Saranya Ponvannan (born Sheela Christina) is an Indian actress who predominantly appears in

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...

, and

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...

language films. Saranya made her debut in a lead role in

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 ...

's ''

Nayakan ''Nayakan'' (; ) is a 1987 Indian Tamil-language gangster film written and directed by Mani Ratnam. Produced by Muktha Srinivasan, the film stars Kamal Haasan, Saranya (in her feature debut) and Karthika, with Janagaraj, Vijayan, M. V. Vasu ...

'' (1987) and went on to play lead roles from 1987 to 1996. Following an eight-year sabbatical, she returned to films in 2003 as a

character actor A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to b ...

roles.

Career

Saranya made her Tamil debut in

's production ''

,'' as the female lead opposite

Kamal Haasan Kamal Haasan (born 7 November 1954) is an Indian actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, playback singer, television presenter and politician who works mainly in Tamil cinema and has also appeared in some Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi, Kannada and Bengali l ...

in 1987. She made her first Telugu appearance in 1988 film ''Neerajanam;'' her Malayalam debut was a year later in the 1989 film ''

Artham ''Artham'' () is a 1989 Indian Malayalam-language crime film directed by Sathyan Anthikkad and written by Venu Nagavally. It stars Mammootty, Sreenivasan, Murali, Saranya, in lead roles along with Parvathy, Mamukkoya, Philomina, Mohan Raj, Thi ...

'' starring 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 ...

. In 1996 almost during the end of her career as a lead actress she debuted in Kannada cinema in '' Appaji''. After marriage in 1995, she quit from acting. However,in 1996 she acted with Ananthnag movie SAMAYAKKONDU SULLU in 2000 she appeared playing the lead role in the comedy television series, ''Veettukku Veedu Lootty'', and subsequently accepted some supporting roles in other projects. During 2006 she appeared in family-drama serial ''Mugangal'', which aired on Sun TV. After a break from films she made a comeback in 2003 Tamil film '' Alai'' opposite

Raghuvaran Raghuvaran Velayutham (11 December 1958 – 19 March 2008) was an Indian actor who predominantly acted in films made in South India. He has acted in more than 200 Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi films. According to the ''Hindustan T ...

Silambarasan Silambarasan Thesingu Rajendar, nicknamed as Simbu or his initials S. T. R., is an Indian actor, filmmaker and musician in Tamil cinema. He began his acting career by playing roles as a child artist in films directed by his father T. Rajendar, b ...

's mother. Since then she has been noted for her "mother" roles in films most notably '' Raam'', ''

Thavamai Thavamirundhu ''Thavamai Thavamirundhu'' () is a 2005 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by Cheran. The film stars Rajkiran, himself and Padmapriya with Saranya, Senthil Kumar, and Meenal portraying supporting roles. The music was compose ...

'' and ''

Em Magan ''Em Magan'' () is a 2006 Indian Tamil-language family drama film written and directed by Thirumurugan. Bharath, Gopika, and Nassar played the lead roles, while Vadivelu, Saranya Ponvannan, and Gajala appeared in supporting roles. The music w ...

'' in the mid-2000s. Her performance as Veerayi, a widowed mother torn between love and possessiveness, in the 2010 film ''

Thenmerku Paruvakaatru ''Thenmerku Paruvakatru'' () is a 2010 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by Seenu Ramasamy and produced by Shibu Issac. The film is named after a song composed by A. R. Rahman for the film, Karuthamma. It stars Vijay Sethup ...

'' – her 100th release – earned her the

National Film Award for Best Actress The National Film Award for Best Actress (officially known as the Rajat Kamal Award for the Best Actress) is an honour presented annually at the National Film Awards of India since 1968 to an actress for the best performance in a leading role wi ...

