Abhirami (actress, born 1983)
{{short description|Indian actress (born 1983)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{Use Indian English|date= December 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Abhirami
| image = AbhiramiActressTamil.jpg
| caption = Abhirami in 2023
| birthname = Divya Gopikumar
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1983|07}}
| birth_place = Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| alma_mater = {{ubl|Mar Ivanios College, Trivandrum|College of Wooster, Ohio}}
| occupation = {{hlist|Actress|Television host}}
| years_active = 1995–2004
2014–present
| spouse = {{marriage|Rahul Pavanan|2009}}
| children = 1
}}
Divya Gopikumar, professionally known as Abhirami (born July 1983) is an Indian actress and reality show judge. She has acted predominantly in Tamil and Malayalam films and few credits in Telugu and Kannada films.{{Cite news |date=14 May 2023 |title=Actress Abhirami and her husband adopt a baby girl; introduce their Kalki on Mother's Day! |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/actress-abhirami-and-her-husband-adopt-a-baby-girl-introduce-their-kalki-on-mothers-day/articleshow/100227009.cms?from=mdr |access-date= |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}} Abhirami went on to establish herself as an leading actress in the 2000s across the Malayalam and Tamil language industries.
Abhirami went on to establish herself as a leading actress in the 2000s across the Malayalam and Tamil language industries after appearing in films such as Sradha (2000), Middle Class Madhavan (2001), Charlie Chaplin (2002), Raktha Kanneeru (2003) and Virumaandi (2004).
Early life and education
She was born as Divya Gopikumar in July 1983,{{cite web |url=http://www.thehindu.com/lf/2003/05/14/stories/2003051401210200.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160124132131/http://www.thehindu.com/lf/2003/05/14/stories/2003051401210200.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 January 2016 |title=A chat with Abhirami |date=14 May 2003 |work=The Hindu |access-date=2 June 2015}} to Gopikumar and Pushpa who were living in Kerala. Her mother tongue is Tamil. She attended Christ Nagar English High School and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, in Thiruvananthapuram and did predegree training from Mar Ivanios College, before graduating in programs for psychology and communications from the College of Wooster in Ohio.
Her family migrated to the United States in 2004 when she got a job there. Her parents are yoga instructors in Ohio.{{cite web |url=http://www.mangalam.com/cinema/interviews/167713?page=0,0 |title=അഭിരാമി തിരിച്ചുവരാന്കാരണം കമലഹാസനാണ് |publisher=Mangalam.com |access-date=2 June 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150607031830/http://www.mangalam.com/cinema/interviews/167713?page=0%2C0 |archive-date=7 June 2015}}
Career
Abhirami made her debut in director Adoor Gopalakrishnan's film Kathapurushan.{{cite web |url=http://www.indiaabroad.rediff.com/movies/2003/may/02abhi.htm |title=Abhirami on acting in Kamal Haasan's Sandhiyar |publisher=Rediff.com |access-date=5 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715165310/http://www.indiaabroad.rediff.com/movies/2003/may/02abhi.htm |archive-date=15 July 2011 |url-status=dead}} While in college, Abhirami worked as a TV anchor for the program Top Ten which aired on the Asianet channel,{{cite web |url=http://www.sify.com/movies/malayalam/interview.php?id=13153225&cid=2406 |title=Welcome to |website=Sify |access-date=2 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171002215349/http://www.sify.com/movies/malayalam/interview.php?id=13153225&cid=2406 |archive-date=2 October 2017 |url-status=dead}} which according to Abhirami was "quite popular" and got her a film offer. She also appeared in the 100-episode Malayalam serial Akshaya Pathram, directed by Sreekumaran Thampi. She changed her screen name to Abhirami, the character name of the heroine of the film Gunaa, being "obsessed with the role and the name".{{cite web |url=http://www.sify.com/movies/tamil/profile.php?id=13352126&cid=2409 |title=Welcome To |website=Sify |access-date=2 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150912091241/http://www.sify.com/movies/tamil/profile.php?id=13352126&cid=2409 |archive-date=12 September 2015 |url-status=dead}}
