Tejaswini Prakash

Tejaswini Prakash
Born (1987-12-17) 17 December 1987
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Occupations
  • Actress
  • model
Years active2005–present
Spouse
Phani Varma Nadimpally
​
​
(m. 2022)​
Children1

Tejaswini Prakash Nadimpally (born 17 December 1987)[1] is an Indian actress and former model who predominantly appears in Kannada films and television. She has also appeared in Telugu and Tamil films.

After beginning her career as a model, Tejaswini made her acting debut in 2005 with the Tamil film, Ambuttu Imbuttu Embuttu. Her Kannada debut came two years later with Masanada Makkalu (2007) and gained recognition for her performances in films such as Maathaad Maathaadu Mallige (2007) and Gaja (2007). For her performance in Goolihatti (2015), she was awarded the SIIMA Award for Best Supporting Actress — Kannada.

Tejaswini made her television debut in 2016 with the titular character in Niharika. In 2017, she participated in the fifth season of the reality television show Bigg Boss Kannada. She later received recognition for portraying Lavanya in the television series Nannarasi Radhe (2020–2022).[2]

Early life

Tejaswini was born on 17 December 1987 in Bangalore as the only child of Prakash (died 2020),[3][4] a stuntman and stunt coordinator in Kannada films, and Vinaya, a television actress. Her father hailed from Mandya and her mother from Mangalore. While Kannada was spoken in her paternal family, her maternal family spoke Konkani. Tejaswini is fluent in both languages.[5]

Tejaswini initially had no ambitions of becoming an actress and aspired to be an air hostess.[5] Recalling her early years, she said, "Initially, I was unsure about acting, and I never dreamt of becoming an actress but when I finally started, acting was all I was doing!"[6] Her entry into films was influenced by cinematographer Ashok Kashyap, who encouraged her to pursue acting as a career, after he filmed her for a pilot episode of a television series that was never aired.[5]

Career

Tejaswini began her career as a model. In 2005, she made acting debut came with the Tamil film, Ambuttu Imbuttu Embuttu. In 2007, she appeared in her first Kannada film, Masanada Makkalu; the performance earned her the SICA Best Actress Award.[7] In the drama Maathaad Maathaadu Mallige (2007), she played Jaji, the youngest daughter of a flower farmer (played by Vishnuvardhan).[6] She then appeared in Gaja (2007) and Aramane (2008). Tejaswini would go on to appear in a few Telugu films such as Cut Chesthe (2014),[8] Cine Mahal - Rojuki 4 Aatalu (2017), Prathikshnam (2017) and Kannulo Nee Rupamey (2018).[9]

In the crime drama Goolihatti (2015), Tejaswini played a strong-willed Poorni from a traditional middle-class family, who finds her life entangled with a village youth drawn into Bengaluru's criminal underworld, forcing her to confront violence and threats to her family's future. The reviewer for Deccan Herald wote, "Doff your hats and raise a toast to Tejaswani. This diminutive damsel is the real hero of Gooli Hatti."[10] The performance won her the award for Best Supporting Actress — Kannada at the 5th South Indian International Movie Awards.[11]

Tejaswini's debut in Tamil films came with Shankar's Manal Naharam (2015).[12] She made her television debut with the 2016 series Niharika.[13] In 2017, she appeared as a contestant in the fifth Season of the reality television show Bigg Boss Kannada. She withdrew from the show mid-way after her father was critically ill.[14] Tejaswini returned to films with a role in Roberrt (2021), headlined by Darshan, who she had previously worked with in Gaja.[15] She then appeared in Garadi (2023).[16]

Personal life

Tejaswini married Phani Varma Nadimpally, a businessman, on 20 March 2022 in a traditional Hindu ceremony in Bengaluru.[2][17] In December 2023, she gave birth to their daughter,[18] Anvika Varma.[19]

Filmography

Films

  • All films are in Kannada, unless otherwise noted.
Year Title Role(s) Notes Ref.
2005 Ambuttu Imbuttu Embuttu Abhirami Tamil film
2006 Aishwarya Shwetha
2007 Masanada Makkalu SICA Best Actress Award
Gaja Varalakshmi [15]
Ee Preethi Yeke Bhoomi Melide Vaishali
Maathaad Maathaadu Mallige Jaji [6]
Savi Savi Nenapu [20]
2008 Bandhu Balaga Annapoorna [21]
Aramane Neetha [20]
2010 Jotheyagi Hithavagi Navya
Tarangini Radhika
Preethi Nee Heegeke Sapna
Kiladi Krishna Anjana
2013 Nanda Gokula Sathyabhama
2014 Kalyanamasthu Radha
Cut Chesthe Telugu film; credited as Tanishka [22]
2015 Mr. Premi
Goolihatti Poorni Credited as Tejaswini Gowda
SIIMA Award for Best Supporting Actress – Kannada		 [10]
Manal Naharam Thanishka Tamil film [23]
2016 Nithya Jothe Sathya Nithya [24]
Dieyana House Diana [25]
2017 Cine Mahal – Rojuki 4 Aatalu Telugu film
Prathi Kshanam Telugu film
2018 Kannullo Nee Roopame Telugu film [26]
2021 Roberrt Bride [15]
2023 Garadi [16]

