Bhanupriya (born Manga Anandha Bhanu; 15 January 1967) is an Indian actress and dancer. In a four-decade-long career, she has appeared in 165 feature films, predominantly in Telugu and Tamil, and a few in Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi films. She has starred in a variety of roles, which garnered her three state Nandi Awards, two Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, two Filmfare Awards South and two Cinema Express Awards.
Early life Bhanupriya was born on 15 January 1967 in Rangampeta near Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh in a Telugu family, to parents Pandu Babu and Ragamali. She was named Mangabhanu after birth. Her family later moved to Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Career She was one of the top mainstream actresses for more than a decade from 1983 to 1995. She was originally chosen to be the lead actress for Thooral Ninnu Pochchu (1982) after Bhagyaraj spotted her at a dance school, but after the photoshoot he felt she looked too young for this role and she was replaced by Sulakshana thus made her acting debut with the Tamil film Mella Pesungal (1983). She then appeared in the Telugu hit Sitaara (1984), which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu for that year. She then played an ornithologist in the 1985 Telugu mystery film Anveshana. In 1986, she made her Hindi film debut with Dosti Dushmani. In 1988, she appeared in the Telugu film Swarnakamalam, which was screened at the Indian panorama section of the 1988 International Film Festival of India, and the Ann Arbor Film Festival. Bhanupriya received the Indian Express Award for Best Actress, the Nandi Award for Best Actress, and the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu for her performance in the film. In 1989 and 1991, her performances in the Tamil hits Aararo Aariraro, and Azhagan brought her the Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prizes, respectively. She received the JFW Divas of South India Award for her contribution to South Indian cinema, the Gemini TV Puraskaram for lifetime achievement in television and various other honours.
Personal life She has an elder brother Gopikrishana, and a younger sister Shantipriya, who is also an actress. Bhanupriya married Adarsh Kaushal, a digital graphics engineer, at the Sri Venkateswara temple in Malibu, California, on 14 June 1998. The couple has a daughter, Abhinaya, born in 2002. Bhanupriya returned to India, and resumed her acting career. She lives in Chennai with her daughter. Kaushal died in 2018 after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Filmography Film Acting roles +List of films and rolesYearTitleRoleLanguageNotes 1983 Mella Pesungal UmaTamil Tamil debut 1984 Etho Mogam Geetha Sitaara Sitaara / KokilaTelugu Telugu debut Rowdy Ganga Eduruleni MonagalluRani Ramayanamlo Bhagavatam Palnati Puli Rani James Bond 999 Neelima Chadarangam Meena Gruhalakshmi Swapna Priya Illale Devata Radha 1985 Mogudu Pellalu Saroja Musugu Donga Swapna ChiranjeeviShanti Bangaru Chiluka Hema/Chilaka Dual Role Preminchu Pelladu Radha Jwala Thendral Thodhata Malar Valli Tamil Garjana VijayaTelugu Kutumba Bandham Lakshmi Illaliko Pariksha Aatmabalam Vaishali America Alludu Radha Vijetha Priyadarsini Anveshana Hema 1986 Bhale Mitrulu Bharathi Manchi Manasulu Janaki Pratibhavantudu Sravana Meghaalu Samajamlo Sthree Konaseema Kurradu Jyothi Kashmora Tulasi Dosti Dushmani Rekha Hindi Hindi Debut Aalapana UshaTelugu Apoorva Sahodarulu Roja Anadiga Aadadi Geetha Anasuyamma Gari Alludu Rukmini Chadastapu Mogudu Janaki 1987 Srinivasa Kalyanam Lalitha Shankaravam Jyothi Prema Samrat Madhulatha Insaf Ki Pukar Rani Hindi Prema Deepalu Telugu Chakravarthy Rani Karthika Pournami Abilasha/Gowri Dual Role Khudgarz Jaya Saxena Hindi Donga Mogudu PriyamvadaTelugu Allari Krishnayya Lalitha Dharmapatni S.I Vidya Jebu Donga Bujji 1988 Mar Mitenge Jenny Hindi Bharatamlo Bala Chandrudu Bhanu Telugu Nyayaniki Siksha Sita Jhansi Rani Jhansi Rani Agni Keratalu Bhanurekha Tiragabadda Telugubidda Padma Tamacha Seema Hindi Khaidi No. 786 Radha Telugu Trinetrudu Pratyusha Swarnakamalam Meenakshi Nandi Award for Best Actress Filmfare Award for Best Telugu Actress1989 Suryaa: An Awakening Shanoo Hindi State Rowdy Asha Telugu Bhagawan Rekha Black Tiger Dav Pech Sunita VermaHindi Garibon Ka Daata Naina Gudachari 117 Telugu Kasam Vardi Ki Aarthi Hindi Ashoka Chakravarthy Urmila Telugu Aararo Aariraro Meenu Tamil Filmfare Award for Best Actress TamilTamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize1990 