Keerthy Suresh Named UNICEF India’s New Celebrity Advocate For Child Rights

UNICEF India has selected National Award-winning actor Keerthy Suresh as its new Celebrity Advocate, bringing her on board to support key issues affecting children, including mental health, equal opportunities, and overall well-being. Suresh, who works across Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi cinema, will collaborate with the organisation to highlight the challenges faced by children and adolescents and to promote interventions that ensure their healthy development. Her long-standing support for gender equality and social empowerment has been widely recognised through her film choices and advocacy efforts. Announcing the association, UNICEF India Representative Cynthia McCaffrey said the actor’s popularity and credibility make her a strong addition to their initiatives. “As UNICEF India’s Celebrity Advocate, she brings passion and influence to our shared mission to reach every child, every young person – especially the most vulnerable – with the quality support and services they need to be safe, healthy and equipped to pursue their dreams,” she noted in a statement. Suresh expressed her commitment to the role, emphasising the importance of a nurturing environment for children. “Children are our greatest responsibility and our greatest hope. I have always believed that nurturing, loving care builds the foundation for children to develop the social and emotional skills they need to lead happy, healthy, and fulfilling lives. I am honoured to join hands with UNICEF India to raise awareness and inspire action so that every child, regardless of background or ability, can thrive,” she said. While she steps into the new advocacy role, Suresh is also preparing for the release of her upcoming Telugu film Revolver Rita, directed by JK Chandru. The film features an ensemble cast including Radhika Sarathkumar, Super Subbarayan, Sunil, Ajay Gosh, Redin Kingsley and John Vijay, and is scheduled to hit theatres on November 28. Keerthy Suresh has earned several major honours, including a National Film Award, five SIIMA Awards, and two Filmfare Awards South. In 2021, she was featured in Forbes India’s 30 Under 30 list. The daughter of producer G. Suresh Kumar and actor Menaka, Keerthy first appeared on screen as a child artiste in the early 2000s. After completing her studies in fashion design, she returned to films and made her debut as a lead actor with the Malayalam film Geethaanjali (2013), which won her the SIIMA Award for Best Female Debut – Malayalam. Her early career included roles in films such as Ring Master (2014), followed by the Tamil debut Idhu Enna Maayam (2015), which earned her another SIIMA debut award. She went on to headline several commercially successful projects, including Nenu Sailaja (2016), Rajinimurugan (2016), Remo (2016), Bairavaa (2017), Nenu Local (2017), TSK (2018), Sarkar (2018), Sarkaru Vaari Paata (2022), and Dasara (2023). Keerthy’s most acclaimed role came with Mahanati (2018), in which she portrayed legendary actor Savitri. Her performance earned her both the National Film Award for Best Actress and the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. She later won another Filmfare Best Actress award for her role in the 2023 action drama Dasara. Keerthy Suresh is married to Antony Thattil.