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Mammootty’s on-screen daughter, sister and wife, she won Best Actress Award at 13; tragedy struck when she became fourth wife of 31 years older man at 17
Her biggest life setback came at the age of 17, when she married an actor known for his villain roles, who was over 30 years older than her, mistaking the closeness he showed for genuine love.
A native of Tamil Nadu, she played Mammootty's daughter, sister and wife on screen. But her personal life was marred by tragedy. (Credit: IE Malayalam, Express archives)
It is almost impossible for Malayalam film audiences to listen to music maestro Ilaiyaraaja’s iconic playback tracks “Kiliye Kiliye” (Aa Raathri) and “Thumbi Vaa Thumbakudathin” (Olangal) without thinking about the little girl who lit up their visuals. Although not a Malayali by birth, Baby Anju, as she was popularly known at the time, became dear to Keralites almost instantly, thanks to her memorable performances in various movies.
Anju made her on-screen debut at the age of two through director Mahendran’s Uthiripookkal (1979). A native of Tamil Nadu, she subsequently appeared in movies like Rajinikanth’s Polladhavan and Kamal Haasan’s Ullasa Paravaigal, thus earning fame. She soon grabbed the attention of Malayalam filmmakers as well. In the year 1982 alone, she appeared in a handful of notable movies such as Aa Raathri, Olangal, and Ormakkayi, all of which played a key role in establishing her as a notable child artiste. In Aa Raathri, she played the role of Mammootty’s daughter.
From child artiste to State Award-winning actor
Till 1985, Anju soared high and appeared in several movies, including Kattathe Kilikkoodu, Saagaram Santham, Oomana Thinkal, Kodathy, and Rakshassu. At the same time, she continued working in Tamil and also appeared in a few Telugu films.
Meanwhile, she took a major leap when taking on the role of the female lead in Rugmini (1989) at the age of 13. Not only did her performance receive widespread acclaim, but it also earned her a Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress. This also marked a turning point in her career. She soon landed the role of Mohanlal’s wife in director Bharathan’s classic revenge drama Thazhvaram. While she played a key role in Mammootty’s Neelagiri, it was as his sister that Anju appeared in Kizhakkan Pathrose.
Anju earned a Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress at the age of 13. (Credit: IE Malayalam)
Journey to Kauravar
In the meantime, she was reportedly considered by ace filmmaker K Balachander as Mammootty’s heroine in the Tamil movie Azhagan. This was before the two actors worked together in Neelagiri. However, the megastar strongly opposed it, feeling that it wouldn’t be right for Anju, whom he thought was still a child artiste, to be his pair. Thus, Madhubala (Madhoo) was cast in that role.
It was only when he met her for the first time in years on the sets of Neelagiri that Mammootty realised she was no longer a child actor. Expressing regret over her being replaced in Azhagan, he personally suggested Anju’s name to director Joshiy for their next movie. Thus, after playing Mammootty’s on-screen daughter and sister, Anju portrayed the role of his wife in the iconic gangster film Kauravar.
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For the past few years, Anju has been an active presence in Malayalam and Tamil soap operas. (Credit: IE Malayalam)
From Ezhara Ponnana, Oottyppattanam, Varaphalam, and Minnaram to Amma Ammaayiyamma, Kakkakum Poochakkum Kalyanam, and Nariman, she played notable roles in several more movies. However, Anju couldn’t capitalise on the initial push she received as a child artiste and leading lady when she worked alongside superstars. Slowly, offers began drying up in Malayalam, although she continued to work in Tamil in the meantime.
Failed marriage to iconic villain
Her biggest life setback, however, came at the age of 17 when she married an actor who was over 30 years older than her. Misunderstanding the closeness he was showing as genuine love, Anju tied the knot with 48-year-old Tiger Prabhakar, known for his work in Kannada and Telugu cinema. For Malayali audiences, he was familiar as Hyder Marakkar, the cold-blooded villain in Mammootty’s Dhruvam. Before long, they had a son, Arjun. According to Manorama Online, it was only later that Anju discovered she was his fourth wife. Their marriage didn’t last long and ended in just one and a half years, mainly due to his affairs.
In an interview with iDream Filmnagar, Anju revealed that she never even considered tying the knot again after that, as marriage had given her such trauma. Subsequently, she raised her son as a single mother with the help of her family. While she took a long break in between, Anju returned to acting once her son Arjun had grown up. For the past few years, she has been an active presence in Malayalam and Tamil soap operas.
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