Radhika Sarathkumar

{{Short description|Indian actress, film producer, film director, politician (born 1962)}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Radhika Sarathkumar

| image = Raadhika at 62nd Britannia Filmfare South Awards 2014.jpg

| caption = Radhika Sarathkumar at 62nd Britannia Filmfare South Awards 2014.

| office = Primary Deputy General Secretary of the All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi

| term_start = 3 March 2021

| term_end = 12 March 2024

| president = R. Sarathkumar

| successor = Position abolished

| party = Bharatiya Janata Party (2024{{nbnd}}present)

| otherparty = {{ubl

| AISMK (2007{{nbnd}}2024)

| AIADMK (2006-2007)

| DMK (1990{{nbnd}}2005)

}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1962|08|21}}

| occupation = {{Hlist|Actress|film producer|film director|politician}}

| children = 2

| father = M. R. Radha

| mother =

| spouse = {{Ubl

| {{Marriage|Pratap Pothan|1985|1986|end=div}}{{Cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/photo-features/heroines-who-fell-for-their-directors/heroines-who-fell-for-their-directors/photostory/34322092.cms |title=Heroines who fell for their directors |work=The Times of India |access-date=5 August 2021}}

| {{marriage|Richard Hardy|1990|1992|end=div}}{{cite web | url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/accidental-actress-inside-life-tv-queen-radikaa-sarathkumar-38996 | title=The Accidental Actress: Inside the life of TV queen Radikaa Sarathkumar | date=15 February 2016 }}

| {{marriage|R. Sarathkumar|2001}}

}}

| relatives = Radha family

| awards = {{indented plainlist|

}}

Radhika Sarathkumar ({{IPAc-en|r|ɑː|ð|ɪ|k|ɑː}}) is an Indian actress, film producer, film director and politician who works predominantly in Tamil and Telugu cinema, TV serials and web series as well as in Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada films.{{Cite web |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/radhika-sarathkumar-acting-is-my-first-priority/article31299765.ece |title=Radhika Sarathkumar: 'Acting is my first priority' |first=S. r Ashok |last=Kumar |date=9 April 2020 |work=The Hindu}} She is a recipient of a National Film Award, two Nandi Awards, three Tamil Nadu State Film Awards and six Filmfare Award South.

Personal life

Radhika is the daughter of actor M. R. Radha and Geetha. Her father is a Telugu{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJmZ5iCfkD4&t=884s|title=Alitho Saradaga | Raadhika (Actress) | 18th April 2022 | Full Episode | ETV Telugu|date=18 April 2022 |via=www.youtube.com|time=14:44}}{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NA908Gd-H9s&t=820s | title=Raadhika Sarathkumar Open Heart with RK || Full Episode || Season-3 || OHRK | website=YouTube| date=3 April 2022 |time=13:40 }} from Chennai and her mother is a Tamil from Sri Lanka, native of Wennappuwa.{{Cite web |title=Happy birthday Nirosha: lesser-known facts about the actress |url=https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2019/01/30/nirosha-birthday-actress-lesser-known-facts.html/1000 |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=Onmanorama |language=en}} Radhika did her education in India, Sri Lanka and a course in London, which she discontinued.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJmZ5iCfkD4&t=594s|title=Alitho Saradaga | Raadhika (Actress) | 18th April 2022 | Full Episode | ETV Telugu|date=18 April 2022 |via=www.youtube.com}} She has a younger sister Nirosha, who is also an actress and two younger brothers, Raju and Mohan. She also has two half-brothers Radha Ravi and M.R.R Vasu.

Radhika married actor Sarathkumar on 4 February 2001. They had been friends before their marriage and had been paired in two films: Namma Annachi (1994) and Suryavamsam (1997). The couple has a son named Rahul born in 2004. Radhika has a daughter Rayane born in 1992.

