Nayantara
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Diana Mariam Kurian, known professionally as Nayanthara, is an Indian actress and film producer who is known for her work 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 ...
films. She was in the ''
Forbes India ''Forbes India'' is the Indian edition of ''Forbes'' which is managed by Reliance Industries-owned media conglomerate, Network 18. History and profile Since its founding in 2008, ''Forbes India'' has achieved a circulation of 50,000 copies and ma ...
'' "Celebrity 100" 2018 list, with her total annual earning credited at 15.17 crore. Nayanthara starred in more than 75 films spanning two decades. She made her acting debut in the 2003 Malayalam film ''
Manassinakkare ''Manassinakkare'' (Beyond the Mind) is a 2003 Indian Malayalam family drama film directed by Sathyan Anthikkad and written by Ranjan Pramod. It stars Jayaram, Sheela, and Nayanthara in the lead, while Innocent, Oduvil Unnikrishnan, K. P. A. C. ...
''. She made her debut in Tamil cinema with '' Ayya'' (2005) and Telugu with ''
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 ...
'' (2006). She also made her
Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
film debut through the film '' Super'' (2010). Her portrayal of
Goddess Sita Sita (; ) also called as Janaki and Vaidehi is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic, ''Ramayana''. She is the consort of Rama, the avatar of the god Vishnu, and is regarded as a form of Vishnu's consort, Lakshmi. She ...
in ''
Sri Rama Rajyam ''Sri Rama Rajyam'' () is a 2011 Indian Telugu-language Hindu mythological film directed by Bapu who co-wrote the film with Mullapudi Venkata Ramana, and produced by Yalamanchali Saibabu. The film stars Nandamuri Balakrishna, Nayanthara, Akkine ...
'' (2011) earned her the
Filmfare Award for Best Telugu Actress ''Filmfare'' is an Indian English-language fortnightly magazine published by Worldwide Media. Acknowledged as one of Indian most popular entertainment magazines, it publishes pieces involving news, interviews, photos, videos, reviews, events, an ...
and the
Nandi Award for Best Actress The Nandi Award for Best Actress was commissioned in 1977. The winner is awarded a "Silver Nandi" and a cash award of 30,000. Most Awards were received by Vijayashanti and Jayasudha (4 awards each). List of winners of Nandi Awards for Best Ac ...
. She won the
Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Actress ''Filmfare'' is an Indian English-language fortnightly magazine published by Worldwide Media. Acknowledged as one of Indian most popular entertainment magazines, it publishes pieces involving news, interviews, photos, videos, reviews, events, an ...
for her performance in '' Raja Rani'' (2013), Vallavan ''
Naanum Rowdy Dhaan ''Naanum Rowdy Dhaan'' () is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language action comedy film written and directed by Vignesh Shivan, produced by actor Dhanush under his banner Wunderbar Films, and distributed by Lyca Productions. The film stars Vijay Sethupat ...
'' (2015) and ''
Aramm ''Aramm'' () is a 2017 Indian Tamil-language political drama film written and directed by Gopi Nainar. It features Nayanthara as a district collector, with Ramachandran Durairaj and Sunu Lakshmi in supporting roles. Featuring music composed b ...
'' (2017). She was awarded the
Filmfare Award for Best Malayalam Actress ''Filmfare'' is an Indian English-language fortnightly magazine published by Worldwide Media. Acknowledged as one of Indian most popular entertainment magazines, it publishes pieces involving news, interviews, photos, videos, reviews, events, an ...
in ''
Puthiya Niyamam ''Puthiya Niyamam'' ( New Law) is a 2016 Indian Malayalam-language crime drama film written and directed by A. K. Sajan. * * * The film stars Mammootty and Nayanthara in the lead roles, along with Baby Ananya, Sheelu Abraham, Rachana Nara ...
'' (2016).


