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Rehana Fathima Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 1, 2026 • 3 min read

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Quick Info

Date of birth30 May 1986

Age37 Years

BirthplaceErnakulam, Kerela

ProfessionActivist

NationalityIndian

Marital statusUnmarried

Rehana Fathima Biography

Rehana Fathima is an Indian social activist and model from Ernakulam, Kerala, known for high-profile protests around gender, body autonomy and religiously‑

Early life and background

Rehana Fathima Pyarijaan Sulaiman was born on 30 May 1986 and grew up in Ernakulam, Kerala. She completed her schooling at Government Higher Secondary School in Ernakulam and later earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). Standing about 170 cm tall, she is known publicly by the nickname Paatus.

Career

Fathima has worked both as an activist and a model. Before leaving government service, she was employed as a telecom technician with BSNL and took voluntary retirement in March 2020. In 2017 she made her film debut in the Malayalam movie Eka, a work addressing intersex and gender‑minority issues.

As an activist, Fathima has been visible in protests and public campaigns addressing gender norms, moral policing and religious practices. She participated in the 2014 Kiss of Love movement in Kochi, a campaign against moral policing, and was closely associated with its local organizing. In 2016 she joined Ayyanthol Puli Kali, a traditional Onam tiger dance typically performed by men, drawing attention to gendered customs. Her activism has included public actions intended to challenge societal attitudes toward the female body and gender equality.

Public profile

Fathima attracted nationwide attention in 2018 after attempting to enter the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple following a Supreme Court decision permitting women of menstruating age to enter the shrine. She made the attempt under police protection but was prevented from proceeding by a group of opponents. Later that year she faced legal action and was arrested on allegations of offending religious sentiments.

Her public activism has at times involved provocative visual statements. She participated in a ‘Bare the Chest’ campaign responding to derogatory remarks about women’s bodies and has posted images and videos intended to question default sexualization of the female upper body. One such video showing children painting on her bare chest prompted a criminal case; in June 2023 the Kerala High Court acquitted her, noting the matter raised questions about a woman's right to bodily autonomy and that there was no basis to infer sexual exploitation of the children in the material presented to the court.

These actions have generated mixed responses. Following the Sabarimala controversy, she was expelled by the Kerala Muslim Jamaath Council for allegedly hurting religious feelings. She has also faced police cases and spent 18 days in custody in 2018 in relation to posts on social media.

Personal life

Rehana Fathima is unmarried and has been publicly linked with Manoj Sreedharan, who has been described as her live‑in partner. She describes no religious affiliation. Her public persona frequently centers on challenges to religious and social conventions, and she has been an outspoken critic of rituals and tenets she views as dogmatic since her youth.

Latest updates

In addition to the Kerala High Court judgment in June 2023 that cleared her in the body‑painting case, Fathima retired from her position at BSNL in March 2020. She continues to be an active public figure through activism, occasional artistic projects and social media presence.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Rehana Fathima, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

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Recent Work

EKA

Acted in a Malayalam film addressing intersex and gender‑minority issues; released in 2017.

2017
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Career Highlights

  1. Member of Kiss of Love movement in Kochi (2014)
  2. Attempted entry to Sabarimala temple after Supreme Court ruling (2018)
  3. Acted in the Malayalam film Eka (2017)
  4. Voluntarily retired from BSNL as a telecom technician (March 2020)
  5. Acquitted by Kerala High Court in body‑painting case (June 2023)
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Rehana Fathima born?

Rehana Fathima was born on 30 May 1986.

What is Rehana Fathima known for?

Rehana Fathima is known for activist.

What is Rehana Fathima’s marital status?

Rehana Fathima's marital status is listed as Unmarried.