. Her major breakthrough was 2005 Tamil film ''

'' after which she established herself as a prominent and leading actress in South India. As of 2017, she was one of the highest paid character actresses in the south Indian film industry. In 2014, she launched Design & School of Fashion Technology (DSOFT), a fashion institute at Virugamakkam, Chennai. She has also played the role of villain in ''

Achamindri ''Achamindri'' () is a 2016 Indian Tamil language action thriller film directed by Ennamo Nadakkudhu fame Rajapandi. It stars Vijay Vasanth, Samuthirakani, Srushti Dange, Vidya Pradeep, Saranya Ponvannan, and Radha Ravi. The dialogues are written ...

'' (2016). In 2017, she had only three releases. She starred in the sequel of 2014 Tamil film ''

Velaiyilla Pattathari ''Velaiilla Pattadhari'' (), popularly referred to as ''VIP'', is a 2014 Indian Tamil-language comedy drama film written and directed by Velraj, in his directorial debut. The film stars Dhanush and Amala Paul, while Vivek, Saranya Ponvannan, ...

,'' reprising the role of Bhuvana, in a cameo appearance. The character had died in the original film, but the filmmakers wanted her to appear in the sequel, because of her part in the former's success. Her second venture was with

Vishnu Vishal Vishal Kudawla (born 17 July 1984), known professionally as Vishnu Vishal, is an Indian actor and producer who appears in Tamil film industry. After a brief career in cricket, he started his acting career in the year 2009 playing the lead role i ...

in the film '' Katha Nayagan,'' playing the mother of

. Later she starred in '' Magalir Mattum'', a women-centric film, in which she played alongside

Jyothika Jyothika Saravanan (; born 18 October 1978) is an Indian actress, model and film producer who predominantly appears in Tamil films.

, Oorvasi and Bhanupriya. In 2018, she was first seen in comedy-family drama ''

Mannar Vagaiyara ''Mannar Vagaiyara'' () is a 2018 Indian Tamil-language action drama film written and directed by G. Boopathy Pandian. The film is produced by actor Vimal, who also stars alongside Anandhi, while Prabhu, Saranya Ponvannan, Chandini Tamilaras ...

'' as

Vemal Vimal (born 30 August 1981) is an Indian actor who appears in Tamil films. Following credited appearances and a supporting role in the critically acclaimed movie '' Kanchivaram'', he played the lead role in Pandiraj's critically acclaimed '' Pas ...

's mother; her comedy timing was well received, however ''

Itly ''Inba Twinkle Lilly'' (also known as ''Itly'') is a 2018 Indian Tamil-language heist comedy film written and directed by R. K. Vidhyadaran. The film stars three female characters (as grandmothers): Saranya Ponvannan, Kovai Sarala and Kalpa ...

'' was released and opened to negative reviews. Later she was seen in

Vijay Sethupathi Vijaya Gurunatha Sethupathi (born 16 January 1978), known professionally as Vijay Sethupathi, is an Indian actor and film producer who predominantly works in Tamil films. He is a recipient of several accolades including a National Film Award. Fo ...

's '' Junga'' and Nayanthara's ''

Kolamavu Kokila ''Kolamaavu Kokila'' () (abbrev. COCO) is a 2018 Indian Tamil-language black-comedy crime film written and directed by Nelson in his directorial debut, and produced by Lyca Productions. The film stars Nayanthara alongside a supporting cast ...

'' as the mother of Kokila who although affected by lung cancer, assists her daughter in smuggling cocaine. She took on the role of Vishalavva, mother to

Shiva Rajkumar Nagaraju Shiva Puttaswamy (born 12 July 1962) known by his screen name Shiva Rajkumar, is an Indian actor, producer and television presenter, predominantly works in Kannada cinema.

's character in Kannada movie '' The Villain'' directed by Prem in 2018. Later she was seen in

Madhupal Madhupal Kannambathu is an Indian actor, director, and screenwriter who works in Malayalam cinema. Madhupal made his acting debut with '' Kashmeeram'' in 1994 and his directorial debut with ''Thalappavu'' (2008), which was about Naxal Varghese a ...

