Bhanupriya, born Mangabhanu on January 15, 1967, is a versatile actress, Kuchipudi dancer, and voice artist. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as a prominent figure in the film industry.
Beginning her career in the early 1980s, Bhanupriya quickly rose to fame with her exceptional dancing and acting skills and enchanting looks. She gained recognition for her performances in various languages, including Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi films. Her ability to portray diverse roles across genres has garnered her acclaim and a loyal fan base. She has won three state Nandi Awards, two Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, two Filmfare Awards South and two Cinema Express Awards.
Bhanupriya made her debut with with the Tamil film Mella Pesungal (1983) followed by Telugu hit Sitaara, which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu. In 1986, she made her Hindi film debut with Dosti Dushmani. In 1988, she appeared in Swarnakamalam, which was screened at the Indian panorama section of the 1988 International Film Festival of India and the Ann Arbor Film Festival. Bhanupriya received the Indian Express Award for Best Actress, the Nandi Award for Best Actress, and the Filmfare Award for Best Actress—Telugu for her performance in the film.
Her notable works include Aararo Aariraro (1989), Peddarayudu (1996), Azhagan (1991), Lahiri Lahiri Lahirilo (2002), and Chatrapati (2005), among others.
In Hindi she became a sensation for he number “Toota jo dil ka sheesha, Saghar bana gulabi” in Insaf ki Pukar(1987) and her rain dance “Pyar kaahe banaya ram ne” in Surya(1989), her other successful hindi films were “Khudgarz(1987)”, “Mar Mitenge(1988)”, “Tamacha(1988)”, “Garibon Ka Daata(1989)”, “Kasam Vardi Ki(1989)”, “Suryaa: An Awakening(1989)” and “Zahreelay(1990)”
For Hindi cine viewers, Bhanupriya remains a cult figure despite her very few film appearances, One of her admirer once told me, “Khoobsurat bhi thi aur Zindadil bhi”
