Bhavana Menon

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Karthika Menon, better known by her stage name Bhavana, is an Indian actress who predominantly appears in Malayalam and Kannada language films in addition to Tamil and Telugu films. She is the recipient of two Kerala State Film Awards and a Filmfare Award.She debuted with the film Nammal (2002) and appeared in several successful Malayalam films like Chronic Bachelor (2003), C.I.D. Moosa (2003), Swapnakoodu (2003), Chathikkatha Chanthu (2004), Naran (2005), Chotta Mumbai (2007) and Marykkundoru Kunjaadu (2010), Tamil films including Chithiram Pesuthadi (2006), Jayamkondaan (2008) and Aasal (2010), and successful Kannada films like Jackie (2010), Vishnuvardhana (2011) and Romeo (2013). She received two Kerala State Film Awards for Daivanamathil and Nammal.

Early life

Bhavana was born Karthika Menon on 6 June 1986 in Thrissur, Kerala. She is the daughter of Pushpa and assistant cinematographer G. Balachandran. She has an elder brother, Jayadev. She did her schooling at Holy Family Convent Girls High School, Thrissur. Bhavana has described herself as a restless person and someone who's "hard to handle". When she was young, she dreamed of becoming an actress. She was an 11th standard student when she got her break in the film.

Career

At age 16, she debuted in the Malayalam film ''Nammal'' (2002), taking the stage name Bhavana with newcomers Jishnu Raghavan, Sidharth Bharathan and Renuka Menon. The film was a commercial success. She portrayed the role of Parimalam, a slum dweller who talks in Thrissur slang and received the Kerala State Special Jury Mention for the film. She once said, that she felt almost unrecognizable in the film, and people who knew her didn’t realize that she had played Parimalam.The following year she had six releases. She had a cameo role in the Dileep and Kavya Madhavan starrer ''Thilakkam.'' In her next film, ''Chronic Bachelor,'' she played the sister of Mammootty. The film was a commercial hit. She starred with Dileep in ''C.I.D. Moosa,'' which turned out to be one of the best slapstick comedies in Malayalam cinema and a financial success. She had a significant part in the ensemble romantic comedy ''Swapnakoodu,'' co-starring with Prithviraj Sukumaran, Kunchacko Boban, Jayasurya and Meera Jasmine. ''Ivar'' and ''Valathottu Thirinjal Nalamathe Veedu'' failed at the box office.In 2004, she appeared in a dance number with Dileep in ''Runway''. ''Youth Festival, Parayam'' and ''Amritam'' were box office failures. She starred in ''Chathikkatha Chanthu'' alongside Navya Nair and Jayasurya which became a commercial success. She starred with Dileep in ''C.I.D. Moosa,'' which turned out to be one of the best slapstick comedies in Malayalam cinema and a financial success. She had a significant part in the ensemble romantic comedy ''Swapnakoodu,'' co-starring with Prithviraj Sukumaran, Kunchacko Boban, Jayasurya and Meera Jasmine. ''Ivar'' and ''Valathottu Thirinjal Nalamathe Veedu'' failed at the box office.In 2004, she appeared in a dance number with Dileep in ''Runway''. ''Youth Festival, Parayam'' and ''Amritam'' were box office failures. She starred in ''Chathikkatha Chanthu'' alongside Navya Nair and Jayasurya which became a commercial success.In 2005, she appeared in Rajesh Pillai's directorial debut ''Hridayathil Sookshikkan'' which opened to a negative reception. Also appeared in ''Police,'' directed by V. K. Prakash and in ''Banglavil Outha.'' Her next film, ''Daivanamathil'' directed by Jayaraj met with critical acclaim. She played the role of Samira, the girl who tries to change her husband and ends up in jail for his extremist activities. She received the Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actress for the film. She then appeared in ''Chanthupottu'', which was a commercially successful film. Her next film, ''Naran'' starring Mohanlal was also a commercial success. She starred alongside Mammootty in ''Bus Conductor''. The film opened to mixed reviews but was a box office hit and also appeared in ''Udayananu Tharam''.In 2006, she made her debut in Tamil cinema with the release of ''Chithiram Pesuthadi'' with Narain. and also appeared in ''Udayananu Tharam''.In 2006, she made her debut in Tamil cinema with the release of ''Chithiram Pesuthadi'' with Narain. The film initially failed to attract an audience due to its low key release. The word of mouth helped the film regain its momentum and eventually have a re release that was well received by the audience, which led to the film's box office success. She received the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil for her portrayal of Charumathi, an NGO worker who battles injustice. She then starred in ''Chinthamani Kolacase'', directed by Shaji Kailas and starring Suresh Gopi, which became a commercial success. ''Kisan'' directed by Sibi Malayil became a failure. Her next film starring Dileep was ''Chess'', and despite having mixed reviews it became a box office hit. Her Tamil film ''Kizhakku Kadalkarai Salai'' with Srikanth was poorly received. She then starred in ''Veyil'' alongside Bharath. The film was critically acclaimed, and it went on to win numerous awards. Her first Tamil film was supposed to be ''Koodal Nagar'' but it was