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Manju Warrier Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth10 September 1978

Age46 Years

BirthplaceNagercoil, Tamil Nadu

ProfessionActress

NationalityIndian

Marital statusDivorced

SpouseDileep (ex-husband)

FamilyDaughter - Meenakshi; Father - T. V. Madhavan; Mother - Girija Madhavan; Brother - Madhu Warrier

Manju Warrier Biography

Manju Warrier is an Indian actress celebrated for her work in Malayalam cinema. Rising to prominence in the 1990s, she became known for powerful lead roles

Early life and background

Manju Warrier was born on 10 September 1978 in Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, and grew up with strong ties to Kerala, listing Thrissur as her hometown. She trained in Bharatanatyam from a very young age and continued to practice classical dance through her youth. Her formal schooling included time at CSI Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Nagercoil and at schools in Kannur, followed by college at Sree Narayana College, Kannur.

Career

Manju made her film debut as a teenager in the Malayalam movie Sakshyam (1995) and quickly established herself with a string of notable performances in the 1990s. One of her early, frequently remembered roles was Devaprabha Varma in the 1996 film Thooval Kottaram. By the late 1990s she had accumulated several major acting awards for films such as Ee Puzhayum Kadannu, Sallapam, Aaram Thampuran, Kaliyattam, Kanmadam, Pathram and Kannezhuthi Pottum Thottu, among others.

After appearing in more than twenty films in her early career, Manju took a prolonged break from acting following her marriage in 1998. She later returned to the screen, performing Kuchipudi at Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple before relaunching her film career. Her professional comeback was marked by the 2014 film How Old Are You, which brought her fresh critical recognition and several awards. Since returning she has continued to work in high-profile Malayalam films and has also expanded into other Indian film industries.

In 2019 she made her Tamil film debut with Asuran. In 2021 she made her Bollywood debut in the film Amriki Pandit opposite R. Madhavan; the production experienced pandemic-related delays during its shoot.

Beyond acting, Manju has appeared in commercials with prominent figures and brands and has published a book titled Sallapam, released at an international book festival. She is a founding member of the Women in Cinema Collective, an organisation created to advance the welfare of women working in the Malayalam film industry.

Public profile

Manju has been widely honoured during her career, receiving numerous state and industry awards across multiple decades, including accolades in 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, and again following her comeback in the 2010s for films such as How Old Are You, Vettah, Udaharanam Sujatha and Aami. Her work has been recognised by Filmfare Awards South, Kerala State Film Awards, Asianet Film Awards, Film Critics associations and other regional honours.

She has taken part in public awareness initiatives and served as a brand ambassador for several commercial and social campaigns. Her endorsements have included jewellery brands and a range of consumer and media brands, and she has represented public-awareness efforts on issues such as women’s safety, organic farming and cancer-awareness campaigns.

Personal life

Manju married fellow actor Dileep on 20 October 1998 and the marriage produced a daughter, Meenakshi. The marriage later ended in divorce. Her parents are T. V. Madhavan, an accountant, and Girija Madhavan, who worked as a kathakali artist. She also has a brother, Madhu Warrier, who is an actor.

Latest updates

Manju has remained active onstage and onscreen after her return, taking on challenging roles and participating in public and social events. She has experimented with public performances outside of film, including learning and performing magic at a show in Thiruvananthapuram in 2016. Her career continued to broaden with projects in other regional cinemas and with her debut in Hindi cinema.

She has also been involved in disputes that received public attention, including complaints she filed in 2019 and 2022 regarding alleged attempts to harm her reputation; those matters were reported in national and regional media outlets.

Manju remains a prominent figure in Malayalam cinema, noted for both her early stardom in the 1990s and her later resurgence as a leading actress and public voice on industry and social issues.
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Recent Work

How Old Are You

Film marking her professional comeback to Malayalam cinema in 2014

2014
Asuran

Tamil film that marked her debut in Tamil cinema

2019
Amriki Pandit

Hindi film (Bollywood debut) opposite R. Madhavan

2021
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Career Highlights

  1. Debuted in Malayalam cinema with Sakshyam (1995)
  2. Breakthrough role as Devaprabha Varma in Thooval Kottaram (1996)
  3. Multiple Best Actress awards across the 1990s and 2010s
  4. Returned to films with How Old Are You (2014)
  5. Founding member of the Women in Cinema Collective
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Manju Warrier born?

10 September 1978

What is Manju Warrier known for?

Actress

What is Manju Warrier’s marital status?

Divorced

Who is Manju Warrier married to?

Dileep (ex-husband)