| Rambha | |
| Birth Name: | Vijayalakshmi Yeedi |
| Birth Date: | 5 June 1976 |
| Birth Place: | Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India |
| Children: | 3 |
Vijayalakshmi Yeedi (born 5 June 1976), known professionally as Rambha, is an Indian former actress. She was one of the prominent actresses in Indian cinema in the 1990s and early 2000s.[1] [2] [3] In a career spanning almost two decades, Rambha had appeared in more than 100 films across eight languages, predominantly in Telugu and Tamil, in addition to Hindi, Kannada, and Malayalam, along with a few Bengali, Bhojpuri and English films.
Rambha was born as Vijayalakshmi Yeedi[4] in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh on 5 June 1976[5] into a Telugu family.[6] She did her schooling at Atkinsons Senior Secondary School, Vijayawada. While she was studying in her seventh standard, she acted as Ammavaru (Mother Goddess) for her school's Annual Day competition.[7] The event had been attended by director Hariharan who stayed in contact and later introduced her as the female lead in Malayalam film, Sargam.[7] Her first on-screen name was Amrutha, which she later changed as Rambha after the character name in her Telugu debut movie Aa Okkati Adakku.
Rambha gave up her education aged 15 and then started her career with Hariharan's Malayalam film Sargam (1992) opposite Vineeth. The film performed well at the box office, and she was spotted by director E. V. V. Satyanarayana who then cast her in the Telugu film Aa Okkati Adakku (1992), where she was paired opposite Rajendra Prasad.[8] The film performed well and prompted several films offers for the actress from several different film industries across India. During the height of her career in the late 1990s, Rambha deliberately continued to pick glamorous roles to garner film offers. In successful films such as Hitler (1997) starring Chiranjeevi, Rambha appeared in roles which were inconsequential to the plot and purely depicted as the lead actor's love interest.[8]
She started her career as a producer with help of her brother in Three Roses (2003), in which Jyothika, Laila and Rambha played the lead characters. She sold her house at Mount Road, Chennai in order to pay the debt, while she was also booked in a cheque-bounce case filed by the financiers of the movie.[9]
Rambha has acted in several languages and always maintained a successful balance in Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Bhojpuri and Bengali. In 2010, Rambha shot alongside Prakash Raj for a thriller film titled Vidiyum Varai Kathiru. The film was shot in three languages namely Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam, but the film did not have a theatrical release.[10]
After her marriage she had given up films as she felt her popularity in films has faded away where she notice that she was not getting meaty roles as she used to and has judged a very popular Tamil TV show Maanada Mayilada, and the Telugu dance show Dhee.[1] After a long gap she came back from Toronto, she appeared as a judge of Zee Telugu dance show ABCD-Anybody Can Dance and judged Kings of Comedy Juniors on Vijay TV.
She is a brand ambassador for Kolors health care, Chennai.[11]
Rambha married Indrakumar Pathmanathan, a Canada-based Sri Lankan Tamil businessman, on 8 April 2010 at Karnataka Kalyana Mandapam in Tirumala.[12] They settled in Toronto. They have two daughters and a son.[13] [14]
| Year | Film | Role | class=unsortable | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Aa Okkati Adakku | Rambha | Telugu Debut film | |
| 1993 | Evandi Aavida Vachindi | Jhansi | ||
| Tholi Muddhu | Divya | |||
| Rowdy Annayya | Jyoti | |||
| Chinna Alludu | Sita | |||
| Sarigamalu | Jyothi | |||
| 1994 | Bhairava Dweepam | Yakshini | Cameo appearance | |
| Yes Nenante Nene | Rani | [15] | ||
| Namaste Anna | Saccha | |||
| Pachcha Toranam | Latha Devi | |||
| Hello Brother | Herself | Cameo appearance in the song "Kanne Pettaro" | ||
| Bangaru Kutumbam | Pushpa | |||
| Muddula Priyudu | Usha | |||
| Allari Premikudu | Bhavani | |||
| Hello Alludu | Rani | |||
| M Dharmaraju M.A | Seeta | |||
| 1995 | Alluda Majaka | Bobby | ||
| Maato Pettukoku | Lakshmi | |||
| Maya Bazaar | Herself | Cameo appearance | ||
| Vetagadu | Seema | |||
| Khaidi Inspector | ||||
| 1996 | Bombay Priyudu | Raga Sudha | Nominated-Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu | |
| Sri Krishnarjuna Vijayam | Apasara | |||
| Akkada Ammayi Ikkada Abbayi | Herself | Cameo appearance in the song "Chaligali Jhummandhi" | ||
| 1997 | Hitler | Bujji | ||
| Mama Bagunnava | Jaya | |||
| 1998 | Ganesh | Priya | ||