Her daughter Rayane married cricketer Abhimanyu Mithun in 2016. Radhika has a grandson and a granddaughter.{{Cite web|url=https://www.india.com/entertainment/raadhika-sarathkumars-daughter-rayane-hardy-gets-married-to-ipl-team-rcb-player-abhimanyu-mithun-1442025/|title=Raadhika Sarathkumar's daughter Rayane Hardy gets married to IPL team RCB player Abhimanyu Mithun! | India.com|website=www.india.com|accessdate=18 March 2023}}{{Cite web |last=India NEWS entertainment desk |date=29 August 2016 |title=Rayane gets married to IPL team RCB player Abhimanyu Mithun! |url=https://www.india.com/entertainment/raadhika-sarathkumars-daughter-rayane-gets-married-to-ipl-team-rcb-player-abhimanyu-mithun-1442025/ |access-date= |website=India News}}

Film career

Radhika made her cinematic debut in the 1978 Tamil movie Kizhakke Pogum Rail after accidentally meeting Bharathiraja.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJmZ5iCfkD4&t=602s|title=Alitho Saradaga | Raadhika (Actress) | 18th April 2022 | Full Episode | ETV Telugu|date=18 April 2022 |via=www.youtube.com}} Thereafter, she acted in several Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi and Malayalam films.

She has also produced a film titled Meendum Oru Kaathal Kathai (1985), which won the Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director.{{Cite web |url=http://www.awardsandshows.com/features/indira-gandhi-award-528.html |title=Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film |website=Awardsandshows.com}}

She was awarded Best Telugu Actress for Nyayam Kavali (1981), Best Tamil Actress for Dharma Devathai (1986), Neethikku Thandanai (1987) and Keladi Kanmani (1990).{{Cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movie-details/nyayam-kavali/movieawards/65198874.cms |title=Nyayam Kavali Awards: List of Awards won by Telugu movie Nyayam Kavali |work=The Times of India}}{{Cite web |date=5 February 2017 |title=35th Annual Filmfare Awards South Winners |url=https://archive.org/details/35thAnnualFilmfareAwardsSouthWinners |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170205141932/https://archive.org/details/35thAnnualFilmfareAwardsSouthWinners |archive-date=5 February 2017 |access-date=22 March 2019 |website=}}{{Cite web |date=6 February 2017 |title=35th Annual Filmfare Winner Tamil Raadhika Special |url=https://archive.org/details/35thAnnualFilmfareWinnerTamilRaadhikaSpecial |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170206133440/https://archive.org/details/35thAnnualFilmfareWinnerTamilRaadhikaSpecial |archive-date=6 February 2017 |access-date=22 March 2019 |website=}}

After becoming successful in cinema, Radhika wanted to do something different and decided to take on the small screen, a venture that everyone thought was a mistake and one she would regret. But determined to pursue something she believed in, namely producing television serials under her own banner, she started Radaan Mediaworks in 1994. After some initial hiccups, the company re-emerged successfully as a publicly listed company Radaan Mediaworks (I) Ltd in 1999.

She was a judge on Vijay TV's Jodi Number One Season 4.{{Cite web |url=https://www.southdreamz.com/27216/vijay-tvs-jodi-no-1-season-4-grand-finale/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130920023226/http://www.southdreamz.com/27216/vijay-tvs-jodi-no-1-season-4-grand-finale/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=20 September 2013 |title=Vijay TV's Jodi No.1 Season 4 Grand Finale |date=25 August 2010 |website=South Indian Cinema Magazine}}

She produced serials such as Idi Katha Kadu (Telugu), Chitti, Annamalai, Selvi, Arasi, Chellamay, Vani Rani, Thamarai and Chithi 2.

In September 2019, she was awarded as "Nadigavel Selvi" during audio launch of Market Raja MBBS.{{Cite web |url=https://thenewscrunch.com/actress-radhika-sarathkumar-felicitated-with-nadigavel-selvi-title-during-market-raja-mbbs-audio-launch/5783/ |title=Actress Radhika Sarathkumar felicitated with 'Nadigavel Selvi' title during Market Raja MBBS Audio Launch |first=Bryce J. |last=Winters |date=24 September 2019}}

Political career

She joined before the 2006 Assembly elections to join the AIADMK along with her husband R. Sarathkumar.{{cite news |title=Starry blow to DMK, Sarath Kumar joins AIADMK |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_starry-blow-to-dmk-sarath-kumar-joins-aiadmk_1023443 |author=Arun Ram |date=11 April 2006 |access-date=12 January 2014 |newspaper=Daily News and Analysis}} On 18 October 2006, she was dismissed from AIADMK for anti-party activities.{{cite news |title=Sarath Kumar, Radhika face different problems |url=http://www.hindu.com/2006/04/20/stories/2006042005080500.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060421150940/http://www.hindu.com/2006/04/20/stories/2006042005080500.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=21 April 2006 |author=V. Jayanth |date=20 April 2006 |newspaper=The Hindu |access-date=12 January 2014}} She was the vice president of All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi from 2007 until recently when she tendered her resignation.{{cn|date=March 2024}}

