Revathi is an Indian actress, dancer, director and screenwriter who has worked predominantly in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi cinema. Active since the early 1980s, she is regarded as one of the most accomplished performers of her generation in South Indian cinema, known for her naturalistic acting style and her later transition into direction with socially themed films.
| Born | Asha Kelunni Nair, 8 July 1966, Kochi, Kerala |
|---|---|
| Other names | Revathy, Revathi Menon |
| Occupation | Actress, film director, screenwriter, classical dancer |
| Years active | 1982 – present |
| Languages | Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada, English |
| Notable awards | National Film Awards (multiple), Filmfare Awards South |
| Spouse | Suresh Chandra Menon (married 1986; later separated) |
Revathi was born in Kochi, Kerala, into a Malayali Nair family, and was raised partly in Chennai. She trained in Bharatanatyam from a young age and entered films while still in her teens. Her screen name was adopted at the start of her acting career.
She made her film debut in 1982 with the Tamil film Mann Vasanai, directed by P. Bharathiraja. The film established her as a leading actress in Tamil cinema and led to a series of roles with major directors of the period.
Through the 1980s and early 1990s, Revathi appeared opposite leading actors of South Indian cinema, including Kamal Haasan, Mohanlal, Mammootty, Rajinikanth and Chiranjeevi. Her notable Tamil films include Mouna Ragam (1986), directed by Mani Ratnam, in which her performance is widely cited among the most acclaimed in Tamil cinema. Other significant Tamil films include Anjali (1990) and Thevar Magan (1992).
In Malayalam, she appeared in films such as Kakkothikkavile Appooppan Thaadikal (1988), His Highness Abdullah (1990) and Bharatham (1991), working with directors including Priyadarshan and Sibi Malayil.
Revathi's Hindi films include Love (1991) opposite Salman Khan, and later character roles in productions such as Dil Chahta Hai (2001), 2 States (2014) and Margarita with a Straw (2014).
Revathi turned to direction in the 2000s. Her directorial work includes:
Revathi has received several National Film Awards, including the National Film Award for Best Actress for her performance in Thevar Magan, and the Special Jury Award for Mitr, My Friend. She has also won multiple Filmfare Awards South across Tamil and Telugu cinema, and Kerala State Film Awards. She has been recognised for her contribution to social-issue based cinema and for advocacy on autism awareness, partly stemming from her engagement with related causes after the film Anjali.
Revathi's career bridges mainstream commercial cinema and parallel, issue-based filmmaking across multiple Indian languages. Her transition from a leading actress in the 1980s and 1990s to a director engaging with subjects such as gender, illness and disability has marked her as a notable figure in contemporary Indian cinema. She is also regarded for her continued presence as a character actress in Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi films through the 2010s and 2020s.
Revathi married filmmaker and actor Suresh Chandra Menon in 1986; the couple later separated. She has a daughter through adoption.