Nithya Menen | |
---|---|
Born | NS Nithya [1] 8 April 1990 |
Education | |
Occupations |
|
Years active |
|
Awards | Full list |
Nithya Menen [2] (born NS Nithya; 8 April 1990 [3] ) is an Indian actress and singer who works predominantly in Malayalam, Telugu and Tamil films. Having appeared in over 58 films, she is noted for her strong portrayals. [4] Menen is a recipient of several accolades including a National Film Award, four Filmfare Awards South, two South Indian International Movie Awards and two Nandi Awards. [5] [6]
Following a child performance in the French-Indian English film, Hanuman (1998), Menen made her debut with the Kannada film 7 O' Clock (2006). Having her breakthrough with the 2011 romance film Ala Modalaindi which earned her the Nandi Award for Best Actress, she won the Filmfare Awards for Best Actress and Critics Best Actress in Telugu for Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde (2013) and Malli Malli Idi Rani Roju (2015). Following Telugu success with Ishq (2012), Rudhramadevi (2015), Janatha Garage (2016) and Bheemla Nayak (2022), she established herself as a leading South Indian actress with the Tamil romantic O Kadhal Kanmani (2015), winning a SIIMA Critics Award.
After finding success in Malayalam Cinema with Ustad Hotel (2012), Bangalore Days (2014) and 100 Days of Love (2015), Menen found success in Tamil Cinema with Kanchana 2 (2015) and 24 (2016). Following a Filmfare Award winning performance in Mersal (2017), she won the Filmfare Critics Award and National Film Award for Best Actress for her outstanding performance in Thiruchitrambalam (2022). She ventured into Hindi films with the science drama Mission Mangal (2019), which remains her highest-grossing release.
Menen appeared as a Judge for Telugu Indian Idol in 2022. She has since been part of web series, Breathe: Into the Shadows (2020-2022), Modern Love Hyderabad (2022) and Kumari Srimathi (2023).
Nithya Menen was born on 8 April 1990 in Bangalore to Malayali parents, her father and mother settled in Bangalore. [7] [8] She was educated at Poorna Prajna School and Mount Carmel College, Bangalore. [9]
She has said that she initially wished to become a pilot, [10] [11] but ultimately found pilot unappealing, so she pivoted to filmmaking. [11] [12] [13] During the school's entrance exam, she met B. V. Nandini Reddy, who convinced Menen to take up acting. [11] Nithya is a polyglot and can speak six languages including Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and English. [14] [15] [16] The surname "Menen" was made up by the actress as she felt it "helps with her passport during travel". [17]
In 1998, Menen appeared first on-screen as a child in a French-Indian English film named Hanuman , at the age of 8, playing younger sister to Tabu's character. [18] She also was a part of the Hindi-language soap opera Choti Maa – Ek Anokha Bandhan , which was aired during 2001-2002 . [19]
In 2006, at the age of 15, she played a supporting role in the Kannada film 7 O' Clock . [20] The 2008 off-beat film Aakasha Gopuram , directed by K. P. Kumaran, marked her film career in Malayalam in a leading role, in which she was paired with Mohanlal. She was in the midst of her 12th class exams when she was offered the role, after Mohanlal had spotted her on the front cover of a tourism magazine, Stark World Kerala. [2] [10] Her performance was well received, with critics writing that she shows "sparkle in her debut venture" and "makes her entry in an impressive role", [21] though the film was a financial failure. [21]
She next made a comeback into Kannada films with the film Josh , in 2009. The film received rave reviews, [22] and became a commercial success as well, with her performance garnering her a nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category at the 57th Filmfare Awards South. The same year she appeared in Vellathooval , Angel John and Kerala Cafe . She received positive reviews for the lattermost. [23] In 2010, she starred in the Malayalam films, Anwar and Apoorvaragam where she plays Nancy, a young girl who gets involved with two male students (Nishan and Asif Ali) who are later discovered to be con-artists. The film received mixed to negative reviews, but became a hit at the box office. [24] [25]