's Malayalam thriller drama ''

Oru Kuprasidha Payyan ''Oru Kuprasidha Payyan'' () is a 2018 Indian Malayalam-language crime thriller film directed by Madhupal and written by Jeevan Job Thomas and produced by V Cinemas International. The film stars Tovino Thomas, Nimisha Sajayan and Anu Sithara i ...

'' playing Chembammal. She signed to reprise the role of Lakshmi in ''

Kalavani 2 ''Kalavani 2'' () is a 2019 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film directed and produced by A. Sarkunam. The film stars Vimal and Oviya, with RJ Vigneshkanth amongst others in supporting roles. A sequel to ''Kalavani'' (2010), the film be ...

''. Her first Telugu release of the year was ''

Gang Leader ''Gang Leader'' is a 1991 Indian Telugu-language action crime film written and directed by Vijaya Bapineedu, and produced by Maganti Ravindranath Chowdary. The film stars Chiranjeevi and Vijayashanti, while Rao Gopal Rao, Anandaraj, Murali Mo ...

'' where she played the lead role Varalakshmi alongside Nani,

Lakshmi Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...

Kartikeya Gummakonda Kartikeya Gummakonda (born 21 September 1992) is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Telugu films. He made his acting debut in 2017 with ''Prematho Mee Karthik'' and is noted for his performance in the 2018 romantic action film ''RX 100 ...

Priyanka Arul Mohan Priyanka Arul Mohan also known as Priyanka Mohan (born 20 November 1994) is an Indian actress who primarily appears in Tamil and Telugu films. She made her acting debut with 2019 Kannada film '' Ondh Kathe Hella'', and Telugu debut with '' Nan ...

among others. After a brief hiatus because of COVID-19 Pandemic, her first release was through OTT in 2021 was Bhoomi alongside Jayam Ravi. Critics cited that the talented actress was restricted to few insignificant scenes. Following Bhoomi, she had two other releases in 2021 - multistarer Telugu film Maha Samudharam and Sasikumar's MGR Magan.

Personal life

She was born in a

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

family at Alappuzha,

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

and is the daughter of Malayalam film director A. B. Raj who directed over 75 films. Saranya married actor-director

Ponvannan Ponvannan (born Shanmugam; 23 September 1963) is an Indian actor and director who has worked in Tamil cinema and television. After beginning his career as an artist (painter), Ponvannan apprenticed as a director and writer under Bharathiraja. H ...

in 1995 and the couple has two daughters.

Awards

;

National Film Awards The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorat ...

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...

—

Best Actress Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress aw ...

for ''

'' ;

Tamil Nadu State Film Awards Tamil Nadu State Film Awards were given for excellence in Tamil cinema in India. They were given annually to honour the best talents and provide encouragement and incentive to the South Indian film industry by the Government of Tamil Nadu. The aw ...

* 2006 – Best Supporting Actress for ''

'' * 2010 – Best Supporting Actress for ''

Kalavani ''Kalavani'' () is a 2010 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film written and directed by newcomer A. Sarkunam. It stars Vimal and debutante Oviya, with Saranya Ponvannan, Ganja Karuppu and Ilavarasu in supporting roles. The film was made ...

'' ;

Filmfare Awards The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Hindi-language film industry of India.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were first introduced by th ...

Winnings: * 2005 – Winner— Best Supporting Actress for ''

'' * 2006 – Winner—Best Supporting Actress for ''

'' * 2011 – Winner—Best Supporting Actress for ''

'' * 2012 – Winner—Best Supporting Actress for ''

Neerparavai ''Neerparavai'' () is a 2012 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by Seenu Ramasamy and produced by Udhayanidhi Stalin. It stars Vishnu and Sunaina, and Nandita Das plays the older version of the latter's character. Saranya Ponva ...

