# Kausalya (actress)
**Kausalya** (Malayalam: കൗസല്യ; Tamil: கௌசல்யா; born Kavitha Shivashankar, 1979) is an Indian actress and model who works mainly in Tamil and Malayalam films, and is credited as **Nandini** in [Malayalam cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/malayalam-cinema).[1](https://nettv4u.com/celebrity/tamil/movie-actress/kausalya) • [2](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/celebs/kausalya/biography.html) After beginning as a lead heroine in the late 1990s, she moved into supporting and character roles from the 2000s onward, and has also acted in television serials.[3](https://www.filmibeat.com/celebs/kausalya/biography.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birth name and date | Kavitha Shivashankar, born 1979 in Bangalore, Karnataka, to Shivasankaran and Poornima[1](https://nettv4u.com/celebrity/tamil/movie-actress/kausalya) |
| Screen names | Kausalya in Tamil; credited as Nandini in Malayalam films[2](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/celebs/kausalya/biography.html) |
| Film debut | *April 19* (1996), a Malayalam film directed by Balachandra Menon, in which she played the character Nandini[1](https://nettv4u.com/celebrity/tamil/movie-actress/kausalya) |
| Tamil debut | *Kaalamellam Kadhal Vaazhga* (1997), opposite Murali[1](https://nettv4u.com/celebrity/tamil/movie-actress/kausalya) |
| Major award | Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil, for *Pooveli* (1998)[4](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/kausalya/5829) |
| Output | Over 30 films as a heroine in Tamil and Malayalam, plus later supporting roles and television serials[3](https://www.filmibeat.com/celebs/kausalya/biography.html) |
| Television debut | *Manaivi*, which aired 292 episodes on Sun TV[3](https://www.filmibeat.com/celebs/kausalya/biography.html) |
## Early life and modeling
Kausalya was born in [Bangalore](https://www.edgepedia.org/bangalore), Karnataka, and worked as a model and in advertising films before entering cinema; one profile records that she appeared in nearly 65 advertisements.[1](https://nettv4u.com/celebrity/tamil/movie-actress/kausalya) • [5](https://www.filmistreet.com/celebrity/kausalya/) In an early interview she said her family was initially reluctant about a film career and agreed only after confirming that the role was respectable and contained nothing vulgar.[6](https://www.geocities.ws/Hollywood/Screen/7334/inter2.html)
## Film career
**Debut in Malayalam.** The director [Balachandra Menon](https://www.edgepedia.org/balachandra-menon) cast her as the heroine of *April 19* (1996), in which she appeared alongside [Jagathy Sreekumar](https://www.edgepedia.org/jagathy-sreekumar), Shanthi Krishna, and Menon himself; the film was a flop, and she returned to advertising work and modeling visits to Chennai.[1](https://nettv4u.com/celebrity/tamil/movie-actress/kausalya) In the film she played a character named Nandini, and this name became her credited screen name in Malayalam cinema.[2](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/celebs/kausalya/biography.html) FilmiBeat's English-language biography gives a different account of her start, saying her break came in 1995 with the Malayalam film *Surya Kalyanam* starring [Suresh Gopi](https://www.edgepedia.org/suresh-gopi), in the role of Kavitha.[3](https://www.filmibeat.com/celebs/kausalya/biography.html)
**Tamil success.** An assistant of the director R. Balu saw her photographs and cast her in *Kaalamellam Kadhal Vaazhga* (1997) opposite Murali, which became her Tamil debut and a hit.[1](https://nettv4u.com/celebrity/tamil/movie-actress/kausalya) • [6](https://www.geocities.ws/Hollywood/Screen/7334/inter2.html) The same year she appeared in Vasanth's *Nerukku Ner* opposite Vijay, a film popular for the song "Akhila Akhila", and in the Malayalam action film *Lelam* with Suresh Gopi.