Menen's career marked a turning point in 2011, with the romantic comedy Ala Modalaindi , which was her maiden Telugu venture. [6] The film opened to favourable reviews by critics and turned out to become a sleeper hit, [26] while Menen received critical praise for her performance. Idlebrain's Jeevi in his review cited that she "epitomized Nitya character with her fabulous performance", "looks beautiful in all kinds of dresses" and was "the best debut in recent years of Telugu cinema after Samantha in YMC ", [27] while another critic wrote that she was a "charming find" and "...quite the Genelia replacement that our cinema so badly needs right now." [28] She eventually won the Nandi Award for Best Actress for her performance and received a nomination for Filmfare Award for Best Actress. [29] Further more, she also sang two songs for the soundtrack album of the film, tuned by Kalyani Malik. [30] [31] Nandini Reddy, later, went on to describe Menen as "the discovery of the decade". [26]
Following Ala Modalaindi, she starred in Santosh Sivan's historical fiction Urumi as part of an ensemble cast. [32] She portrayed a Chirakkal princess named Bala, playing the love interest of Prabhu Deva's character, [32] which gained positive remarks, with a Sify review claiming that she "looks pretty and is a scene stealer". [33] Menen quoted that much of her character was based on "Santosh's perception of who I am", with Sivan stating that he had written that role for her and that only she could play it. She received a nomination for Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 59th Filmfare Awards South [32] She next appeared in ad-filmmaker Jayendra's bilingual venture Nootrenbadhu , which was made and released in Tamil and Telugu (as 180 ), in which she played a photo journalist named Vidya. [34] She described the character as "bubbly, full of life, nosey, wide-eyed and innocent in life" and to be similar to herself. [34] Later the year, she was seen in Sibi Malayil's Violin in Malayalam and the Gautham Vasudev Menon-produced Veppam in Tamil. She also featured in V. K. Prakash's Kannada anthology film Aidondla Aidu where she played a young bride who is obsessed with making payasam for her new husband much to his chagrin. She had sung and also choreographed one of the songs, titled "Payasa". [35]
Menen's first 2012 release was the Telugu romance film Ishq with Nithiin. She received the CineMAA Award for Best Actress - Critics, for this film which was a commercial success. [36] [37] News18 praised her portrayal and her chemistry with Nithin. [38] She was later seen in five Malayalam films: Karmayogi , V. K. Prakash's Malayalam adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet co-starring Indrajith Sukumaran, Poppins , the Malayalam remake of Aidondla Aidu in which she reprised her role from the original and sang the Malayalam version of "Payasa", T. K. Rajeev Kumar's Thalsamayam Oru Penkutty , in which she portrayed a village woman whose daily life is filmed and broadcast as a reality show for a month, [39] Amal Neerad's Bachelor Party in which she played Asif Ali's wife and young mother to their baby and Ustad Hotel directed by Anwar Rasheed where she paired up for the first time with Dulquer Salmaan. [40] In Ustad Hotel, she played a headstrong girl, who gets in a forced marriage. Rediff.com stated, "Nithiya gets a meaty role as her character is well etched." [41] Most of these films became a major commercial success, solidifying Menen's career. [42]
