Did you know? ‘Coolie’ actor Upendra Rao’s wife was Ajith’s heroine 20 years ago

Rajinikanth’s latest release Coolie has emerged as a box office juggernaut, raking in over ₹320 crore worldwide within just three days of release. The film has been praised not only for Thalaivar’s screen presence but also for its ensemble cast, including Kannada superstar Upendra Rao, who makes his Tamil debut as the antagonist.

While Upendra is celebrated as a multi-talented actor, director, and politician in the Kannada industry, what has surprised many fans is a throwback connection to Tamil cinema; his wife, Priyanka Upendra, was once a leading lady in Kollywood and even played Ajith Kumar’s heroine two decades ago.

Priyanka Trivedi

Born Priyanka Trivedi in Kolkata, she began her acting career in Bengali cinema before moving into Hindi and South Indian films. She entered Tamil cinema in 2002 with Raajjiyam opposite Vijayakanth. That same year, she appeared in Raja, playing Ajith’s love interest “Priya.” The film is fondly remembered for the scenes between Ajith and Priyanka, particularly the much-quoted “Thayir Sadham” moment.

Her Tamil career included notable appearances opposite top stars: she acted alongside Vikram in Ice (2003) and was also part of Jananam (2004). Around the same time, she balanced projects in Telugu and Kannada cinema, starring in films like Raa and H2O.

It was during the making of the Telugu film Raa in 2001 that she met Upendra Rao. The two tied the knot soon after, and Priyanka gradually shifted her focus towards Kannada and Bengali films, where she continued to find success. After marriage, her Tamil appearances became rare, with Jananam being one of her last outings in Kollywood.

In Kannada cinema, Priyanka took on more diverse roles post-2010, earning critical praise for films like Mummy (2016), 2nd Half (2018), and Devaki (2019), where she starred alongside her real-life daughter Aishwarya.