Divya Venkatasubramaniam, better known by her
stage name
A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...
Kaniha or Kanika, is an Indian actress who predominantly works in
Malayalam cinema
Malayalam cinema is an Indian film industry of Malayalam-language motion pictures. It is based in Kochi, Kerala, India. The films produced in Malayalam cinema are known for their cinematography and story-driven plots. In 1982, ''Elippathayam' ...
along with a few Tamil, Telugu and Kannada movies.
Kaniha made her debut in the 2002 Tamil film ''
Five Star
Five Star (also styled as 5 Star) are a British pop group, formed in 1983 and comprising siblings Stedman, Lorraine, Denise, Doris and Delroy Pearson. Between 1985 and 1988, Five Star had four top 20 albums and 15 top 40 singles in the UK ...
''.
Early life
Kaniha is Tamilian by birth,She won the Tamil Nadu State Award for Educational Excellence in 1999. Having improved her singing talent since childhood by participating in pop music and light music shows, Divya was interested in the performing arts. While she was still studying, she gave stage performances as a pop singer from time to time. When she was scheduled to perform at the
Miss Chennai beauty pageant in 2001, she was selected to participate in the pageant after a model had backed out at the last minute. Despite lack of experience, she emerged victorious at that contest, which later paved way for a film career.
Career
Susi Ganesan
Ganeshan Subbiah known as Susi Ganesan is an Indian film director, producer, scriptwriter and screenwriter.
Early life
Ganesan was born on (25 August 1969) Vannivelampatti, Madurai District in Tamil Nadu to Tamil parents Subbiah and Sittamma. ...
spotted Kaniha on a magazine cover page and insisted on her performing the lead female role in his second feature film. Divya eventually entered the
Film industry
The film industry or motion picture industry comprises the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking, i.e., film production companies, film studios, cinematography, animation, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, post ...
, accepting the offer, while her name was changed to Kaniha. Her debut film was the
Mani Ratnam
Gopala Ratnam Subramaniam (born 2 June 1956), known professionally as Mani Ratnam, is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema and few Hindi, Telugu and Kannada films. Ratnam has won six Nat ...
-produced ''
Five Star
Five Star (also styled as 5 Star) are a British pop group, formed in 1983 and comprising siblings Stedman, Lorraine, Denise, Doris and Delroy Pearson. Between 1985 and 1988, Five Star had four top 20 albums and 15 top 40 singles in the UK ...
'' (2002) with
Prasanna, who made his acting debut as well, in which Kaniha portrayed a traditional village girl. She completed the entire film during her summer holidays, since she was a student.
[The voice behind Shriya in Sivaji](_blank)
Rediff.com (31 December 2004). Retrieved on 27 February 2012.
Kaniha turned down all projects that were subsequently offered to her, including films by
S. Shankar
Shankar Shanmugam (born 17 August 1963), credited as S. Shankar or his mononym Shankar, is an Indian filmmaker who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. He is one of the most prolific and highest paid film directors in India. His films typicall ...
and
P. C. Sreeram
P. C. Sreeram ISC (born 26 January 1956) is an Indian cinematographer and film director who works in Indian films. He is also the president of Qube Cinemas, a digital cinema technology company. He is an alumnus of the Madras Film Institute. ...
,
and went on to complete her graduation. Even before she finished her graduation, she completed her Telugu debut film ''
Ottesi Cheputunna
''Ottesi Cheputunna'' () is a 2003 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy-drama film directed by E. Satthi Babu. The film stars Srikanth, Sravanthi (her Telugu debut), Sivaji and Sunil. The plot follows Surya (Srikanth), an orphan who consi ...
'' during her winter vacations, acting under another stage name Sravanthi.
[Telugu cinema Review – Naa Autograph – Sweet Memories – Ravi Teja, Bhumika Chawla, Gopika](_blank)
Idlebrain.com (11 August 2004). Retrieved on 27 February 2012. In regard to her performance, ''Idlebrain'' wrote: "Sravanthy looks homely in the film and suited the character. She performed well. She is good at dances as well".
After completing her studies, Kaniha decided to give herself a go at the Tinsel towns. She starred in the
Kannada film
Kannada cinema, also known as Sandalwood, or Chandanavana, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Kannada language widely spoken in the state of Karnataka. The 1934 film ''Sati Sulochana'' directed ...
''Annavaru'' (2004), a remake of
Mani Ratnam
Gopala Ratnam Subramaniam (born 2 June 1956), known professionally as Mani Ratnam, is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema and few Hindi, Telugu and Kannada films. Ratnam has won six Nat ...
