Vani Viswanath is an Indian actress who predominantly appeared in Malayalam and Telugu films.^[1] In 2000, Vani won the Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actress for her performance in Susanna, directed by T. V. Chandran.^[2] She was termed as Mollywood's "Action Queen".^[3] In 2017, she joined in Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh.^[4]

Vani was born as the fourth among the five children of Malayali parents Thazhathuveettil Vishwanathan, an astrologer and Girija, a housewife in Ollur, Thrissur. She did her schooling at St. Raphael's Convent Girls High School, Ollur and thereafter at Chennai. When she was 13, her father predicted through astrology that she will become an actor and also she will enter into the politics.^[5]

She has appeared predominantly in Malayalam and Telugu movies. She acted in The King with Mammootty and in Usthad with Mohanlal and in Chinthamani Kolacase with Suresh Gopi respectively. She also appeared in Kannada and Tamil movies. She was among the big stars of her time in South India. Her Tollywood movie Gharana Mogudu with Tollywood superstar, Chiranjeevi was a huge hit. Vani also acted in two Hindi film with Superstar Mithun Chakraborty in Jung and Bhishma.

While acting for several films with Baburaj, she fell in love with him. The couple got married in 2002 and have two children.^[6]

Kerala State Film Awards

• 2000 - Kerala State Film for the Second Best Actress - Susanna

• Mattoruval (2010) as Annie/Geetha Varma (Surya TV)
• Kaatrinile Varum Geetham as Gayathri Devi (Sun TV)
• Samudram (2011)
• Dear Kairali (2002) - (Surya TV) as Host