She had a small role in the Malayalam film Pathram in 1999 and in the series Mercara directed by Jude Attipetty. Later she acted in the films Millennium Stars, Njangal Santhushtaranu, and Sradha before shifting to Tamil cinema. Her first Tamil film was Vaanavil (2000) opposite Arjun, which was a "big hit" and was followed by Middle Class Madhavan (2001), as well as Dost (2001), Samudhiram (2001) and Samasthanam (2001) with R. Sarathkumar. A notable film in her career was Virumaandi (2004), in which she appeared as a Tamil village girl from Madurai opposite Kamal Haasan. Besides Tamil and Malayalam, she has appeared in Telugu and Kannada films and was a notable Tollywood actress.{{cite web |url=http://www.musicindiaonline.com/n/i/telugu/218/ |title=Abhirami gets a new Telugu film |work=Music India Online |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080628115026/http://www.musicindiaonline.com/n/i/telugu/218/ |archive-date=28 June 2008 |date=31 May 2008}} In 2003, she appeared opposite Upendra in the film Raktha Kanneeru{{cite web |url=http://www.idlebrain.com/movie/archive/mr-raktakanneeru.html |title=Telugu cinema Review - Rakta Kanneeru - Upendra, Abhirami, Ramya Krishna |publisher=Idlebrain.com |date=27 February 2004 |access-date=5 August 2012}} and opposite Shiva Rajkumar in Sri Ram. In 2004, she retired from the film industry and settled in the United States for her studies. She went on to work as the marketing director of an MNC there.{{cite web |title=Mangalam Varika 10-Mar-2014 |url=http://www.mangalamvarika.com/index.php/en/home/index/130/14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140310181621/http://www.mangalamvarika.com/index.php/en/home/index/130/14 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=10 March 2014 |publisher=mangalam.com |access-date=11 March 2014}}
She went on to host Rishimoolam, a talk show on the Tamil television channel Puthuyugam.{{cite web |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/Abhirami-makes-a-bold-reentry-into-tinseltown/articleshow/30111025.cms |title=Abhirami makes a bold reentry into tinseltown |work=The Times of India |date=10 February 2014 |access-date=2 June 2015}}{{cite news |language=ta |url=http://tamil.thehindu.com/society/women/%E0%AE%85%E0%AE%B1%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B5%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%AE%E0%AF%8D-%E0%AE%85%E0%AE%B4%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%A9%E0%AF%8D/article5436528.ece |title=அறிவும் அழகுதான் |newspaper=The Hindu |first=R. C. |last=Jeyanthan |date=8 December 2013 |access-date=3 December 2015}}
After a 10 year hiatus, she returned to the film industry in 2014 and acted in multiple films as a supporting actress until 2021 when she got a role as one of lead actresses in the film Maara after 17 years. She also became a reality show judge through the show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li'l Champs (2023).{{cite web |url=https://www.medianews4u.com/sa-re-ga-ma-pa-lil-champs-returns-for-third-season-on-zee-tamil/ |title=Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li'l Champs returns for third season on Zee Tamil |publisher=medianews4u.com |access-date=29 June 2023 |language=en}} She was cast in the supporting role in the action drama film Vettaiyan (2024) with Rajinikanth.