Amala (actress)

For the Tamil and Malayalam actress, see Amala Paul.
Amala Akkineni

Amala at TeachAIDS launch in 2010
Born Amala Mukherjee
Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Residence Hyderabad, Telangana, India
Alma mater Kalakshetra
Occupation Actress
social activist
Years active 1986–1991
2012–present
Spouse(s)
Children Akkineni Akhil (b.1994)
Relatives Akkineni Nageswara Rao
(father-in-law)
Naga Chaitanya
(step-son)

Amala Akkineni (nee Mukherjee) is a former Indian film actress, Bharata Natyam dancer, and an animal welfare activist.[1][2] She is best known for her works in Tamil cinema, and Telugu cinema. She has also starred in few Malayalam, Kannada, and Bollywood films. She has won two Filmfare Awards South, and a CineMAA Award.[1] Amala is the co-founder of The Blue Cross of Hyderabad,[3] a non-government organisation (NGO) in Hyderabad, India, which works towards the welfare of animals and preservation of animal rights in India.[4][5]

Early life

Amala with husband Nagarjuna, son Akkineni Akhil and step-son Naga Chaitanya (left)

Amala was born in Kolkata to a Bengali speaking father who was a Naval officer and an Irish mother.[6][7] She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Bharata Natyam from Kalakshetra college of fine arts, founded by Rukmini Devi Arundale. She gave many live performances worldwide.[8][9] She was subsequently persuaded to join films by T. Rajender who visited her home with his sister and convinced her mother to let her act in the film which would be a classical film featuring her Bharat Natyam dancing.[10]

Personal life

Amala is married to Telugu Film actor Akkineni Nagarjuna in 1992 and the couple has a son, actor Akkineni Akhil. They currently live in Hyderabad.[9] She is the step-mother of actor Naga Chaitanya.[11] In an interview with The Hindu, she cited her greatest fear as not "walking the talk" when it comes to social issues. She also highlighted that her greatest regret is not speaking Telugu well.[12]

Career

Amala made her debut in a Tamil film titled Mythili Ennai Kaathali directed by T. Rajendar, which was a huge box office hit. Winning overnight fame, she charmed cinegoers in a flurry of fifty films, including a number of Tamil box office hits. She acted with her future husband Akkineni Nagarjuna in hits like Nirnayam and Siva. She received Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Malayalam for her acting in the film Ulladakkam.

She quit acting in 1992 following her marriage to Nagarjuna, but made a comeback in 2012 with the Telugu film Life is Beautiful.[13] She received a CineMAA Award for Best Outstanding Actress and Telugu category Film Fare Award for best supporting actress in 2013 for her portrayal.

Awards

Filmfare Awards South
CineMAA Awards

Filmography

Tamil

Year Film Co-stars Role
1986 Mythili Ennai Kaathali T. Rajendar Mythili
Mella Thirandhathu Kadhavu Mohan, Radha Noorjahan
Panneer Nathigal Sivakumar
Kanne Kaniyamuthe Rahman
Oru Iniya Udhayam Vijayakanth
Unnai Ondru Ketpen Mohan
1987 Velaikaran Rajinikanth Kaushalya
Poopoova Poothirukku Prabhu
Koottu Puzhukkal Raghuvaran
Vedham Pudhithu Sathyaraj Vaidehi
Kavithai Pada Neramillai Raguvaran
Idhu Oru Thodarkathai Mohan
Pesum Padam Kamal Hassan Magician's daughter
1988 Agni Natchathiram Prabhu, Karthik Anjali
Kodi Parakuthu Rajinikanth
Sathya Kamal Hassan
Jeeva Sathyaraj
Illam Sivakumar
Kaliyugam Prabhu
1989 Mappillai Rajinikanth Geetha
Varam Prabhu
Nalaya Manithan Prabhu
Uthama Purushan Prabhu Rekha
Vetri Vizha Kamal Hassan, Prabhu Lalitha
1990 Pudhu Padagan Vijaykanth Devi
Mounam Sammadham Mammooty, Y. Gee. Mahendra Hema
1991 Vaasalile Oru Vennila Nizhalgal Ravi Kamal
Karpura Mullai Raja Maya Vinodini

Hindi

Year Film Co-star Role
1988 Dayavan Aditya Pancholi Sarita
Kab Tak Chupe Rahungi Aditya Pancholi
1989 Dost Mithun Chakraborty
Jurrat Kumar Gaurav
1990 Shiva Nagarjuna
2013 Listen... Amaya Amaya's aunt
2015 Hamari Adhuri Kahani

Kannada

Year Film Co-star Role
1988 Pushpaka Vimana Kamal Hassan
1990 Bannada Gejje V. Ravichandran
1992 Agni Panjara Kumar Bangarappa
1991 Ksheera Saagara Kumar Bangarappa
Belliyappa Bangarappa Kumar Bangarappa

Malayalam

Year Film Co-star Role
1991 Ente Sooryaputhrikku Suresh Gopi Maya Vinodini
1991 Ulladakkam Mohanlal Reshma

Television

Year Title Role Language Channel
2010 Super Mom Judge Tamil STAR Vijay
2014–2015 Uyirmai Tamil Zee Tamil

References

  1. 1 2 Sangeetha Devi Dundoo. "Amala Akkineni : Behind the glamour of cinema". The Hindu.
  2. S.B.VIJAYA MARY. "Amala for a fit mind, body". The Hindu.
  3. "Blue Cross of Hyderabad – The Team". Blue Cross of Hyderabad. 26 January 2011. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
  4. S.B. Vijaya Mary. "'I treasure my quiet time': Amala Akkineni". The Hindu.
  5. T.Lalith Singh. "Respect saniation workers, Amala Akkineni tells people". The Hindu.
  6. Subhash K Jha (17 June 2015). "Amala Akkineni On Her Return To Acting". SKJ Bollywood News.
  7. SUBHA J RAO. "The measure of a woman". The Hindu.
  8. "February ’13 – Crusading for a cause". RITZ.
  9. 1 2 "A day in the life of Amala Akkineni". The Times of India.
  10. "Amala". Gorantha Deepam. 24 June 2011. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
  11. Himalayan Academy. "A Kinder Vision". hinduismtoday.com.
  12. http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/society/i-treasure-my-quiet-time-amala-akkineni/article3558589.ece
  13. "Amala Akkineni makes comeback with 'Life Is Beautiful'". Retrieved 1 September 2012.

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