Actress Pragathi wins four medals, including gold, for powerlifting at Asian Games

Hyderabad: At 49, when most people begin to slow down, Pragathi Mahavadi is not only at the top as one of the most sought-after character actors, she is also rewriting her own narrative with every powerlifting competition she enters.

The many achievements in powerlifting

In early 2025, Pragathi claimed gold at the National Masters Classic Powerlifting Championship in Kerala, scoring a strong 115 kg squat, 50 kg bench press and 122.5 kg deadlift.

She later described the win as the outcome of ‘Passion, Discipline, Hardwork … and a broken heart,’ a candid acknowledgement of the emotional fuel behind her training.

Her momentum carried her all the way to Turkey, where she represented India at the Asian Open and Masters Powerlifting Championship. There, she clinched gold in the deadlift and added three silver medals in the squat, bench press, and overall performance. The achievement resonated widely: a small-town artist who evolved into a national contender and now an international medallist, all in her late forties.

These victories are not isolated triumphs but the culmination of seasons spent winning state, district, and South India-level competitions.

Together, they form the foundation of a story about resilience, reinvention, and the uncommon belief that it is never too late to build strength from the ground up.

To her followers, this chapter feels less like a reinvention and more like a revelation. One admirer wrote on social media, “Watching her lift tells me age is not the finish line; it’s just a number.” Another said, “She carries herself with the kind of confidence that encourages people like me to start training again.”

The journey to the medals

Her journey began with regional powerlifting meets in Hyderabad and Telangana, expanded to national championships, and now places her among India’s most compelling late-blooming athletes.

Her sporting journey began slowly, first through basic home workouts, then regular gym training and finally structured coaching.

In recent years, she has taken part in powerlifting meets across the country, winning medals in squat, bench press and deadlift categories, including a national-level gold. Videos from these events show her performing each lift with the discipline of a seasoned athlete rather than a weekend fitness enthusiast.

What started as a private commitment to health evolved into something that made her one of the few mainstream actors in the South Indian film industry to compete in strength sports.

Early years and entry into public life

Pragathi was born in coastal Andhra Pradesh in 1976. Her childhood did not have the usual markers of someone headed for the entertainment industry. But by the time she was in her late teens, a chance opportunity placed her in front of the camera through modelling assignments, including campaigns for traditional clothing brands.

Modelling led her to Chennai, where the film industry of the 1990s was in a phase of rapid expansion. She made her debut in the Tamil film Veetla Visheshanga in 1994. What followed was a steady entry into South Indian cinema, Tamil first, then Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada.

A working actor through shifting eras

Unlike many debutantes who chase stardom, Pragathi grew into the industry as a working actor, shifting from lead roles to supporting characters without pause. Producers valued her timing; directors trusted her ability to deliver an emotion without reheating it.

Over the years, she appeared in more than 100 films, many of them mainstream Telugu successes.

Her characters, mothers, aunts, and matriarchs became familiar to audiences. They didn’t dominate posters but anchored family-driven plots and brought credibility to emotional scenes. In a film landscape where careers often hinge on reinvention, Pragathi built hers through consistency.

Social media and a new relationship with audiences

The next shift in her public life came not from cinema but from the internet. Pragathi began posting workout clips, dance snippets with her son, and glimpses of her routines.

The content wasn’t polished or engineered; it was direct and personal. A lungi-dance video with her son went viral, widening her audience among younger viewers.

The comments on her posts often read like short testimonials. “She motivates me to get moving,” one user wrote. Another said, “Her energy makes me rethink my excuses.”

Through these posts, she gradually reframed how senior actresses in regional cinema are perceived. Instead of being reduced to a stereotype, she became an example of active ageing and personal agency.

The personal story behind the public one

Away from cameras, Pragathi’s life has had its share of challenges. She raised her son as a single parent after her marriage ended, navigating work and home without a support system many take for granted.

Her statements over the years show a person who values independence and clarity: she has spoken openly about refusing to tolerate inappropriate behaviour on sets and about moving forward without resentment.

Her straightforwardness has occasionally placed her in the middle of public attention, such as when she clarified rumours, corrected tabloid gossip or spoke up about on-set misconduct. Each time, she handled the fallout with the same firmness that defines her sporting discipline.

Powerlifting as a continuation, not a detour

Pragathi’s involvement in powerlifting is often described as a ‘second innings,’ but she treats it as a natural extension of her life.

Training gives her structure and purpose; competitions give her a sense of growth outside the film world. For many women, especially those in their 40s and 50s, she has become a symbol of what strength can look like when pursued without hesitation.

A career still in motion

Pragathi continues acting, continues training and continues sharing parts of her life with her audience. Her story stands out because it is not defined by a single peak. Instead, it is shaped by steady, deliberate choices, work, fitness, authenticity and resilience.

In an industry that often celebrates reinvention as spectacle, Pragathi’s evolution has been grounded and practical. She didn’t chase relevance; she earned it in the gym, on set and in the eyes of the people who see her as proof that life doesn’t narrow with age, it expands.