's ''
Thalapathi
''Thalapathi'' () is a 1991 Indian Tamil-language gangster drama film written and directed by Mani Ratnam, and produced by G. Venkateswaran. The film stars Rajinikanth and Mammootty with Arvind Swamy in his feature-film debut, Jaishankar, Amri ...
'' (1991), stepping into Kannada filmdom, too. She followed the movie with a cameo role in
Cheran's ''
Autograph
An autograph is a person's own handwriting or signature. The word ''autograph'' comes from Ancient Greek (, ''autós'', "self" and , ''gráphō'', "write"), and can mean more specifically: Gove, Philip B. (ed.), 1981. ''Webster's Third New Inter ...
.'' Kaniha next appeared in a comedy oriented role in a commercial film by
K. S. Ravikumar
K. S. Ravikumar (born 30 May 1958) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, primarily working in Tamil films.
Career
1990–1997
Ravikumar worked as co-director on R. B. Choudary's production ''Pudhu Vasantham'' direct ...
, ''
Aethiree
''Aethirree'' () is a 2004 Indian Tamil-language action comedy film directed by K. S. Ravikumar. The film starred Madhavan, Sadha, Vivek, Kanika, Rahman and Delhi Ganesh in pivotal roles, and had a musical score composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja. ...
'' along with
Madhavan Madhavan may refer to:
People
* James Madhavan (died 1973), Fijian politician
* Kavya Madhavan (born 1985), Indian actress
* Mahesh Madhavan (born 1963/64), Indian businessman, CEO of Bacardi
* N. S. Madhavan (born 1948), Indian writer
* O. Madh ...
,
Sada, in which she portrayed a "naughty
Brahmin
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...
girl".
''Sify'' labelled her performance in the film as "outstanding". She went on to play the female lead in ''Dancer'' opposite physically disabled Kutty, following which she returned to Telugu cinema, accepting to reprise her role in the Telugu remake of ''Autograph'', ''
Naa Autograph
''Naa Autograph Sweet Memories'' () is a 2004 Indian Telugu-language romantic drama film directed by S. Gopal Reddy. The film stars Ravi Teja alongside Gopika, Bhumika Chawla, Mallika and Prakash Raj. Though the film had an above average run ...
'', playing the same role as in the original version.
She proved to be an actress to reckon with in the Kannada film ''Sye'', a remake of
Tamil film
Tamil cinema, also known as Kollywood is a part of Indian Cinema; primarily engaged in production of motion pictures in the Tamil language. Based out of the Kodambakkam neighbourhood in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, it is popularly called ''Kollywood' ...
''
Dhill
''Dhill'' () is a 2001 Indian Tamil-language action film directed by Dharani. The film stars Vikram and Laila, while Ashish Vidyarthi, Nassar and Vivek play supporting roles. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Vidyasagar, while ...
''. She finally ventured into
Malayalam cinema
Malayalam cinema is an Indian film industry of Malayalam-language motion pictures. It is based in Kochi, Kerala, India. The films produced in Malayalam cinema are known for their cinematography and story-driven plots. In 1982, ''Elippathayam' ...
as the heroine for the campus-based film ''Ennitum''.
Later in 2006, she appeared in her biggest project until then, ''
Varalaru
''Varalaru: History Of Godfather'', or simply known as ''Varalaru'' (), is a 2006 Indian Tamil-language action-drama film written and directed by K. S. Ravikumar, and produced by S. S. Chakravarthy under the banner NIC Arts. The film stars A ...
'', directed again by K. S. Ravikumar, in which she shared screen space with
Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar (born 1 May 1971) is an Indian actor who works predominantly in Tamil films. To date, he has starred in over 60 films. His awards include four Vijay Awards, three Cinema Express Awards, three Filmfare Awards South and three Tamil N ...
and
Asin
Asin Thottumkal (born 26 October 1985), known mononymously as Asin, is a former Indian actress who appeared predominantly in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu films. She is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer. She has received three Filmfare Awards. She beg ...
. She won plaudits for her role as a
mentally disordered
A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...
girl. After a two-years gap, her most recent Kannada film ''Rajakumari'' opposite
Ravichandran Ravichandran is an Indian name. Notable people with the name include:
* Ravichandran (Tamil actor) (1942–2011)
* Ravichandran (Tamil film director) (born 1971)
* N. Ravichandran (professor) (1955), professor at IIM Ahmedabad
* N. Ravichandran, I ...
got released, in which she again got to play the female lead role.