In 2013, she starred in three Telugu and one Kannada film. She first appeared in Okkadine with Nara Rohit and in Jabardasth with Siddharth and Samantha. Menen received praises for playing the titular role of a physically challenged girl in Mynaa . The film was successful and completed 100 days in many centers across Karnataka. Her performance was well praised by the critics. She also sang the female version of "Modele Maleyante" which was well received. [43]
Menen won rave reviews and her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu for playing a character with two shades in Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde opposite Nithin. [44] [45] It was a huge box office success. Times of India noted, "Nithya Menen takes the honors as far as acting goes. She has the author backed role and overshadows everyone else." 123telugu termed her "the undisputed star of the film" and added that she "shines through brilliantly and her performance is a treat to watch". [46] In 2014, she played the lead in Malini 22 Palayamkottai . [47] Menen then played a cameo in the successful film Bangalore Days alongside Fahadh Faasil. [48] Sify wrote, "Nithya Menen has a limited role to play, but she suit her role perfectly." [49]
Menen starred in numerous films which gave her more critical and commercial recognition. In her first film of the year, she appeared opposite Sharwanand for, Malli Malli Idi Rani Roju . [50] She played a young Muslim student in love with a Hindu. She won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress – Telugu and Nandi Special Jury Award, for her performance. [51] With this Menen became the first Telugu actress ever to win Critics Award & the Best Actress Award at Filmfare. News18 noted, "Nithya changed looks and body language in each stage is impressive. She starts as a girl and ends as a woman. Her performance is worth commending." [52] She then appeared in JK Enum Nanbanin Vaazhkai and S/O Satyamurthy directed by Trivikram Srinivas. Menen then played opposite Dulquer Salmaan in 100 Days of Love . The New Indian Express said she gave a "decent performance". [53] All the three films were box office success. [54]
Menen achieved further acclaim with three more films in 2015. She played a crippled girl alongside Raghava Lawrence in his directorial Kanchana 2 , a successful film. The critics termed her performance "crucial" and "effective". [55] Menen received immense praises for the a romantic film O Kadhal Kanmani , directed by Mani Ratnam. [56] She played an architectural student Tara, opposite Dulquer Salmaan. Dulquer and Menen's on-screen chemistry was praised and she garnered her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil nomination. [57] The film became a financial success at the box office. Firstpost noted, " Menen is an exceptional actor and has delivered a very realistic performance." It further praised her chemistry with Salmaan and added, "They're perfect as the couple and the credit goes to the director for capturing the chemistry between them in simple ways." [58] [59] She played princess Muktamba in Rudhramadevi with Anushka Shetty, her final film of the year. [60] The Hindu stated, "Nithya Menen shows that she can leave an imprint on any character she plays. She is an endearing addition to this film." [61]
By 2016, Menen established herself as a leading actress. She starred in three Tamil films in 2016. [62] Beginning the year was 24 where she was paired opposite Suriya for the first time. The film was opened to high critical acclaim, Deccan Chronicle wrote, "Nithya Menen shines in her role." [63] Her screen presence and garnered her a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Tamil nomination. [64] She played the main heroine in K. S. Ravikumar's bilingual project titled Kotigobba 2 opposite Sudeep. [65] Towards the end of the year, she starred alongside Vikram in science-fiction thriller Iru Mugan and received praises for her limited role. [66] [67] In Telugu, she starred in two films, Okka Ammayi Thappa opposite Sundeep Kishan and Janatha Garage opposite Jr. NTR. [68] All of her films proved commercial success. [69]
