Soundarya Rajinikanth

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Soundarya Rajinikanth
Soundarya in 2017
Born
Shaku Bai Rao Gaikwad

(1984-09-20) 20 September 1984 (age 41)
Madras, Tamil Nadu, India (present-day Chennai)
OccupationsGraphic designer, Film producer, Film director
Years active2002–present
Spouses
  • Ashwin Ramkumar
    ​
    ​
    (m. 2010; div. 2017)​
  • Vishagan Vanangamudi
    ​
    ​
    (m. 2019)​
Children2
Parents
RelativesAishwarya Rajinikanth (sister); see Rajinikanth family
Category:Articles with hCards

Soundarya Rajinikanth (born Shaku Bai Rao Gaikwad; 20 September 1984) is an Indian graphic designer, film producer and director who primarily works in Tamil cinema. She is the founder and owner of Ocher Picture Productions. Soundarya began her career in films as a graphic designer. For those starring her father Rajinikanth, she designed the title sequences. She became a film producer with Goa (2010) and made her debut as a film director with Kochadaiyaan (2014).

Career

Soundarya Rajinikanth, born as Shaku Bai Rao Gaikwad[1] did her childhood education in the Ashram Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Velachery, Chennai.Category:All articles with unsourced statementsCategory:Articles with unsourced statements from November 2025[citation needed]

In 2005, Soundarya founded the visual effects studio Ocher Studios, and their first project was Chandramukhi the same year.[2][3] In 2008, Ocher Studios signed an agreement with Warner Bros Entertainment to partner up in producing and distributing Tamil films.[2] Her debut as producer was Goa (2010).[4] Soundarya's directorial debut was supposed to be Sultan: The Warrior, a 3D animated film featuring the voice of her father Rajinikanth. Despite heavy pre-production, including a teaser being released,[5] the film was dropped.[6] She instead directed the motion capture film Kochadaiiyaan, also starring Rajinikanth.[7] Through Kochadaiiyaan, Soundarya earned the distinction of becoming the first woman to direct her father in a feature film.[8] At the NDTV Indian of the Year awards 2014, she was honoured for "Technical Innovation In Film".[9]

In 2016, Soundarya worked on the pre-production of a film titled Nilavuku En Mel Ennadi Kobam with Dhanush, Kajal Aggarwal and Manjima Mohan, but the film was later dropped.[10] It was revived in 2023 without Soundarya's involvement.[11] Her next directorial venture was Velaiilla Pattadhari 2.[12][13]

In 2018 Soundarya started a production company called May6 Entertainment.[14] In 2021, she founded Hoote, a social media platform that is based on voice messages.[15] In 2025, Soundarya founded a new production company Zion Films.[16]

Personal life

Soundarya is the younger daughter of actor Rajinikanth and his wife Latha. She has one elder sister, Aishwarya Rajinikanth.

Soundarya married Ashwin Ramkumar, an industrialist, on 3 September 2010 at Rani Meyyammai Hall in Chennai.[17] The couple has a son born on 6 May 2015.[18] In September 2016, Soundarya revealed that she and her husband had filed for divorce by mutual consent due to irreconcilable differences.[19] In July 2017, the couple officially divorced.[20]

Soundarya married Vishagan Vanangamudi, an actor and businessman, on 11 February 2019 at Leela Palace in Chennai.[21][22][23][24][25] Their son was born in 2022.[26]

Filmography

YearFilm RoleNotes
1999Padayappa Graphic designerTitle sketch only
2002BabaTitle sequence only
2005Chandramukhi
Anbe Aaruyire
Sivakasi
Majaa
Sandakozhi
2007Chennai 600028
SivajiTitle sequence only
2010Goa Producer
2014Kochadaiiyaan Director, Graphic designer
2017Velaiilla Pattadhari 2 Director
2026 With Love Producer

As an actress

YearFilm RoleNotes
2008Kuselan HerselfCameo appearance in the song "Cinema Cinema"
2014Kochadaiiyaan Dancer Uncredited appearance in the song "Engae Pogutho Vaanam"

