Gautami Tadimalla

Gautami Tadimalla (born 2 July 1968), known mononymously as Gautami, is an Indian actress, costume designer, social worker, politician and former deputy Propaganda Secretary of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. She has worked mainly in Tamil and Telugu cinema, in addition to Malayalam, Hindi, and Kannada films. Widely regarded as one of the successful South Indian actresses through the late 1980s and 1990s, she is known for her strong screen performances in mainstream films. She has received numerous accolades, including a Nandi Award, a Filmfare Award and three Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for her acting as well as costume designing. Gautami made her first credited appearance in her cousin, Vijaya Chandar's Telugu film Dayamayudu (1987) and had her first leading role, in the same year, in Gandhinagar Rendava Veedhi, besides debuting in Kannada film Elu Suttina Kote. Further, she expanded to Tamil cinema with her debut in Guru Sishyan (1988) which emerged highly successful at the box-office. She continued to feature in several successful films such as Enga Ooru Kavalkaran (1988), Enga Ooru Mappillai (1989), Apoorva Sagodharargal (1989). In 1990, she won Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize for her performance in Namma Ooru Poovatha and debuted in Malayalam cinema with the successful film, His Highness Abdullah. Further box-office hits included the dramas Dharma Durai, Nee Pathi Naan Pathi (both 1991), Chikkejamanru and Thevar Magan (both 1992). Her first Hindi cinema appearance was in Pyar Hua Chori Chori (1991). Besides her acting career in films, Gautami is a television actress, television host, the founder of Life Again Foundation and a costume designer in films. Her most notable costume designing have been in films Dasavathaaram (2008) and Vishwaroopam (2017).