Child artist and early work (2000-2015)
Nivetha started her career as a child actress, acting in the popular Sun TV serial My Dear Bootham. After that, she made her film debut in 2008 playing Jayaram's daughter in Veruthe Oru Bharya , where her performance was well appreciated and won her the Kerala State Film Award for Best Child Artist. [7] She then signed a few Tamil and Malayalam films in which she mostly played supporting roles. Among her Malayalam projects were Chaappa Kurish and Thattathin Marayathu , the latter of which according to Sify was going to be "the biggest box-office hit in the history of Malayalam cinema". [8] The 2011 Tamil film Poraali directed by Samuthirakani, featured her as Tamizhselvi, a petrol bunk employee. [9] She had previously collaborated with Samuthirakani in the drama series Arasi.
In 2013, Nivetha acted in Romans which was very successful and named a "blockbuster" by Sify.com. [10] In the Tamil contemporary fantasy comedy Naveena Saraswathi Sabatham she played the female lead role of Jaishree, an aspiring singer. [11] In Jilla , she played the role of Mahalakshmi, who is very attached to her father (Mohanlal) and two brothers, played by Vijay and Mahath. [12] About her role, she stated that it was not "just another sister role" [13] but that of "a strong willed girl who influences her brother in a positive way". [11]
In 2015, Nivetha played Selvi, Kamal Haasan's eldest daughter who accidentally murders her blackmailer in the Tamil remake of Drishyam , titled Papanasam . [14] The film emerged a commercial success at the box office. [15] Anupama Subramanian Deccan Chronicle noted, "Nivetha as the elder daughter gives a splendid act and helps create the mood and atmosphere of the flick." [16]
Critical acclaim and commercial success (2016-2021)
Nivetha's career marked a turning point in 2016 with her expansion to Telugu films. She appeared in Gentleman opposite Nani , where she played Catherine, a VFX designer. [17] The film was a box office success. [18] Mridula Ramadugu noted, "Nivetha stands out. She is natural, quick and is a refreshing break from the usual portrayal of female leads in regular dramas." [19] Purnima Sriram stated, "Nivetha owns the show. Her eyes were enough to emote. She owned every frame." [20] It became her breakthrough and her performance earned her the SIIMA Award for Best Female Debut – Telugu and nomination for Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu. [21]
Following this, her first release in 2017 was Ninnu Kori opposite Nani and Aadhi Pinisetty. She played Pallavi who is torn between her husband and former lover. [22] The film earned her second Filmfare Best Actress – Telugu nomination. [23] The film was a commercial success and Suresh Kavirayani noted, "Nivetha steals the show with her stunning performance and right emotions." [24] In her next release Jai Lava Kusa , she played Simran opposite Jr. NTR. [25] The film emerged a success and one of the highest grossing Telugu film of the year. [26] Sify stated that her character lacked "appealing factor". [27] In her last release of the year, she appeared in Juliet Lover of Idiot opposite Naveen Chandra, which was a box office failure. [28] [29] In October 2018, she signed Swaasa, opposite Nikhil Siddharth, which remains unreleased. [30]
In her first release of 2019, Nivetha played Aadhya, a teacher who was murdered opposite Nandamuri Kalyan Ram in 118 . [31] Sangeetha Devi Dundoo noted, "Nivetha live up to her credentials of being able performer and shine in the material given to her." [32] The film emerged a box office success. [33] In her next film Brochevarevarura opposite Sree Vishnu, she played Mithra an average student who aspires to become a classical dancer. [34] The film became one of the year's highest grossing release. [35] Krishna Sripada of The News Minute stated, "Nivetha should be singled out for her extremely articulate acting almost overshadowing everyone else in every frame." [36]
In her first film of 2020, Nivetha appeared in Darbar (2020) as Rajinikanth's daughter Valli. [37] The film emerged as the highest grossing Tamil film of the year. [38] Karthik Kumar stated, "Nivetha gets decent screen presence and her scenes with Rajinikanth are fun and full of life.'" [39] She next appeared in V as Apoorva, an aspiring crime novelist opposite Sudheer Babu. It was released on Amazon Prime Video. [40] [41] Haricharan Pudipeddi stated that she is "wasted" in a role with no purpose. [42]
In 2021, Nivetha appeared in Vakeel Saab , the Telugu remake of Hindi film Pink , co-starring Pawan Kalyan. She played Pallavi, a software engineer and victim of molestation. [43] [44] The film became the second highest grossing Telugu film of the year. [45]
