Yeedi Vijayalakshmi, better known by her screen name Rambha, was one of the busiest and most popular actresses in the late 90s and early 2000s. Her debut came in 1992 with the Malayalam film Sargam, where she played Thankamani. Despite not knowing Malayalam, her performance won hearts, and the film became both a critical and commercial success, even winning a National Award.
Rise to Fame Across Industries
Following Sargam, Rambha entered Telugu cinema with Aa Okkati Adakku, where she earned her famous screen name. She quickly rose to pan-Indian popularity, starring opposite legends like Rajinikanth, Mammootty, Chiranjeevi, Ajith Kumar, and Vijay. The 1996 Tamil film Ullathai Allitha made her a national craze with the hit song Azhagiya Laila.
Bollywood Journey
Rambha’s Bollywood debut was opposite Mithun Chakraborty in Jallad (1995). While she acted alongside Anil Kapoor, Govinda, and Suniel Shetty, it was her chemistry with Salman Khan in Judwaa and Bandhan that cemented her place in Hindi cinema.
Notable Works
Her career was marked by a string of hits across languages. Some of her well-loved films include Arunachalam, Hitler, Chronic Bachelor, Kaathala Kaathala, Allari Premikudu, Rowdy Annayya, and Endrendrum Kadhal.
Stepping Away from Films
After nearly two decades in the industry, Rambha married Canadian entrepreneur Indrakumar Pathmanathan in 2010 and moved to Toronto. The couple has three children—Lavanya, Sasha, and Shivin. Her last film role was in the Malayalam movie The Filmstaar (2011).
Television and Business Ventures
Though she stepped back from films, Rambha remained connected to entertainment as a judge on popular TV reality shows, most recently Jodi Are U Ready – Season 2. She also supports her husband’s business ventures, including Canada-based interiors and furniture company Magic Woods. Reports suggest the couple’s business portfolio, spread between Canada and Chennai, is valued around Rs 2,000 crore.