Early life

Nayanthara was born as Diana Mariam Kurian in
Bangalore, Karnataka Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...
, India to parents Kurian Kodiyattu and Omana Kurian who hail from
Thiruvalla, Kerala Thiruvalla, alternately spelled Tiruvalla, is a town in Kerala and the Headquarters of the Taluk of the same name located in Pathanamthitta district in the State of Kerala, India. The town is spread over an area of . It lies on the banks of ...
. Her elder brother, Leno, lives in
Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
,
United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
. As her father was an
Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial w ...
official, Nayanthara studied in various parts of India. She did her schooling in
Jamnagar Jamnagar () is a city located on the western coast of India in the state of Gujarat of Saurashtra (region), Saurashtra region. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jamnagar district and the fifth largest city in Gujarat. The city lies ...
, Gujarat and
Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
. In
Thiruvalla Thiruvalla, alternately spelled Tiruvalla, is a town in Kerala and the Headquarters of the Taluk of the same name located in Pathanamthitta district in the State of Kerala, India. The town is spread over an area of . It lies on the banks of ...
, she studied at Balikamadom Girls Higher Secondary School,Thirumoolapuram and then attended Marthoma College,
Thiruvalla Thiruvalla, alternately spelled Tiruvalla, is a town in Kerala and the Headquarters of the Taluk of the same name located in Pathanamthitta district in the State of Kerala, India. The town is spread over an area of . It lies on the banks of ...
for her
bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
in
English Literature English literature is literature written in the English language from United Kingdom, its crown dependencies, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, and the countries of the former British Empire. ''The Encyclopaedia Britannica'' defines E ...
. After her father retired, the family returned to their roots in Thiruvalla.


Career


Debut in Malayalam cinema (2003–2004)

While studying at college, Nayanthara worked part-time as a model. She was spotted by director
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 ...
, who had seen some of her modelling assignments and approached her to play a pivotal role in his film ''
Manassinakkare ''Manassinakkare'' (Beyond the Mind) is a 2003 Indian Malayalam family drama film directed by Sathyan Anthikkad and written by Ranjan Pramod. It stars Jayaram, Sheela, and Nayanthara in the lead, while Innocent, Oduvil Unnikrishnan, K. P. A. C. ...
'' (2003).rediff.com: Meet Rajnikanth's new heroine!
. Rediff.com. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
Although she turned down the offer initially, as she was not interested in films, she gave in eventually and agreed to do "just that one film". ''Manassinakkare'' went on to become a high financial success and she continued to receive acting offers. Both her releases in 2004, ''Natturajavu'' by
Shaji Kailas Shaji Kailas (born 8 February 1965) is an Indian film director and screenwriter known for his works in Malayalam cinema. Shaji got a breakthrough with the comedy film ''Dr. Pasupathy'' (1990). He is best known for his action films with mainl ...
, and Fazil's psychological thriller ''
Vismayathumbathu ''Vismayathumbathu'' () is a 2004 Indian Malayalam-language psychological thriller film written, directed and produced by Fazil. It stars Mohanlal, Mukesh, and Nayanthara. Mohanlal plays Sreekumar, who possess sixth sense, while Nayanthara ...
'', saw her co-starring alongside
Mohanlal Mohanlal Viswanathan (born 21 May 1960), known mononymously as Mohanlal, is an Indian actor, film producer, playback singer, film distributor, and director who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema besides also having sporadically appeare ...
; while she played the protagonist's adopted sister in the former, she portrayed a ghost in the latter. Her performance in ''Vismayathumbathu'', in particular, was lauded, with critics claiming that she had "stolen the thunder with her author-backed role", and was "the revelation of the film".


Early work in Tamil and Telugu cinema (2005–2007)

