Komal Mahuvakar, better known by her stage name Rupini, is an Indian actress who has appeared in Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Telugu language films during the late 1980s and early 1990s.^[2]

Early life

Mahuvakar was born in Mumbai into a well educated family. Her father was a lawyer and her mother was a dietitian.^[3][4] She started to learn dancing at the age of four from Lachhu Maharaj in Mumbai. She learnt all the forms of classical dances including Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Odissi and Kathak in a short span.^[5]

Career

She was accidentally spotted by the film-maker Hrishikesh Mukherjee who offered her child roles in his films such as Mili (1975), Kotwal Saab (1977) and Khubsoorat (1980). Earlier she acted in few Hindi movies, doing character roles under her real name Komal Mahuvakar.^[6] She started appearing in lead roles in movies like Payal Ki Jhankaar (1980), (1980), Ghungroo (1983), Meri Adalat (1984) and Awara Baap (1985). She changed her name to Rupini after taking up acting assignments in South Indian movies like Cooliekkaran (1987), Manithan (1987), En Thangachi Padichava (1988), Apoorva Sagodharargal (1989), Michael Madana Kama Rajan (1990) and Madurai Veeran Enga Saami (1990). Though she shuffled between Bollywood and Kollywood movies but preferred to use both names.^[7] She stopped acting after getting married to Mohan Kumar in the year 1995.^[8] Soon after her marriage, Rupini quit films and concentrated on her family based at Chembur. She started a heart hospital at Chembur for ailing patients and named it Universal Heart Hospital.^[9] In 2020, she made her comeback in the Tamil television series Chithi 2.^[10]

Filmography

Tamil

Malayalam

Hindi

Kannada

Telugu

Television