| Bavagaru Bagunnara? | Swapna | |||
| Love Story 1999 | Swapna | |||
| 1999 | Mechanic Mavayya | Rani | ||
| Iddaru Mitrulu | Herself | Cameo appearance in the song "Hey Rukkuman" | ||
| 2000 | Kodanda Ramudu | Mounika | ||
| Okkadu Chaalu | Rambha | |||
| Choosoddaam Randi | Geeta | |||
| Moodu Mukkalaata | Lahari | |||
| 2001 | Mrugaraju | Herself | Cameo appearance in the song "Ramaiah Paddaleti" | |
| 2003 | Sriramachandrulu | Sundari Devi | ||
| Naaga | Herself | Cameo appearance | ||
| 2005 | Alex | Deepika | ||
| 2006 | Neeku Naaku | Lakshmi | ||
| Gopi – Goda Meeda Pilli | Goddess Lakshmi | Extended Cameo | ||
| 2007 | Desamuduru | Herself | Cameo appearance in the song "Attaantode Ittaantode" | |
| Yamadonga | Herself | Cameo appearance in the song "Nachore Nachore" | ||
| 2008 | Donga Sachinollu | Kavya |
| Year | Film | Role | class=unsortable | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Uzhavan | Eshwari | Special appearance | |
| 1996 | Ullathai Allitha | Indhu | Debut Tamil film | |
| Sengottai | Yamuna | |||
| Sundara Purushan | Valli | |||
| Sivasakthi | Priya | |||
| 1997 | Dharma Chakkaram | Vijayalakshmi | ||
| Arunachalam | Nandhini | |||
| Raasi | Meena | |||
| V.I.P | Indhu | |||
| Adimai Changili | Radha | |||
| Janakiraman | Gayathri | |||
| 1998 | Ninaithen Vandhai | Swapna | Nominated-Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil | |
| Kaathala Kaathala | Janaki | |||
| Desiya Geetham | ||||
| 1999 | Endrendrum Kadhal | Meenu | ||
| Kadhalar Dhinam | Herself | Cameo appearance in song "Oh Mariya" | ||
| Poomagal Oorvalam | Kavitha | |||
| Suyamvaram | Urvashi | |||
| Minsara Kanna | Priya | |||
| Unakkaga Ellam Unakkaga | Indhu | |||
| Unnaruge Naan Irundhal | Herself | Guest appearance | ||
| 2000 | Sudhandhiram | Divya | ||
| Kunguma Pottu Gounder | Alamelu Kandhasamy | |||
| Anbudan | Nimmi | |||
| 2001 | Aanandham | Renuka Madhavan | ||
| Azhagaana Naatkal | Indhu | |||
| 2003 | Military | Lakshmi | ||
| Three Roses | Chaaru | |||
| Banda Paramasivam | Manju Cheran | |||
| 2004 | Chatrapathy | Herself | Cameo appearance in song "Ore Oru Raathirikku" | |
| Azhagiya Theeye | Herself | Cameo appearance in song "Dil Mera Loot Liya" | ||
| 2005 | Sukran | Herself | Cameo appearance in song "Saathikadi" | |
| 2009 | Oru Kadhalan Oru Kadhali | Lakshmi | ||
| 2010 | Pen Singam | Mythili | Extended Cameo |
| Year | Film | Role | class=unsortable | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Jallaad | Kranti's lover- koyal | ||
| 1996 | Jurmana | Priya kumar saxena | ||
| Daanveer | Chitra | |||
| Jung | Madhu | |||
| 1997 | Qahar | Radha | ||
| Judwaa | Rupa | |||
| Sajna | ||||
| 1998 | Gharwali Baharwali | Manisha Verma | ||
| Bandhan | Jyoti | |||
| 1999 | Main Tere Pyaar Mein Pagal | Sonali | ||
| 2000 | Krodh | Pooja Varma | ||
| Beti No.1 | Priya Bhatnagar | |||
| Dil Hi Dil Mein | Special appearance | |||
| 2001 | Kyo Kii... Main Jhuth Nahin Bolta | Tara | ||
| 2002 | Nita | |||
| Pyaar Diwana Hota Hai | Cameo appearance | |||
| 2004 | Dukaan: Pila House | Kasthuribai |
| Year | Film | Role | class=unsortable | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Server Somanna | Sudha | ||
| Kempaiah IPS | Chempa | |||
| 1999 | O Premave | Prema | ||
| 2000 | Panchali | |||
| 2001 | Baava Baamaida | Geetha | ||
| 2004 | Sahukara | Ranganayaki | ||
| 2005 | Pandu Ranga Vittala | Rambha | ||
| 2006 | Gandugali Kumara Rama | |||
| 2007 | Anatharu | Herself | Cameo |
| Year | Film | Role | class=unsortable | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Sargam | Thangamani | ||
| Champakulam Thachan | Devi | |||
| 1998 | Sidhartha | Hema | ||
| 2003 | Chronic Bachelor | Bhama | ||
| 2004 | Mayilattam | Mythili | ||
| 2005 | Kochi Rajavu | Meenakshi | ||
| 2007 | Payum Puli | Malli | ||
| 2008 | Kabadi Kabadi | Pooja/Sneha | Double role | |
| 2011 | Filmstar | Rambha |
| Year | Film | Role | Language | class=unsortable | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Dada | Meera | |||
| Chita | |||||
| 2006 | Refugee | Julie | |||
| 2007 | Ram Balram | Mausammi | |||
| Rasik Balma | Nandita | ||||
| Banke Bihari M.L.A. | Lawyer Manya | [16] | |||
| 2009 | Quick Gun Murugan | Mango Dolly |
| Year | Series/Shows | Channel | class=unsortable | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-2012 | As a judge for Season 2, 3, 5 and 7 | |||
| 2011 | Dhee Ultimate Dance Show | ETV Telugu | As a judge for Season 4 | |
| 2002-2005 | Metti oli | Special appearance | ||
| 2014 | As a judge for Season 8 | |||
| 2014 | Soundarya Lahari | Guest | ||
| 2017 | ABCD-Anybody Can Dance | Judge | ||
| 2017 | Kings of Comedy Juniors | Judge |