Nayanthara subsequently started appearing in Tamil and Telugu films. In 2005, she was cast in Hari's '' Ayya'', debuting in the
Tamil film industry 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 ...
as lead heroine of the movie. ''Behindwoods.com'' stated that she had made a "sensational debut in Tamil", while a reviewer from Nowrunning.com said that her "presence with her beautiful smile is crowd winning". While still shooting for ''Ayya'', she was selected for the
comedy horror Comedy horror, also known as horror comedy, is a literary genre, literary, television genre, television, and film genre that combines elements of comedy and horror fiction. Comedy horror has been described as able to be categorized under three ty ...
film '' Chandramukhi'', after its director
P. Vasu Vasudevan Peethambharan, known professionally as P Vasu, is an Indian director, writer and actor who works in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, and Malayalam language films. In a career spanning three decades, Vasu has directed over 64 films.
's wife had seen ''Manassinakkare'' and recommended her. The film ran for over 800 days in theatres, eventually turning Nayanthara into one of the most-sought after actresses in Tamil. She also acted in Malayalam, '' Thaskara Veeran'' and ''
Rappakal ''Rappakal'' is a 2005 released Malayalam film directed by Kamal. Mammootty, Nayanthara and Sharada appears in lead roles. Plot This is a heartfelt story of a male help/valet and his motherly affection to the elderly woman, whom he looks aft ...
''. Later that year she appeared in AR Murugadoss' '' Ghajini'', in which she played a secondary female character. Nayanthara then accepted to appear in an
item number In Indian cinema, an item number or item song is a musical number inserted into a film that may or may not have any relevance to the plot. The term is commonly used within Indian films (Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Punjabi, and Be ...
as herself in the
Perarasu Perarasu (born 8 January 1967) is an Indian film director who works primarily in Tamil film industry. As a director, he is best known for his commercial Tamil movies with actors Vijay and Bharath Srinivasan. He has also been credited as an act ...
-directed
masala film Masala films of Indian cinema mix multiple genres into one work. Masala films emerged in the 1970s and are still created as of the 2020s. Typically these films freely mix action, comedy, romance, and drama or melodrama. They also tend to be ...
''
Sivakasi Sivakasi () is a city and Municipal Corporation in Virudhunagar District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. This city is known for its fireworks, firecracker, matchbox and printing industries. Sivakasi city alone meets about 90% fire cracker ...
''. Nayanthara's first release in 2006 was '' Kalvanin Kadhali''. ''Indiaglitz.com'' stated her performance was the "strength of the film". She next made her debut in
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 ...
, starring in the film ''
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 ...
'', following which she performed in ''
Boss, I Love You ''Boss'' is a 2006 Indian Telugu-language romantic action film, produced by D. Siva Prasad Reddy on Kamakshi Movies banner and directed by V. N. Aditya. Starring Nagarjuna Akkineni, Nayanthara, Poonam Bajwa and Shriya Saran. Music was composed ...
''. Three Tamil films in which she enacted the lead female characters – ''
Vallavan ''Vallavan'' ( ''Expert'') is a 2006 Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language romance film, romantic action film written and directed by Silambarasan, starring himself as the titular character along with Reema Sen and Nayanthara as lead heoines whil ...
'', ''
Thalaimagan ''Thalaimagan'' () is a 2006 Indian Tamil-language action film starring Sarath Kumar, Nayanthara, Vadivelu and Vijayakumar. This film marked Sarath Kumar's directorial debut. It was the 100th film of Sarath Kumar. The film received mixed to ne ...
'' and '' E'' – were released simultaneously during Deepavali 2006. All three films opened to mixed reviews.Movie Review:E
Sify.com. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
In ''Vallavan'', she portrayed a lecturer who falls in love with a student younger than her. Sify wrote: "Nayanthara virtually walks away with the film and has never looked so beautiful. She looks gorgeous especially in songs and does justice to her well-etched out role". The science fiction thriller ''E'' featured Nayanthara in the role of a bar dancer. Reviewers from Rediff stated that she made an impact. Indiaglitz said she was "very adequate and impressive in a slightly complicated role", and that she had "come up with a good performance". In ''Thalaimagan'', she played a news reporter, with critics agreeing that she did not have much to do in the film.


Public recognition and widespread success (2007–2011)

