Vaishnavi or Vaishnavi Mahant is an India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

n actress who is best known for playing Geeta Vishwas in Mukesh Khanna

Mukesh Khanna

Mukesh Khanna is an Indian television and film actor, best known for portraying strong, dynamic characters. He was born on 22 July 1951, in Mumbai, India. He came into the film industry in 1982 after graduating from Film and Television Institute of India. He rose to fame and is still best known for...

's television series Shaktiman

Shaktiman

Shaktimaan, is a fictional Indian television superhero created by Nirmal Jani and telecasted on Doordarshan, India's national television network. It was first aired on September 13, 1997. It has also aired on the Pogo in English, Chutti TV in Tamil and repeated its Hindi telecast on STAR Utsav...

telecasted on Doordarshan

DoorDarshan

Doordarshan is an Indian public service broadcaster, a division of Prasar Bharati. It is one of the largest broadcasting organizations in India in terms of the infrastructure of studios and transmitters. Recently, it has also started Digital Terrestrial Transmitters. On September 15, 2009,...

. She also acted in various Bollywood

Bollywood

Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...

 films such as Bambai Ka Babu

Bambai Ka Babu (1996 film)

Bambai Ka Babu is a 1996 Bollywood action film directed by Vikram Bhatt. It stars Saif Ali Khan, Atul Agnihotri and Kajol.-Plot summary:Born and brought up in a small village, Vikram alias Vicky comes to Bombay - the big city - to find his fortune. He wants to get rich soon, and he does get lucky...

opposite Saif Ali Khan

Saif Ali Khan

Saif Ali Khan is an Indian actor known for his work in Bollywood films. He is the son of the late former Nawab of Pataudi, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, and actress Sharmila Tagore. He has two sisters: Saba Ali Khan and actress Soha Ali Khan....

, Laadla, and Baabul

Baabul

Baabul is a 2006 Bollywood film, directed by Ravi Chopra. The movie stars Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Salman Khan, Rani Mukerji, John Abraham and Om Puri. The movie was dubbed in Telugu as Premabhishekam. The movie celebrates B. R...

.

Early life and career

Vaishvani was born in Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....

, India. Her father is a Vaishnav Brahmin

Brahmin

Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...

 (the reason she took the screen name Vaishnavi), while her mother is Christian

Christian

A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...

. As a child she moved to Hyderabad where she decided to become a scientist. However, while vacationing in Mumbai

Mumbai

Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...

 she had the opportunity to appear in the Ramsay Brothers

Ramsay Brothers

Ramsay Brothers are fame of Bollywood and son of F.U. Ramsay .they are producers, directors and editors for many famous Hindi horror movies such as Veerana, Purana Mandir and Bandh Darwaza, and the TV series "Zee Horror Show" They are a team of five brothers:*#Kumar Ramsay,*#Keshu Ramsay,*#Tulsi...

' horror film Veerana

Veerana

Veerana is an Indian horror film produced by the Ramsay Brothers in 1988. It is known for its Bava-like use of colored gels mixed with atmospheric sets....

and decided to pursue acting as a profession. She subsequently appeared in Barsaat Ki Raat

Barsaat Ki Raat

Barsaat Ki Raat is a 1960 Bollywood film starring Bharat Bhushan, Madhubala, Shyama, Mumtaz Begum and K.N. Singh. It was directed by P. L. Santoshi....

, Bambai Ka Babu

Bambai Ka Babu (1996 film)

Bambai Ka Babu is a 1996 Bollywood action film directed by Vikram Bhatt. It stars Saif Ali Khan, Atul Agnihotri and Kajol.-Plot summary:Born and brought up in a small village, Vikram alias Vicky comes to Bombay - the big city - to find his fortune. He wants to get rich soon, and he does get lucky...

, Ladlaa

Gharana Mogudu

-Box office performance:*Gharana Mogudu collected a distributors' share of Rs.13.5 million in its opening week.*The film was a blockbuster with a 100-day run in 56 centres and a 175-day run in three centres including a 183-day run in Sandhya 70mm, Hyderabad....

and Daanveer

Daanveer (1996 film)

Daanveer is a 1996 Hindi-language Indian feature film directed by T L V Prasad, starring Mithun Chakraborty, Ronit Roy, Rambha, Gulshan Grover and Prem Chopra.-Cast:*Mithun Chakraborty... Vijay Srivastav*Ronit Roy ... Vishal Srivastav...

. In 1998 she replaced Kitu Gidwani

Kitu Gidwani

Kitu Gidwani is an Indian actress and model. She has starred in some movies as well as serials in Indian television. She became popular after a TV series, Air Hostess aired on Doordarshan in 1986, and received critical acclaimed for her roles in Dance of the Wind , Deepa Mehta's Earth , Govind...

 as the main female lead in the superhero series Shaktiman

Shaktiman

Shaktimaan, is a fictional Indian television superhero created by Nirmal Jani and telecasted on Doordarshan, India's national television network. It was first aired on September 13, 1997. It has also aired on the Pogo in English, Chutti TV in Tamil and repeated its Hindi telecast on STAR Utsav...

on Doordarshan

DoorDarshan

Doordarshan is an Indian public service broadcaster, a division of Prasar Bharati. It is one of the largest broadcasting organizations in India in terms of the infrastructure of studios and transmitters. Recently, it has also started Digital Terrestrial Transmitters. On September 15, 2009,...