Her only release in 2017 was the Tamil film Mersal opposite Vijay, where she was praised for her role as a tough yet supportive wife, Firstpost noted, "Among the three actresses, it is Nithya Menen who makes an impression with her competent performance." [70] The film garnered her a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Tamil at 65th Filmfare Awards South and was a huge box office success. [71] [72] She had two Telugu films in 2018. Menen played a lesbian psychiatrist in Awe , that received highly positive reviews. She became the first mainstream South Indian actress to play an LGBTQ character. [73] The Hindu stated that Menen "shine through", giving her all to character that "don't come by often". [74] She next had a cameo in Geetha Govindam . [75]
Menen played actress Savitri in her first film of 2019, NTR: Kathanayakudu . [76] She reunited with V. K. Prakash in the experimental film Praana which also marks her comeback to Malayalam industry after 2015. She played an English writer who battles intolerance in society and is the sole actor in the film. [77] The News Minute praised the actor and said, "Nithya displays the right emotions as Thara. Remember it's just her, and one person makes so much of an impact. Nithya carries it off all so effortlessly." [78] Menen made her Hindi film debut with the highly successful film Mission Mangal , playing a satellite engineer. [79] Bollywood Hungama noted that Menen has a smaller role but "it serves as a great debut". [80] NDTV said that as the staid and steady Varsha Pillai, Nithya Menen is "delightfully good". [81]
In 2020, Menen starred alongside Udhayanidhi Stalin in Mysskin's Psycho , where she played Kamala Das, a foul-mouthed quadriplegic ex-police officer. [82] The same year, she made her OTT debut in the Amazon Prime series Breathe: Into the Shadows alongside Abhishek Bachchan and Amit Sadh, for which she received her first nomination for Best Actor (Female) in a Drama Series at the Filmfare OTT Awards. [83]
Menen starred in three Telugu films in 2021. She played a spirit named Maya in Ninnila Ninnila with Ashok Selvan and Ritu Varma. [84] Firstpost wrote, "The big surprise in the film is Nithya whose impishness in the story is unlike anything else that she has portrayed over the years, and her on-screen chemistry with Selvan is a delight." [85] Her next film Skylab, marked her first film as a producer. [86] She played a singer in her year's final film Gamanam . [87]
Menen had four film and two web releases in 2022. She starred in Bheemla Nayak opposite Pawan Kalyan and Rana Daggubati, the film was a box office success. [88] Cinema Express said, "Nithya Menen's Suguna, surprisingly gets a few memorable moments, and she brings a certain level of warmness to Bheemla whenever she is on screen." [89] She appeared in the series Modern Love Hyderabad , where NDTV termed her performance "luminous". [90] [91] Next she played an unnamed lady in 19(1)(a) with Vijay Sethupathi. [92] Nithya later said in an interview in 2023 that she considers 19(1)(a) as her career-best performance till that time, alongside OK Kanmani. [93] After this she reprised her role in the second season of Breathe: Into the Shadows. [94]
Menen received rave reviews for the romantic drama Thiruchitrambalam opposite Dhanush as his childhood best friend. [95] It became a critical and commercial success. [96] While Hindustan Times noted, "Nithya Menen has always shied away from playing the quintessential heroine. She's phenomenal in the film, playing a key character that she nails to perfection." India Today wrote, "If you give Nithya Menen a meaty character, everyone else can sit back and admire her living the role with full of zest." [97] [98] She won 70th National Film Award for Best Actress along with Manasi Parekh for Thiruchitrambalam. Menen played a pregnant women in her final film of the year, Wonder Women . [99] Wonder Woman was filmed before Thiruchitrambalam. [100]
