Amala Akkineni

Amala Akkineni
Amala in 2013
Born
Amala Mukherjee

Kalaikunda, West Bengal, India
EducationKalakshetra, Chennai
Occupations
Years active1986–1993
2012–present
Spouse
​
(m. 1992)​
ChildrenAkhil Akkineni (b. 1994)

Amala Akkineni (née Mukherjee) is an Indian actress, Bharatanatyam dancer, and activist.[1] She has predominantly worked in Tamil films, in addition to Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada-language films. She was a leading actress in the Tamil film industry from 1986 to 1992 and has appeared in many blockbusters in Tamil and other languages. She has won two Filmfare Awards South, namely Best Actress – Malayalam for the 1991 film Ulladakkam[2] and Best Supporting Actress – Telugu for the 2012 film Life Is Beautiful.[3] Akkineni is the co-founder of Blue Cross of Hyderabad,[4] a non-government organisation in Hyderabad, India, which works towards the welfare of animals and preservation of animal rights in India.[5][6]

Early life and education

Amala Akkineni was born Amala Mukherjee in Kalaikunda, West Bengal, to a Bengali father, M.K. Mukherjee and an Irish mother, Meitim Connolly.[7][8][9] Their family soon shifted to Chennai, where she was brought up.[10] She has a brother.

Akkineni holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree[11] in Bharatanatyam from the Kalakshetra Foundation, Chennai.[12][13]

Personal life

Amala Akkineni married Telugu actor Nagarjuna on 11 June 1992 and the couple has a son, actor Akhil born in 1994. She is the step-mother of actor Naga Chaitanya.[14] They currently live in Hyderabad.[15]

She has given many live performances worldwide.[16][15] She is fluent in English, Tamil, and Telugu and can also understand Bengali.[7][17]

Career

She was persuaded to join films by T. Rajendar, who visited her home with his wife Usha and convinced her mother to let her act in the film, which would be a classical film featuring her Bharatanatyam dancing.[18] That film was Mythili Ennai Kaathali (1986) which was a box office hit. After the film's success, she acted in several Tamil films such as Mella Thirandhathu Kadhavu (1986), Panneer Nadhigal (1986) and Velaikkaran (1987).[19] She acted with her future husband [Nagarjuna in hits such as Siva (1989) and Nirnayam (1991).[20] She garnered acclaim for her role in the film Ulladakkam (1991).

Akkineni at TeachAIDS 2010 India Launch

She quit acting in 1992 following her marriage to Nagarjuna. After a hiatus of 20 years she made a comeback in 2012 with the Telugu film Life is Beautiful.[21] She received a CineMAA Award for Best Outstanding Actress and Telugu category Filmfare Award for best supporting actress in 2013 for her portrayal.

She returned to Malayalam cinema with C/O Saira Banu after a gap of 25 years, since Ulladakkam.[22]

Filmography

Key
† Denotes films that have not yet been released

Tamil

YearTitleRoleNote
1986Mythili Ennai KaathaliMythiliTamil film debut Nominated - Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil
Panneer NathigalMeera
Kanne KaniyamutheKavita
Mella Thirandhathu KadhavuNoorjahan
Unnai Ondru KetpenGita
Oru Iniya UdhayamAnju
1987VelaikaranKaushalya
Idhu Oru Thodar KathaiSumathi
Kavithai Paada NeramillaiDevi
Koottu PuzhukkalManga
Poo Poova PoothirukkuMary
Vedham PudhithuVaidehiNominated — Filmfare Award for Best Actress — Tamil
1988SathyaaGeetha Nair
Agni NatchathiramAnjali
NethiyadiAmalaGuest appearance
JeevaGeetha
IllamSaradha
KaliyugamNithya
Kodi ParakkuthuAparna
1989Naalai ManithanPreethi
VaramKavitha
Uthama PurushanRekha
Vetri VizhaLalitha
MappillaiGeetha
1990Pudhu PadaganDevi
Pattanamthan PogalamadiUnknownThe song "Saamakozhi" picturised for shelved film Kavadi Sindhu was used in this film.[23]
Mounam SammadhamHema
1991Vaasalil Oru VennilaKamal
Karpoora MullaiMaya Vinodini
2022 Kanam Adhi's mother Shot simultaneously in Telugu[24]

Telugu

YearTitleRoleNote
1987Kirayi DadaLataTelugu film debut
1988ChinababuMadhu
Raktha TilakamRadha
1989SivaAsha
1990Prema YuddhamLatha
Raja VikramarkaRekha
AggiramuduManasa
1991NirnayamGeetha
AagrahamChitra
2012Life Is BeautifulAmma
2014ManamDance teacherCameo appearance
2022 Oke Oka Jeevitham Adhi's mother Shot simultaneously in Tamil[24]

Hindi

YearTitleRoleNote
1988DayavanSarita
Kab Tak Chup RahungiGeeta
1989DostPooja
JurratRenu
1990ShivaAsha
2013Listen... AmayaSujata
2015Hamari Adhuri KahaniRohini RuparelCameo appearance
2018KarwaanTahira
2023Tumse Na Ho PayegaPooja

Kannada

YearTitleRoleNote
1990Bannada GejjeMenaka
1991Agni Panjara
1992Ksheera Sagara
Belliyappa BangarappaMutthamma

Malayalam

YearTitleRoleNote
1991Ente SooryaputhrikkuMaya VinodiniMalayalam film debut
UlladakkamReshma