Nayanthara regained her star billing in Kollywood acting in the Vishnuvardhan-directed
gangster film A gangster film or gangster movie is a film belonging to a genre that focuses on gangs and organized crime. It is a subgenre of crime film, that may involve large criminal organizations, or small gangs formed to perform a certain illegal act. The ...
''Billa'' (2007). A remake of the same-titled 1980 Tamil film, it went on to become a success at the box office, while Nayanthara received many accolades for her performance as Sasha in her new glamour look.
Sify Sify Technologies Limited (formerly Satyam Infoway) is an Indian information and communications technology company providing end-to-end ICT solutions including telecom services, data center services, cloud & managed services, transformation in ...
heaped praise on her, describing her as a "show stopper". The reviewer further wrote: "Nayanthara has gone full throttle to look her sexiest best ..She has a beautiful body which she flaunts daringly ..and is also able to bring out the cold aloofness and bitterness of her character. Similarly a critic from Nowrunning.com noted that she looked "great in mini-skirts, jacket, dark glasses and tall boots". In 2008 she had five releases, four of which were in Tamil. Her first release was the family entertainer ''
Yaaradi Nee Mohini ''Yaaradi Nee Mohini'' () is a 2008 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film directed by Mithran Jawahar. It is a remake of the 2007 Telugu hit Selvaraghavan's ''Aadavari Matalaku Arthale Verule'' and stars Dhanush, Selvaraghavan's brother, a ...
''. Behindwoods.com wrote: "Nayan dispels her bombshell act and proves that she can more than just that. She breaks into tears when needed, shows vicious contempt when rubbed the wrong way in the name of love, and looks endearing in songs". Nowrunning.com stated that she "exhibits her acting skills in full measure ndgives a moving performance in emotional scenes", while Sify's critic wrote that she looked "sensational and has done a great job in perhaps the meatiest role she has done so far". She won the
Vijay Award for Favourite Heroine Winners Winners and nominations *2007 Nayanthara - ''Billa'' **Asin - ''Pokkiri'' **Shriya Saran - '' Sivaji: The Boss'' **Jyothika - '' Mozhi'' **Trisha - '' Kireedam'' *2008 Nayanthara - ''Yaaradi Nee Mohini'' **Asin - ''Dasavathaaram'' * ...
for the second consecutive year, and was nominated for the Best Actress prize at the
56th Filmfare Awards South The 56th Filmfare Awards South ceremony honored its selection of the best 2008 in film, South Indian films of 2008 and was held on Friday, 31 July 2009, in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad, India. Nominations The nominees for the 56th Filmf ...
. Her subsequent appearances were in ''
Kuselan ''Kuselan'' is a 2008 Indian Tamil-language dramedy film directed by P. Vasu. An official remake of the Malayalam film ''Kadha Parayumbol'' (2007), it was produced by Pushpa Kandaswamy, Aswani Dutt and G. P. Vijayakumar in two languages. ''Kusel ...
'', '' Satyam'' and ''
Aegan ''Aegan'' is a 2008 Indian Tamil-language action comedy film directed and co-written by Raju Sundaram and produced by Ayngaran International. It stars Ajith Kumar and Nayanthara, with Suman, Jayaram, Nassar, Navdeep, and Piaa Bajpai in supp ...
'' in 2008. In 2009 she appeared in '' Villu'' and '' Aadhavan''. In 2010, all her releases, which featured her as the female lead, turned out to be commercial successes: she had five box office hits in the four Southern languages – '' Adhurs'' (Telugu), ''
Bodyguard A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects a person or a group of people — usually witnesses, high-ranking public officials or officers, w ...
'' (Malayalam), '' Simha'' (Telugu), ''
Boss Engira Bhaskaran ''Boss Engira Bhaskaran'' () is a 2010 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film written and directed by M. Rajesh who earlier directed ''Siva Manasula Sakthi'' (2009). Starring Arya, Nayanthara and Santhanam in lead roles, the film is produc ...
'' (Tamil) and '' Super'' (Kannada). She won the Asianet Award for Best Actress for her performance in ''Bodyguard''. The latter three, in particular, were particularly good for Nayanthara, with ''Simha'' becoming one of the highest-grossing Telugu films of the year and ''Boss Engira Bhaskaran'' releasing to positive reviews, and becoming a financial success.
Upendra Upendra (Devanagari: उपेन्द्र) is an Indian masculine given name. The meaning of the Sanskrit word ' is "younger brother of Indra" and refers to either Krishna or Vishnu, who as a son of Aditi (or in the Vamana avatar) was born sub ...
's '' Super'', which marked her debut into the
Kannada film industry 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'' directe ...
, opened to rave reviews, while her performance was also praised by critics. Her performances in ''Simha'', ''Boss Engira Bhaskaran'' and ''Super'' eventually fetched her nominations for the Filmfare Best Actress Award in the respective languages. She also starred in
Shyamaprasad Shyamaprasad (born 7 November 1960) is an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter and actor from Kerala. Career Shyamaprasad was born on 7 November 1960 at Palakkad, as the younger son of O. Rajagopal and Santhakumari. He was named after Shyama Prasad ...
's critically acclaimed Malayalam film '' Elektra''. Her performance was well appreciated by critics when it was screened at the
International Film Festival of India The International Film Festival of India (IFFI), founded in 1952, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. Held annually, currently in the state of Goa, on the western coast of the country, the festival aims at providing a common pla ...
. The film was also screened at the
Dubai International Film Festival The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF, ar, مهرجان دبي السينمائي الدولي) is the leading film festival in the Arab region. The 12th edition of DIFF took place from December 9 – 16, 2015. In 2018, the DIFF announc ...
. Her only release in 2011 was the mythological film ''
Sri Rama Rajyam ''Sri Rama Rajyam'' () is a 2011 Indian Telugu-language Hindu mythological film directed by Bapu who co-wrote the film with Mullapudi Venkata Ramana, and produced by Yalamanchali Saibabu. The film stars Nandamuri Balakrishna, Nayanthara, Akkine ...
'' (2011) by Bapu, in which she played the role of Sita. She received critical acclaim for her performance in the film, with
Rediff.com Rediff.com (stylized as ''rediff.com'') is an Indian news, information, entertainment and shopping web portal. It was founded in 1996. It is headquartered in Mumbai, with offices in Bangalore, New Delhi and New York City. , it had more than 300 e ...
noting, "Nayanthara is the surprise package of the film. As Sita, she too has played the role of her lifetime. She gave a fine understated performance conveying a kaleidoscope of emotions." Sify commented "Nayanthara gave a fitting answer to all, unleashing grace and accomplishing the assignment with absolute perfection." Subsequently, she was awarded the
Nandi Award for Best Actress The Nandi Award for Best Actress was commissioned in 1977. The winner is awarded a "Silver Nandi" and a cash award of 30,000. Most Awards were received by Vijayashanti and Jayasudha (4 awards each). List of winners of Nandi Awards for Best Ac ...
and the
Filmfare Award for Best Telugu Actress ''Filmfare'' is an Indian English-language fortnightly magazine published by Worldwide Media. Acknowledged as one of Indian most popular entertainment magazines, it publishes pieces involving news, interviews, photos, videos, reviews, events, an ...
. The film was dubbed in the media as her swan song and considered to be her last release before her marriage as she was reported to quit acting thereafter.


