Kasthuri Shankar is an Indian actress, politician, model and television presenter who has appeared in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada language films.

Personal life She was born into a Brahmin family to Sumathi, a lawyer, and P.S. Shankar. She has a younger brother. She is married and has a son and a daughter. Her daughter is a leukemia survivor.

Career After graduation from Ethiraj College for Women, Shankar won Miss Chennai in 1992. In the same year, she won the Femina Miss Madras beauty pageant too. While studying in college, she started her career in modelling over interest in the domain. Not only was she a successful model, but also, she was a finalist in the BBC's Mastermind India in 2000. Her acting career began in 1991 with the film, Aatha Un Koyilile (1991). From working on small budget Tamil films, she went on to work into more mainstream movies alongside legends, such as Kamal Haasan in Indian (1996). A 30-minute documentary film, Kasthuri: A South Indian Film Star, was released as a tribute to her success in the film industry. She gained attention for her acting skills in Annamayya (1997) and dance performance in Kaadhal Kavithai (1998).

She later made a comeback to hosting television-based quiz shows in the 2010s, and worked on Vina Vidai Vettai for Puthuyugam TV. Her debut comeback film was Malai Malai (2009). She also notably portrayed a key supporting role as an investigative agent in Adhik Ravichandran's Anbanavan Asaradhavan Adangadhavan (2017), appearing alongside Silambarasan.

After rejecting the opportunity to appear on the Tamil reality television show Bigg Boss Tamil in 2018, she joined the third season of the show in 2019 as a wildcard entry contestant. After that, she made her comeback to Telugu audience in Intinti Gruhalakshmi serial which airs on Star Maa now.

Political career Shankar campaigned for the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) in Madurai during the 2024 Indian general elections. She joined the party on 15 August 2025 at Madurai.

Other work

Columns In the late 1990s, Shankar wrote a weekly column titled "Keep It Simple Stupid" in the Kumudham magazine.

Topless photoshoot In 2014, she was photographed topless and half-nude as a part of Jade Beall's book The Bodies of Mothers: A Beautiful Body Project.

Social commentary and controversies Shankar is an active commentator regarding social issues through an occasional column with the Times of India and via Twitter, and her tweets have sometimes elicited debate in the media. In early 2017, she questioned Rajinikanth's ability as a potential politician, and her opinion garnered criticism from the actor's fans. In late 2018, she criticised Rajinikanth's ignorance over the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case and engaged in a further exchange with Rajinikanth's supporters. Shankar spoke out as a part of the Me Too movement in India, suggesting that her reluctance to give into patriarchal behaviour meant that she was removed from several film projects. She revealed that one male actor took a particular vengeance against her for her rebuff to his advances, and subsequently made it difficult for her to work on other projects. She criticised directors Bharathiraja and S. Shankar in April 2019, she said director Bharathiraja and his son has black skin and they use North Indian girls with lighter skin in their movies while S. Shankar goes a long way and imports white skin foreign girls in his movies. While Shankar declares herself an Indian patriot, her husband and two children are all US-born American citizens. During the row over the comments made by DMK MP Elangovan against Hindi, Shankar criticized him stating that she was personally offended as she was of mixed lineage herself.

A person, who claimed himself to be actor Ajith's fan, had allegedly made sexist comments against Shankar in January 2020. A week after this, Shankar blasted him, by suggesting him to ask his mother or sister if he wants a woman for sex. She used the tag #dirtyajithfans, which started trending in India. Some fans of Ajith created #DirtyKasthuriAunty to counter this. A war of words continued and created a controversy.

On 17 November 2024, Shankar was arrested in Hyderabad following derogatory and controversial statements against the Telugu community settled in Tamil Nadu at an event organized by the Hindu Makkal Katchi demanding to create of an exclusive legislation to protect the Brahmin community on the lines of the PCR Act for the Scheduled Castes.

