Maadhavi.com is my Official Website.
It was created so that my fans can know the real me!
I consider my acting career the golden period of my life...
It was a blessing to have had an opportunity to act in around 300 movies, an honor working with the most talented actors, directors and producers of the Indian movie industry, and a pleasure meeting so many millions of fans in my seventeen-year career.
By God's grace and my Guru's blessings, I am blissfully married with three kids, leading a peaceful, happy, and content life. But I do miss acting and my faithful fans!
Keep scrolling to learn more about my story...
Childhood
I was born in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India to Sasirekha and Govinda Swamy. I have two younger siblings, my sister Keerthi Kumari and my brother Dhananjai. I went to Stanley Girls High School where I was lucky to have a lot of wonderful teachers like Mrs. Eva Devasahayam, Mrs. Kanta Rao, Mrs. Habib, and Ms. Delima. At a very young age, I started learning Bharat Natyam from Uma Maheshwari and folk dances from Mr. Bhatt at the dance college in Hyderabad. I started performing soon there after.
Even as a child my, life was busy with school, dance, and sports, as I never passed up an opportunity to learn new things. However, the most beautiful memories of my childhood are times spent with my maternal grandparents, Venkat Ramaiyya and Nancharamma, and my paternal grandmother, Veeramma.
I grew up knowing the value of time. My parents are very simple people and instilled in me values and ethics which molded my personality. I will always be indebted to my parents for giving my siblings and I the best. We are a very close family. My sister and brother are both extensions of me, and we are so close that we call ourselves “The Three Musketeers.” We are more friends than siblings, they both had a very strong influence on me and still do!
Acting Career
I started my career with director Dasari Narayana Rao’s Thoorpu Padamara in Telugu when I was still a teenager! After that one film, life was a whirlwind. Before I realized it, I was acting in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, Oriya and Bengali with all of the top actors and directors. I really enjoyed acting in spite of the long hours and endless traveling. I learned a lot in those years.
My father traveled with me everywhere and managed my career, so I was free to concentrate on my work. It was such a profound experience portraying different roles. I used to become so invested in my characters, that I would bring these personalities home by the end of the day. My father taught me to leave my roles at the studio, so that they wouldn’t emotionally affect me. It took a lot of practice, but I achieved it. I would go and do my work, then come home as Maadhavi, my parents’ daughter and my siblings’ sister.
When I look back now, I wouldn’t trade those years for anything. It was the golden period of my life. Some of my favorite movies are Khaidi, Intlo Ramaiyya Veedhilo Krishnayya, Raja Parvai, Thambikki Enda Ooru, Ormaikkai, Oru Vadakkan Veera Gaada, Malaya Marutha, Haalu Jenu, Agnipath, Gireftaar, and Akasadoothu.
It was an honor working with some of the greatest stars of our time like Sivaji Ganeshan, Prem Nazir, Rajkumar, NTR and ANR, Devanand, and Amitabh Bachchan. I was like Ekalavya, quietly watching them and learning. I consider them my teachers, I learned the intricacies of acting from Sivaji Ganesan, humility despite name and fame from Rajkumar, simplicity from Prem Nazir, punctuality from NTR, hardwork from ANR, and attention to detail from Amitabh Bachchan. I also immensely enjoyed working with today’s super stars like Rajni Kanth, Kamal Hassan, Chiranjeevi, Vishnu Vardhan, Ambrish, Mammoty, and Mohanlal.
Acting became a passion. Each role that I have done has challenged me as an actress, satisfied me as a person, and taught me a lot about my craft. As I was acting in seven different languages, I had the unique opportunity of learning their intricacies, culture, traditions, beauty, and last but not least, their delicious food! I am blessed to have had an opportunity to act in some movies and roles which are remembered and appreciated even now by today’s generation, after three decades!
Receiving the State Awards and Filmfare Award for best actress during my career, were icing on the cake for me!
Marriage
Mine was an arranged marriage! I always wanted that. My spiritual teacher, Swami Rama, arranged my marriage to Ralph Sharma who lived in the USA. We both are Swami Rama’s disciples. I came to the USA for a visit, was introduced to my husband, and we were married within a couple of weeks on February 14, 1996.
Swami Rama spoke very highly of my husband, that he is spiritual, soft spoken, generous, faithful and that he would take good care of me. He also said Ralph is the only one for me! I trusted my guru. Ralph turned out to be all that Swamiji said and more!
He loves me, respects me and takes excellent care of me. And I worship him! We both are leading a spiritual, peaceful, happy, and a content life.
Motherhood
We have three children Tiffany, Priscilla, and Evelyn. My in-laws, Marlene and Kanwar Sharma, and my husband Ralph own a pharmaceutical company and we all work together. What a change! From movie star to a full time mother and business woman.
Motherhood is the most rewarding experience I have had in my life so far! God blessed my husband Ralph and me with three beautiful angels! They bring so much meaning and joy to our lives. There is never a dull moment with them around!
It is fascinating to see my three daughters growing up to be kind, considerate, caring, giving, gentle, simple and genuine people!
Our oldest daughter Tiffany looks like me but is a shy, kind, obedient, and a gentle soul like her father. Priscilla, our second daughter, resembles my husband Ralph, but her personality is totally mine! She is fearless, spontaneous, impulsive, mischievous, and a happy-go-lucky person. Our youngest daughter, Evelyn, looks like both Ralph and I, and loves to mother everyone! She is quick witted, giving, mature, wise and absolutely adorable!
The Maadhavi Charitable Foundation was established in 2017 to continue the charitable work that Maadhavi and her husband, Ralph Sharma, have been doing for the past twenty-two years since their marriage. This foundation aims to expand the reach of their charity to a global scale, utilizing the connectivity of social media. The foundation focuses on helping children with health issues, educating youth, and providing food and shelter for the elderly.
If you need aid from the foundation, please write to us at
maadhavicharitablefoundation@gmail.com.
