Manju Warrier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Manju Warrier
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Manju Warrier in 2018
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| Born | 10 September 1978 or 10 September 1979 Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, India
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| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1995–1999 2014–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Dileep
(m. 1998; div. 2015) |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Madhu Wariar (brother) |
| Awards | Full list |
Manju Warrier (born 10 September 1978 or 1979) is a very talented Indian actress. She is best known for her work in Malayalam cinema, which are movies made in the Malayalam language. Manju has won many important awards for her acting. These include a National Film Award, a Kerala State Film Award, and seven Filmfare Awards South.
She started her acting journey with the film Sakshyam in 1995. Some of her most famous early movies are Thooval Kottaram (1996), Sallapam (1996), and Ee Puzhayum Kadannu (1996). After getting married in 1998, she took a break from acting. Manju Warrier made a big comeback to movies in 2014 with the popular film How Old Are You?.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Manju Warrier was born on September 10, 1978 or 1979. Her birthplace was Nagercoil city in Tamil Nadu, India. Her family is from a village called Pullu in Kerala. Her father, T. V. Madhavan, worked as an accountant. Her mother, Girija, was a homemaker. Manju also has an older brother, Madhu Wariar, who is also an actor and producer.
Manju went to school in Nagercoil for her early education. Later, her family moved back to Kerala. They settled in Kannur district. She continued her studies at Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Kannur and then at Chovva Higher Secondary School.
Her Acting Journey
Starting Out and Becoming Famous (1995–1999)
Manju Warrier first appeared on television in a show called Moharavam. It was shown on Doordarshan.
When she was 17 years old, she made her first movie, Sakshyam, in 1995. A year later, she acted in Sallapam (1996). In this movie, she starred alongside Dileep, who she later married.
Even though her first time in the film industry lasted only three years, Manju acted in 20 Malayalam films. She received many awards and praise from both audiences and critics. Her acting in Kannezhuthi Pottum Thottu (1999) earned her a special mention from the jury for the National Film Awards.
Some of her other important films from these years include:
- Aaraam Thampuran (1997) and Kanmadam (1998) with Mohanlal.
- Ee Puzhayum Kadannu and Kudamattam with Dileep.
- Kaliyattam (1997) and Summer in Bethlehem (1998).
- Pranayavarnangal (1998) and Pathram (1999) with Suresh Gopi.
- Dilliwala Rajakumaran (1996) and Thooval Kottaram (1996) with Jayaram.
In 1998, Manju played the main role in the film Daya. This movie won several awards. She won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress for her role in Ee Puzhayum Kadannu (1996). Manju also won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Malayalam four times in a row. Her last film before taking a break was Kannezhuthi Pottum Thottu.
Returning to Movies (2012–2014)
Manju took a break from films after marrying Dileep. On October 24, 2012, she returned to the stage. She performed a Kuchipudi dance recital at the Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple.
In July 2013, she appeared in a TV advertisement for Kalyan Jewellers with Amitabh Bachchan. She also acted in ads with other famous actors like Nagarjuna Akkineni and Shiva Rajkumar. She continued to appear in many advertisements and stage shows. In the same year, she wrote a book called Sallapam, which shared memories from her life.
Her much-awaited return to movies happened in 2014. After 15 years, she starred in Rosshan Andrrews's film How Old Are You?.
Expanding Her Career (2015–Present)
Manju's next film was Ennum Eppozhum by Sathyan Anthikad. This movie brought her back together with Mohanlal after 17 years. Her next project was Rani Padmini (2015). She also appeared as an animator in Jo and the Boy.
In 2016, she acted in Vettah and Karinkunnam 6's.
In 2017, Manju Warrier starred in C/O Saira Banu, Villain, and Udaharanam Sujatha.
In 2018, Manju played the main role in Aami, a movie about the famous writer Kamala Surayya. Her next film was Mohanlal, where she played a huge fan of the actor Mohanlal. Her final movie of the year was Odiyan. This film had the highest opening day collection for a Malayalam film at the Kerala box office.
Her first movie in 2019 was Lucifer, directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran. Critics praised her acting in the film. Lucifer became the first Malayalam film to earn more than ₹200 crore. It is currently the third highest-grossing Malayalam film. In the same year, she made her Tamil debut with Vetrimaaran's Asuran, starring opposite Dhanush. Her final film of 2019 was Prathi Poovankozhi.
In March 2021, Warrier started filming for Amriki Pandit, which will be her first Hindi movie. She will star opposite R. Madhavan. In 2021, she acted with Mammootty in The Priest. In 2022, Manju worked with Biju Menon again in Lalitham Sundaram after 20 years. In 2023, she appeared in the Tamil film Thunivu.
Personal Life
Manju Warrier married actor Dileep on October 20, 1998. They have a daughter named Meenakshi. They decided to get divorced in 2014, and their divorce was finalized in January 2015. Manju now lives in Thrissur, Kerala.
Beyond Acting
Manju's characters in movies are often seen as strong women. She is considered one of the highest-paid actresses in Malayalam cinema.
She is also a professional Kuchipudi dancer. She learned this classical dance form from Geetha Padmakumar. Manju often performs in classical dance shows. Her return to the stage in 2012 at Guruvayur was for a Navaratri dance festival. She received the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award in 2014 for Kuchipudi. She was the first person to receive this award for that dance style.
Besides films, Manju is a brand ambassador for many companies. These include Kalyan Jewellers, Sony India, and Ujala Detergent. She also became the first brand ambassador for a Malayalam Entertainment channel, Zee Keralam.
Manju is also a goodwill ambassador for various government and social causes. She supports projects like the State Literacy Mission and She Taxi. She also promotes organic farming through Kudumbashree, inspired by her role in How Old Are You?.
Images for kids
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Manju Warrier with ex-husband Dileep in 2010
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Manju Warrier with Sadhguru and Shashi Kumar at KLF 2017