released a year later and received praise for her role.In 2007, she co starred with Jayam Ravi in ''Deepavali'' which opened to mixed reviews. but it was released a year later and received praise for her role.In 2007, she co starred with Jayam Ravi in ''Deepavali'' which opened to mixed reviews. Critics wrote, "Bhavana takes full charge of this movie with her effervescence and prowess at handling emotional scenes". She then played Parakkum Latha, an enthusiastic autorikshaw driver in ''Chotta Mumbai'' alongside Mohanlal. The film was a commercial success. Her next film was ''Aarya'', alongside Madhavan, and it opened to a mixed reception. She appeared in ''Rameswaram'' with Jeeva.In 2008, her film ''Vaazhthugal'' garnered poor reviews. She debuted in Telugu cinema with ''Ontari'' and also appeared in ''Hero''. Her next film, ''Jayamkondaan'' opened to a positive reception. Her malayalam releases of the year were the ensemble ''Twenty:20'' playing a significant role and ''Lollipop'' with Prithviraj Sukumaran, Kunchacko Boban and Jayasurya.She starred in Amal Neerad's ''Sagar Alias Jacky Reloaded'' starring Mohanlal, becoming a disappointment despite high expectations. Her malayalam releases of the year were the ensemble ''Twenty:20'' playing a significant role and ''Lollipop'' with Prithviraj Sukumaran, Kunchacko Boban and Jayasurya.She starred in Amal Neerad's ''Sagar Alias Jacky Reloaded'' starring Mohanlal, becoming a disappointment despite high expectations. She appeared in the horror flick ''Winter'' with Jayaram, regarded as one of the best horror films in Malayalam cinema. She played Shyama, the wife of Dr. Ramdas, played by Jayaram, whose family ends up in an abandoned house and experiences paranormal activities. She appeared in ''Robin Hood'' which received positive reviews from critics and was a box office success. Her Telugu film ''Mahatma'' with Srikanth also became a financial success.Her film, ''Happy Husbands'' featuring an ensemble cast directed by Saji Surendran became a box office hit. She starred alongside Ajith in ''Aasal'', playing the wife of Protagonist Shiva, Sulabha Pillai, which despite getting mixed reviews became a box office success.In 2010, she starred in her first Kannada film alongside Puneeth Rajkumar, ''Jackie'' which was a commercial success, with praise for her role. Her film, ''Marykkundoru Kunjaadu'' with Dileep, met with critical acclaim and became a commercial success. Her other films, ''Doctor Love'', ''Kudumbasree Travels'' and ''The Metro'' were failures, with ''Oru Marubhoomikkadha'' starring Mohanlal becoming a box office hit. Her film, ''Vishnuvardhana'' with Sudeep opened to a mixed response, and became a decent hit, also receiving a nomination for the SIIMA Awards for Best Actress – Kannada.In 2012, she appeared in ''Nippu'' and became a decent hit, also receiving a nomination for the SIIMA Awards for Best Actress – Kannada.In 2012, she appeared in ''Nippu'' and then starred in ''Romeo'' with Ganesh which opened to a positive response and accolades for her performance. Critics described her as, "Bhavana is a real scene stealer" and continued her success in Kannada cinema. She then appeared in the Malayalam film ''Ozhimuri'' alongside Asif Ali to widespread critical acclaim. The film went on to win numerous awards and was listed among the 25 best Malayalam films of the decade. She appeared in ''Trivandrum Lodge.'' Her next film of the year ''Yaare Koogadali'', directed by Samuthirakani and starring Puneeth Rajkumar had a successful run at the box office. Critics described her as saying, "Bhavana has once again proved that she is a fantastic actress in emotional sequences".In 2013, she appeared in two Kannada films ''Topiwala'' and ''Bachchan,'' with the latter getting positive reviews from critics. Her Malayalam films were ''Honey Bee'' and ''Ezhamathe Varavu,'' with ''Honey Bee'' emerging as a box office success. She appeared in films such as ''Polytechnic, Koothara, Angry Babies'' ''in Love'', ''Hello Namasthe'' and ''Kuttikalundu Sookshikkuka'', all of which were poorly received. She played Roshni Mathew, a single mother employed in an IT company, in Shyamaprasad's ''Ivide'', a crime thriller based on the serial killing of IT techies in major US cities.In 2017, she appeared in the ensemble kannada language drama ''Chowka''. She reprised her role as Angel in ''Honey Bee 2: Celebrations.'' The film could not achieve the success of its earlier part. She then appeared in ''Adventures of Omanakuttan'' and ''Vilakkumaram'' which had a limited release. ''Adam Joan,'' starring Prithiviraj Sukumaran was her last malayalam release before a hiatus from Malayalam cinema.In 2018, she starred alongside Shiva Rajkumar in ''Tagaru'', which met critical acclaim, garnering praise for her role and later receiving a nomination for the SIIMA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. She starred in ''99'', a remake of ''96'' with Ganesh opened to mixed reviews.In 2021, she appeared in a series of Kannada films, ''Inspector Vikram, SriKrishna@gmail.com, Govinda Govinda'' and ''Bhajarangi 2,'' starring Shiva Rajkumar.In 2022, it was announced that Bhavana would return to Malayalam cinema with ''Ntikkakkakkoru Premondarnn'' and the film was released in 2023.