Comeback and stardom (2012–present)

Choosing to make a comeback, Nayanthara began shooting for Krish's ''
Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum ''Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum'' () is a 2012 Indian Telugu-language action drama film directed by Krish and jointly produced by Saibabu Jagarlamudi and Rajeev Reddy on First Frame Entertainment. It has received universal acclaim for combining th ...
'' (2012) after an eleven-month
sabbatical A sabbatical (from the Hebrew: (i.e., Sabbath); in Latin ; Greek: ) is a rest or break from work. The concept of the sabbatical is based on the Biblical practice of ''shmita'' (sabbatical year), which is related to agriculture. According to ...
. She portrayed the role of a journalist and her performance was praised, with a reviewer from Sify stating that "Nayanthara does not play the normal commercial glam-doll for a change and she is good" and "her chemistry with Rana is perfect". The following year, she won critical acclaim for her performance in Atlee's romantic drama '' Raja Rani'' (2013), winning both the
Filmfare ''Filmfare'' is an Indian English language, English-language fortnightly magazine published by Worldwide Media. Acknowledged as one of Indian most popular entertainment magazines, it publishes pieces involving news, interviews, photos, videos, r ...
and
Vijay Award for Best Actress The Vijay Award for Best Actress is given by STAR Vijay as part of its annual Vijay Awards ceremony for Tamil (Kollywood) films. It was given from the second ceremony onwards. Winners Winners and nominations * 2007 Priyamani – ''Paruthiveer ...
. Playing the role of a wife in an unhappy marriage, a critic from Sify.com noted, "Nayanthara gets a well-written role and she couldn't ask for a better character than Regina for her return after a three-year hiatus... she looks good, throws herself into the role, approaches her part with restraint and minimalist fuss, and turns in a sincere performance." Sify.com also said her role was "unquestionably the film's biggest strength". Likewise, another reviewer from Behindwoods.com stated the role was "Nayanthara's career best performance till date" and it was a "great comeback by the actress with a role which gave her ample scope". Her next release, Vishnuvardhan's '' Arrambam'' (2013), featuring
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 ...
in the lead, also won acclaim with a reviewer from
Rediff Rediff.com (stylized as ''rediff.com'') is an Indian news, information, entertainment and shopping web portal. It was founded in 1996. It is headquartered in Mumbai, with offices in Bangalore, New Delhi and New York City. , it had more than 300 e ...
stating that "Nayanthara looks gorgeous and does full justice to her character", while Behindwoods critic stated that "Nayanthara puts out a fiery face when required and also showcase her oomph and style in many scenes, adding "this superstar continues to shine". Nayanthara's rising popularity as an actress led to her being cast in female-centric films, a genre considered a rarity in South Indian cinema.
Sekhar Kammula Sekhar Kammula (born 4 February 1972) is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer who works in Telugu cinema. He has garnered two Filmfare Awards South, and six state Nandi Awards for his directional works. Sekhar Kammula was among the ...
cast her in the titular role of his bilingual ''
Anaamika ''Anaamika'' is a 2014 Indian drama thriller film directed by Sekhar Kammula, starring Nayanthara in the titular role, alongside Vaibhav Reddy, Pasupathy, and Harshvardhan Rane. A remake of the Hindi film ''Kahaani'', the film was simultaneousl ...
'' (2014), a remake of the Hindi film ''
Kahaani ''Kahaani'' (; ) is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language thriller film co-written, co-produced and directed by Sujoy Ghosh. It stars Vidya Balan as Vidya Bagchi, a pregnant woman looking for her missing husband in Kolkata during the festival of Durga ...
'' (2012), in which Nayanthara portrayed an IT professional who moves to
Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...
