She has had a long career in film. Though born into a Tamil family, she became better known through Malayalam cinema. Success came in her acting career, but her personal life repeatedly faced difficult periods — from the end of her first love to the breakdown of two marriages. This is the story of South Indian actress Charmila.
The actress recently spoke openly about various experiences in her life.
Charmila began her career as a child artist in the 1979 film “Nallathoru Kudumbam,” starring Sivaji Ganesan. She made her debut as a leading actress in the 1991 film “Vyloppatta.” That same year, she began her career in Malayalam cinema. She appeared opposite Mohanlal in K B Madhu’s “Dhanam” and Bhadran’s “Uncle Bun,” and opposite Jayaram in Bharathan’s “Kali.”
Her success made her a familiar face in Malayalam cinema. She went on to work in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films. Alongside her career, however, her personal life went through numerous ups and downs. She has said herself that romance did not play a good role in her life.
First love and heartbreak
Charmila met actor Babu Antony while working on the 1994 film “Kadal.” They later worked together in a total of six films, including “Rajadhani” and “Kambalam.” Charmila says the two developed feelings for each other at one point.
In an interview, Charmila said Babu Antony eventually moved to the United States and never returned. She claims his brother played a role in that outcome, though she said she doesn’t consider Babu a bad person.
In Charmila’s words, Babu was her first love. She was only 19 at the time. When the relationship didn’t work out, she said, she was emotionally devastated and made an attempt on her own life; her mother saved her. Charmila also recalled a few moments from the time she was close to Babu Antony — once, when the water heater in her room broke during a shoot, Babu brought hot water from his own room, which upset her father. Another time, when Babu offered to drive her home because rain seemed likely, her father wouldn’t allow it.
First marriage ends after four years
After her relationship with Babu Antony ended, Charmila grew close to assistant director Kishore Sathya. She said she was going through a difficult emotional period at the time. The two later married.
Charmila says that after the wedding, Kishore asked her to give up acting. Fearing her husband’s objection, she even turned down a role opposite Vikram in the film “Sethu.”
Kishore later moved to Sharjah. After four years of living apart, their relationship deteriorated, and they eventually divorced by mutual consent. Charmila claims Kishore had married her mainly because of her popularity.
Charmila later married a software engineer named Rajesh, a friend of her sister’s. Rajesh was eight years younger than her. That marriage did not last either. They have a son together. The marriage ultimately ended over a dispute regarding religious conversion. Although legally divorced, the actress said she remains in contact with Rajesh because of their child.
Looking back on her past, Charmila has acknowledged that she repeatedly entered romantic relationships at different points in her life and did not always learn enough from earlier experiences.
Allegations of unwanted behavior in the Malayalam industry
After the Justice Hema Committee report was published in 2024, Charmila also spoke about her own experiences in the Malayalam film industry. She has said she faced unwanted behavior from 28 people over the course of her career. The actress also alleged that one producer attempted to sexually harass her and her friends.
She also alleged that director Hariharan propositioned her to “cooperate.” These allegations, however, cannot be considered established fact here without a response from those named.
Charmila is not seen as regularly in films today as she was earlier in her career, though she returns to acting from time to time. She has also worked on various television programs over the years.