born on June 16, 1986, in Razole, Andhra Pradesh, India. She grew up in a Telugu family. She has two brothers and one sister. Anjali completed her schooling in Razole. Later, she moved to Chennai to continue her studies. She earned a degree in mathematics there. In 2023, she married Chayan Adhikary, who is the CEO of One Cloud BPO. Anjali has shared that her parents always wanted to be actors. She feels she is helping them "realize their dreams" through her own acting career.

Anjali's Acting Journey

Starting Out in Films (2006–2008)

In 2002, Anjali was supposed to be in a film called Sathamintri Muthamidu. However, that movie was never made. She also signed up for two other films that didn't happen. While modeling, director Siva Nageswara Rao noticed her. He offered her a main role in his Telugu thriller film Photo (2006).

She then played the main female role in another Telugu romance film, Premalekha Raasa (2007). This movie did not do well at the box office. It didn't help her career much in Telugu cinema at that time.

Anjali made her Tamil film debut later in 2007 in Kattradhu Thamizh. This film was directed by Ram and received very good reviews. Anjali earned praise for playing Anandhi. Anandhi was the childhood friend and love interest of a young teacher. Critics said she was "a delight to watch" and "a breath of fresh air." Her performance won her the Vijay Award for Best Debut Actress. Even though the film wasn't a big commercial hit, it made her popular and led to more acting offers.

In 2008, she appeared in two films. One was Honganasu, her first Kannada film. The other was Aayudham Seivom in Tamil. Critics didn't like Aayudham Seivom much. They felt Anjali didn't have a very important role in it.

Becoming a Recognized Actress (2010–2012)

Anjali's next big role was as Kani in Angadi Theru (2010). Kani was a strong, independent sales girl in a textile shop. This drama film showed the lives of young people working in large retail stores. The movie was filmed in real locations using hidden cameras. Anjali even wore a sales uniform and pretended to be a real salesperson.

Angadi Theru received excellent reviews. Anjali's performance was highly praised and won her several awards. This included the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil. After this, she appeared in two family drama films: Rettaisuzhi and Magizhchi. Both films received good reviews for her acting, but they didn't do well at the box office.

In 2011, Anjali made her debut in Malayalam cinema with Payyans. She also had a main role in Thoonga Nagaram as a local TV anchor. She made a special appearance in a song in the film Ko. She then acted in Karungali, where she played a childless housewife in a difficult marriage. This film was not successful.

Anjali also had a small supporting role in Mankatha. This was a high-budget film starring Ajith Kumar. It became her highest-grossing film at the time. However, her role was small.

She was then cast by director AR Murugadoss in Engaeyum Eppothum. Anjali played a brave and strong nurse. Critics once again praised her performance. The Hindu newspaper wrote that she "steals the show in the climax." In 2012, her only starring role was in Kalakalappu. A critic from Deccan Chronicle noted that "Anjali scores well with her natural performance."

Continued Success (2013–2014)

In 2013, Anjali starred in the Telugu film Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu. She acted alongside famous actors like Venkatesh and Mahesh Babu. The film was a big success, and Anjali received many compliments for her acting. Critics said she gave an "easy breezy but endearing performance" as the innocent Seetha.

She then appeared in Vathikuchi and Settai. Settai was a Tamil remake of the film Delhi Belly. Both films received mixed reviews.

After a special dance number in Suriya's Singam II, she starred in two more Telugu films. These were Balupu with Ravi Teja and Masala with Venkatesh. Her 2014 film was the horror-comedy Geethanjali. For this role, she won the Nandi Award for Best Actress.

Recent Films and Comeback (2015–Present)

In 2015, Anjali returned to Sandalwood after seven years. She starred opposite Puneeth Rajkumar in Rana Vikrama. In Tamil, she appeared in Sakalakala Vallavan. She also had a special cameo role as a lady don in the Telugu film Sankarabharanam.

In 2016, her first release was the Telugu film Dictator with Balayya Balakrishna. This film was a super-hit, and her role was well-liked. She also starred in Karthik Subbaraj's Iraivi. Her performance as a happy-go-lucky girl who becomes a long-suffering wife received critical acclaim.

Later, she signed a Telugu action thriller film Chitrangada (2017). In December 2017, her film Balloon had an average performance at the box office. She acted in the Tamil film Peranbu (2019) opposite Mammootty. She also starred in the horror film Lisaa (2019).

Anjali acted as a lesbian character in the web series Paava Kadhaigal (2020). The next year, she played Zarina in the film Vakeel Saab (2021). This film was very successful despite the COVID-19 pandemic in India. In 2023, Anjali was seen in the Malayalam film Iratta. The Tamil film Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai (2024) premiered at the Rotterdam Film Festival.

She has also appeared in Telugu movies like Geethanjali Malli Vachindi (2024) and Gangs of Godavari (2024). She is also part of the upcoming film Game Changer (2025). Another film, Madha Gaja Raja (2025), which was made twelve years ago, is also set to release. It stars Vishal and features Anjali as one of the female leads.

Anjali's Filmography

Awards and Honours

See also

In Spanish: Anjali para niños