to look for her missing husband. Sify.com labelled her performance in the film "a one-woman show by her in a difficult role... she nails the character perfectly whether it in the initial scenes showing her anguish or in the stunning climax, where she takes a brave decision". In contrast, Rediff.com stated that her "performance is lacklustre in the first half". While ''Anaamika'' did middling business, her next female-centric project, the horror film ''
Maya Maya may refer to: Civilizations * Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America ** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples ** Maya language, the languages of the Maya peoples * Maya (Ethiopia), a populat ...
'' (2015), emerged as a profitable venture commercially. Portraying a single mother with a mysterious past, Nayanthara won acclaim for her performance and her decision to portray an unconventional character, with Sify.com saying, "Nayanthara is just fabulous and her classier side has been perfectly unleashed in ''Maya''... it's a treat to watch Nayanthara re-inventing herself by performing in an author backed role". Along with strong character roles, Nayanthara continued to appear in action and comedy films, including the successful '' Bhaskar the Rascal'' (2015) and ''
Thani Oruvan ''Thani Oruvan'' () is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by Mohan Raja and written by Raja and Suresh and Balakrishnan. Produced by Kalpathi S. Aghoram, S. Ganesh and S. Suresh under the studio AGS Entertainment, it ...
'' (2015), during the same period. She then went on to win her second Filmfare Award for her role of a deaf girl seeking revenge in
Vignesh Shivan Vignesh Shivan, credited sometimes as Vignesh Shivn (born 18 September 1985) is an Indian film director, film producer, actor, singer and lyricist who works in Tamil cinema. Personal life Shivan and actress Nayanthara had been in a relationshi ...
's black comedy ''
Naanum Rowdy Dhaan ''Naanum Rowdy Dhaan'' () is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language action comedy film written and directed by Vignesh Shivan, produced by actor Dhanush under his banner Wunderbar Films, and distributed by Lyca Productions. The film stars Vijay Sethupat ...
'' (2015). About her performance, Sify.com's reviewer noted "Nayanthara's Kadambari is a well-etched out role, the actress is effortlessly charming and she does full justice", and "infuses the part with the right portions of vulnerability, restraint, and quiet strength, delivering a performance that is nothing short of perfect". A video clip from the movie ''Naanum Rowdy Dhaan'' went viral on social media where Nayanthara was seen buying liquor from a shop. The Hindu Makkal Katchi demanded the scene to be removed and garlanded her picture with beer bottles and even after she made a statement that it was a film scene, the
Hindu Munnani Hindu Munnani is a rightwing Hindu nationalist organisation based in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Hindu Munnani was set up by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) The organisation was founded in 1980 by Ramagopalan, a member of RSS and sinc ...
burned her effigy in protest. In her first release of 2016, Nayanthara portrayed a rape victim in ''
Puthiya Niyamam ''Puthiya Niyamam'' ( New Law) is a 2016 Indian Malayalam-language crime drama film written and directed by A. K. Sajan. * * * The film stars Mammootty and Nayanthara in the lead roles, along with Baby Ananya, Sheelu Abraham, Rachana Nara ...
'' (2016) 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 ...
, with a critic from the IBTimes stating "Nayantara's role as Vasuki Iyer is one of her career's best until now and her decision to dub in her own voice for her character is worthy of appreciation". She continued to play diverse roles, appearing as a village-based school teacher in ''
Thirunaal ''Thirunaal'' () is a 2016 Indian Tamil-language action drama film written and directed by P. S. Ramnath and produced by M. Senthil Kumar. The film stars Jiiva and Nayanthara in their second collaboration after '' E''. The music was composed ...
'' (2016), a spy in the commercially successful Vikram-starrer ''
Iru Mugan ''Iru Mugan'' () is a 2016 Indian Tamil-language science-fiction spy action thriller written and directed by Anand Shankar. Produced by Thameens Films, the film stars Vikram in double role alongside Nayanthara, Nithya Menen, Nassar, Thambi Ram ...