[3](https://www.filmibeat.com/celebs/kausalya/biography.html) • [1](https://nettv4u.com/celebrity/tamil/movie-actress/kausalya) A run of successful Tamil films followed, including *Priyamudan* (1998), *Sollamale* (1998), *Pooveli* (1998), and *Vaanathaippola* (2000), and FilmiBeat describes her at this stage as a number one box-office heroine.[3](https://www.filmibeat.com/celebs/kausalya/biography.html) • [7](https://www.tamilmdb.com/crew/5856/kausalya) Her performance in *Pooveli*, opposite [Karthik](https://www.edgepedia.org/karthik-actor), brought her the [Filmfare Award for Best Actress](https://www.edgepedia.org/filmfare-award-for-best-actress) – Tamil.[4](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/kausalya/5829) • [6](https://www.geocities.ws/Hollywood/Screen/7334/inter2.html)
In interviews from this period she described a deliberate boundary on glamour: she avoided exposure in her roles, and said she took on the more glamorous styling of one *Nerukku Ner* song only to prove she could carry such roles.[6](https://www.geocities.ws/Hollywood/Screen/7334/inter2.html)
**Shift to supporting roles.** She acted in over 30 films as a heroine in Tamil and Malayalam, including the Malayalam films *Karumadi Kuttan* with [Kalabhavan Mani](https://www.edgepedia.org/kalabhavan-mani) and *Ponmudan* with Murali.[3](https://www.filmibeat.com/celebs/kausalya/biography.html) As lead opportunities diminished in the 2000s, she turned to character roles, appearing in supporting parts such as *Thirumalai* (2003) and *[Santosh Subramaniam](https://www.edgepedia.org/santosh-subramaniam)* (2008).[3](https://www.filmibeat.com/celebs/kausalya/biography.html) • [4](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/kausalya/5829) [BookMyShow](https://www.edgepedia.org/bookmyshow) records a 2004 return to films with titles including *Police*, *Manadhil*, *Vendumadi Nee Enakku*, and *Rosappoo Chinna Rosappoo*.[4](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/kausalya/5829)
Her later screen work has been mostly in supporting and mother roles across industries. Plex lists credits including *[Rarandoi Veduka Chudham](https://www.edgepedia.org/rarandoi-veduka-chudham)* (2017), *Brahma.com* (2017), *[Savyasachi](https://www.edgepedia.org/savyasachi-2018-film)* (2018), *Natpe Thunai* (2019) as Prabakaran's mother, *[Rang De](https://www.edgepedia.org/rang-de)* (2021), *Hero* (2022), and *Saandrithazh* (2023).[8](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/person/kausalya)
## Television
Kausalya made her teleserial debut with *Manaivi*, which aired 292 episodes on Sun TV.[3](https://www.filmibeat.com/celebs/kausalya/biography.html) BookMyShow lists further serial credits including *Chitta*, *Thaniye*, *Kanden Seethaiyai*, *Dharmayudham*, *Alaipayuthey*, *Akka*, *Spandhanam*, and *Amma*.[4](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/kausalya/5829)
## References
1. [Kausalya Biography, NETTV4U](https://nettv4u.com/celebrity/tamil/movie-actress/kausalya)
2. [കൗസല്യ ജീവചരിത്രം (Kausalya Biography in Malayalam), Filmibeat Malayalam](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/celebs/kausalya/biography.html)
3. [Kausalya Biography, FilmiBeat](https://www.filmibeat.com/celebs/kausalya/biography.html)
4. [Kausalya – Movies, Biography, BookMyShow](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/kausalya/5829)
5. [Kausalya Wiki, Biography, Biodata, FilmiStreet](https://www.filmistreet.com/celebrity/kausalya/)
6. [Tamil Star – Interview with Kausalya](https://www.geocities.ws/Hollywood/Screen/7334/inter2.html)
7. [Kausalya, TamilMDb](https://www.tamilmdb.com/crew/5856/kausalya)
8. [Kausalya Movies and TV Shows, Plex](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/person/kausalya)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Film people and crafts › Film actors and performers › Indian and South Asian film actors by industry and language › Tamil film actors › Surnames K to P*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 19, 2026; Sep 20, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 20, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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