In a landmark move for Tamil cinema, veteran actress Radikaa Sarathkumar has rewritten the rules of profit-sharing. Her film Thaai Kizhavi, which revolves around the elderly Pavunuthaayi (effortlessly essayed by Radikaa), has grossed over ₹75 crore worldwide at the box office, powered by women and family audiences.
But what is being seen as an even bigger power move is that Radikaa, as part of her contract, received a share in the film’s profit—making her the first actress in the history of Tamil cinema to do so.
‘I Said I Deserve More’
“I said I wanted to be paid more, because I deserve it. And, we decided on profit sharing. I think all actors should follow this. So many younger actresses have called to say this gives them immense confidence. All I tell them is to build your space, and hold on to it,” Radikaa told The Hindu.
The film, directed by Sivakumar Murugesan and produced by actor Sivakarthikeyan, is set to drop on JioHotstar in April after a successful theatrical run.
A Landmark Achievement
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Film | Thaai Kizhavi |
| Lead | Radikaa Sarathkumar (as Pavunuthaayi) |
| Box Office | ₹75+ crore worldwide |
| Historic First | First Tamil actress to secure profit-sharing |
| Director | Sivakumar Murugesan |
| Producer | Sivakarthikeyan |
| OTT Platform | JioHotstar (April 2026) |
A 48-Year Journey
Radikaa, who made her debut in Bharathiraja’s 1978 Tamil hit Kizhakke Pogum Rail, has come a long way. Hindi-film watchers will recall her as Rishi Kapoor’s naive village-wife in Naseeb Apna Apna (1986). She won a National Award in 1985 for producing the poignant Meendum Oru Kaadhal Kadhai.
With Thaai Kizhavi, she proved that a progressive film headlined by a 63-year-old woman can rake in the moolah too.
Almost Rejected the Film
Radikaa revealed she had almost rejected the film at first. “After reading the script, I was certain I’d be typecast. But Sivakumar showed up at my office for a year and a half, hoping to persuade me. I agreed on the condition that the prosthetics be good. The depth of my role—something so empowering—mattered more to me than the screen time. I was able to own my character’s identity. And, people saw her truth.”
‘Age Is Just a Number’
Radikaa, whose social media pages celebrate every aspect of her life including grandmotherhood, says, “I don’t think I become less interesting with age. I look at things differently. I don’t want to be the youngest in the frame, but I want my presence to bring more strength to the frame.”
A Shift for Ageing Heroines
A Radikaa-starrer doing well at the box office is important because films are not very kind to ageing heroines.
“It usually meant disappearance, a quiet exit into oblivion. Strong roles were written for women. But someone was deciding what women need to do in movies. Which is why I decided I would be in control, and started my own production company after my mentor Bharathiraja’s Kizhakku Cheemayile (1993), which gave me a fresh lease in films. The television serial Chithi transformed how people saw me,” she said.
The last two years have been kind to elderly female characters. 2024 saw Urvashi shine in J Baby and Geetha Kailasam in the celebrated Angammal. And 2026 has Thaai Kizhavi.
‘Women Are the Change’
Radikaa insists on rephrasing the time-tested question of why fewer roles are written for women.
“Ask why people don’t write scripts featuring them. Figure out how to write layered scripts. I kept asking Sivakumar how he managed to write such a mature script at his age (36). OTT has opened up options for nuanced content. We need to find our space and stand tall,” she said.
Adding, “Women are trying to push themselves. They’ve trusted their path, broken barriers. They are the change.”