In the 2024 Indian general election, Radhika contested as the BJP candidate from the Virudhunagar Lok Sabha constituency.{{cite news |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/india/bjp-fields-radhika-sarath-kumar-from-tamil-nadus-virudhunagar-2949537 |title=BJP fields Radhika Sarath Kumar from Tamil Nadu's Virudhunagar |date=23 March 2024 |work=Deccan Herald}} She lost the election and finished third. Vijaya Prabhakaran (son of Late Vijayakanth) finished with 214,606 votes higher than Radhika.

Legal issues

= Cheque bounce case =

In 2014, Radiance Media Private Ltd. filed a petition claiming that Magic Frames, a company where Radhika and her husband Sarathkumar are partners, borrowed ₹1.50 crore and later her husband Sarathkumar took an additional loan of ₹50 lakhs in an agreement that the amount would be returned by March 2015. In 2017, Radiance media alleged that Magic Frames issued seven cheques as repayment and all of the cheques bounced for which seven cases were filed.{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=T. N. M. |date=2021-04-07 |title=Actors Radikaa, Sarath Kumar sentenced to one year in jail for financial fraud |url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/tamil-nadu/actors-radikaa-sarath-kumar-sentenced-one-year-jail-financial-fraud-146719 |access-date=2024-03-22 |website=The News Minute |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Actor Sarathkumar, wife sentenced to one year imprisonment in cheque bounce case |url=https://www.theweek.in/news/entertainment/2021/04/07/actor-sarathkumar-radhika-sentenced-one-year-imprisonment.html |access-date=2024-03-22 |website=The Week |language=en}} In 2019, the Madras High Court had declined to quash the criminal proceedings in the pending cases after the couple moved the high court to quash them.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2019-05-09 |title=Cheque-bounce case: Prosecution proceedings against Sarath Kumar upheld |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2019/May/09/prosecution-proceedings-against-actor-upheld-1974438.html |access-date=2024-03-22 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en}} Radikaa and Sarathkumar were convicted in the case by the Special Court on 7 April 2021. The court sentenced them to one year in prison and a fine of ₹3.3 crore. On the same day, her husband, Sarathkumar, received relief from the court for the sentence and the court issued arrest warrant to Radhika since she had not appeared in court.{{Cite web |date=2021-04-07 |title=Big relief for Sarathkumar, but his wife Raadhika gets arrest warrant...Here's what happened! |url=https://www.thenewstuff.in/big-relief-sarathkumar-his-wife-raadhika-gets-arrest-warrantheres-what-happened |access-date=2024-03-22 |website=The New Stuff |language=en}}

= Income tax raid =

The Income Tax department conducted a raid on Radaan Mediaworks India Limited, a media company owned by Radhika Sarathkumar, in Chennai on 11 April 2017, days after the department interrogated her husband Sarathkumar and searched his house.{{Cite web |date=12 April 2017 |title=Money trail sees I-T men knock on Raadhika's doors |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/120417/money-trail-sees-i-t-men-knock-on-raadhikas-doors.html |access-date=2024-03-20 |website=Deccan Chronicle |language=en}}{{Cite web |date= |title=RK Nagar cash-for-votes scam: IT raids at actor Radhika's media company |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/rk-nagar-cash-for-votes-scam-it-raids-at-actor-radhika-s-media-company/story-MyvYg9sXz6iGWfoNxpi4aI.html |access-date=2024-03-20 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}

