Thaai Kizhavi, revolving around the elderly Pavunuthaayi (essayed effortlessly by Radikaa Sarathkumar), has gone on to mint more than ₹75 crore worldwide at the box office, powered by women and family audiences. Released last month, the film directed by Sivakumar Murugesan and produced by actor Sivakarthikeyan drops on JioHotstar on March 26.
What is being seen as a bigger power move is that Radikaa, as part of her contract, has received a share in the film’s profit, thus becoming the first actress in the history of Tamil cinema to do so. “I said I wanted to be paid more, because I deserve it. And, we decided on profit sharing. I think all actors should follow this. So many younger actresses have called to say this gives them immense confidence. All I tell them is to build your space, and hold on to it,” says the actress.
Radikaa knows the importance of the space she is speaking about. The actress, who has made a mark across film industries in India (primarily Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Kannada) and ruled regional television for many years, beginning with the serial Chithi, has come a long way from her debut as Paanjali in Bharathiraja’s 1978 Tamil hit Kizhakke Pogum Rail. Hindi-film watchers will recall her as Rishi Kapoor’s naive village-wife with an upturned plait from Naseeb Apna Apna (1986). In the 48 years since her debut, she’s been exploring new frontiers and paving paths. She also won a National Award in 1985 for producing the poignant Meendum Oru Kaadhal Kadhai. And, with Thaai Kizhavi, she proved that a progressive film headlined by a 63-year-old woman can rake in the moolah, too.
Thaai Kizhavi releases on JioHotstar on March 26.
Pavunuthaayi speaks of why women must be educated, prudent and good with finances, and also enjoy their life. An interesting montage shows this matriarch of Usilampatti watching movies, blowing bubbles during her outings to the city. Radikaa says she had almost rejected the film at first. “After reading the script, I was certain I’d be typecast. But Sivakumar showed up at my office for a year-and-a-half, hoping to persuade me. I agreed on the condition that the prosthetics be good. The depth of my role — something so empowering — mattered more to me than the screen time. I was able to own my character’s identity. And, people saw her truth. It is possible to make a choice without being boxed.”
Age is just a number
Radikaa, whose social media pages celebrate every aspect of her life, including grandmotherhood, says “I don’t think I become less interesting with age. I look at things differently. I don’t want to be the youngest in the frame, but I want my presence to bring more strength to the frame.”
A still from Thaai Kizhavi.
A Radikaa-starrer doing well at the box office is important because films are not very kind to ageing heroines. “It usually meant disappearance, a quiet exit into oblivion. Strong roles were written for women. But someone was deciding what women need to do in movies. Which is why I decided I would be in control, and started my own production company after my mentor Bharathiraja’s Kizhakku Cheemayile (1993), which gave me a fresh lease in films. The television serial Chithi transformed how people saw me,” she says.
The last two years have been kind to elderly female characters. 2024 saw Urvashi shine in J Baby, and Geetha Kailasam in the much-celebrated Angammal. And 2026 has Thaai Kizhavi.
A still from Thaai Kizhavi.
The actress says she was lucky to work in the ’80s, when “we were allowed to make mistakes and learn”. Even today, she remains a student of cinema. “I look forward to going on set. I prepare. I don’t even see the monitor. I look at the director’s face. That tells me what I need to know.” That is why, she decided at 10.30 pm one night to redub for Thaai Kizhavi. “I could then see the joy on Sivakumar’s face.”
Among friends, Radikaa is known for her sense of humour. However, on screen and off it, she is regarded as a strict teacher. “In the public space, when someone crosses a line with me or anyone else, I put them in place. That’s my right. Many yesteryear heroines have told me they feel protected when I am with them. As celebrities, our work is owned by people, but no one owns us.”
A still from Thaai Kizhavi.
Speaking frankly
When Radikaa, who also grew up in London, entered the film industry, her Tamizh was far from perfect. Over the years, with countless roles set in the hinterland, she came to be identified as a solid performer. Her stint in Telugu helped hone her craft. Among her memorable films are Chiranjeevi-starrer Nyayam Kavali (1981) and Kamal Haasan-starrer romantic drama Swathi Muthyam (1986). If she ‘performed’ in ‘serious’ movies, she played herself in films where she was the ‘modern girl’ — her Radha of the Tamil film Rettai Vaal Kuruvi (1987) is one for the ages. Her fashion sense shone through. “I see fashion differently, influenced by the years I grew up abroad. In films, the first major hurdle was fighting over the clothes I’d wear. Eventually, I took ownership — I would sit with fabric, telling costumers how to cut pants and style an ensemble,” she smiles.
Radikaa Sarathkumar in a still from Thaai Kizhavi.
As a veteran actress, Radikaa makes use of the goodwill she’s garnered over the years to indulge in plain-speaking. “Every time I’ve heard or seen someone behave badly with anyone, I’ve raised my voice. Now, people know that with me, they’ll only get an honest opinion. However, at times, I am diplomatic too,” says Radikaa, who contested the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Virudhunagar as a BJP candidate.
Being a ‘thinking actress’ is difficult even today, Radikaa concurs. “Most men in cinema are intimidated by me. In any gathering, there’s this one woman who laughs out loud, who jokes, but you cannot cross a line with her. I think that is the only deterrent that works. That said, today’s heroines are much smarter than we were.”
Modern family
She has charmed Gen Z, too, with her progressive take on family. Radikaa gets along very well with her actor-turned-politician husband R. Sarathkumar’s former wife Chaya Devi and daughters Varalaxmi (an actress) and Pooja. “Coming from a broken family and having seen how we were treated, I did not want anyone to feel left out,” says the daughter of the late legendary actor and politician M.R. Radha and Geetha.
Radikaa Sarathkumar with her late mother Geetha, a Sri Lankan Tamil.
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement
Radikaa Sarathkumar with her legendary actor and politician father M.R. Radha.
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement
Radikaa insists on rephrasing the time-tested question of why fewer roles are written for women. “Ask why people don’t write scripts featuring them. Figure out how to write layered scripts. I kept asking Sivakumar how he managed to write such a mature script at his age (36). OTT has opened up options for nuanced content. We need to find our space and stand tall,” she says, adding that “Women are trying to push themselves. They’ve trusted their path, broken barriers. They are the change.”
The writer is a Mangaluru-based entertainment journalist covering Tamil and Kannada cinema.
Published – March 24, 2026 09:34 am IST
