Kanaka Vijayalakshmi, known by her stage name Madhavi is an Indian actress known for her works in Malayalam,Telugu, Hindi, Tamil and Kannada films. In a career spanning of almost 2 decades she has been featured in around 300 films and was hailed as one of the leading actresses of South Indian cinema in the 1980s. Early life Madhavi was born in Hyderabad, India to Sasirekha and Govindaswamy. She grew up with a sister and a brother, named Keerthi Kumari and Dhananjay respectively. She learnt Bharat Natyam from Uma Maheswari and folk dance from Bhatt from an early age and gave more than a thousand dance performances. She attended Stanley Girls High School in Hyderabad, Abids Branch. Career Director Dasari Narayana Rao gave her a starring role in the Telugu film Thoorupu Padamara when she was a teenager. The film became a huge hit. She acted in a number of films with Telugu actor Chiranjeevi. Her first movie with Chiranjeevi was Intlo Ramayya Veedhilo Krishnayya in 1982. She acted again with Chiranjeevi in the movie Khaidi which was a massive hit. Her last movie in Telugu was Big Boss (another Chiranjeevi film). K. Balachander then cast her in a supporting role in his Telugu film Maro Charitra (1978). She reprised her role in its Hindi remake Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1981), which became the top-grossing film of 1981. In both films, she played a lonely wealthy woman who falls in love with Kamal Haasan's character. She earned a Filmfare Award nomination as Best Supporting Actress. K. Balachander introduced her to the Tamil film industry with Thillu Mullu (1981), opposite Rajinikanth. By the end of the decade, she starred opposite Amitabh Bachchan in the Hindi film Agneepath (1990). She appeared in many Malayalam films especially in those starring Mohanlal and Mammootty. She portrayed Unniyarcha in the National Award-winning movie Oru Vadakkan Veeragadha. Her portrayal as a mother who dies of leukemia in Akashadoothu won her the Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actress and Filmfare Award for Best Actress for 1993. Other films include Ormakkayi, Changatham, Novemberinte Nashtam and Nombarathi Poovu. She has acted in many Kannada movies alongside Kannada actors including Dr. Rajkumar, Vishnuvardhan, Anant Nag and Ambareesh. With Rajkumar she acted in many movies including Haalu Jenu, Bhagyada Lakshmi Baramma, Anuraga Aralithu, Shruthi Seridaaga, Jeevana Chaitra, Aakasmika, Odahuttidavaru, Haalu Jenu and Malaya Marutha. Madhavi acted alongside Kamal Haasan in