2002–2004: Early debut and Success

Debut and early success (2002–2004)

2005–2010: Established actress

In 2005, she appeared in Rajesh Pillai's directorial debut ''Hridayathil Sookshikkan'' which opened to a negative reception. Also appeared in ''Police,'' directed by V. K. Prakash and in ''Banglavil Outha.'' Her next film, ''Daivanamathil'' directed by Jayaraj met with critical acclaim. She played the role of Samira, the girl who tries to change her husband and ends up in jail for his extremist activities. She received the Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actress for the film. She then appeared in ''Chanthupottu'', which was a commercially successful film. Her next film, ''Naran'' starring Mohanlal was also a commercial success. She starred alongside Mammootty in ''Bus Conductor''. The film opened to mixed reviews but was a box office hit and also appeared in ''Udayananu Tharam''.In 2006, she made her debut in Tamil cinema with the release of ''Chithiram Pesuthadi'' with Narain. and also appeared in ''Udayananu Tharam''.In 2006, she made her debut in Tamil cinema with the release of ''Chithiram Pesuthadi'' with Narain. The film initially failed to attract an audience due to its low key release. The word of mouth helped the film regain its momentum and eventually have a re release that was well received by the audience, which led to the film's box office success. She received the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil for her portrayal of Charumathi, an NGO worker who battles injustice. She then starred in ''Chinthamani Kolacase'', directed by Shaji Kailas and starring Suresh Gopi, which became a commercial success. ''Kisan'' directed by Sibi Malayil became a failure. Her next film starring Dileep was ''Chess'', and despite having mixed reviews it became a box office hit. Her Tamil film ''Kizhakku Kadalkarai Salai'' with Srikanth was poorly received. She then starred in ''Veyil'' alongside Bharath. The film was critically acclaimed, and it went on to win numerous awards. Her first Tamil film was supposed to be ''Koodal Nagar'' but it was released a year later and received praise for her role.In 2007, she co starred with Jayam Ravi in ''Deepavali'' which opened to mixed reviews. but it was released a year later and received praise for her role.In 2007, she co starred with Jayam Ravi in ''Deepavali'' which opened to mixed reviews. Critics wrote, "Bhavana takes full charge of this movie with her effervescence and prowess at handling emotional scenes". She then played Parakkum Latha, an enthusiastic autorikshaw driver in ''Chotta Mumbai'' alongside Mohanlal. The film was a commercial success. Her next film was ''Aarya'', alongside Madhavan, and it opened to a mixed reception. She appeared in ''Rameswaram'' with Jeeva.In 2008, her film ''Vaazhthugal'' garnered poor reviews. She debuted in Telugu cinema with ''Ontari'' and also appeared in ''Hero''. Her next film, ''Jayamkondaan'' opened to a positive reception. Her malayalam releases of the year were the ensemble ''Twenty:20'' playing a significant role and ''Lollipop'' with Prithviraj Sukumaran, Kunchacko Boban and Jayasurya.She starred in Amal Neerad's ''Sagar Alias Jacky Reloaded'' starring Mohanlal, becoming a disappointment despite high expectations. Her malayalam releases of the year were the ensemble ''Twenty:20'' playing a significant role and ''Lollipop'' with Prithviraj Sukumaran, Kunchacko Boban and Jayasurya.She starred in Amal Neerad's ''Sagar Alias Jacky Reloaded'' starring Mohanlal, becoming a disappointment despite high expectations. She appeared in the horror flick ''Winter'' with Jayaram, regarded as one of the best horror films in Malayalam cinema. She played Shyama, the wife of Dr. Ramdas, played by Jayaram, whose family ends up in an abandoned house and experiences paranormal activities. She appeared in ''Robin Hood'' which received positive reviews from critics and was a box office success. Her Telugu film ''Mahatma'' with Srikanth also became a financial success.Her film, ''Happy Husbands'' featuring an ensemble cast directed by Saji Surendran became a box office hit. She starred alongside Ajith in ''Aasal'', playing the wife of Protagonist Shiva, Sulabha Pillai, which despite getting mixed reviews became a box office success.

