Nayantara
Encyclopedia
Nayantara is an India
n film actress. She made her acting debut in 2003 in the Malayalam film Manassinakkare
. She debuted in Tamil cinema
with Ayya (2004) and in Telugu cinema with Lakshmi
(2005), following which she starred alongside popular lead actors. Following several commercial successes such as Chandramukhi
(2005), Ghajini (2005) and Billa
(2007), she had established herself as one of the leading contemporary actresses in Tamil cinema
.
, Karnataka to Jacobite Christian
Malayali parents, Kurian Kodiyattu and Omana Kurian. Her brother, Leno, who is nine years elder to her, lives in Dubai
. As her father was an Indian Air Force
official, she studied in various parts of India, mainly in North India
. She did her schooling in Chennai
, Jamnagar
, Gujarat and Delhi
. Following his retirement, they settled in Kerala
, where she continued her college studies, at the Kendriya Vidyalaya
schools in Kerala
. In Tiruvalla
, she studied at Balikamadom Girls Higher Secondary School and then attended Marthoma College for her bachelor's degree
in English Literature
.
, who cast her opposite Jayaram
in the 2003 Malayalam film Manassinakkare
. Later, she co-starred alongside Mohanlal
in Natturajavu
and in Fazil
's Vismayathumbathu
. She was also cast with Mammootty
in Thaskaraveeran and Raapakal.
She subsequently started appearing in Tamil and Telugu films. In 2005, she was cast opposite Sarath Kumar
in Hari's
Ayya, debuting in the Tamil film industry, and followed it up with Chandramukhi
. The comedy horror
film, in which she starred alongside Rajinikanth, became one of the most successful Tamil films in history, running for over 800 days in theatres, eventually turning Nayantara into one of the most-sought after actresses in Tamil. Later that year her third Tamil film, A. R. Murugadoss
' Ghajini, in which she played a secondary female character, again was a commercially highly successful venture. However, she later disclosed that appearing Ghajini was a big mistake and the "worst decision" she ever took. She then made her debut in Telugu, starring in the film Lakshmi
, following which she performed in Boss
, alongside Venkatesh
and Nagarjuna
respectively. She regained her star billing in Kollywood
acting opposite Ajith Kumar
in the Vishnuvardhan
-directed Billa
. The gangster film, a remake of the same-titled 1980 Tamil film
, went on to become a blockbuster success at the box office, while Nayantara received many accolades for her performance as Sasha.
In 2008 she had five releases, four of which were in Tamil. Her first release, the family entertainer Yaaradi Nee Mohini
was one of the highest grossing Tamil films of the year, besides receiving seven nominations at the 56th Filmfare Awards South
, including a Best Actress
nomination for Nayantara for her portrayal of Keerthi. Her subsequent releases, however, Kuselan
opposite Rajnikanth
, Sathyam opposite Vishal
and Villu
opposite Vijay
, were all unsuccessful, while Aegan
became an average grosser. Her only successful release in 2009 was Aadhavan
with Surya which released in October 2009, and become one of the few successes of 2009.
In 2010, all her releases, which featured her in the lead female role turned out to be commercial successes. She delivered five super hit films in the four Southern languages – Bodyguard (Malayalam), Adurs
and Simha
(Telugu), Boss Engira Bhaskaran
(Tamil) and Super (Kannada). She won the Asianet Film Awards Best Actress in a leading role for her performance in Bodyguard. The latter three, in particular, were exceptionally successful, with Simha becoming one of the highest-grossing Telugu films of the year and Boss Engira Bhaskaran releasing to highly positive reviews and becoming a blockbuster
. Upendra
's Super, which marked her debut into the Kannada film industry
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
'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 film was also screened at the Dubai International Film Festival
.
