Anuradha Menon

Anu Menon, born Anuradha Menon, is an Indian actress, theatre artist and stand-up comedian. She is widely known for her alter ego Lola Kutty, the popular Channel [V] VJ. Originally from Kerala, she grew up in Chennai, where her parents Mini and Mohan Menon worked in the advertising industry. She started taking part in theatre productions in school, was associated with The Madras Players, and studied theatre for a year at East 15 Acting School in London before moving to Mumbai, the hub of English theatre in India.

Menon got her break into Indian theatre in Mumbai, acting as a governess in Divya Palat's The Verdict, where her heavy Malayali accent led to the Lola Kutty role on television. In 2004, while auditioning for a producer, she was spotted by VJ Gaurav of Channel [V] and became popular as Lola Kutty, a bespectacled Keralite lady who speaks English with a heavy Malayali accent. The character boosted Channel [V]'s ratings and won three Golds and one Silver at the PROMAX & BDA India Awards. She has performed in notable plays including Zen Katha and Sammy!, both directed by Lillete Dubey, and appeared in films such as Quick Gun Murugun, Happy New Year and Amit Sahni Ki List.

Menon later donned the stand-up comedian's hat, popularly opening for Brad Sherwood and Colin Mochrie during their India tour. Her stand-up special Wonder Menon was released in 2019 on Amazon Prime Video, and she featured in Vir Das's Amazon Prime Video series Jestination Unknown as herself. Although her Lola Kutty character was criticised by some as offensive to Malayali people, Menon asserted in an interview that "Lola is funny as a person, not as a region".