After her marriage, when she was supposed to bid adieu to the film industry, Kaniha returned to
Malayalam cinema
Malayalam cinema is an Indian film industry of Malayalam-language motion pictures. It is based in Kochi, Kerala, India. The films produced in Malayalam cinema are known for their cinematography and story-driven plots. In 1982, ''Elippathayam' ...
in 2009, with the films ''
Bhagyadevatha
''Bhagyadevatha'' () is a 2009 Indian Malayalam-language comedy-drama film written and directed by Sathyan Anthikkad from a story by Rajesh Jayaraman. It features Jayaram, Kaniha, and Narain.
Plot
Benny Chacko, a cable operator, is ambitious ...
'', directed by veteran
Sathyan Anthikkad
Sathyan Anthikad is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and lyricist who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema. In a career spanning five decades he has directed more than 50 films, been the lyricist for 12 films and been the scriptwriter f ...
and starring
Jayaram
Jayaram Subramaniam, (born 10 December 1965) known mononymously as Jayaram, is an Indian actor who predominantly appears in Malayalam,Tamil films, along with a few Telugu films. He is also a chenda percussionist, mimicry artist, and occasiona ...
and
Narain
Narayana (Also rendered Narayane, Narayanan, Narain, Narayankar or Narine) (from Sanskrit नारायण, ''nārāyaṇá'', literally "eternal man") is an Indian name. It is identical in form to the name of the deity Narayana, another name ...
as well, and ''
Pazhassi Raja
Pazhassi Raja () (3 January 1753 – 30 November 1805) was known as Kerala Varma and was also known as Cotiote Rajah and Pychy Rajah. He was a warrior Hindu prince and de facto head of the kingdom of Kottayam, otherwise known as Cotiote, in ...
'', directed by reputed director
Hariharan and starring
Mammootty
Muhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail (; born 7 September 1951), known mononymously by the hypocorism Mammootty (), is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in Malayalam cinema, Malayalam films. He has also appeared in Tamil l ...
,
Sarath Kumar
Sarathkumar Ramanathan (born 14 July 1954) is an Indian actor, politician, filmmaker, and singer. He has acted in more than 130 Tamil language, Tamil, Telugu language, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films. He has won two Tamil Nadu State Film A ...
and
Padmapriya
Padmapriya (born Padmalochani; died 16 November 1997) was an Indian actress who worked in Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu films.
Her first movie was in Telugu, ''Adapillala Tandri'' (1974). In Kannada, she debuted with '' Bangarada Gudi' ...
among others. While the former one, in which she played the role of a homely Christian girl, was highly successful at the box office, the latter one, a biographical
historical film
A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romances, adventure films, and swa ...
, in which she played the role of a queen opposite
Mammootty
Muhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail (; born 7 September 1951), known mononymously by the hypocorism Mammootty (), is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in Malayalam cinema, Malayalam films. He has also appeared in Tamil l ...
. Her performance in ''Bhagyadevatha'' led to her winning several awards. Her rising adulation in the Malayalam industry saw her eventually sign laudable roles in the films ''
My Big Father
''My Big Father'' is a Malayalam movie by Mahesh P. Sreenivasan (Assistant Director- Sajith Jagadnandan) starring Guinness Pakru, Jayaram and Kanika . It was released in December 2009. The movie was produced by P.A. Sebastian and was distribu ...
'' and ''
Christian Brothers'' before she took a maternity break.
Other work
Besides acting, Kaniha has ventured into other fields, working as a dubbing artiste, playback singer and TV host, proving to be a versatile and talented person.
Television
At the prime of her career, Kaniha moved to "
small screen
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, e ...
", hosting a couple of TV shows, which she believed were a "refreshing change from movies". She had first hosted the second season of the popular comedy show ''Kalakka Povathu Yaaru'' on
STAR Vijay
Star Vijay is an Indian Tamil language general entertainment pay television channel owned by Disney Star (formerly Star India), a subsidiary of Asianet Star Communications. The channel's headquarters is in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Star Vijay change ...
in 2006, following which she had hosted the popular family based game show ''Mega Thanga Vettai'', the annual ''Chutti Vikatan Children's Quiz Show'' both on
Sun TV. Besides, she also played a lead role in the
television serial
In television and radio programming, a serial is a show that has a continuing plot that unfolds in a sequential episode-by-episode fashion. Serials typically follow main story arcs that span entire television seasons or even the complete run of ...
''Thiruvilayadal'' on Sun TV. She has judged popular
reality shows
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...
like Sundari Neeyum Sundaran Njaanum, Star Singer both on
Asianet Asianet may refer to:
Disney Star channels
*Asianet Communications, an Indian media company wholly owned by Disney Star
**Asianet (TV channel), a Malayalam language general entertainment channel
**Asianet Plus, a Malayalam language general entertai ...
. In 2015 she judged Uggram Ujjwalam a Malayalam reality show on Mazhavil Manorama.She judges Grand Magical Circus on Amrita TV.