Filmography

Year Title Role Language Notes1991 Aatha Un Koyilile Kasthuri Tamil Chakravarthy Praseetha Malayalam Rasathi Varum Naal Radha Tamil 1992 Government Mappillai Mallaria Chinnavar Meena Urimai Oonjaladugiradhu Uma Senthamizh Pattu Shanmathi Abhirami Dhanam Gang War Kaveri Telugu 1993 Rakkayi Koyil Vellaiyamma Tamil Pudhiya Mugam Raja's first wife Aathma Uma Pass Mark Shanthi Udan Pirappu Sumathi Nippu Ravva Bharathi Telugu Enga Muthalali Kalyani Tamil 1994 Amaidhi Padai Thayamma Watchman Vadivel Radha Jaana Kasturi Kannada Raja Pandi Ponnuthaayi Tamil Thendral Varum Theru Nalini 1995 Sindhu Bath Shobana Chinna Mani Chinna Mani Kolangal Uma Aakaya Pookal Kamakshi God Father Aruna Telugu Agrajan Sreedevi Malayalam Radholsavam Chempakam Aniyan Bava Chetan Bava Ammu 1996 Ibbara Naduve Muddina Aata Kannada Indian Kasthuri Tamil Krishna Lizy Soggadi Pellam Jyothi Telugu Merupu Prema Rendu Kutumbala Katha Hema 1997 Chilakkottudu Kasturi Ratha Yatra Ganga Annamayya Akkalamma Maa Ayana Bangaram Nazarr Bansuri Hindi 1998 Mangalya Pallakku Seethalakshmi Malayalam Thutta Mutta Dr. Seema Kannada One Man Army Kasthoori Sneham Radhika Malayalam Kaadhal Kavidhai Swapna Tamil 1999 Habba Anu Kannada Suyamvaram Uma Tamil Panchapandavar Nandini Malayalam 2001 Engalukkum Kaalam Varum Pooja Tamil Dosth Special appearance in the song "Hey Sal Sal" Akasa Veedhilo Padma Telugu Premakke Sai Vedha Kannada 2002 Adheena Princess Adheena Malayalam 2009 Malai Malai Lakshmi Tamil 2010 Tamizh Padam Dancer Special appearance in the song "Kuthuvilakku" Gudu Gudu Gunjam Malleeshwari Telugu Don Seenu Lakshmi 2011 Pathinaaru Ilavarasi Tamil Guest appearance Thoonga Nagaram Special appearance2012 Naanga Chithra2013 Azhagan Azhagi Special appearance in the song "Ethuvarai Vaanam" Naan Rajavaga Pogiren Bharathi 2014 Vadacurry Satish's sister in law Naan Ponnu Ondru Kanden Special appearance in the song "Othaya Retaya"2017 Anbanavan Asaradhavan Adangadhavan Ruby Samanthakamani Krishna's mother Telugu 2018 Traffic Ramasamy Witness in court Tamil Guest appearance Tamizh Padam 2 Special appearance in the song "Vaa Vaa Kaama"2020 Velvet Nagaram Gauri 2021 EPCO 302 S. Durga IPS 2022 Godfather Brahma's mother Telugu 2023 Tamilarasan Jagadeeswari Tamil Rayar Parambarai Rayar's sister Striker 2024 Simbaa Telugu 2025 Devil's Double Next Level Devaki and Shilpa Tamil Dual role Raagu Kethu Oho Enthan Baby Ashwin's mother 2026 Breakfast Gangadevi

Television Year Title Role Language Network Notes Eshtadanam MalayalamDD Malayalam1995Kaiyalavu ManasuVaniTamilSun TV 2000 Mastermind India Contestant Tamil BBC 2003Quiz Buzz HostRaj TV 2010 Sun Kudumbam Awards 2010 Host Sun TV Star Singer Special judge MalayalamAsianet 2013–2014 Vina Vidai Vettai Host Tamil Puthuyugam TV 2014 Vina Vidai Vettai Juniors Host Puthuyugam TV Wow 2 Participant Telugu E TV 2019 Bigg Boss Tamil 3 Contestant TamilStar Vijay Evicted Day 632020–2024Intinti GruhalakshmiTulasiTeluguStar Maa2020CashParticipantTeluguETVAgni NatchathiramRudraTamilSun TVSpecial Appearance 2021 Parampara Indira Telugu Disney+ Hotstar Sixth Sense Participant Telugu Star Maa 2022AruviHerselfTamilSun TVSreedevi Dance CompanyHerselfTeluguETV 2024Seethe Ramudiki KatnamRam's MotherTeluguZee TeluguPhotographic Appearance Jhansi Telugu ETV Jagadhatri Sharmila Tagore Telugu Zee TeluguSpecial Appearance 2025; 2026 AyaliArchanaTamilZee Tamil

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