. When her journalist character Geeta Vishwas was written out of the series fan protests prompted the producers to bring her back.

She went on to play leading roles in several Tollywood movies. Recently, she was seen playing the role of Bhaskar's mother in the Sony Entertainment Television

Sony Entertainment Television (India)

This article is about the SET channel in India. For the Indian version broadcasted worldwide, see Sony Entertainment Television Asia.Sony Entertainment Television, or SET, is a Hindi-language based general entertainment television channel in India. It was launched in October 1996 and is owned by...

 serial Bhaskar Bharti

Bhaskar Bharti

Bhaskar Bharti is a daily show that airs on Sony Entertainment Television from Mondays to Thursdays. It premiered on May 25, 2009 and stars Eijaz Khan, Ragini Khanna, Aamir Ali, Jai Kalra and Vivek Mushran in the lead roles....

and Mayank's mother in Miley Jab Hum Tum

Miley Jab Hum Tum

Miley Jab Hum Tum is a teen-oriented television series that aired on Indian television channel STAR One. It premiered on September 22, 2008 and ran for two years successfully covering two seasons before ending on November 19, 2010...

. She appears in Karmyudh on Doordarshan in the role of Inspector Shivangi Chauhan.

Personal life

She is married to Leslie Macdonald and has a young daughter, Margaret. Raised as a Hindu, she converted to Christianity in the early 1990s.

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1988	Veerana Veerana Veerana is an Indian horror film produced by the Ramsay Brothers in 1988. It is known for its Bava-like use of colored gels mixed with atmospheric sets....
1994	Laadla
1996	Bambai Ka Babu Bambai Ka Babu (1996 film) Bambai Ka Babu is a 1996 Bollywood action film directed by Vikram Bhatt. It stars Saif Ali Khan, Atul Agnihotri and Kajol.-Plot summary:Born and brought up in a small village, Vikram alias Vicky comes to Bombay - the big city - to find his fortune. He wants to get rich soon, and he does get lucky...	Anita
	Daanveer Daanveer (1996 film) Daanveer is a 1996 Hindi-language Indian feature film directed by T L V Prasad, starring Mithun Chakraborty, Ronit Roy, Rambha, Gulshan Grover and Prem Chopra.-Cast:*Mithun Chakraborty... Vijay Srivastav*Ronit Roy ... Vishal Srivastav...	Sudha "Munni" Srivastav
1998	Baarsaat Ki Ratt
	Shaktiman Shaktiman Shaktimaan, is a fictional Indian television superhero created by Nirmal Jani and telecasted on Doordarshan, India's national television network. It was first aired on September 13, 1997. It has also aired on the Pogo in English, Chutti TV in Tamil and repeated its Hindi telecast on STAR Utsav...	Geeta Vishwas
	Saturday Suspense Saturday Suspense Saturday Suspense is an Indian television suspense thriller series aired on Zee TV, which premiered in 1998. The series aired every Saturday at 9:30pm IST. Each episode of the series was 1 hour long, and produced by a different production company...
	Awaz Ki Duniya	As herself	Co-anchor
2001	Choti Maa - Ek Anokha Bandhan
	Suraag – The Clue
2004	K. Street Pali Hill K. Street Pali Hill K. Street Pali Hill is an Indian Thriller soap that aired on STAR Plus. The show is produced by Ekta Kapoor and created by Balaji Telefilms. It replaced the highly popular thriller Kaahin Kissii Roz in 2004 when it had concluded. K. Street Pali Hill was successful for about a year only to plummet...	Ishita Khandelwal
2005	Ek Ladki Anjaani Si Ek Ladki Anjaani Si Ek Ladki Anjaani Si is a Hindi TV serial that was on air on Sony Entertainment Television. The series is an Indian adaption of the popular Venezuelan telenovela Juana la Virgen, which was written by Perla Farias...
2006	Naqaab
	Mamta Mamta (TV series) Mamta was a Hindi television serial that aired from February 28, 2006 to October 25, 2007 on Zee TV, about the universal theme of motherhood.-Plot:...	Vasundhara
2008	Miley Jab Hum Tum Miley Jab Hum Tum Miley Jab Hum Tum is a teen-oriented television series that aired on Indian television channel STAR One. It premiered on September 22, 2008 and ran for two years successfully covering two seasons before ending on November 19, 2010...	Mayank's Mother
	Saas v/s Bahu Saas v/s Bahu Saas v/s Bahu is an Indian dance television series that aired on Sahara One channel in 2008.-Concept:Saas v/s Bahu is a dance competition between the Saas's and the Bahu's from some of the most popular Indian television series on different channels. The show is hosted by a television actor Karan...	As herself	Contestant
2009	Bhaskar Bharti Bhaskar Bharti Bhaskar Bharti is a daily show that airs on Sony Entertainment Television from Mondays to Thursdays. It premiered on May 25, 2009 and stars Eijaz Khan, Ragini Khanna, Aamir Ali, Jai Kalra and Vivek Mushran in the lead roles....	Bhaskar's mother
	Bairi Piya Bairi Piya Bairi Piya is an Indian soap opera produced by Ekta Kapoor of Balaji Telefilms.Bairi Piya is an atypical love story painted across a canvas portraying the predicament of destitute farmers & their families...	Sunanda Devi Pundir
2010	Karmyudh	Shivangi Chauhan
	Sapnon Se Bhare Nena	Anjali

External links