Dubbing and singing career
Kaniha has ventured into playback singing and dubbing as well. Having a vast experience and being a professional singer before turning actress, Kaniha got the offer to sing the theme song of her debut film ''Five Star''. She then became a dubbing artiste, dubbing for actresses
Genelia D'Souza
Genelia Deshmukh (née D'Souza; born 5 August 1987) is an Indian actress and model who predominantly appears in Telugu, Hindi, and Tamil language films. After gaining wide attention in a Parker Pen commercial with Amitabh Bachchan, D'Souza beg ...
in ''
Sachein
''Sachein'' is a 2005 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film directed by John Mahendran, and produced by Kalaipuli S. Thanu, starring Vijay, Genelia and Bipasha Basu in lead roles, with Santhanam, Vadivelu and Raghuvaran appearing in pivota ...
'',
Sadha
Sadaf Mohammed Sayed, also known by her stage name Sadha, is an Indian actress who mainly appears in Telugu, Tamil, and Kannada films. She was introduced to the Telugu film industry by the director Teja along with Nithiin in the film '' Jayam'' ...
in ''
Anniyan
''Anniyan'' () is a 2005 Indian Tamil-language psychological action thriller film written and directed by S. Shankar and produced by V. Ravichandran of Aascar Films. The plot centres on a disillusioned everyman whose frustration at what he see ...
'' and
Shriya Saran
Shriya Saran Bhatnagar (; born 11 September 1982) is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi-language films. Although Saran aspired to become a well-known dancer, she became an actress with her film debut in 2001 ...
in ''
Sivaji: The Boss''.
Advertisements
Kaniha has also featured in print and TV ads of some reputed corporates. Some of them are listed below.
* The Chennai Silks
* Kalyan Sarees and Jewellers
* Rathna Thanga Maligai
* Tata Gold Plus
* SPP Silks, Erode
* Aachi Masala
* Seemas Silks
*ICL Fincorp
*Mahalakshmi Silks
* N Style
Personal life
Kaniha married Shyam Radhakrishnan, brother of
Jayashree Jayashree is an Indian name. People with the name include:
* M. Jayashree, Indian actress
*B. Jayashree, Indian actress, director and singer
*Jayashree (actress), Indian actress
*Jayashree Banerjee
Jayashree Banerjee (born 2 July 1938) is a le ...
on 15 June 2008 who works as a US-based software engineer. They have a son Sai Rishi born in November 2010. Initially she had decided to leave the film industry, finishing her career as an actress, and to settle down in the US, stating that she, however, would complete her hitherto signed films. In January 2009 then, Kaniha, unexpectedly, announced her comeback with the
Sathyan Anthikkad
Sathyan Anthikad is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and lyricist who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema. In a career spanning five decades he has directed more than 50 films, been the lyricist for 12 films and been the scriptwriter f ...
-directed
Malayalam film
Malayalam cinema is an Indian cinema, Indian film industry of Malayalam-language motion pictures. It is based in Kochi, Kerala, India. The films produced in Malayalam cinema are known for their cinematography and story-driven plots. In 1982, ...
''
Bhagyadevatha
''Bhagyadevatha'' () is a 2009 Indian Malayalam-language comedy-drama film written and directed by Sathyan Anthikkad from a story by Rajesh Jayaraman. It features Jayaram, Kaniha, and Narain.
Plot
Benny Chacko, a cable operator, is ambitious ...
''.
Awards and nominations
Filmography
As actress
As dubbing artiste
As playback singer
Television
;Shows
;Serials
See also
*
List of BITS Pilani alumni
This is a list of notable Birla Institute of Technology and Science, BITS Pilani alumni.
Entrepreneurs
Corporate leaders
Academia
Social activists, politics, and government
Film
Arts
References
{{reflist
BITSAA (Birla Institute of T ...
References
External links
*
Kanika's profileat Nilacharal
Flixster Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kanika
Living people
Indian film actresses
Tamil actresses
Actresses in Malayalam cinema
Actresses in Tamil cinema
Actresses in Telugu cinema
Actresses in Kannada cinema
Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani alumni
Tamil television actresses
21st-century Indian actresses
Tamil playback singers
Indian women playback singers
Singers from Tamil Nadu
Indian voice actresses
Women musicians from Tamil Nadu
21st-century Indian women singers
21st-century Indian singers
1982 births