Menen appeared in Kolaambi , her first film of 2023, which she termed among her "all time favourite". [101] Kolambi was screened at the 50th International Film Festival of India in Goa (2019). [102] Later that year, Menen played the lead in two more series. First she played a restaurant worker in Kumari Srimathi , with Firstpost calling her performance "lively, spunky and vibrant". [103] Masterpeace was her last release that year, where she played a girl in a modern relationship. Cinema Express termed her work "decent". [104] [105]
Ankur Pathak of HuffPost stated that Menen's filmography is "filled with experiments" and noted, "The actor has taken risks throughout her career. Menen has ensured that she's unforgettable even in cameos." [4] Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of The Hindu said that she had "shown a natural flair for acting" and noted that she had worked in a variety of genres from breezy romance to period drama to out-of-the-box projects. [106] Latha Srinivasan of The New Indian Express noted, "Nithya Menen slips into her character's skin with effortless ease." [107] Nibandh Vinod of News18 termed her an "accomplished actress and singer" who had established a career in five industries. [108]
Often compared to late actress Soundarya, Menen takes it as a compliment. "Since Soundarya, perhaps there hasn't been anyone that people could relate to. She was loved and respected," she says. [106] Menen is known as someone who is a very private person. Hemanth Kumar of Firstpost said, "There's always been an air of mystery about Nithya Menen, and when she talks, she's careful about how she articulates her thoughts and ideas. Despite her popularity, the actress is hardly in news." [109] In Hyderabad Times Most Desirable Woman list, she was placed 19th in 2014 and 15th in 2015. [110] [111] She was further placed 5th in 2019 and 6th in 2020 in Kochi Times' Most Desirable Woman list. [112] [113] In the Chennai Times Most Desirable Woman list, Menen was placed 25th in 2017 and 18th in 2020. [114] [115]
Menen is widely known for her performances in films such as – Kerala Cafe, Ala Modalaindi, 180, Ishq, Ustad Hotel, Malli Malli Idi Raani Roju, O Kadhal Kanmani, Mersal, Awe and Thiruchitrambalam among others. [116] Menen has appeared in Rediff.com's "Top Telugu Actresses" four times. She was placed 3rd in 2011, 5th in 2012, 1st in 2013 and 3rd in 2015. [117] [118] [119] [120] In its "Top Kannada Actresses", she ranked 1st in 2013 and in "Top Tamil Actresses" list, she ranked 5th in 2015. [121] [122] Her performance in O Kadhal Kanmani is regarded as one of the "100 Greatest Performances of the Decade" by Film Companion . [123] Menen's portrayal of Tara and Kamala are considered among the most memorable female characters of Tamil cinema. [124] [125] In 2022, Forbes India included her in its first ever "Showstoppers – India's Top 50 Outperformers" list. [126] Menen stood at the 30th place on its most influential stars on Instagram in South cinema for the year 2021 list. [127]
† | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
Year | Title | Role | Language | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1998 | Hanuman | Munna | English | Child artist | |
2006 | 7 O' Clock | Anu | Kannada | [128] | |
2008 | Aakasha Gopuram | Hilda Varghese | Malayalam | [129] | |
2009 | Josh | Meera | Kannada | ||
Vellathooval | Jiya George | Malayalam | [130] | ||
Kerala Cafe | Nithya | [23] [131] | |||
Angel John | Sofia | [132] | |||
2010 | Apoorvaragam | Nancy | |||
Anwar | Asna | ||||
2011 | Ala Modalaindi | Nithya | Telugu | [29] | |
Urumi | Chirakkal Bala/ Daisy da Cunha [a] | Malayalam | [133] | ||
Nootrenbadhu/ 180 | D. Vidya Lakshmi | Tamil | Bilingual film | ||
Telugu | |||||
Violin | Angel | Malayalam | [134] | ||
Veppam | Revathy | Tamil | [135] | ||
Aidondla Aidu | Gowri | Kannada | Segment: "Payasa" | ||
Makaramanju | Model | Malayalam | [136] | ||
2012 | Ishq | Priya | Telugu | [137] | |
Thalsamayam Oru Penkutty | Manjula Ayyapan | Malayalam | |||
