Madhu Shalini

Madhu Shalini is an Indian film actress and model, who has appeared in Telugu and Tamil language films. She has previously worked as a television anchor as well.

Career

Madhu Shalini was born in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, her father being a businessman and her mother an advocate. Like her mother she also learned Kuchipudi, before taking part in a beauty contest, which she won and which paved her way for a modelling career. After working as a television anchor for a short while, she soon ventured into film business, turning an actress.

She made her feature film debut with the 2005 Telugu film Naa Pranam Kante Ekkuva directed by music composer Shashi Preetam, which was largely panned by critics. Her next film, E. V. V. Satyanarayana's Kithakithalu opposite Allari Naresh, released in 2006, went to become a very successful venture. The same year, she had appeared in two more Telugu films, namely Teja's Oka V Chitram as part of an ensemble cast, and Aganthakudu. 2007 she starred in the Telugu action comedy State Rowdy, a remake of the successful Tamil K. S. Ravikumar-directorial Aethiree, with Madhu Shalini essaying a Brahmin girl character, played by Kanika in the original. She made her Tamil film debut later that year with the low-budget feature Pazhaniappa Kalloori, which released without publicity and vanished shortly.

She later signed to play the lead female in D. Sabhapathy's Telugu project Happy Journey, while she also agreed to appear in the director's next Tamil venture, Pathinaaru, which, despite being heavily delayed, became her next release. Though the film received mixed reviews and fared averagely at the box office, Madhu Shalini's performance as Indhu received positive reviews, with critics citing that she performed her role "with consummate ease", was "adequate in her role", and acted "like a pro". Her subsequent release, Karalu Miriyalu, likewise, released to negative reviews, while her performance, however, met with favorable remarks from critics, with one reviewer claiming that she "looks pretty and dishes out a pleasing work", further noting that it was a pity that she does not get to work in any "big projects". She eventually got her big break as she was cast by noted National Film Award-winning filmmaker Bala for his comedy flick Avan Ivan. She disclosed that Bala selected her without even auditioning her, after numerous girls were auditioned for the role, with none of them measuring up to Bala's expectations. Madhu Shalini would play a college student in the film, for which she did not apply any makeup, while also dubbing for herself for the first time.

She made her Bollywood debut in Ram Gopal Varma's Department that featured her as a gun moll alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt and Rana Daggubati.

Galleries of Madhu Shalini