Vanisri (born Rathna Kumari) is an Indian actress known for her works predominantly in Telugu, Tamil, and Kannada films.[3][4] In a film career spanning 40 years, she has received three Filmfare Awards South, the Nandi Awards and the Tamil Nadu State Film Award.[3]
Vanisri married Dr. Karunkaran in 1978 and left the film industry. The couple have a son and a daughter. Vanisri returned to film to acting in mother roles from 1989, such as her character in Athaku Yamudu Ammayiki Mogudu (1989). She was also in the 1999 Hindi film Main Tere Pyar Mein Pagal, directed by Telugu director K. Raghavendra Rao.[5]
She lost her son Abhinaya Venkatesha Karthik aged 36 on 23 May 2020 due to cardiac arrest.[7]