'' (2016) and the queen of a fantasy kingdom in ''
Kaashmora ''Kaashmora'' ( Deadly spirit) is a 2016 Indian Tamil-language horror masala film written and directed by Gokul. It features Karthi in dual roles for the second time after ''Siruthai'' as the protagonist and antagonist respectively alongs ...
'' (2016). In 2017, she played the main lead in the horror thriller '' Dora'' and the critically acclaimed social drama ''
Aramm ''Aramm'' () is a 2017 Indian Tamil-language political drama film written and directed by Gopi Nainar. It features Nayanthara as a district collector, with Ramachandran Durairaj and Sunu Lakshmi in supporting roles. Featuring music composed b ...
''. Her portrayal of a district collector in ''
Aramm ''Aramm'' () is a 2017 Indian Tamil-language political drama film written and directed by Gopi Nainar. It features Nayanthara as a district collector, with Ramachandran Durairaj and Sunu Lakshmi in supporting roles. Featuring music composed b ...
'' won her the third
Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Actress ''Filmfare'' is an Indian English-language fortnightly magazine published by Worldwide Media. Acknowledged as one of Indian most popular entertainment magazines, it publishes pieces involving news, interviews, photos, videos, reviews, events, an ...
. She also played the female lead in the action thriller '' Velaikkaran''. Her first release in 2018 was a Telugu-language film ''
Jai Simha ''Jai Simha'' () is a 2018 Indian Telugu-language action film produced by C. Kalyan on C. K. Entertainments banner and directed by K. S. Ravikumar. It stars Nandamuri Balakrishna, Nayanthara, Hariprriya, Natasha Doshi and music was composed by ...
'' in which she played the female lead. She went onto portray the main lead in
Nelson Dilipkumar Nelson Dilipkumar, credited in films as Nelson, is an Indian director and screenwriter who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. His films are action thrillers and are known for featuring elements of dark humor. Nelson won the Best Screenplay Awa ...
directorial ''
Kolamaavu 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 ...
'' and the thriller ''
Imaikkaa Nodigal ''Imaikkaa Nodigal'' () is a 2018 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film written and directed by R. Ajay Gnanamuthu. It stars Nayanthara with Atharvaa, Raashii Khanna marking the latter's debut in Tamil cinema, Vijay Sethupathi, Manasvi Ko ...
'' alongside actor Atharvaa. In 2019, she had lead roles in ''Viswasam, Airaa, Kolaiyuthir Kaalam and Bigil'', the latter in which she collaborated with Vijay (actor), Vijay for the third time. She also appeared in the Malayalam film ''Love Action Drama'', alongside Nivin Pauly and the Telugu biographical film, ''Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy'', alongside Chiranjeevi and Tamannaah. In 2020, she was seen in a supporting role in ''Darbar (film), Darbar'' along with Rajinikanth. Her film ''Mookuthi Amman'' marked her second entry into Hindu mythological and devotional cinema after her portrayal of Goddess Sita in 2011. 2021 saw her fifth collaboration with Rajinikanth with the film ''Annaatthe'' where she was seen as a lawyer. She went into star in ''Netrikann'', a remake of the 2011 South Korean film ''Blind (2011 film), Blind''. She also starred in the Malayalam film ''Nizhal (2021 film), Nizhal'' and the much delayed Telugu film ''Aaradugula Bullet''. Her first release of 2022 was the romcom-drama ''Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal'', where she was seen alongside Vijay Sethupathi and Samantha Ruth Prabhu. She later starred in G.S. Viknesh's survival-thriller ''O2 (2022 film), O2'', where she played a single mother trying to shield her son suffering from cystic fibrosis from the effects of low oxygen. She will be next seen in the Malayalam film ''Gold (2022 Indian film), Gold'', alongside Prithviraj Sukumaran, in the Telugu film ''Godfather (upcoming film), Godfather'', the Tamil films ''Connect'' and ''Iraivan'' and the Bollywood film ''Jawan (film), Jawan'' opposite Shah Rukh Khan which will mark her Hindi debut. She is also set to star in an untitled film, tentatively titled as ''Lady Superstar 75''.


