Meet the actor who received negative comments over her now husband's appearance and previous marriage and comes from a politically affluent background

Meet the actor who holds strong educational degrees in microbiology and management, is a part of a political background and was once even linked up to a NIA case for drug use and arms involvement. Can you guess who she is?

Published on Nov 10, 2024  |  10:01 PM IST |  147.8K
Meet the actor who hails from a political family and was linked to an NIA case for drugs
Meet the actor who hails from a political family and was linked to an NIA case for drugs (PC: Celeb on Instagram)

Trigger Warning: This particular article contains information regarding drug and arms use. 

This Indian actress has been a known face, especially in South cinema for a considerable period of time now. Her filmography boasts versatility in every frame and she has mesmerized everyone with her performance. Daughter of an eminent political figure, the diva has grabbed attention for many reasons, including a public spat with her rumored ex-beau to getting falsely linked up to an NIA case. Did you guess her correctly? Yes, we are speaking about Varalaxmi Sarathkumar. 

Who is Varalaxmi Sarathkumar?

Born in March 1985, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar is a prominent actress in South cinema who has worked in several regional language films across the Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada industries. She was born in Chennai to former actor-turned-politician Ramanathan Sarathkumar and his ex-wife Chaya Devi. 

After her parents divorced in 2000, Varalaxmi’s father married a second time to actress Radhika Sarathkumar. She has two step-siblings, Rahul Sarathkumar and Rayanne Hardy.


Varalaxmi completed her schooling from St. Michael’s Academy in Chennai. She then pursued a BSc degree in microbiology from Hindustan College of Arts and Science in her hometown. For her further education, the actress completed an MBA degree in management from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.

Varalaxmi Sarathkumar’s first stint at learning acting followed by debut

After achieving such high educational qualifications, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar then decided to follow her passion and decided to take up acting, following her father’s footsteps. She got enrolled in Anupam Kher’s acting school in Mumbai, where she sharpened her skills in performing art. 

It wasn’t until 2012 when Varalaxmi got her first break with Vignesh Shivan’s Tamil film Podaa Podi, opposite Silambarasan TR in the lead role. A special attempt to make a teenage love drama, the film received mixed responses from the audiences and critics alike. Many had even termed it a one-time watch, with its perfectly calculated run time making it an entertaining pick for youngsters. 


However, when it came to her performance singularly, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar seemed to have hit a hat trick, as she was critically acclaimed for her performance in her very debut film itself. 

Varalaxmi Sarathkumar’s filmography over the years

Before bagging the Vignesh Shivan directorial, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar had unfortunately missed out on several other projects that turned out to be exceptional hits after their release. These included the 2003 release Boys directed by Shankar, which her father suggested she should refuse. Others include Venkat Prabhu’s Saroja and Balaji Sakthivel’s Kaadhal.

After the immense response for Podaa Podi, the diva then went on to bag numerous offers and scripts. For instance, she signed up for the Kannada film Maanikya in 2014, which turned out to be one of the most successful performances of her all throughout. She then signed Bala's film Tharai Thappattai, which brought a turning point.


Varalaxmi then was roped opposite Mammootty in Kasaba and other films like Vikram Vedha, Nibunan, Vismaya, Satthya, Kattu and many others.

Varalaxmi Sarathkumar’s awards and accolades

For her super successful performances, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar got the Vijay Award and Edison Award for Best Debut Actress for the Tamil film Podaa Podi. Later on, she also received an award for Tharai Thappattai.

Varalaxmi Sarathkumar’s controversial spat with ex-beau Vishal publicly

Coming to her personal life, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar was once speculated to be dating her Sandakozhi 2 co-star Vishal. While there was no clarification on the rumors, the two of them always proclaimed that they were the best of friends.

The two were quite cordial until 2019 when Vishal dragged Varalaxmi’s father R Sarathkumar’s name into the Nadigar Sangam election campaign and accused the former actor of mismanaging funds and running the campaign for their benefits. 

While the video of Vishal’s accusations had gone viral in no time, Varalaxmi was quick to take note and publicly accused the actor to grow up and refrain from stooping so low.


Varalaxmi Sarathkumar’s was allegedly linked with a NIA case for drug and arms use

Back during August 2023, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar came to the spotlight yet again as her name got linked up to an NIA case for drug and arms use. The actress denied being summoned by the investigative agency for any questioning and labeled it entirely as a false accusation. 

Through a post on her Twitter (now X) account, the actress had issued a clarificatory note indicating how mindless journalism and unchecked facts have always brought a loophole in the life of a celebrity.

Varalaxmi Sarathkumar’s marriage to Nicholai Sachdev

On March 2, 2024, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar announced her engagement to notable gallerist Nicholai Sachdev, who is based out of Mumbai. After a brief period of courtship, the two got married on July 3, 2024.

However, ahead of the wedding, she received a lot of negative comments due to Nicholai’s appearance and his previous marriage. Reacting to the same, she told Galatta Tamil, "Even my father married twice; there’s nothing wrong with it as long as he’s happy. I’ve seen how people talk about Nick; he’s handsome in my eyes. I don’t care about people who make negative comments about our relationship. Why should I answer to anyone? From the very beginning, I have avoided doing that."
 



Right after their wedding, during a special press event, Nicholai made a startling revelation and announced that in honor of his wife Varalaxmi, he promises to take up her surname, and added that even their children would follow the same tradition.

Disclaimer: If you or anyone you know is suffering from any kind of drug or substance abuse, then do not hesitate to seek help. Several helplines are available; remember you are not alone in this fight.

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Srijony Das, an English Literature Post Graduate from the University of Delhi, has about three years of experience in

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