Awards and nominations

class="wikitable" ! Year ! Award ! Award Category !Work ! Result ! Reference
1981	Filmfare Awards South	Best Actress – Telugu	Nyayam Kavali	{{Won}}	{{Cite web \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o4biAAAAMAAJ&q=Radhika+Nyayam+Kavali \|title=The Times of India Directory and Year Book Including Who's who \|year=1983}}
1985	National Film Awards	Producer	Meendum Oru Kaathal Kathai	{{Won}}	{{Cite web \|url=http://iffi.nic.in/Dff2011/Frm32ndNFAAward.aspx?PdfName=32NFA.pdf \|title=32 National Film Awards \|website=Directorate of Film Festivals \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928072238/http://iffi.nic.in/Dff2011/Frm32ndNFAAward.aspx?PdfName=32NFA.pdf \|archive-date=28 September 2011 \|access-date=18 December 2011}}
1986	rowspan="2" \|Filmfare Awards South	rowspan="2" \| Best Actress – Tamil	Dharma Devathai	{{Won}}	{{Cite web \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q5UqAAAAYAAJ&q=1986++Radhika+Dharma+Devatha \|title=Collections \|year=1991}}{{Cite web \|url=http://archive.org/details/34thAnnualFilmfareAwardsSouthWinners \|archive-url=https://archive.today/20170528093416/https://archive.org/details/34thAnnualFilmfareAwardsSouthWinners \|url-status=dead \|title=34th Annual Filmfare Awards South Winners \|date=28 May 2017 \|via=Internet Archive \|archive-date=28 May 2017 \|access-date=9 September 2019}}
rowspan="2" \|1987	Neethikku Thandanai	{{Won}}	{{Cite web \|url=http://ipr.ap.nic.in/New_Links/Film.pdf \|title=నంది అవార్డు విజేతల పరంపర (1964–2008) \|trans-title=A series of Nandi Award Winners (1964–2008) \|work=Information & Public Relations of Andhra Pradesh \|access-date=21 August 2020 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150223135739/http://ipr.ap.nic.in/New_Links/Film.pdf \|archive-date=23 February 2015 \|url-status=live }}(in Telugu)
Nandi Awards \|Best Supporting Actress	Karthika Pournami	{{Won}}
rowspan="2" \|1988	Cinema Express Awards	Best Actress	Paasa Paravaigal & Poonthotta Kaavalkaaran	{{Won}}	{{Citation \|author=Express News Service \|title=Cinema Express readers choose Agni Nakshathiram \|newspaper=The Indian Express \|date=11 March 1989 \|access-date=3 October 2016 \|page=4 \|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19910222&printsec=frontpage}}
rowspan="2" \|Tamil Nadu State Film Awards	Special Award	Poonthotta Kaavalkaaran	{{Won}}	{{Citation needed\|date=July 2024}}
1989	Best Actress	Ninaivu Chinnam	{{Won}}	{{Cite news \|date=21 November 1990 \|title=State film awards \|page=5 \|work=The Indian Express \|agency=Express News Service \|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19901121&printsec=frontpage&hl=en}}
1990	Filmfare Awards South	Best Actress – Tamil	\| Keladi Kanmani	{{Won}}	{{Cite web \|title=The 38th Annual Filmfare Awards \|date=11 July 2021 \|url=https://archive.org/details/38th-annual-filmfare-awards-winners-south-tamil \|access-date=20 June 2023}}
1993	Cinema Express Awards	Best Actress	Kizhakku Cheemayile	{{Won}}	{{Cite news \|date=13 March 1994 \|title=Kizhakku Cheemayile adjudged best film \|page=3 \|work=The Indian Express \|agency=Express News Service \|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=v2FlAAAAIBAJ&sjid=G5QNAAAAIBAJ&pg=339%2C511626}}
1995	Tamil Nadu State Film Awards	Special Award for Best Actress	Pasumpon & Rani Maharaani	{{Won}}	{{cite web\|url=http://www.dinakaran.com/cinema/english/highlights/1997/1997high.htm#awards \|title=1997 Highlights \|publisher=Dinakaran \|access-date=2009-08-11 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090105224113/http://www.dinakaran.com/cinema/english/highlights/1997/1997high.htm#awards \|archive-date=5 January 2009 }}
1999	Nandi Awards	Best Supporting Actress	Prema Kadha	{{Won}}	{{Cite news \|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/radikaa-returns-to-telugu-films-after-a-decade-113102800453_1.html \|title=Radikaa returns to Telugu films after a decade \|date=28 October 2013 \|work=Business Standard}}
2008	Vivel Chinnathirai Award	Best Actress	rowspan="2" \|Arasi	{{Won}}	{{cite web \|url=http://www.southdreamz.com/14285/winners-list-of-vivel-chinna-thirai-awards-2008/ \|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130905200710/http://www.southdreamz.com/14285/winners-list-of-vivel-chinna-thirai-awards-2008/ \|url-status=usurped \|archive-date=5 September 2013 \|title=Winners List of VIVEL CHINNA THIRAI AWARDS 2008 \|author= \|work=South Indian Cinema}}
2010	rowspan="3" \| Sun Kudumbam Viruthugal	Best Overall Performance Award	{{Won}}	{{cite news \|url=http://www.sunnetwork.in/sunkudumbam/index.html \|title=Sun Kudumbam Viruthugal 2014 \|website=sunnetwork.in \|access-date=10 November 2020 \|archive-date=17 October 2018 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181017220003/http://www.sunnetwork.in/sunkudumbam/index.html \|url-status=dead }}
2012	Special Jury Award for Best Actress	Chellamay	{{Won}}	{{cite news \|url=http://www.metromasti.com/kollywood/news/Sun-TV-Sun-Kudumbam-Awards-2012-Sun-Kudumbam-Awards-Jan-6-2013/23704 \|title=Sun Kudumbam Viruthugal 2012 Winner List \|website=metromasti.com}}
rowspan="2" \|2014	Best Actress	Vani Rani	{{Won}}
rowspan="2" \|Filmfare Awards South	Lifetime Achievement Award – South	Overall Contribution to Tamil Cinema	{{Won}}	{{Cite news \|date=27 June 2015 \|title=Winners of 62nd Britannia Filmfare Awards South \|work=Filmfare \|url=http://www.filmfare.com/news/winners-of-62nd-britannia-filmfare-awards-south-9643.html \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160129092825/http://www.filmfare.com/news/winners-of-62nd-britannia-filmfare-awards-south-9643.html \|archive-date=29 January 2016}}
rowspan="2" \|2015	Best Supporting Actress – Tamil	rowspan="2" \| Thanga Magan	{{Won}}	{{Cite news \|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-details/thangamagan/movieawards/61294311.cms \|title=Thangamagan Awards: List of Awards won by Tamil movie Thangamagan \|work=The Times of India}}
South Indian International Movie Awards	Best Actress in a Supporting Role	{{Won}}	{{Cite news \|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/siima-awards-2016-tamil-winners-list/articleshow/53017745.cms \|title=SIIMA Awards 2016 Tamil winners list \|website=The Times of India}}
2016	Provoke Lifestyle Awards	TV Sensation of the Year	Various Serials	{{won}}	{{Cite web \|url=http://www.sify.com/movies/provoke-lifestyle-awards-imagegallery-kollywood-qiiqVFiedbfad.html \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160811225855/http://www.sify.com/movies/provoke-lifestyle-awards-imagegallery-kollywood-qiiqVFiedbfad.html \|url-status=dead \|archive-date=11 August 2016 \|title=Provoke Lifestyle Awards \|website=Sify \|access-date=14 January 2019}}