Zahreelay Seema Hindi Sirayil Pootha Chinna Malar Chitra Tamil Jayasimha Geetha Telugu Chatriyan Banu Tamil1991 Bhabhi Sita/Kamini Hindi Dual Role Pudhu Manithan SugandhiTamil Gopura Vasalile Kalyani Sri Edu Kondala Swamy Goddess Padmavati Devi Telugu Pondatti Sonna Kettukanum IndiraTamil Azhagan Priya Ranjan Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize People's Encounter Telugu Bramma PavitraTamil Thalapathi Padma Thaipoosam Sivagami Ramudu Kadhu Rakshasudu Revathi Telugu1992 Amaran SivagaamiTamil Sundara Kandam Deivanai Bharathan Indhu Therku Theru Machan Parimala Vaaname Ellai Herself Guest Appearance in a special song Rajashilpi Durga Malayalam Malayalam debut Magudam BhavaniTamil Pangali Saidhai Tamizharasi Neenga Nalla Irukkanum Anjalai Kaviya Thalaivan Priya / Saradha Dual Role1993 Kattalai Vijaya Porantha Veeda Puguntha Veeda Amudha Bhagath Telugu Maharasan SelviTamil Mutrugai DSP Bhavani Rajadurai Radha Guest Appearance in special song Kirayi Gunda Telugu Gokulam Gayathri/MaryTamil Uzhavan 1994 Rasika Kannada Kannada debut Ish Gup Chup RavaliTelugu Bangaru Mogudu Amulya 1995 Highway Meera Malayalam Pedarayudu Lakshmi Telugu Chakravarthy Bhanu Tamil1996 Azhakiya Ravanan Anuradha Malayalam Amma Durgamma Goddess DurgaTelugu1997 Mama Bagunnava Gowri Aahaa..! Geeta Cameo appearance Annamayya Goddess Padmavathi Kulam SubhadraMalayalam Rishyasringan Poornima Thalaimurai PanchavarnamTamil Aahaa..! Rajeswari (Raaji) 1999 Endrendrum Kadhal Pooja Anantha Poongathe Banu Guest Appearance 2000 Annai Kanagamagalatchumi 14 February Necklace Road Telugu Guest appearance Ayodhya Ramayya Padmavathi Jayam Manadera Bhuvaneswari Hindustan: The Mother Kochu Kochu Santhoshangal Maya Varma Malayalam Devara Maga Annapoorna Kannada 2001 Sri Raja Rajeshwari Goddess ParasakthiTamil Thaali Kaatha Kaaliamman Goddess Kaali 2002 Simhadriya Simha Lakshmi Kannada Naina Azhagu Nachiyar Tamil Lahiri Lahiri Lahirilo Indu Telugu Nandi Award for Best Supporting Actress2004 Jai Veerapandi's wife/Jai's motherTamil Jore Meenakshi Chellamae Herself Guest Appearance in a song "Kummi Adi" Manjupoloru Penkutti Arundathi Malayalam Kadamba Yamini Kannada Sravanamasam RajyamTelugu 2005 Orey Pandu Akhilandeswari Goutham SSC Bhanu Chatrapathi Rajya Lakshmi Nandi Award for Best Supporting Actress Hridayathi Sookshikkaan Sreenath's motherMalayalam 2006 Raathrimazha 2007 Oru Ponnu Oru Paiyan GangaTamil Polladhavan Thilaka 2008 Mahayagnam Telugu Theekuchi Sakthi Tamil Pellaindi Kaani Rajeshwari Telugu 2009 Mesthru Kannada 2010 My Name is Amruta Telugu2012 3 Ram's mother Tamil Dammu Vasundhara Telugu 2013 Chatrapathi Kannada 2014 Avathaaram Akkamma Telugu2017 Shivalinga SaralaTamil Magalir Mattum Rani Amirthakumari 2018 Mahanati Durgambha Telugu Kadaikutty Singam Panchavanmadevi Tamil 2021 Natyam Sitara's mother Telugu 2022 Sila Nerangalil Sila Manidhargal Tamil 2024Ayalaan Tamizh's mother
Dubbing artist +YearFilmDubbed forLanguageNotesRef1996IndianUrmila MatondkarTamilAlso dubbed for the Telugu version Bharateeyudu (1996)1997SuryavamsamPriya RamanThayin Manikodi Nivedita Jain1998ArunachalamRambhaTeluguDubbed Version 2025Bad GirlShantipriyaTamil
Television +List of television shows and roles Year Title Role Language ChannelNotes1989Vishwamitra Menaka Hindi DD National1991PennTamil1997-1998 Sakthi Sun TVRole ended due to marriage with a newly created role for Sukanya.2000Manase Mandiram TeluguGemini TV2000-2001VaazhkkaiSeethaTamilSun TV2000Gopi AVMYasodhaSun TV2001-2002Take It Easy VaazhkaiStory NarratorDD Podhigai/Sun TV2004DeivamSeetha TeluguGemini TV/Star MaaSarvamangalaMangalaTeluguGemini TV2005-2006Porandha Veeda Pugundha VeedaRajiTamilSun TV2012-2013AahaRajiVijay TV2016–2017NathicharamiYamunaTelugu Gemini TV
Awards
Nandi Awards(in Telugu) Best Actress - Swarna Kamalam (1988) Best Character Actress - Lahiri Lahiri Lahirilo (2002) Best Supporting Actress - Chatrapati (2005)
Filmfare Awards South Best Actress - Telugu in 1988 for her performance in Swarna Kamalam Best Actress - Tamil in 1989 for her performance in Aararo Aaariraro
Other Awards Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize in 1989 for the film Aararo Aaariraro Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize in 1991 for the film Azhagan Cinema Express Awards in 1996 for the film Peddarayudu Screen Videocon Award for the television serial Shakti. JFW Divas of South - Awarded on 12 October 2012 by Just for Women magazine for her contribution to south Indian cinema.
References
External links