Kasthuri Shankar (born 15 June 1976 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu) is an Indian actress, television host, model, and social activist who has appeared in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada language films. Born into a Brahmin family to Sumathi, a lawyer, and P.S. Shankar, an engineer, she was an accomplished student and NCC cadet who also excelled at hockey at state level. While studying at Ethiraj College for Women, she won both Miss Chennai and the Femina Miss Madras beauty pageant in 1992, launching her modelling and acting career. Her acting debut came with Aatha Un Koyilile (1991) and she subsequently appeared in mainstream films opposite major stars, including the blockbuster Indian (1996) alongside Kamal Haasan and Annamayya (1997) in Telugu. A documentary film, Kasthuri: A South Indian Film Star, was made as a tribute to her work in the early 1990s. She also reached the finals of the BBC's Mastermind India (2000). She made a comeback to acting with Malai Malai (2009) and has since hosted quiz shows on television and appeared in supporting roles in Tamil and Telugu films and serials. She is known for her outspoken views on social issues, the MeToo movement, and casteism. In 2019, she entered Bigg Boss Tamil Season 3 as a wildcard contestant and was evicted after 18 days.
Winning Miss Chennai and Femina Miss Madras (1992); Tamil and Telugu films including Indian (1996) with Kamal Haasan; hosting quiz shows including Vina Vidai Vettai on Puthuyugam TV; being a finalist on Mastermind India (2000).