Established actress (2005–2010)

In 2005, she appeared in Rajesh Pillai's directorial debut ''Hridayathil Sookshikkan'' which opened to a negative reception. Also appeared in ''Police,'' directed by V. K. Prakash and in ''Banglavil Outha.'' Her next film, ''Daivanamathil'' directed by Jayaraj met with critical acclaim. She played the role of Samira, the girl who tries to change her husband and ends up in jail for his extremist activities. She received the Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actress for the film. She then appeared in ''Chanthupottu'', which was a commercially successful film. Her next film, ''Naran'' starring Mohanlal was also a commercial success. She starred alongside Mammootty in ''Bus Conductor''. The film opened to mixed reviews but was a box office hit and also appeared in ''Udayananu Tharam''.In 2006, she made her debut in Tamil cinema with the release of ''Chithiram Pesuthadi'' with Narain. and also appeared in ''Udayananu Tharam''.In 2006, she made her debut in Tamil cinema with the release of ''Chithiram Pesuthadi'' with Narain. The film initially failed to attract an audience due to its low key release. The word of mouth helped the film regain its momentum and eventually have a re release that was well received by the audience, which led to the film's box office success. She received the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil for her portrayal of Charumathi, an NGO worker who battles injustice. She then starred in ''Chinthamani Kolacase'', directed by Shaji Kailas and starring Suresh Gopi, which became a commercial success. ''Kisan'' directed by Sibi Malayil became a failure. Her next film starring Dileep was ''Chess'', and despite having mixed reviews it became a box office hit. Her Tamil film ''Kizhakku Kadalkarai Salai'' with Srikanth was poorly received. She then starred in ''Veyil'' alongside Bharath. The film was critically acclaimed, and it went on to win numerous awards. Her first Tamil film was supposed to be ''Koodal Nagar'' but it was released a year later and received praise for her role.In 2007, she co starred with Jayam Ravi in ''Deepavali'' which opened to mixed reviews. but it was released a year later and received praise for her role.In 2007, she co starred with Jayam Ravi in ''Deepavali'' which opened to mixed reviews. Critics wrote, "Bhavana takes full charge of this movie with her effervescence and prowess at handling emotional scenes". She then played Parakkum Latha, an enthuastic autorikshaw driver in ''Chotta Mumbai'' alongside Mohanlal. The film was a commercial success. Her next film was ''Aarya'', alongside Madhavan, and it opened to a mixed reception. She appeared in ''Rameswaram'' with Jeeva.In 2008, her film ''Vaazhthugal'' garnered poor reviews. She debuted in Telugu cinema with ''Ontari'' and also appeared in ''Hero''. Her next film, ''Jayamkondaan'' opened to a positive reception. Her malayalam releases of the year were the ensemble ''Twenty:20'' playing a significant role and ''Lollipop'' with Prithviraj Sukumaran, Kunchacko Boban and Jayasurya.She starred in Amal Neerad's ''Sagar Alias Jacky Reloaded'' starring Mohanlal, becoming a disappointment despite high expectations. Her malayalam releases of the year were the ensemble ''Twenty:20'' playing a significant role and ''Lollipop'' with Prithviraj Sukumaran, Kunchacko Boban and Jayasurya.She starred in Amal Neerad's ''Sagar Alias Jacky Reloaded'' starring Mohanlal, becoming a disappointment despite high expectations. She appeared in the horror flick ''Winter'' with Jayaram, regarded as one of the best horror films in Malayalam cinema. She played Shyama, the wife of Dr. Ramdas, played by Jayaram, whose family ends up in an abandoned house and experiences paranormal activities. She appeared in ''Robin Hood'' which received positive reviews from critics and was a box office success. Her Telugu film ''Mahatma'' with Srikanth also became a financial success.Her film, ''Happy Husbands'' featuring an ensemble cast directed by Saji Surendran became a box office hit. She starred alongside Ajith in ''Aasal'', playing the wife of Protagonist Shiva, Sulabha Pillai, which despite getting mixed reviews became a box office success.

