One of the biggest struggles child superstars often face is shedding their existing image in the eyes of the audience and establishing themselves as adult artistes. However, that’s easier said than done, and actor Sanusha Santhosh’s cinematic journey highlights that. Even after reaching adolescence and then making her debut as a lead actor, movie audiences widely referred to her as “Baby Sanusha,” underscoring her image in their hearts.
Although she chose roles that would help her break free from this going forward, Sanusha never found the same success. Barring a few occasional movie appearances, her acting career is virtually non-existent at the moment, which stands as a testament that not all child superstars manage to carry on their success forever.
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Born in Pallikkunnu, Kannur, as the daughter of Usha and Santhosh, Sanusha made her debut as a child artiste in director Vinayan’s Mammootty-starrer Dada Sahib (2000). She quickly grabbed the attention of the masses and began making strides in both the film and television industries. Many even described her as the “future Manju Warrier.”
She further cemented her position with her roles in movies such as Meesa Madhavan (2002), Ente Veedu Appuvinteyum (2003), Manjupoloru Penkutti (2004), Maampazhakkaalam (2004), and Chotta Mumbai (2007), among others. Meanwhile, she clinched the Kerala State Film Award for Best Child Artist for her performances in Kaazhcha (2004) and Soumyam (2005).
While she played Mammootty’s daughter in Kaazhcha, she appeared as Mohanlal’s stepdaughter in Maampazhakkaalam. And who can forget the impact her song “Dup Dup Janaki” from Kaazhcha created in Keralam? Film circles were certain Sanusha would become one of the leading heroines in Malayalam cinema in the coming years.
However, after Chotta Mumbai, she took a small break. “It was intentional. I acted in Chotta Mumbai when I was in Class 8. It wouldn’t be right to remain a child actor after the eighth grade, would it? I started [acting] in LKG. When I felt the tag of ‘child actor’ was fading and it was time to become a heroine, I announced publicly that I would no longer act in those roles and focused on my studies,” she told Mangalam in a 2012 interview.
However, she could not achieve the same level of recognition as a lead actor that she had received as a child artiste. After debuting as a lead in the Tamil film Naalai Namadhe (2009), she appeared in movies such as Renigunta (2009), Eththan (2011), and Nandhi (2011).
She then made her debut as a lead actor in Malayalam cinema in director Sandhya Mohan’s Mr Marumakan, playing the heroine opposite Dileep, who was 27 years older than her. In addition to the objectionable age gap between the lead man and woman, Mr Marumakan also earned significant flak for its blatant misogyny and sexism, and is widely considered one of the most problematic Malayalam movies ever.
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Despite being part of massive hits as a child artiste, her repertoire as a lead actor mostly featured average films. Although Sanusha tried rebuilding her career — particularly after her role as a pregnant woman in Zachariayude Garbhinikal (2013) earned widespread acclaim — her efforts went in vain. She subsequently appeared in movies such as Sapthamashree Thaskaraha (2014), Mili (2015), Nirnayakam (2015), Vettah (2016), Santheyalli Nintha Kabira (2016), Kodiveeran (2017), Jersey (2019), and Jaladhara Pumpset Since 1962 (2023). But none of those films catapulted her to great heights.
In an interview with Onmanorama during the release of Jaladhara Pumpset, she addressed her hiatus from Malayalam cinema. “I took a break only from Malayalam and was active in Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada. The break from Malayalam was deliberate as I thought of waiting for good characters. I did miss Malayalam cinema a lot,” she said.
During the Covid-19 era, Sanusha opened up about her battle with depression. Maintaining that she also struggled with suicidal thoughts, the actor reportedly said, “What I missed the most during these last few months was my smile. I was going through a hard time during the initial months of the lockdown, both professionally and personally. In every way, it was a difficult time, and even when I think about it, I get goosebumps at what I had gone through. But now I feel stronger — about the fact that I have grown through this whole experience.”
“It was a scary time. I didn’t know how to communicate this darkness within me to my friends or my family. I was having anxiety and panic attacks. I wasn’t interested in anything, and I didn’t feel like speaking about it to my family,” she recalled.
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Once she started having suicidal thoughts, Sanusha said she decided to do something about it immediately. “I had only told my brother what I was going through. When I realised that he would not have anyone if I did something drastic, I decided that I had to seek help. At one point, I realised I had to escape this situation and drove down to Wayanad to stay with a friend for a few days. Spending time with nature and the hills helped,” she added.
In 2018, Sanusha was allegedly harassed on a moving train to Thiruvananthapuram. “I was sleeping. Suddenly I felt something touch my lip. When I woke up, I saw this guy lying on the upper berth opposite me, trying to feel my lips. I immediately twisted his hand and switched on the light,” she told Asianet. The Thrissur railway police arrested the accused after the actor filed a complaint.
Amid all the personal and professional achievements and struggles, she obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from SN College, Kannur, and a Master’s degree in Sociology from St Teresa’s College, Ernakulam. In 2023, she obtained an MSc in Global Mental Health and Society from the University of Edinburgh.
Opening up about her aims in life going forward, Sanusha said, “Now that I have completed my studies at the University of Edinburgh, my primary goal is to return to my home country and apply the real-life skills, knowledge, and experiences I have gained in the UK. I am passionate about making a meaningful impact on society by educating others on how our behaviour, influenced by both social and biological factors from childhood, can be transformed for individuals to function at their highest potential.”
“I aim to contribute to initiatives that focus on mental health and well-being, sharing these insights and working towards positive change, with the vision of contributing to a better future for my country and the world, ensuring a healthier, more supportive environment for future generations,” she added.
Sanusha’s brother, Sanoop Santhosh, was also a noted child actor, renowned for his roles in movies such as Philips and the Monkey Pen (2013), Bhaskar the Rascal (2015), Jo and the Boy (2015), and Mohanlal’s Munthirivallikal Thalirkkumbol (2017). Like his sister, Sanoop also received the Kerala State Film Award for Best Child Artist for his performance in Philips and the Monkey Pen.
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