Anuradha Menon is an Indian television actress and theatre artist. Lola Kutty, the popular Channel V|Channel VJ, is her alter ego. She is also VJ Laila on Channel V.
Theatre
Originally from Kerala, Anuradha Menon grew up in Chennai. Her parents Mini and Mohan Menon worked in the advertising industry. Anuradha Menon started taking part in theatre productions in school. She was associated with The Madras Players for some years. In 2000, she played Shubra in Madras Players' Lizard Waltz. She also studied theatre at a school in London for one year, London school of drama. Then, she moved to Mumbai as it was the hub of English theatre in India. It was in Mumbai that she got her break into Indian theatre. She acted as a governess in Divya Palat's "The Verdict." In this she was required to act with a heavy Malayali accent and this is what landed her the "Lola Kutty" role in Television. In 2004, while auditioning for a producer, she was spotted by VJ Gaurav of Channel V|Channel . Gaurav immediately recommended her to Channel , where she became popular as "Lola Kutty". After she became famous as Lola Kutty, Anuradha Menon also got some film offers, but she considers theatre as her priority. She has performed in many notable plays including Zen Katha and Sammy!. In the two-act award-winning play Sammy!, she played an ensemble of roles, including Sarojini Naidu. In Only Women, she played a nurse called Jasmine. The play deals with Jasmine's impending engagement and how it affects her swings in moods, one of which leads to fatal error in the profession, and how things are sorted out.
Stand-Up
Anuradha Menon, otherwise known as Anu Menon, has donned the stand-up comedian's hat after Lola Kutty. She has popularly opened for Brad Sherwood and Colin Mochrie while they were on their India Tour. Her stand-up special Wonder Menon released in 2019 on Prime Video. She also featured in Vir Das's Prime Video series Jestination Unknown as herself.
Lola Kutty
Lola Kutty is a VJ on Channel V|Channel. Described as "the Channel resident beauty on duty", she is actually an alter ego of Anuradha Menon. Anuradha Menon appears in many of her public dealings as Lola Kutty. When invited for an interview with Pooja Bedi on zOOm with Mona Singh, she appeared as "Lola Kutty", unlike Mona Singh. Lola Kutty is a bespectacled Keralite lady who speaks English with a heavy Malayali accent. Unlike other VJs, she has curly oily hair sporting a gajra and wears silk saris. Unlike Jassi of Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin, Lola has no plans for a makeover. She is a huge fan of Abhishek Bachchan. Her assistant is Shiny Alex, who wears fluorescent shirts, matching slippers, and mundu folded up. In her show Celebrity Forum/Lola TV, Lola Kutty plays interviewer to celebrities esp. Bollywood personalities. Lola's shows don't involve vulgar, corny or spicy humor; rather, they rely on witty asides and straight-faced questions for humor. In 2006, a Limited Edition Deluxe Official 2006 Notebook Chronicle of Lola— the VJ, the Woman and the Wisecrack was released. The Notebook features various facets of Lola—modelling her "LolaWay products", giving gyaan and discussing movies. The first edition received a very good response. Lola Kutty has also worked as agony aunt for The Record Music Magazine. Lola Kutty boosted Channel 's TRP ratings considerably. Apart from India, she has a fan following among Indian diaspora in the Middle East and the UK. In real life, she speaks English with a tinge of UK accent. She is fluent in her mother-tongue, Malayalam, as well.
Awards and nominations
Lola TV won three Golds and one Silver at the PROMAX & BDA India Awards
Lola's character was criticized by some for being offensive to Malayali people. However, in an interview, Anuradha Menon asserted that "Lola is funny as a person, not as a region". She has also stated that, as a Keralite herself, she was in no way insulting her own people, but only using the peculiar accent for the entertainment of her viewers: "Earlier in Mumbai, anyone from the south was called a Madrasi, and I wanted to change that. Though in a very distinct way, I have pointed out the existence of a state called Kerala on the map of India!". She also said "Lola is special, for I've created the character and it's quite touching when people love you in the role and appreciate you for it, and the self-deprecatory humour is so much".