'' * 2019 - Winner- Best Supporting Actress for ''

'' Nominations: * 2005 - Nominated- Best Supporting Actress - Tamil for '' Raam'' * 2012 - Nominated- Best Supporting Actress - Tamil for ''

Oru Kal Oru Kannadi ''Oru Kal Oru Kannadi'' () abbreviated as ''OKOK'' is a 2012 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film written and directed by M. Rajesh. It stars producer Udhayanidhi Stalin, in his acting debut, Hansika Motwani, Santhanam and Saranya Pon ...

'' *2010 – Nominated— Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress - Telugu for '' Puli'' *2014 – Nominated–Best Supporting Actress - Tamil for ''

'' *2016 – Nominated–Best Supporting Actress - Tamil for ''

Kodi KODI (1400 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a news/talk format. Licensed to Cody, Wyoming, United States, the station is currently owned by the Big Horn Radio Network, a division of Legend Communications of Wyoming, LLC, and features programm ...

'' ;

South Indian International Movie Awards South Indian International Movie Awards, also known as the SIIMA Awards, rewards the artistic and technical achievements of the South Indian film industry. It was launched in 2012 by Vishnu Vardhan Induri and Brinda Prasad Adusimilli to appre ...

* 2013 – Winner—Best Actress in a Supporting Role for ''

'' * 2014 – Nominated–Best Actress in a Supporting Role for ''

Kutti Puli ''Kutti Puli'' () is a 2013 Indian Tamil-language action drama film directed by M. Muthaiah, starring Sasikumar and Lakshmi Menon while Saranya Ponvannan and Bala Saravanan play supporting roles. The film opened to mixed reviews but performed ...

'' * 2015 – Winner—Best Actress in a Supporting Role for ''

'' * 2019 – Nominated–Best Actress in a Supporting Role for ''

'' ; Ananda Vikatan Awards *2010 – Winner–Best Supporting Actress for ''

'' *2014 – Winner–Best Supporting Actress for ''

Ennamo Nadakkudhu ''Ennamo Nadakkudhu'' ( ''Something is happening'') is a 2014 Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language action thriller film written and directed by P Rajapandi. It stars Vijay Vasanth, Mahima Nambiar, Prabhu (actor), Prabhu, Rahman (actor), Rahman, ...

'' & ''

'' ;

Vijay Awards The Vijay Awards are presented by the Tamil television channel STAR Vijay to honour excellence in Tamil cinema. It has been given annually since 2006, with the latest—the 10th edition—of the award-giving ceremony having been held in ...

* 2011 – Winner— Best Supporting Actress for ''

'' *2013 - Nominated— Best Supporting Actress for ''

'' *2015 – Nominated– Best Supporting Actress for ''

'' ;

Norway Tamil Film Festival Awards Norway Tamil Film Festival Awards is the annual film festival conducted in Oslo to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Tamil film industry. NTFF was arranged for the first time in 2010 by VN Music Dreams. NTFF i ...

*2011 - Winner-Best Supporting Actress for ''

'' *2013 - Winner-Best Supporting Actress for ''

'' *2014 - Nominated-Best Supporting Actress for''

'' ;

Edison Awards Edison Awards is an American company that runs an annual competition honoring excellence in innovation in a broad range of categories. Company The Edison Awards were established by the American Marketing Association in 1987 and has been an in ...

*2011 - Winner-Best Supporting Actress for ''

'' ;JFW Awards *2014 - Women Achiever of the year ;JFW Movie Awards *2019 - Best Supporting Actress for ''

Filmography

Film

As playback singer

Television

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ponvannan, Saranya 20th-century Indian actresses Actresses in Tamil cinema Actresses from Alappuzha Actresses in Malayalam cinema Indian film actresses Living people Best Actress National Film Award winners Filmfare Awards South winners Tamil Nadu State Film Awards winners Women's Christian College, Chennai alumni Actresses in Telugu cinema Actresses in Kannada cinema Actresses in Tamil television Year of birth missing (living people)