Ranjini Haridas is an Indian television anchor, actress, model, and radio jockey born on 23 April 1980 in Kochi, Kerala. Her father, Haridasan, served in the Indian Air Force and passed away when she was young, after which she was largely supported by her grandparents. Her mother, Sujatha, is a homemaker. She completed her schooling at The Choice School, Kochi, and graduated with a BA in English Literature from St. Teresa's College, Ernakulam, later pursuing an MBA abroad. She made her first media appearance as a child extra in the Malayalam film Geetham (1986), then began compering and hosting stage shows from her college days. Her modelling career gained recognition when she won the Femina Miss Kerala title in 2000. Her television hosting career took off with Star Singer (Asianet, 2007-12), which she hosted across five successful seasons, cementing her status as one of Malayalam television's highest-profile and highest-paid anchors. She has hosted the Asianet Film Awards, Amrita TV Film Awards, Asiavision Awards, Flowers TV Awards, Jaihind Film Awards, and SIIMA, among many others. She has also appeared in Malayalam films including China Town and Thalsaayam Oru Penkutty, and has worked as a Radio Jockey. She was voted among the most trolled Malayalam entertainment celebrities on social media in 2016, a matter she has addressed publicly. A notable controversy came in 2011 when veteran actor Jagathy Sreekumar publicly criticised her hosting approach and Malayalam accent during a Star Singer finale. She returned to Asianet in 2017 with the celebrity interview show Run Baby Run. In June 2018, she entered Bigg Boss Malayalam Season 1 and was eliminated in Week 9 (Day 62), finishing eleventh.
Hosting five seasons of the flagship singing reality show Star Singer on Asianet (2007-12), making her one of Malayalam television's most recognisable anchors; winning the Femina Miss Kerala title in 2000; beginning her media career as a child artist in Geetham (1986); hosting major award shows including the Asianet Film Awards, Amrita TV Film Awards, and SIIMA; finishing eleventh in Bigg Boss Malayalam Season 1 (2018).