Filmfare Award for Best Actress - Malayalam

2017C/O Saira BanuAdv. Annie John Tharavadi
2021The Fall into SpringSulochana RamachandranShort film

Sound

YearTitleRoleNote
1987Pushpaka VimanaMagician's daughter

Television

Year Title Role Language Network
1991PennTamilDoordarshan
1992SangurshHindiDoordarshan
2010Super MotherJudgeTamilStar Vijay
2014–2015UyirmeiDr. Kavitha SandeepTamilZee Tamil
2019High PriestessSwathi ReddyTeluguZEE5
2020The Forgotten Army - Azaadi Ke LiyeMaya's motherHindiAmazon Prime Video

Awards and honours

Year Award Award category Work Result Ref.
1989Cinema Express AwardsCinema Express Award for Best Actress Special JuryIllam
Agni Natchathiram		Won[25]
1991Filmfare Awards SouthFilmfare Award for Best Actress – MalayalamUlladakkamWon[2]
2013Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – TeluguLife Is BeautifulWon[26]
CineMAA AwardsCineMAA Awards for Best Outstanding ActressWon[27]
2013 SIIMA SIIMA Award for Best Supporting Actress – Telugu Nominated
2023 Oke Oka Jeevitham Nominated [28]
2024Filmfare Awards SouthFilmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – TeluguNominated

References

  1. ↑ S.B. Vijaya Mary (5 January 2011). "Amala for a fit mind, body". The Hindu.
  2. 1 2 "39th Annual Filmfare Malayalam Best Film Actress : santosh : Free Dow…". Archive.is. 8 February 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  3. ↑ Sangeetha Devi Dundoo (July 2015). "Amala Akkineni : Behind the glamour of cinema". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  4. ↑ "Blue Cross of Hyderabad – The Team". Blue Cross of Hyderabad. 26 January 2011. Archived from the original on 4 August 2008. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
  5. ↑ S.B. Vijaya Mary (22 June 2012). "'I treasure my quiet time': Amala Akkineni". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 28 December 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  6. ↑ T.Lalith Singh (22 April 2015). "Respect saniation [sic] workers, Amala Akkineni tells people". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  7. 1 2 Jain, Rupam (11 July 2011). "Amala Akkineni can't speak Bengali". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 August 2015. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  8. ↑ Subhash K Jha (17 June 2015). "Amala Akkineni on Her Return To Acting". SKJ Bollywood News. Archived from the original on 19 June 2015. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  9. ↑ J Rao, Subha (7 December 2012). "The measure of a woman". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 10 February 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  10. ↑ Lakshmi, L. (3 April 1987). "I never aspired for money or fame". The Indian Express. p. 14. Archived from the original on 10 June 2022. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  11. ↑ "Happy Birthday Amala Akkineni: Cute love story, simple wedding and 27 years of bliss with Nagarjuna". The Times of India. 12 September 2019.
  12. ↑ Senthil, Anitha (16 February 2019). "A freewheeling chat with Amala Akkineni on activism and films". The Hindu.
  13. ↑ "Amala Akkineni, The Person with the Most Beautiful Heart". Hixic. 11 September 2018. Archived from the original on 25 May 2019. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
  14. ↑ Himalayan Academy. "A Kinder Vision". hinduismtoday.com. Archived from the original on 31 July 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  15. 1 2 "A day in the life of Amala Akkineni". The Times of India. 19 December 2001. Archived from the original on 10 August 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  16. ↑ "February '13 – Crusading for a cause". RITZ. Archived from the original on 29 August 2015.
  17. ↑ "When Amala Akkineni Made Sweets For The Whole Unit Of 'Kanam'". Outlook. Indo-Asian News Service. 10 September 2022. Archived from the original on 28 November 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  18. ↑ "Amala". Gorantha Deepam. 24 June 2011. Archived from the original on 12 June 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
  19. ↑ Lakshmi, I. (3 April 1987). "I never aspired for money or fame". The Indian Express. p. 14. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  20. ↑ "Akkineni Nagarjuna and Amala celebrate 26th wedding anniversary". The Times of India. 11 June 2019. Archived from the original on 30 June 2019. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  21. ↑ "Amala Akkineni makes comeback with 'Life Is Beautiful'". Archived from the original on 31 August 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  22. ↑ Digital Native (20 February 2017). "Amala-Manju Warrier starrer 'C/o Saira Banu' ready for release". The News Minute. Archived from the original on 6 March 2017. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
  23. ↑ "நின்றுபோன காவடி சிந்து படமும், நிற்காமல் ஒலிக்கும் சாமக்கோழி பாடலும்". News 18 Tamil. 10 June 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  24. 1 2 "Amala Akkineni returns to Tamil cinema after two decades with upcoming bilingual". The News Minute. 5 October 2020. Archived from the original on 13 May 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  25. ↑ "Cinema Express readers choose Agni Nakshathiram". The Indian Express. Express News Service. 11 March 1989. p. 4. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  26. ↑ "List of Winners at the 60th Idea Filmfare Awards (South)".
  27. ↑ "CineMAA Awards 2013 Winners". Idlebrain.com. 16 June 2013. Archived from the original on 15 November 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  28. ↑ "SIIMA Awards 2023: RRR, 777 Charlie win big; Jr NTR, Yash named Best Actors; Sreeleela and Srinidhi Shetty are Best Actresses". Indian Express. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
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