, she was romantically linked with the film's director and co-actor Silambarasan Rajendar, which she, however, denied. During the making and after the release of her film Villu
, reports suggested that she was in a relationship with its director Prabhu Deva, with some sources even claiming that both had married secretly in June 2009. She had tattooed his name on her wrist, and began appearing with him in public, while keeping silence and refusing to comment about the issue, neither denying nor confirming the relationship. In September 2010 then, Prabhu Deva openly confessed his love for Nayantara and further stated that he would marry her soon. The issue soon gained media attention and turned into a controversy, since Prabhu Deva was already married and not divorced yet, with his wife Ramalath, unwilling to agree for a divorce, filing a petition at the family court, seeking directions against her husband and Nayantara from marrying, attending functions together and receiving awards as husband and wife and requesting a reunion with him. Furthermore, Ramalath threatened to go on hunger strike
, if Prabhu Deva married Nayantara, while several women's organizations also conducted protests against Nayantara for "bringing disrepute to Tamil culture", burning an effigy
of her.
to Hinduism
at the Arya Samaj
Temple in Chennai. She went through Shuddhi Karma, a procedure involving a Vedic purification and a Homan
where Nayan chanted the hymns from Veda and Gayathri mantra under the guidance of the priest. After the purification ceremony, a Certificate of Conversion to Hinduism was issued to her and her stage name, Nayantara, became her official name.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n film actress. She made her acting debut in 2003 in the Malayalam film Manassinakkare
Manassinakkare
Manassinakkare is a 2003 Malayalam film directed by Sathyan Anthikkad and written by Ranjan Pramod. Jayaram, Sheela, Nayantara, Innocent, Oduvil Unnikrishnan, K. P. A. C. Lalitha, Siddique, Sukumari, Nedumudi Venu, and Mammukoya star in the film...
. She debuted in Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema is the film industry based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to the production of films in the Tamil language. It is based in Chennai's Kodambakkam district, where several South Indian film production companies are headquartered...
with Ayya (2004) and in Telugu cinema with Lakshmi
Lakshmi (film)
Lakshmi Lakshmi Lakshmi (Telugu (Dubbed into Malayalam as Lakshmi and Hindi as Meri Taqat) is a Telugu movie directed by V.V. Vinayak starring Venkatesh, Nayantara, and Charmme Kaur in the lead roles. The film was a "super Hit" at the box-office.-Story:...
(2005), following which she starred alongside popular lead actors. Following several commercial successes such as Chandramukhi
Chandramukhi
Chandramukhi is a 2005 Indian horror, comedy and drama film directed by P. Vasu and produced by Ramkumar Ganesan. With a few deviations, it is a remake of Vasu's 2004 Kannada film Apthamitra, which was in-turn a remake of the 1993 Malayalam film Manichithrathazhu...
(2005), Ghajini (2005) and Billa
Billa (2007 film)
Billa is a 2007 Tamil gangster-thriller film directed by Vishnuvardhan. Based on the 1980 Tamil film of the same name and the 2006 Hindi film, Don: The Chase Begins Again, it was adapted by the director, who rewrote portions of the film from the original...
(2007), she had established herself as one of the leading contemporary actresses in Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema is the film industry based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to the production of films in the Tamil language. It is based in Chennai's Kodambakkam district, where several South Indian film production companies are headquartered...
.
Early life
Nayantara was born in BangaloreBangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
, Karnataka to Jacobite Christian
Jacobite Syrian Christian Church
The Jacobite Syrian Christian Church is part of the Syriac Orthodox Church, located in Kerala, India. It recognizes the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, currently Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, as its supreme head. It functions as a largely autonomous archdiocese within the church, under the authority...
Malayali parents, Kurian Kodiyattu and Omana Kurian. Her brother, Leno, who is nine years elder to her, lives in Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
. As her father was an Indian Air Force
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
official, she studied in various parts of India, mainly in North India
North India
North India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...
. She did her schooling in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, Jamnagar
Jamnagar
Jamnagar is a city and a municipal corporation in Jamnagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city was built up substantially by Maharaja Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji in the 1920s, when the district was known as Nawanagar. The district lies just to the south of the Gulf of Kutch and is...