Karmayogi | Moonumani | ||||
Doctor Innocentanu | Anna | Special appearance | [138] | ||
Bachelor Party | Neethu | [139] | |||
Ustad Hotel | Shahana | [140] | |||
Poppins | Ammu | Anthology film | |||
2013 | Okkadine | Shailaja | Telugu | ||
Jabardasth | Saraswati | [141] | |||
Myna | Myna | Kannada | [142] | ||
Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde | Shravani / Bangaram [a] | Telugu | [44] | ||
2014 | Malini 22 Palayamkottai | Malini | Tamil | [143] | |
Appavin Meesai | Sunanda | Unreleased | [144] | ||
Bangalore Days | Natasha Francis | Malayalam | Cameo appearance | [145] | |
2015 | Malli Malli Idi Rani Roju | Nazeera Khanum | Telugu | [146] | |
JK Enum Nanbanin Vaazhkai | Nithya | Tamil | [147] | ||
100 Days of Love | Sheela | Malayalam | [148] | ||
S/O Satyamurthy | Valli | Telugu | [149] | ||
Kanchana 2 | Ganga | Tamil | [150] | ||
O Kadhal Kanmani | Tara Kalingarayar | [151] | |||
Rudhramadevi | Muktamba | Telugu | [152] | ||
2016 | 24 | Priya Sethuraman | Tamil | [153] | |
Okka Ammayi Thappa | Mango / Satyabhama [a] | Telugu | [154] | ||
Kotigobba 2 / Mudinja Ivana Pudi | Subhashini / Shubha | Kannada | Bilingual film | [155] | |
Tamil | |||||
Janatha Garage | Anu | Telugu | [156] | ||
Iru Mugan | Ayushi | Tamil | [66] | ||
2017 | Mersal | Aishwarya Vetrimaaran | [157] | ||
2018 | Awe | Krishnaveni | Telugu | [158] | |
Geetha Govindam | Nithya | Special appearance | [159] | ||
2019 | NTR: Kathanayakudu | Savitri | Special appearance | [76] | |
Praana | Tara Anuradha | Malayalam | [160] | ||
Mission Mangal | Varsha Pillai | Hindi | [161] | ||
2020 | Psycho | Kamala Das IPS | Tamil | [162] | |
2021 | Ninnila Ninnila | Maya | Telugu | [163] | |
Gamanam | Shailaputri Devi | Cameo appearance | [164] | ||
Skylab | Gouri Venkataraju | Also producer | [165] | ||
2022 | Aaraam Thirukalpana | Anuradha | Malayalam | Unreleased | [166] |
Bheemla Nayak | Suguna Nayak | Telugu | [167] | ||
19(1)(a) | Unnamed Cafe Runner | Malayalam | [168] | ||
Thiruchitrambalam | Shobana | Tamil | [169] | ||
Wonder Women | Nora Joseph | English | [170] | ||
2023 | Kolaambi | Arundhathi | Malayalam | [101] | |
TBA | Kadhalikka Neramillai † | TBA | Tamil | Post-production | [171] |
Dear Exes† | TBA | Filming | [172] | ||
Idly Kadai † | TBA | Filming | [173] | ||
Untitled VJS film† | TBA | Filming | [174] |
Year | Title | Role | Language | Channel/Platform | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2001–2002 | Chhoti Maa...Ek Anokha Bandhan | Young Koyna | Hindi | Child artist | ||
2022 | Telugu Indian Idol | Judge | Telugu | aha | [175] | |
2020–2022 | Breathe: Into the Shadows | Abha Sabarwal | Hindi | Amazon Prime Video | seasons 1–2 | [176] [177] |
2022 | Modern Love Hyderabad | Noori Hussain | Telugu | Under Segment "My Unlikely Pandemic Dream Partner" | ||
2023 | Kumari Srimathi | Itikelapudi Srimathi | ||||
Masterpeace | Riya Kurian | Malayalam | Disney+Hotstar | [104] |
Year | Song | Language | Singer(s) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | Thaniye/Tanha | Malayalam/Hindi | Siddharth Menon, Nithya Menen | on YouTube[ citation needed ] |
Year | Title | Role | Language | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde | Shruti | Telugu | |
2019 | Frozen 2 | Elsa | Telugu |
Year | Song | Film | Language | Composer | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | "Payasa" | Aidondla Aidu | Kannada | Abhijit-Joe | ||
2011 | "Edo Anukunte" | Ala Modalaindi | Telugu | Kalyani Malik | ||
"Ammammo Ammo" | ||||||
2012 | "Oh Priya Priya" | Ishq | Telugu | Anoop Rubens | ||
"Payasam" | Poppins | Malayalam | Ratheesh Vegha | |||
2013 | "Arere Arere" | Jabardasth | Telugu | S. Thaman | ||
"Doore Doore Neengi" | Natholi Oru Cheria Meenalla | Malayalam | Abhijith | |||
"Modala Maleyante" | Myna | Kannada | Jassie Gift | Solo singer | ||
"O Premada Poojari" | Duet with Shreya Ghoshal | |||||
"Thu Hi Rey" | Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde | Telugu | Anoop Rubens | |||
