5 South stars whose impressive educational degrees may surprise you

Though many performers start their careers in movies when they are still young, there are also South Indian celebrities who were not only successful but had great educational credentials as well.

They studied such varied subjects as medicine, law, engineering, and even literature before they started making movies or parallel to their careers in cinema.Sai Pallavi - MBBS graduate who became a leading actressSai Pallavi is among the famous South Indian actresses who had a medical degree. She studied MBBS at Tbilisi State Medical University in Georgia and graduated in 2016. She later cleared the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) in India.

Despite completing her medical education, she went on to build a successful career in films.Mammootty - Actor who studied law and practised as a lawyerMalayalam superstar Mammootty has a LL.B degree from Government Law College, Ernakulam. Before making acting his full-time career, he practised law for around two years. His legal background is one of the lesser-known aspects of the actor’s life. He later established himself as one of Malayalam cinema’s most celebrated stars.

Karthi - Engineer with a master’s degree from the USTamil actor Karthi has an educational background in engineering and management. He completed his B.E. in Mechanical Engineering from Crescent Engineering College in Chennai. He later moved to the US and pursued a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Binghamton University. Before entering films, he also worked in the US and explored a career outside cinema.Rashmika Mandanna - Studied psychology, journalism and English literatureRashmika Mandanna pursued her college education at M.S. Ramaiah College in Bengaluru. She studied Psychology, Journalism and English Literature as part of her bachelor’s degree. Her academic interests were in fields that are quite different from her eventual career in films. She later entered the entertainment industry and became a prominent name across South Indian cinema.Suresh Gopi - Postgraduate in English literatureVeteran Malayalam actor Suresh Gopi also has a strong academic qualification. He holds a master’s degree in English Literature from Fathima Mata National College in Kollam. His postgraduate education came before his long-running career in Malayalam cinema. Apart from acting, he has also been involved in television and public life over the years.