Malavika Mohanan

Indian actress who has worked in Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada and Telugu productions. She gained international recognition for playing Tara in Beyond the Clouds, directed by Majid Majidi, and subsequently appeared in films including Petta, Master, Christy, Thangalaan, Yudhra and Hridayapoorvam. In 2026, she made her Telugu cinema debut with The Raja Saab and continued expanding her filmography through Sardar 2 and Pocket Novel.

She grew up primarily in Mumbai and studied Mass Media at Wilson College. She initially considered following her father into cinematography or filmmaking. Her entry into acting came after accompanying him to a commercial shoot featuring Mammootty, who suggested that she audition for Pattam Pole, the film in which she debuted opposite Dulquer Salmaan in 2013.

During her first film, she took responsibility for part of her own costume design because the originally hired designer was unavailable. She also developed the fashion project The Scarlet Window and maintains a strong interest in photography, which she shares through a specialised account separate from her main public profile.

She is the daughter of renowned cinematographer K. U. Mohanan. Her mother works as a writer, while her younger brother, Aditya Mohanan, studied archaeology and history. She has explained that she continues living with her family in Mumbai because she considers that environment an important source of support and creative stimulation.

She has worked with filmmakers including Majid Majidi, Karthik Subbaraj, Lokesh Kanagaraj, Pa. Ranjith, Sathyan Anthikad, Maruthi and Thiagarajan Kumararaja. Her co-stars have included Dulquer Salmaan, Ishaan Khatter, Rajinikanth, Vijay, Dhanush, Vikram, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Mohanlal, Prabhas and Vijay Sethupathi.