Tamil Movie Actress Mamta Mohandas

A lifetime of achievement in 25 years: Mamta Mohandas

At the age of 25, Mamta Mohandas (sometimes known as Mamatha Mohandas) has crammed more into her career than most actresses do in a lifetime. She is already one of the most famous faces on the Tamil movie circuit, and has also earned acclaim across India as a model and playback singer. She has battled cancer, and become a figurehead in the campaign against poverty and child suffering.

Although she is widely known as a Tamil actress, Mamta was actually born in Bahrain, to Malayali parents. She gained her early education in one of Bahrain’s most prestigious Indian schools, before moving to Bangalore to begin her university studies in 2002. During this period, people began to sit up and take notice of Mamta, and her beauty soon began to bring in serious money; she modelled for print campaigns run by IBM and Kalyan Kendra, and took to the runway for the likes of Mysore Maharajah and Raymonds.

Her first film was not a Tamil movie, but a Malayalam production known as Mayookham, which demanded a sensitive performance – and earned Mamta considerable renown. After appearing in five further films, she made her Tamil movie debut in 2006, starring opposite the legendary Vishal Krishna in a production which didn’t do much at the box offices, but did wonders for the young actress’s career.

Mamta was soon making headlines across India as a young Tamil actress of immense talent, and she also branched out into Telugu films, adding vital strings to her bow. In 2008 she appeared in an incredible seven films, including a cameo in the popular Tamil movie Kuselan, opposite screen superstar Rajinikanth. The following year she starred in the smash-hit Tamil movie Guru En Aulu, alongside the comic genius Madhavan, and her work in 2010 earned critical acclaim.

Alongside her primary role as a Telugu, Malayalam and Tamil movie icon, Mamta has established herself as one of India’s finest female vocalists. She won the 2007 Filmfare Best Telugu Female Playback Singer Award for her work on Rakhee, and later stormed the charts with her song ‘Akalesthe Annam Pedtha’ for the Tamil film Villu. She also recorded the song ‘Kaalai Kaalai’ in Tamil for the film Kaalai, and she created the lead song for the film Anwar last year – the first time she sang in her mother tongue, Malayalam.

Last year it was revealed that Mamta was suffering from Hodgkins’ Lymphoma, and she underwent an extensive course of chemotherapy to tackle the disease. She also cut her hair, a move which raised eyebrows across the Tamil movie industry – many people believed this was simply a style change for Mamta, rather than a necessity. Mamta had to go public with news of her illness to correct this view; when she told her fans that her drastic change in hairstyles had been down to cancer, she earned universal praise for her bravery and dignity under the most awful circumstances.

It is widely reported that Mamta has now beaten cancer – a huge relief to Tamil movie fans and celebrity lovers across India. Mamta’s dramatic victory over chronic illness has only reinforced her status as a Tamil actress of immense charisma, charm and virtue – and made her even more marketable than before.

Mamta’s diary is likely to be bulging with Tamil movie roles, musical releases and personal appearances in the months ahead. Her fans can also expect her to take on a greater volume of humanitarian work; during her battle with lymphoma, Mamta arranged a special flight for a group of underprivileged children, and this gesture of kindness will surely pave the way for further charitable engagements in the near future.