Filmography

Elections contested and positions held

=Lok Sabha elections=

class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;background:#FFF4EA;text-align:center" !style="background-color:#FF9933;color:black"rowspan=2\|Elections !style="background-color:#FF9933;color:black"rowspan=2\|Lok Sabha !style="background-color:#FF9933;color:black"rowspan=2\|Constituency !style="background-color:#FF9933;color:black"colspan=3 rowspan=2\|Political party !style="background-color:#FF9933;color:black"rowspan=2\|Result !style="background-color:#FF9933;color:black"rowspan=2\|Vote percentage !style="background-color:#FF9933;color:black"colspan=5\|Opposition
style="background-color:#FF9933;color:black"\|Candidate !style="background-color:#FF9933;color:black"colspan=3\|Political party !style="background-color:#FF9933;color:black"\|Vote percentage
2024	18th	Virudhunagar	BJP	20px	{{party color cell\|Bharatiya Janata Party}}	{{Lost}}	15.66%	B. Manickam Tagore	INC	20px	{{party color cell\|Indian National Congress}}	36.28%

class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;background:#FFF4EA;text-align:center"

!style="background-color:#FF9933;color:black"rowspan=2|Elections

!style="background-color:#FF9933;color:black"rowspan=2|Lok Sabha

!style="background-color:#FF9933;color:black"rowspan=2|Constituency

!style="background-color:#FF9933;color:black"colspan=3 rowspan=2|Political party

!style="background-color:#FF9933;color:black"rowspan=2|Result

!style="background-color:#FF9933;color:black"rowspan=2|Vote percentage

!style="background-color:#FF9933;color:black"colspan=5|Opposition

style="background-color:#FF9933;color:black"|Candidate

!style="background-color:#FF9933;color:black"colspan=3|Political party

!style="background-color:#FF9933;color:black"|Vote percentage

2024