"Hi My Name is Malini" | Malini 22 Palayamkottai | Tamil | Arvind & Shankar | with Maalavika Manoj, Kovai Sarala, Vidyullekha Raman, Harishitha Krishnan | ||
"Kanneer Thulilye (Duet)" | ||||||
"Madharthamma (Immigrant Mix)" | ||||||
"Hi my name is malini" | Ghatana (D) | Telugu | ||||
"Navve Kaluva (Duet)" | ||||||
"Yennali (Immigrant Mix)" | ||||||
2015 | "Paalnilaa: Lets Do the Dandiya" | Rockstar | Malayalam | Prashant Pillai | ||
2016 | "Laalijo" | 24 (D) | Telugu | A. R. Rahman | ||
"Hrudayam Kannulatho" | 100 Days of Love (D) | Telugu | Govind Menon | [178] | ||
2018 | "Va Va Vo" | Mohanlal | Malayalam | Tony Joseph Pallivathukal | ||
2021 | "Thiruppavai" | Margazhi Thingal | Tamil | Ravi G | ||
2022 | "Thaniye" | Thaniye | Malayalam | Sidharth Menon | Music video | |
2022 | "Thanha" | Thanha | Hindi |
Menen has won four Filmfare Awards — Best Actress – Telugu for Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde, Critics Best Actress – Telugu for Malli Malli Idi Rani Roju, Best Supporting Actress – Tamil for Mersal and Critics Best Actress – Tamil for Thiruchitrambalam. She also won two Nandi Awards: Best Actress for Ala Modalaindi and Special Jury Award for Malli Malli Idi Rani Roju. [179] [180] [181] She won the National Film Award for Best Actress for her performance in Thiruchitrambalam. [182]
Meena Durairaj, known professionally as Meena, is an Indian actress who predominantly works in South Indian films as well as Hindi cinema. She is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer. Meena has acted in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi films She is one of the most sought after actresses in the South Indian film industry. In addition to acting, Meena is also a playback singer, TV judge, and occasional dubbing artist. She has received numerous accolades, including two Filmfare Awards South, three Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, two Nandi Award for Best Actress and Cinema Express Awards. In 1998, she was honoured with the Kalaimamani Award by Government of Tamil Nadu.
Rishibala Naval, known professionally as Simran, is an Indian actress, producer, choreographer and playback singer who works predominantly in Tamil language films also appeared in, Telugu, Hindi and Kannada, Malayalam films. One of the most prolific actresses of Tamil cinema, Simran is the recipient of numerous accolades including three Filmfare Awards South and one Tamil Nadu State Film Award.
Trisha Krishnan is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Tamil and Telugu films. She gained prominence after winning the 1999 Miss Chennai pageant, which marked her entry into Cinema. Often referred to as the "Queen of South India", Trisha has received numerous accolades, including five Filmfare Award South, one Tamil Nadu State Film Award, one Nandi Award and eight SIIMA Awards.
Jyothika Saravanan is an Indian actress and film producer who predominantly appears in Tamil films in addition to Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi films. Appeared in over 50 Films, Jyothika has received several accolades including a National Film Award, five Filmfare Awards South, four Tamil Nadu State Film Awards and the Kalaimamani Award. Jyothika is regarded as one of the most prolific actresses in Tamil cinema, and has been ranked among the best actresses of South India by the media.
Suhasini Maniratnam is an Indian actress who works in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada films.
Nayanthara is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Tamil cinema, alongside Telugu and Malayalam cinema. One of the highest-paid actresses in India, Nayanthara was the only South Indian actress to be featured in the Forbes India "Celebrity 100" list of 2018. She has acted in more than 75 films in a career spanning over two decades and has won numerous awards, such as five Filmfare Awards South, one Tamil Nadu State Film Award, a Nandi Award and seven SIIMA Awards.