, Gujarat and Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
. Following his retirement, they settled in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, where she continued her college studies, at the Kendriya Vidyalaya
Kendriya Vidyalaya
Kendriya Vidyalaya, is a system of central government schools under the Ministry of Human Resource Development ....
schools in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. In Tiruvalla
Tiruvalla
Tiruvalla , is a city and a Taluk headquarters located in Pathanamthitta district in the State of Kerala in South India, spread over an area of 27.94 km2...
, she studied at Balikamadom Girls Higher Secondary School and then attended Marthoma College for her bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in English Literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
.
Career
Nayantara was spotted, while she was still in college, by director Sathyan AnthikkadSathyan Anthikkad
Sathyan Anthikad is an Indian film director and screenwriter known primarily for his family based Malayalam films.He has created many critical and commercially successful films, especially when working with Sreenivasan as the scriptwriter...
, who cast her opposite Jayaram
Jayaram
Jayaram is an Indian film actor who mainly acts in Malayalam and Tamil films. He is also a chenda percussionist and mimic artist. In 2011, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India for his contribution towards the arts.-Early life:...
in the 2003 Malayalam film Manassinakkare
Manassinakkare
Manassinakkare is a 2003 Malayalam film directed by Sathyan Anthikkad and written by Ranjan Pramod. Jayaram, Sheela, Nayantara, Innocent, Oduvil Unnikrishnan, K. P. A. C. Lalitha, Siddique, Sukumari, Nedumudi Venu, and Mammukoya star in the film...
. Later, she co-starred alongside Mohanlal
Mohanlal
Mohanlal Vishwanathan Nair , known mononymously as Mohanlal , is a National Award-winning Indian actor, producer, singer and writer who is well known for his versatile and natural acting in Indian cinema & hence widely known as the Universal Star...
in Natturajavu
Natturajavu
Natturajavu is a 2004 release Malayalam film directed by Shaji Kailas. It stars Mohanlal, Meena, Nayantara, Kalabhavan Mani, Cochin Haneefa, K.P.A.C Lalitha, and Siddique in supporting roles.-Plot:...
and in Fazil
Fazil
A. M. Fazil is an Indian filmmaker, producer, and screenwriter of Malayalam cinema.His father wanted him to be a doctor, but in school and college, extra curricular activities engulfed him. He wrote plays, enacted them with his friends A. M. Fazil (born 1953, in Alleppey, Kerala) is an Indian...
's Vismayathumbathu
Vismayathumbathu
Vismayathumbathu is a 2004 release Malayalam film directed by Fazil. It stars Mohanlal, Mukesh and Nayantara in lead roles. Mohanlal plays the role of a person who has the Sixth Sense power while Nayantara does the role of a wandering soul who get associated with Mohanlal.-Cast:* Mohanlal .......
. She was also cast with Mammootty
Mammootty
Mammootty is an Indian film actor and producer who works mainly in Malayalam cinema. He has also acted in a few Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada films. During a career spanning more than three decades, he has acted in more than 360 films, and is only next to Prem Nazir in the number of lead roles...
in Thaskaraveeran and Raapakal.
She subsequently started appearing in Tamil and Telugu films. In 2005, she was cast opposite Sarath Kumar
Sarath Kumar
Sarathkumar Ramanathan is an Indian journalist, film actor, politician, body builder and the current president of the South Indian Film Artistes' Association. He started his career in Tamil cinema playing negative roles, and later played minor roles in other movies. He was first chosen for the...
in Hari's
Hari (director)
Hari is a Tamil film director, best known for his action-masala films. , he has directed eleven films.- Background :Hari was born in Katchanavilai near Nazereth in Tuticorin District, Tamil Nadu, India. His father, Gopal Nadar, is a vessels merchant. Later his family shifted to Chennai...
Ayya, debuting in the Tamil film industry, and followed it up with Chandramukhi
Chandramukhi
Chandramukhi is a 2005 Indian horror, comedy and drama film directed by P. Vasu and produced by Ramkumar Ganesan. With a few deviations, it is a remake of Vasu's 2004 Kannada film Apthamitra, which was in-turn a remake of the 1993 Malayalam film Manichithrathazhu...