References

  1. ↑ Gupta, Priya (12 September 2013). "My mom is the boss: Soundarya Rajnikanth Ashwin". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  2. 1 2 "WB, India's Ocher pact". The Hollywood Reporter. 23 April 2008. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  3. ↑ ""We are a very close family"". India Today. 10 May 2008. Archived from the original on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  4. ↑ "Soundarya, stirred not shaken". The New Indian Express. 15 October 2009. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  5. ↑ "Sultan of swings". Mumbai Mirror. 15 June 2007. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
  6. ↑ "Soundarya and Aishwarya – the sisters sort it out". The Times of India. 2 April 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2012.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)Category:CS1 maint: deprecated archival service
  7. ↑ "Blessed to have directed dad once: Soundarya Rajinikanth". The New Indian Express. 28 August 2017. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
  8. ↑ "Soundarya Rajnikanth is the first daughter to direct her father". The Times of India. 16 September 2013. Archived from the original on 10 June 2019. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  9. ↑ "NDTV Indian Of The Year: Soundarya Rajinikanth honoured for Technical Innovation In Film - NDTV Movies". NDTV. Archived from the original on 18 October 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  10. ↑ "Kajal Aggarwal & Manjima Mohan in Talks to Join Soundarya Rajinikanth's Next". 4 November 2016. Archived from the original on 26 August 2019. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  11. ↑ "Did you know Soundarya Rajinikanth was supposed to direct Dhanush's 'Nilavuku...'?". India Today. 25 December 2023. Archived from the original on 16 June 2024. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  12. ↑ "'Kabali' producer to bankroll Soundarya Rajinikanth's next directorial project". The New Indian Express. Indo-Asian News Service. 27 September 2016. Archived from the original on 24 March 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  13. ↑ "Soundarya Rajinikanth to direct Dhanush in VIP 2". The Hindu. 9 November 2016. Archived from the original on 11 November 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  14. ↑ "About May Six – May 6 Entertainment". Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  15. ↑ "Rajinikanth Launches Voice-Based Social Site: "From India, For The World"". NDTV. 25 October 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
  16. ↑ "Zion Films Private Limited - Company Profile". The Company Check. Archived from the original on 31 March 2026. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  17. ↑ "Soundarya Rajinikanth wedding : Rajinikanth daughter Soundarya marriage pictures". AllVoices. Allvoices.com. 4 September 2010. Archived from the original on 11 September 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2011.
  18. ↑ "Its a boy for Soundarya Rajinikanth". India Today. 7 May 2015. Archived from the original on 9 May 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  19. ↑ "Soundarya Rajinikanth confirms divorce". The Times of India. 17 September 2016. Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  20. ↑ Goyal, Divya (5 July 2017). "Soundarya Rajinikanth And Ashwin Are Officially Divorced". NDTV. Archived from the original on 11 August 2019. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  21. ↑ "Rajinikanth's daughter Soundarya Rajinikanth to marry Vishagan Vanangamudi on February 11 - details here". Archived from the original on 3 May 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  22. ↑ "Soundarya Rajinikanth set for second marriage in January". The Times of India. 13 November 2018. Archived from the original on 15 November 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  23. ↑ "Soundarya Rajinikanth gears up for second wedding in January 2019". India Today. 13 November 2018. Archived from the original on 16 November 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  24. ↑ "Soundarya Rajinikanth to wed again". Anupama Subramanian. Deccan Chronicle. 14 November 2018. Archived from the original on 16 November 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  25. ↑ "സൗന്ദര്യ രജനീകാന്ത് വിവാഹിതയായി; ചിത്രങ്ങളും വിഡിയോയും". ManoramaOnline (in Malayalam). 11 February 2019. Archived from the original on 3 May 2019. Retrieved 12 February 2019.Category:CS1 Malayalam-language sources (ml)
  26. ↑ "Soundarya Rajinikanth blessed with a baby boy". The Times of India. 12 September 2022. Archived from the original on 20 August 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
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