2010–2021: Debut in Kannada cinema and beyond

In 2010, she starred in her first Kannada film alongside Puneeth Rajkumar, ''Jackie'' which was a commercial success, with praise for her role. Her film, ''Marykkundoru Kunjaadu'' with Dileep, met with critical acclaim and became a commercial success. Her other films, ''Doctor Love'', ''Kudumbasree Travels'' and ''The Metro'' were failures, with ''Oru Marubhoomikkadha'' starring Mohanlal becoming a box office hit. Her film, ''Vishnuvardhana'' with Sudeep opened to a mixed response, and became a decent hit, also receiving a nomination for the SIIMA Awards for Best Actress – Kannada.In 2012, she appeared in ''Nippu'' and became a decent hit, also receiving a nomination for the SIIMA Awards for Best Actress – Kannada.In 2012, she appeared in ''Nippu'' and then starred in ''Romeo'' with Ganesh which opened to a positive response and accolades for her performance. Critics described her as, "Bhavana is a real scene stealer" and continued her success in Kannada cinema. She then appeared in the Malayalam film ''Ozhimuri'' alongside Asif Ali to widespread critical acclaim. The film went on to win numerous awards and was listed among the 25 best Malayalam films of the decade. She appeared in ''Trivandrum Lodge.'' Her next film of the year ''Yaare Koogadali'', directed by Samuthirakani and starring Puneeth Rajkumar had a successful run at the box office. Critics described her as saying, "Bhavana has once again proved that she is a fantastic actress in emotional sequences".In 2013, she appeared in two Kannada films ''Topiwala'' and ''Bachchan,'' with the latter getting positive reviews from critics. Her Malayalam films were ''Honey Bee'' and ''Ezhamathe Varavu,'' with ''Honey Bee'' emerging as a box office success. She appeared in films such as ''Polytechnic, Koothara, Angry Babies'' ''in Love'', ''Hello Namasthe'' and ''Kuttikalundu Sookshikkuka'', all of which were poorly received. She played Roshni Mathew, a single mother employed in an IT company, in Shyamaprasad's ''Ivide'', a crime thriller based on the serial killing of IT techies in major US cities.In 2017, she appeared in the ensemble kannada language drama ''Chowka''. She reprised her role as Angel in ''Honey Bee 2: Celebrations.'' The film could not achieve the success of its earlier part. She then appeared in ''Adventures of Omanakuttan'' and ''Vilakkumaram'' which had a limited release. ''Adam Joan,'' starring Prithiviraj Sukumaran was her last malayalam release before a hiatus from Malayalam cinema.In 2018, she starred alongside Shiva Rajkumar in ''Tagaru'', which met critical acclaim, garnering praise for her role and later receiving a nomination for the SIIMA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. She starred in ''99'', a remake of ''96'' with Ganesh opened to mixed reviews.In 2021, she appeared in a series of Kannada films, ''Inspector Vikram, SriKrishna@gmail.com, Govinda Govinda'' and ''Bhajarangi 2,'' starring Shiva Rajkumar.