. The comedy horror
Comedy horror
Comedy horror, also known as horror comedy, is a literary and film genre, combining elements of comedy and horror fiction. The comedy horror genre almost always inevitably crosses over with the black comedy genre; and in some respects could be considered a subset of it.The short story "The Legend...
film, in which she starred alongside Rajinikanth, became one of the most successful Tamil films in history, running for over 800 days in theatres, eventually turning Nayantara into one of the most-sought after actresses in Tamil. Later that year her third Tamil film, A. R. Murugadoss
A. R. Murugadoss
A. R. Murugadoss is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter.-Early life:A. R. Murugadoss was born in Kallakurichi, Tamil Nadu. He studied B.A. in Bishop Heber College, Trichy. In the College he had the great affinity towards Tamil films and friends...
' Ghajini, in which she played a secondary female character, again was a commercially highly successful venture. However, she later disclosed that appearing Ghajini was a big mistake and the "worst decision" she ever took. She then made her debut in Telugu, starring in the film Lakshmi
Lakshmi (film)
Lakshmi Lakshmi Lakshmi (Telugu (Dubbed into Malayalam as Lakshmi and Hindi as Meri Taqat) is a Telugu movie directed by V.V. Vinayak starring Venkatesh, Nayantara, and Charmme Kaur in the lead roles. The film was a "super Hit" at the box-office.-Story:...
, following which she performed in Boss
Boss, I Love You
Boss is a 2006 Telugu film directed by V.N. Aditya. It stars Akkineni Nagarjuna, Nayantara, Poonam Bajwa, and Shriya Saran. The film's score and soundtrack will be composed by Kalyani Malik and Harry Anand. Cinematography for the movie is handled by Siva Kumar while editing is being handled by...
, alongside Venkatesh
Daggubati Venkatesh
Venkatesh Daggubati is an Indian film actor who stars in Tollywood films. He is the son of veteran Tollywood film producer, former MP, Dr. D. Ramanaidu. He is often credited as Victory Venkatesh in films and is one of the lead actors in Telugu Cinema. He has won seven Nandi Awards and four...
and Nagarjuna
Akkineni Nagarjuna
Akkineni Nagarjuna is an Indian film actor in Tollywood and Bollywood. He is a producer and one of the lead actors in Telugu cinema.- Early life :...
respectively. She regained her star billing in Kollywood
Kollywood
Kollywood is a word referring two different movie industries in India and Nepal, derived from the word Hollywood and their local movie centers.* Tamil cinema, the Tamil language film industry based on Kodambakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu,...
acting opposite Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar is an Indian film actor who works mainly in Tamil cinema. He began his career as a supporting actor in a Telugu film before gaining critical recognition in the Tamil thriller Aasai . A succession of high-grossing films followed where Ajith was usually depicted as a romantic hero, with...
in the Vishnuvardhan
Vishnuvardhan (director)
Vishnuvardhan Kulasekaran, often credited simply as Vishnuvardhan, is an Indian film director. A one-time associate of Santosh Sivan he made his directorial debut in 2003 with Kurumbu, which did not fare well at the box office...
-directed Billa
Billa (2007 film)
Billa is a 2007 Tamil gangster-thriller film directed by Vishnuvardhan. Based on the 1980 Tamil film of the same name and the 2006 Hindi film, Don: The Chase Begins Again, it was adapted by the director, who rewrote portions of the film from the original...
. The gangster film, a remake of the same-titled 1980 Tamil film
Billa (1980 film)
Billa is a 1980 Tamil film produced by K.Balaji and directed by R.Krishnamurthy. The film stars Rajinikanth, Suresh Balaje, Thengai Srinivasan, Manorama, Sripriya, Reena Roy and Major Sundarrajan...
, went on to become a blockbuster success at the box office, while Nayantara received many accolades for her performance as Sasha.
