Meenakshi Seshadri

Meenakshi Seshadri (born 16 November 1963) is an Indian former actress, model, dancer and beauty pageant titleholder.

She worked primarily in Hindi films, with few films in Telugu and Tamil.

Meenakshi Seshadri was born on 16 November 1963 as Shashikala Seshadri in a Tamil Brahmin family in Sindri, Bihar (now in Jharkhand).

She trained in four Indian classical dance forms, Bharata Natyam, Kuchipudi, Kathak, and Odissi, under Vempati Chinna Satyam and Jaya Rama Rao.

She became one of Hindi cinema's leading actresses in the 1980s and 1990s, and was acknowledged for several of her performances, her beauty, and her accomplished dancing.

Prior to her acting career, Seshadri won the Eve's Weekly Miss India contest in 1981 at the age of 17.

She won the Eve's Weekly Miss India contest in 1981 at the age of 17 and represented India at the Miss International 1981 in Tokyo, Japan.

After a forgettable debut in Painter Babu, Meenakshi acted alongside another newcomer, Jackie Shroff, in Hero.

The film was a blockbuster and Meenakshi became an overnight star.

Immediately after the success of Hero, she got an offer to star with superstar Rajesh Khanna to appear in a double role in Awara Baap but the film underperformed at the box-office.

She then appeared in several commercial films, including Love Marriage, Paisa Ye Paisa, and Lover Boy. Her next successful film was Bewafai, with Khanna again and starring Rajinikanth as the antagonist.

She made her debut with the film Painter Babu (1983) produced by Manoj Kumar, and her second film Hero (1983) catapulted her to instant stardom.

In a career spanning a decade, she established herself as one of the most popular and highest-paid actresses of her time.

She was noted for her performances in films including Hero (1983), Aandhi-Toofan (1985), Meri Jung (1985), Swati (1986), Dilwaala (1986), Dacait (1987), Inaam Dus Hazaar (1987), Parivaar (1987), Shahenshah (1988), Mahaadev (1989), Awaargi (1990), Jurm (1990), Ghayal (1990), Ghar Ho To Aisa (1990), Damini (1993), Duet (1994) and Ghatak (1996).

Then Ghai again cast her alongside Anil Kapoor in Meri Jung, which was one of the highest-grossing films of 1985.

This gave her a major foothold in the industry.

Swati, Mera Jawab, and Aandhi Toofan were all moderately successful.

The same year she also appeared in Hoshiyar with Jeetendra and Rajinikanth in Mahaguru (1985) as his heroine.

She received particular critical acclaim for Swati (1986), Dahleez (1986), Satyamev Jayate (1987), Awaargi (1990) and Damini (1993).

In 1986 Meenakshi made a special appearance in a song with Rajinikanth in the Telugu movie Jeevana Poratam (1986).

Seshadri appeared in many critically acclaimed films in 1986.

In Swati, a woman-centric art house film, she performed the title role.

The film gained immense critical acclaim and critics said, "Meenakshi Seshadri has acted in Swati the way Amitabh Bachchan acts in his films".

That same year she appeared in B. R. Chopra films alongside Jackie Shroff and Raj Babbar in the romantic drama Dahleez, which dealt with the taboo topic of infidelity but underperformed at the box office.

Her other releases that year, such as Allah Rakha, were average performers at the box office.

Dilwala (1986) and Parivaar with Mithun Chakraborty did very well at box office.

Main Balwan (1986) was average in India, but a superhit overseas.

In 1987, she appeared in the hit film Inaam Dus Hazaar alongside Sanjay Dutt.

She also appeared in Dacait, an action drama alongside Sunny Deol to critical acclaim.

In 1988, she starred in Yash Chopra's multi-starrer Vijay.

She also starred in the much hyped Shahenshah opposite Amitabh Bachchan which proved to be a huge success.

Meenakshi teamed up with Bachchan for Toofan, Akayla, and Gangaa Jamunaa Saraswati, but all three were flops.

In 1988 Prakash Mehra had announced Dhan Dhahej, starring Anil Kapoor and Meenakshi, Sanjay Khan announced Sarzameen with Anil Kapoor, Meenakshi, and Vinod Khanna, Ramesh Sippy announced Aalishaan with Amitabh Bachchan and Meenakshi but none of these movies took off.

Then Subhash Ghai signed Bachchan for the first time in film Devaa opposite Meenakshi Seshadri, but it was shelved after a song picturised on Bachchan and Shammi Kapoor that was sung by Mohammed Aziz.

In 1989, she was directed by Dev Anand in Sachché Ká Bol-Bálá. In 1989, she also made her Tamil film debut with En Rathathin Rathame, a remake of the Hindi film Mr. India, opposite K. Bhagyaraj, which bombed at the box office.

She also appeared in Kalpataru's family dramas Bade Ghar Ki Beti and Gharana which were moderate successes.

She worked with fellow dancer Mithun Chakraborthy in Aandhi Toofan, Main Balwan, Dilwaala, Parivaar, Bees Saal Baad Pyar Ka Karz, and Shandaar. Her pairings with Shroff, Rishi Kapoor, Sunny Deol, and Vinod Khanna were hugely popular and often praised by the media''.

She also performed at the Khajuraho Dance Festival in the 1990s.

After the release of her film Ghatak, she left the film industry to raise her children in the United States with her husband, where she runs the Cherish Dance School.

A documentary was made about her life, titled Meenakshi Accept Her Wings.