{{Cite news |date=19 October 2024 |title=വെച്ച കുറി തെറ്റിയോ? വേട്ടയ്യന്റെ നഷ്ടം നികത്താൻ മറ്റൊരു സിനിമ, രജനികാന്തിന് നിബന്ധനയുമായി ലൈക്ക? |url=https://www.reporterlive.com/amp/entertainment/entertainment-news/2024/10/19/reports-that-lyca-productions-have-asked-rajinikanth-to-compensate-for-the-loss-of-vettaiyan |work=Reporter}}{{Cite web |date=20 October 2024 |title=2.0, ദര്ബാര്, ലാല് സലാം ദേ ഇപ്പോള് വേട്ടൈയനും... ലൈക്കയുടെ നഷ്ടം നികത്താന് അഞ്ചാമത്തെ സിനിമയും കമ്മിറ്റ് ചെയ്ത് രജിനികാന്ത് |url=https://www.doolnews.com/lyca-productions-approached-rajnikanth-for-new-film-to-cover-the-loss-of-vettaiyan-144-64.html |access-date=5 November 2024 |website=DoolNews |language=en}} Shen then appeared in the black comedy Jolly O Gymkhana (2024) as well as hyperlink thriller, Once Upon A Time in Madras (2024).{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/jolly-o-gymkhana-movie-review-prabhudeva-abhirami-lead-ensemble-shoulder-this-slightly-funny-but-sloppy-comedy-9683573/|title = Jolly O Gymkhana movie review: Prabhudeva, Abhirami-lead ensemble shoulder this slightly funny but sloppy comedy }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/review/2024/Dec/13/once-upon-a-time-in-madras-movie-review-a-missed-opportunity-for-a-narrative-with-explosive-potential|title = Once Upon a Time in Madras Movie Review: A missed opportunity for a narrative with explosive potential}}
Personal life
Abhirami is married to Rahul Pavanan, grandson of writer Pavanan.{{cite web |url=http://www.mangalam.com/mangalam-varika/158077 |title=വിവാഹം ആരെയും അറിയിക്കാതെ... |publisher=Mangalam.com |date=10 March 2014 |access-date=2 June 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150531021906/http://www.mangalam.com/mangalam-varika/158077 |archive-date=31 May 2015}} The couple have an adopted daughter.{{Cite news |date=14 May 2023 |title=Actress Abhirami and her husband adopt a baby girl; introduce their Kalki on Mother's Day! |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/actress-abhirami-and-her-husband-adopt-a-baby-girl-introduce-their-kalki-on-mothers-day/articleshow/100227009.cms |work=The Times of India}}
Filmography
=As actress=
{{Pending films key}}
=As a dubbing artist =
| class="wikitable"
|+ !Year !Title !For whom !Language !Director !Ref. |
| 2013
| rowspan="3" |Pooja Kumar | rowspan="3" |Tamil |
| 2015 |
| 2018 |
Television
- Top Ten, anchor of musical program (Asianet)
- Piyatha, telefilm (Asianet)
- Akshaya Pathram, (Asianet)
- Annie, telefilm (Kairali TV)
- Rishimoolam, host (Puthuyugam)
- Made For Each Other, host (Mazhavil Manorama)
- Kanakanmani, (Surya TV) as Radhika (Cameo)
- Flowers Oru Kodi (Flowers TV) as Participant
- Red Carpet (Amrita TV) as Mentor
- Oru Kodai Murder Mystery, as Ananthalakshmi (Annie) Varadarajan{{Cite web |date=20 April 2023 |title=I don't want to settle for a bland akka or anni character: Abhirami |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2023/apr/20/i-dont-want-to-settle-for-a-bland-akka-or-anni-characterabhirami-2567470.html |access-date=23 April 2023 |website=The New Indian Express}}{{Cite web |title=சினிமாவில் பெண்களுக்கு மட்டும் ஏன் இந்த பாகுபாடு நடிகை அபிராமி கேள்வி |url=https://www.etvbharat.com/tamil/tamil-nadu/entertainment/movie/why-is-this-discrimination-only-for-women-in-cinema-actress-abhirami-question/tamil-nadu20230419191521155155027 |access-date=23 April 2023 |website=ETV Bharat News |date=19 April 2023 |language=ta}}
- Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li'l Champs (season 3), (Zee Tamil), Judge
- Shyamambaram (Zee Keralam)
- Goli Soda Rising (Disney+ Hotstar) as Thendral
- Super star, (Amrita TV), Judge
- Mahanadigai, (Zee Tamil), Judge
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|1366317|name=Abhirami}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abhirami}}
Category:20th-century Indian actresses
Category:21st-century Indian actresses
Category:Indian film actresses
Category:Indian television actresses
Category:Indian women television presenters
Category:Indian television presenters
Category:Actresses from Thiruvananthapuram
Category:Actresses in Malayalam cinema
Category:Actresses in Tamil cinema
Category:Actresses in Telugu cinema
Category:Actresses in Kannada cinema
Category:Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan schools alumni
Category:College of Wooster alumni