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2016–2017 Niharika Niharika [27][28]
2017 Bigg Boss Kannada Contestant Season 5; withdrew on day 28
2020–2022 Nannarasi Radhe Lavanya
2022 Yediyur Shree Siddhalingeshwara Kali [29]

References

  1. ↑ "Tejaswini Prakash". BookMyShow. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  2. 1 2 "Kannada actress Tejaswini Prakash gets hitched". 21 March 2022. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  3. ↑ "Actress Tejaswini Prakash pens down an emotional message for dad". The Times of India. 2 May 2020. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  4. ↑ "ಕನ್ನಡದ ನಟಿ ತೇಜಸ್ವಿನಿ ಪ್ರಕಾಶ್‌ಗೆ ಪಿತೃ ವಿಯೋಗ" [Kannada actress Tejaswini Prakash loses her father]. Asianet Suvarna News (in Kannada). Archived from the original on 3 May 2020. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 ಆ ವಿಮಾನ ಅಪಘಾತದಲ್ಲೇ ಜೀವದ ಆಸೆ ಬಿಟ್ಟಿದ್ದೆ !?| Rajesh Reveals Ft.Tejaswini Prakash [I lost my will to live in that plane crash]. Rajesh Gowda. 19 June 2025. Event occurs at 4:18. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 S. M., Shashiprasad (7 December 2016). "HAUNTess in reel life!". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  7. ↑ "Tejaswini Prakash's Birthday: A Look At Her Journey Across Film Industries". News18. 17 December 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  8. ↑ "Tejaswini's Telugu debut releases today". The Times of India. 7 March 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  9. ↑ "Kannullo Nee Roopamey Movie". The Times of India. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  10. 1 2 "Tigress takes the centre stage". Deccan Herald. 28 June 2015. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  11. ↑ "Kannada cinema's big winners at SIIMA 2016". The Times of India. 24 January 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  12. ↑ "Tejaswini to debut in Kollywood". The Times of India. 15 January 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  13. ↑ "Tejaswini Prakash to make her small screen debut". The Times of India. 5 December 2016. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  14. ↑ "Actress Tejaswini Prakash shares an adorable throwback picture from her school farewell". The Times of India. 11 January 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  15. 1 2 3 "Tejaswini Prakash joins 'Roberrt' team to mark her comeback after 3 years". The Times of India. 20 December 2019. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  16. 1 2 "Kannada film 'Garadi' trailer infuses intense rustic wrestling with filmy romance". Daijiworld. 2 November 2023. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  17. ↑ Deccan Herald (21 March 2022). "In Pics | Kannada actor Tejaswini Prakash gets hitched". Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  18. ↑ "Kannada actress Tejaswini Prakash welcomes baby Girl on her birthday, says, "blessed with a bundle of joy"". The Times of India. 18 December 2023. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  19. ↑ "Actress Tejawini Prakash and husband Phani Verma name their baby girl 'Anvika', fondly call her "Little Sukumari"". The Times of India. 21 March 2024. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  20. 1 2 "Tejaswini to debut in three industries". The Times of India. 9 July 2013. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  21. ↑ "Hat-trick hero's respect for Meera". The New Indian Express. 15 May 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  22. ↑ "Tejaswini is now Tanishka". The Times of India. 2 August 2013. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  23. ↑ "Tejaswini's bag stolen; loses valuables". The Times of India. 15 July 2013. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  24. ↑ "Mulilingual films give Kannada filmmakers money". The Times of India. 28 April 2015. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  25. ↑ N., Vishakha. "ಕನಸಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಮರಣ ಪಯಣ" [Death journey in a dream]. Prajavani (in Kannada). Archived from the original on 10 December 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2026.
  26. ↑ "7 Telugu films gearing up for release on June 29". The Times of India. 29 August 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  27. ↑ Daithota, Madhu. "Tejaswini is now Niharika". The Times of India.
  28. ↑ "Tejaswini makes her small screen debut with niharika". The New Indian Express. 14 December 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  29. ↑ "Tejaswini Prakash to play Goddess Kali in 'Yediyuru Sri Siddhalingeshwara'". The Times of India. 28 September 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
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