Kovai Sarala is an Indian actress primarily known for her supporting roles in Tamil and Telugu films. She is a comedian and has won the Tamil Nadu National Film Award for Best Comedy, Best Female Comedy and Vijay Award for Best Comedy for her performances in many films. She is known for her roles in the films Sathi Leelavathi (1995), Kanchana (2011) and Muand Mersal (2017). She is also known for her popular comedy numbers with Vadivelu (Kumaravadivel Natarajan). She is a member of the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) political party led by Kamal Haasan.
Wiki/Biography
Kovai Sarala was born Sarala Kumari on Saturday, April 7, 1962, in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu (age 61; as of 2023). Her zodiac sign is Aries. While in school, with the support of her sister and father, she entered the entertainment industry.
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′4″
Hair color: black
Eye color: dark brown
family
She comes from a Malayan family.
Parents and siblings
Her mother’s name is Shakthi Illam.
Her father is an army officer.
She has four sisters and one brother. She is the youngest daughter of her parents. She took good care of her sisters’ children.
husband and children
She was unmarried and took care of a relative’s children. She considered them her own children. In an interview, she shared her marriage plans. She said,
No, I’m not married yet, I’ve never thought about it and don’t have the time. I was married to movies, my life revolves around movies, and I want to work here until the day I die. Sometimes I do take a break, but soon I’m back on my feet. I believe in healthy competition, not jealousy. “
In another interview, she shared her thoughts on marriage. She said,
I plan to stay single. Has she changed her mind? “You see, I’ve kept my word, haven’t I? After a hard day’s work on set, I can’t imagine spending time catering to my husband’s whims. I prefer being the queen and minister of the house. Marriage isn’t for me.”
Profession
Movie
tamil
She made her debut in the Tamil film industry in 1979 in the film Velli Ratham. Kovai had the opportunity to work with Vijayakumar and KR Vijaya in the film Velli Ratham when he was in 9th grade.
Willy Latham(1979)
She discovered her passion for acting after watching the films of MGR (Maruthur GopalaMenon Ramachandran). Her second film was Mundhanai Mudichu, which she shot when she was 15 years old. In the film, she plays Arukkani, a 32-year-old pregnant woman. The film was released in 1983.
Kovai Sarala in Mundhanai Mudichu (1983)
Her other best known Tamil films include Nooravathu Naal (1984), Japanil Kalyanaraman (1985), Udaya Geetham (1985), Naan Sigappu Manithan (1985), Vasantha Raagam (1986), Lakshmi Vandhachu (1986), Kadhal Parisu (1987), Solvateran Unmai (1987), Uzhavan Magan (1987), Soora Samhaaram (1988), Paandi Nattu Thangam (1989), Solaikuyil (1989), Adhisaya Manithan (1990), My dear Marthandan (1990), Pudhiya Raagam (1991), Chinnavar (1992) ), Chinnavar (1994), Sathi Leelavathi (1995), Kaalam Maari Pochu (1996), Aval Varuvala (1998), Thirupathi Ezhumalai Venkatesa (1999), Viswanathan Ramamoorthy (2001), Sigaram Thodu (2014), Kanchana 3 (2019) Wait for more.
In the movie Chinna Veedu (1985), she played the 65-year-old mother of Madanagopal (played by K. Bhagyaraj).
Kovai Sarala in Chinna Veedu (1985)
In an interview in 2017, she talked about her journey into cinema. She said,
Movies have fascinated me since I was a kid. I hope to be hugely successful in this industry one day. I have done over 500 films so far in all South Indian languages, mostly in Tamil. I have acted in about 100 films in Telugu and about six films each in Malayalam and Kannada. “
In 2022, Kovai Sarala played the lead role of Veerathayi, the grandmother of 10-year-old Sembi who was gang-raped by three influential villains in the movie “Sembi”. The story revolves around how Veerathayi seeks justice for her granddaughter Sembi. The film is written and directed by Prabhu Solomon and will be released in theaters around the world on December 30, 2022. The film will also be released on OTT platforms in February 2023. In an interview, she shared her experience of playing a serious role in the film Sembi. She said,
Even when I do comedy, I’m usually pretty serious and maybe punching someone so you can get a laugh out of it. Sirika vekkurathu oru periya bakkiyam. I think this is a gift from God to me. Although I had always wanted to play a serious character that was integral to a movie, I never got there. So, when Prabhu Solomon sir came to me with an interesting role, I agreed, even though the character was an elderly woman (laughs). But I’m not sure I can handle the role. In fact, this story kept me awake for two months. Although I am used to enjoying free performances, here I told my husband that I would make a puppet and copy his movements. Just like kindergarten and college. I felt like a PhD student for this movie (laughs). When the director explained the role to me, it felt like I wasted a lot of time in this industry. In my comedy movie, I have to come up with 10 funny moments and 15 crying moments. Here, I had to do what the director asked me to do. “
Senby(2022)
telugu
She made her debut in the Telugu film industry in 1987 with the film Veera Prathap.
Virat Pratap(1987)
Her other Telugu films include Bhairava Dweepam (1994), Lingababu Love Story (1995), Family (1996), Akkada Ammayi Ikkada Abbayi (1996), Mama Bagunnava (1997), Rayalaseema Ramanna Chowdary (2000), Hanuman Junction (2001), Ochnadana (2002), Sriramachandrulu (2003), Iddaru Attala Muddula Alludu (2006), Neninthe (2008), Devasthanam (2012), Kick 2 (2015), Abhinetri 2 (2019) and many more.
