She acted in 32 films, did 48 TV serials, quit the movie industry at 15 to become IAS officer, failed 5 times to finally crack UPSC with AIR…, she is…

India.com

19-07-2025

In Indian cinema, there are many stars who didn't study much. Some of them left school or college to chase their dreams in films. A lot of famous actors never even went to college. But one actress, who acted in 48 TV shows, did something very different. Instead of quitting school for acting, she actually left the film industry to focus on her studies. She once worked as a child actor in South Indian films and had a growing career. But her goal was clear i.e. she wanted to become an IAS officer. So, she made a bold choice and decided to leave the glamour world of cinema behind to follow her dream of joining the civil services. Who is this child actress who left acting to become an IAS officer?
The former child actress is Keerthana. She worked in many Kannada TV shows like Ganga Yamuna, Karpoorada Gombe, Kanooru Heggadithi, Circle Inspector, Muthina Aliya, Upendra A, O Mallige, Lady Commissioner, Janani, Siguru, Happa, Door, Simhadri, and Putani Agent. In all of these shows, she acted as a child artist.
Apart from television, Keerthana also acted in several Tamil and Kannada films. She even worked in movies alongside popular Tamil actor Ramesh Aravind.
By the time she turned 15, Keerthana had already acted in 48 TV serials and 32 films. But, she made a big decision to quit acting and focus on her studies. Her goal was to become an IAS officer and she was very clear about her goal. Failed many times, but never gave up
When Keerthana decided to quit acting, many people were shocked. Most believed she was about to start working as a lead actress in films. So when they found out that she had left cinema to prepare for the IAS exam, it came as a big surprise.
Before going for the UPSC (IAS) exam, Keerthana first cleared the Karnataka State Administrative Service (KAS) exam. She worked in a government job for two years. But her dream was bigger—she wanted to become an IAS officer through the UPSC exam, which is known to be one of the hardest in India.
The road wasn't smooth. She failed five times. But Keerthana never gave up.
In 2020, on her sixth attempt, she finally cleared the UPSC exam with an All India Rank of 167. Her dedication and patience paid off. She got her first posting as an Assistant Commissioner in Mandya, Karnataka.