Personal life

She was brought up as a Christians, Christian to Malayali parents. On 7 August 2011, she embraced Hinduism at the Arya Samaj Temple in Chennai. After that, a certificate of conversion to Hinduism was issued to her, and her stage name, ''Nayanthara'', became her official name. She is a polydactyly, polydactyl, with a rudimentary finger on her left hand. Nayanthara acknowledged her three and a half-year live-in relationship with actor and dance choreographer Prabhu Deva. In 2015, Nayanthara and director
Vignesh Shivan Vignesh Shivan, credited sometimes as Vignesh Shivn (born 18 September 1985) is an Indian film director, film producer, actor, singer and lyricist who works in Tamil cinema. Personal life Shivan and actress Nayanthara had been in a relationshi ...
have been in a relationship ever since they worked together on ''
Naanum Rowdy Dhaan ''Naanum Rowdy Dhaan'' () is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language action comedy film written and directed by Vignesh Shivan, produced by actor Dhanush under his banner Wunderbar Films, and distributed by Lyca Productions. The film stars Vijay Sethupat ...
'' in 2015. The couple got married on 9 June 2022 in Mahabalipuram. In October 2022, the couple announced the birth of their twin children, via surrogacy.


Off-screen work

In 2021, Nayanthara and Vignesh Shivan launched their film production venture Rowdy Pictures, which produced the films ''Pebbles (film), Koozhangal'', ''Netrikann'' and ''Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal''. In the same year, Nayanthara, along with renowned dermatologist Dr. Renita Rajan, launched The Lip Balm Company.


Accolades


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nayantara 1984 births Living people Actresses from Bangalore Actresses in Tamil cinema Actresses in Telugu cinema Actresses in Kannada cinema Actresses in Malayalam cinema Converts to Hinduism from Christianity Indian former Christians People from Thiruvalla Indian Hindus Kendriya Vidyalaya alumni Nandi Award winners Recipients of the Kalaimamani Award Indian film actresses 21st-century Indian actresses Actresses from Kerala People with polydactyly Converts to Hinduism