Malayalam
She made her debut in the Malayalam film industry in 1980 with the film Thaliritta Kinakkal. Thaliritta Kinakkal is the only Malayalam film to have music by the legendary Mohammad Rafi.
Talilita Kinakar(1980)
Some of her other Malayalam films include Niram (1999), Kerala House Udan Vilpanakku (2004), Maad Dad (2012), Girls (2016) and many more.
kannada
In the Kannada film industry, she made her debut with the film Africadalli Sheela (1986).
Avridali Sheila(1986)
Her other Kannada films include Hendthi Helidare Kelabeku (1993), Alimayya (1993), Naanu Naane (2002) and Arjun (2008).
television
reality show
She appeared as a guest judge in Asatha Povathu Yaaru? (2007). She has also served as a judge in the Tamil comedy show Comedyil Kalakkuvathu Epadi (2013) on Vijay TV and Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam on Zee Tamil.
Comedy Kalakuwatu Epadi (2013)
She also hosted the reality show Paasa Paravaigal. Apart from this, she is also the host of Chellame Chellam, a children’s game show aired on Sun TV.
singing
She has sung Marugo Marugo (Sathi Leelavathi), Thekkathi Mappillai (Magalirkaaga) and Rama Rama (Villu).
politics
On March 8, 2018, Kovai Sarala joined Kamal Haasan’s political party Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) to attend the MNM Women’s Day celebrations at the party headquarters in Chennai.
Kovai Sarala speaks at MNM Women’s Day celebrations in Chennai (2018)
She believes in bringing about an equal society and equal rights for men and women, and she believes that the party has the ability to bring about such changes in society. She said,
Women are suppressed in Tamil Nadu and this must change. We must ensure that the men in the family vote for the party dedicated to the advancement of women (MNM). I hear a lot of criticism of actors in politics. But I believe that actors who play different roles can empathize with the plight of ordinary people. They (actors) will be able to eliminate the problems of common people. That’s why I have an emotional connection to this party. “
Awards, Honors, Achievements
- She won the Tamil Nadu National Film Award for Best Comedy Actor three times for the films Sathi Leelavathi (1995), Poovellam Un Vasam (2001) and Uliyin Osai (2008)
- Won the Nandi Award for Best Female Comedian twice for the films Rayalaseema Ramanna Chowdary (2000) and Ori Nee Prema Bangaram Kaanu (2003)
- Vijay Award for Best Comedy Actor for the film Kanchana (2011)
- Galata Crown Lifetime Achievement Award 2022
Kovai Sarala wins Galata Crown Lifetime Achievement Award 2022
- JFW Achievement Award (2022)
Favorites
- Comedy Artists: Venniradai Moorthy, Manorama, Sachu
- Tamil films: Karakattakaran (1989), Varavu Ettana Selavu Pathana (1994), Sathi Leelavathi (1995), Viralukketha Veekkam (1999), Viswanathan Ramamoorthy (2001)
Facts/Trivia
- Of all the Tamil films she has appeared in, a few are her personal favorites. They are Karakattakkaran (1989), Varavu Ettana Selavu Pathana (1994), Sathi Leelavathi (1995), Viralukketha Veekkam (1999) and Viswanathan Ramamoorthy (2001).
- With the support of her father and sister, she entered the film industry.
- She calls actors younger than her by the word “Garu” out of respect.
- In an interview, she shared her experience of stammering while speaking Telugu. She said she has great respect for all Tamil directors and assistant directors who have given her cooperation and forgiveness many times when she lost confidence in speaking Tamil. It was with their support that she became fluent in Tamil.
- She only wears sarees on screen and at home she likes to wear salwars, pants and comfortable clothes.
- In an interview, she recounted her experience as a comedian. She said,
There’s not a shortage of female comedians, they just don’t get consistent work. It was the lack of work that pushed me to do films in other languages. There are no good comedy writers these days. Over the years, male comedians have had their own teams or writers. But women like us can’t do that. We couldn’t afford four or five writers. We made do with what we had and tried to create something unique. That’s what happens with movies like Shahjahan. “
- For the movie Sembi, Kovai Sarala dyed her hair gray and got a de-glam makeover to make her role of a grandmother in the movie look more authentic.
- She revealed in an interview that she did not use visual effects to climb a tree in the movie Sembi. She said,
I was not prepared for the tree scene at all. I had to sit on a tree branch for four hours, overlooking a 1,500-foot drop. There’s no point in taking safety measures because if someone fell from such a height you wouldn’t even find the body. I believe that my instructions come from Almighty God and I have no right to question that. Despite all the hard work I put in, some people even asked me if it was VFX, which hurt me a little. From this scene to holding Master Raghava Lawrence on my hip in Kanchana movie, everything I did was authentic. “
- Kovai’s name is Sarala, a journalist added “Coimbatore Sarala” or “Kovai Sarala” to the city name “Coimbatore”.
- After completing class 12, Kovai moved to Chennai with her parents. 300 as rent. It was then that she began looking for opportunities in the entertainment industry.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education