Kalpana | |
---|---|
Native name | കൽപ്പന |
Born |
Kalpana Priyadarshini 13 October 1965 Chavara, Kollam, India |
Died | 25 January 2016 Hyderabad, India |
(aged 50)
Other names | Mini Mol, Meenu |
Occupation | Film actress |
Years active | 1977 – 2016 |
Spouse(s) | Anil Kumar (Divorced) (1998 - 2012) |
Children | Sreemayi Kumar |
Family |
Kalaranjini (sister) Urvashi (sister) |
Kalpana Priyadarshini (13 October 1965 – 25 January 2016), known mononymously as Kalpana, was an Indian film actress best known for her work in South Indian films, primarily Malayalam and Tamil films. Kalpana has acted in over 300 films in various South Indian languages.
Kalpana started off her career as a child artist in the late-1970s. Although she came into the industry with the intention of being a lead actress, she turned out to be popular for her comic roles among the audiences. At the 60th National Film Awards, she won the award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Thanichalla Njan (2012).
Kalpana began her career as a child artist in the film Vidarunna Mottukal. After making her debut as a mainstream actor in the 1980 film Pokkuveyil directed by G. Aravindan, she went on to star in several critically acclaimed films and her portrayals as a comedian were appreciated by critics. Her Tamil debut was through the 1985 released successful film Chinna Veedu opposite K. Bhagyaraj. Her other memorable films include Sathi Leelavathi (1995) and Kaliveedu (1996). She performed in a music album with Usha Uthup. She has published her memoirs, Njan Kalpana. Kalpana had sung a song in the movie Kudumbakodathi along with K.S. Chithra in which she appeared as a Telugu speaking character. She was an inevitable presence in stage shows.
Kalpana was born to theater artists Chavara V. P. Nair and Vijayalakshmi. Actresses Kalaranjini and Urvashi are her sisters. She married Malayalam film director Anil Kumar in 1998 and got divorced in 2012. They have one daughter, Sreemayi Anil.