Former CSK cricketer Anirudha Srikkanth’s 2nd wife: Who is Samyuktha Shanmughanathan, known for Bigg Boss Tamil?

Samyuktha Shanmughanathan, also known as Samyuktha Karthik, is in the news. There has been a lot of curiosity about her since she got married to Anirudha Srikkanth on 27 November in Chennai.

She is a trained civil engineer, who worked at Infosys before joining the entertainment industry full time. Her portrayal of Princess Rudhra in the Tamil serial Chandrakumari gained her popularity. Bigg Boss Tamil Season 4 brought her further fame,making her a household name in Tamil Nadu.

The model and actress was earlier married to Karthik Shankar, and they have a son together. Samyuktha has spoken openly about why her first marriage ended.

She found out during the COVID-19 lockdown that her husband, Karthik Shankar, who was working in Dubai, had been living with another woman for more than four years. The discovery shocked her. Since she was unable to travel, she felt trapped.

TV anchor Bhavna Balakrishnan supported her during this phase and pushed her to try for Bigg Boss. Earlier this year, she finalised her divorce with Karthik.

The Coimbatore native first gained prominence after winning Miss Chennai 2007. She later transitioned into films and appeared in titles such as Madras Mafia Company, Tughlaq Durbar, and Varisu.

In 2024, she got engaged to Anirudha Srikkanth, son of former India opener Krishnamachari Srikkanth. Anirudha, who played for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) from 2008 to 2013, now works as a commentator. He was earlier married to model-actor Arthi Venkatesh.

Anirudha and Samyuktha found each other after going through difficult divorces. They reportedly met through common friends in Chennai’s social and entertainment circle. Their friendship slowly turned into a deeper bond.

Some gossip channels claimed that Anirudha’s ex-wife, model Aarti Venkatesh, was once close to Samyuktha. But, neither of them has ever confirmed such details.

Throughout most of 2025, the two were frequently seen together at various events. Samyuktha made it public when she shared a Diwali photo with Anirudha.

Wedding pics

After she shared her wedding pics on Instagram, Tamil actress Sneha was one of the first people to congratulate her: “Congratulations darling, soooo happy for you.”

Actress Aishwarya Rajesh also commented, “Congratulations, Sam and Ani.”