Venkatesh Prabhu Kasthuri Raja, known professionally as Dhanush, is an Indian actor, filmmaker, lyricist and playback singer who primarily works in Tamil cinema. Having starred in 50 films over his career, his accolades include four National Film Awards, fourteen SIIMA Awards, eight Filmfare Awards South and a Filmfare Award. One of the highest paid actors in Indian cinema, he has been included in the Forbes India Celebrity 100 list six times.
Sharwanand Myneni, known mononymously as Sharwanand, is an Indian actor and producer who primarily works in Telugu films alongside a few Tamil films. He made his acting debut in 2004 with the film Aidho Tareekhu.He is the grandson of Myneni Hariprasada Rao.
Priya Mani Raj, known professionally as Priyamani, is an Indian actress and television personality who predominantly works in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi and Kannada films. She is the recipient of several awards, including a National Film Award, three Filmfare Awards South and a Tamil Nadu State Film Award.
Kajal A Kitchlu, known professionally as Kajal Aggarwal, is an Indian actress who predominantly works in Telugu and Tamil films, as well as some Hindi films. She is a recipient of three South Indian International Movie Awards along with four Filmfare Awards South nominations. Aggarwal is considered as one of the highest paid actresses in South Indian cinema, according to various media reports.
Parvathy Thiruvothu Kottuvattaa, known mononymously as Parvathy, is an Indian actress who predominantly works in Malayalam and Tamil films. She is a recipient of several accolades including a National Film Award, two Kerala State Film Awards and five Filmfare Awards South.
Anjali is an Indian actress who primarily works in Tamil and Telugu films. Anjali is recognised as one of the finest actors in Tamil films, known for her "performance-oriented roles". She is a recipient of several accolades including three Filmfare Awards South and two Nandi Awards.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Telugu and Tamil films. One of South India's highest-paid actresses, Samantha is the recipient of several accolades, including four Filmfare Awards South, two Nandi Awards and a Tamil Nadu State Film Award.
Ala Modalaindi is a 2011 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy film written and directed by B. V. Nandini Reddy under the Sri Ranjith Movies banner. It stars Nani, Nithya Menen and Sneha Ullal with the music composed by Kalyani Malik. The film's cinematography is performed by Arjun Jena with editing by Marthand K. Venkatesh.
B. V. Nandini Reddy is an Indian film director and screenwriter who works in Telugu cinema and television. She debuted with 2011 Telugu film, Ala Modalaindi.
Divya Venkatasubramaniam Iyer better known by her stage name Kaniha, is an Indian actress who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema along with a few Tamil, Telugu and Kannada movies. Kaniha made her debut in the 2002 Tamil film Five Star.
Malli Malli Idi Rani Roju is a 2015 Indian Telugu-language romantic drama film written and directed by Kranthi Madhav, starring Sharwanand and Nithya Menen. The music was composed by Gopi Sundar with cinematography by Gnana Shekar V.S. and editing by Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao. The film released on 6 February 2015.
Sai Pallavi Senthamarai Kannan is an Indian actress who predominantly works in Telugu and Tamil films. She has received numerous accolades, including six Filmfare Awards South and two South Indian International Movie Awards. She was featured by Forbes magazine as one of India's 30 Under 30 in 2020.
Thiruchitrambalam is a 2022 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy drama film written and directed by Mithran R. Jawahar and produced by Sun Pictures. The film stars Dhanush in the title role with Nithya Menen, Bharathiraja, Prakash Raj, Raashii Khanna and Priya Bhavani Shankar in pivotal roles. In the film, Thiruchitrambalam is a delivery man who lives with his father and grandfather blames the former for the loss of his mother and sister and is not on good terms with the latter. Meanwhile, his love life is not so successful.