In 2008 she had five releases, four of which were in Tamil. Her first release, the family entertainer Yaaradi Nee Mohini
Yaaradi Nee Mohini
Yaaradi Nee Mohini is a 2008 Tamil family drama film directed by Mithran Jawahar. The film, remake of the 2007 Telugu hit film Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule, directed by Selvaraghavan that starred Venkatesh and Trisha Krishnan, stars Dhanush, Selvaraghavan's brother, and Nayantara in lead roles,...
was one of the highest grossing Tamil films of the year, besides receiving seven nominations at the 56th Filmfare Awards South
56th Filmfare Awards South
The 56th Filmfare Awards South ceremony honored its selection of the best South Indian films of 2008 and was held on Friday, July 31, 2009, in Hyderabad, India.-Nominations:...
, including a Best Actress
Filmfare Best Actress Award (Tamil)
The Filmfare Best Actress Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Tamil films. The Award was first given in 1953...
nomination for Nayantara for her portrayal of Keerthi. Her subsequent releases, however, Kuselan
Kuselan
Kuselan is a 2008 Tamil drama film directed by P. Vasu, which was simultaneously made in Telugu as Kathanayakudu . Both remake of the Malayalam film Kadha Parayumbol, the film is directed by P. Vasu and produced by Pushpa Kandaswamy, Aswani Dutt and G. P. Vijayakumar in two languages...
opposite Rajnikanth
Rajnikanth
Rajinikanth is an Indian film actor, media personality, and cultural icon. He made his debut as an actor in the National Film Award-winning motion picture Apoorva Raagangal , directed by K. Balachander, whom the actor considers his mentor....
, Sathyam opposite Vishal
Vishal Krishna
Vishal Krishna is an Indian film actor who has appeared in primarily Tamil cinema. Often starring in his home productions, Vishal became an actor after a stint as an assistant director in films....
and Villu
Villu (film)
Villu is a 2009 Tamil film directed by Prabhu Deva. The film stars Joseph Vijay in a dual role while Nayantara and Prakash Raj play other prominent roles. Manoj K. Jayan, Vadivelu, Adithya, Geetha, and Ranjitha play supporting roles whilst Prabhu Deva, Mumaith Khan, Zabyn Khan, and Kushboo Sundar...
opposite Vijay
Joseph Vijay
Vijay is an Indian film actor and playback singer, who is based in the cinema of Tamil Nadu. He is the son of film producer and director S. A. Chandrasekhar. After performing uncredited roles as a child actor in films produced by his father, he made his debut in a lead role in the 1992 film...
, were all unsuccessful, while Aegan
Aegan
Aegan is a 2008 Tamil action and comedy film directed and co-written by Raju Sundaram and produced by Ayngaran International based on the 2004 Shahrukh Khan starrer Main Hoon Na...
became an average grosser. Her only successful release in 2009 was Aadhavan
Aadhavan
Aadhavan is a 2009 Tamil action thriller, directed by K. S. Ravikumar and written by Ramesh Khanna. The film features Surya Sivakumar in the title role along with Nayantara in lead roles and Murali, Vadivelu, Anand Babu, Ramesh Khanna, B. Saroja Devi, Rahul Dev, Sayaji Shinde in its supporting...
with Surya which released in October 2009, and become one of the few successes of 2009.
In 2010, all her releases, which featured her in the lead female role turned out to be commercial successes. She delivered five super hit films in the four Southern languages – Bodyguard (Malayalam), Adurs
Adurs
-External links:* Telugu dialog with optional English subtitles, Youtube hosted, courtesy of MAA TV....
and Simha
Simha (film)
Simha is a 2010 Telugu film directed by Boyapati Seenu. The film stars Nandamuri Balakrishna, Nayantara, Adithya Menon, Sneha Ullal in the lead roles while Namitha, Kota Srinivasa Rao and others plays supporting roles. The film's music is by Chakri. Paruchuri Kiriti produced the film under the...
(Telugu), Boss Engira Bhaskaran
Boss Engira Bhaskaran
Following the success of Siva Manasula Sakthi, Yuvan Shankar Raja composed the musical score and soundtrack of Boss Engira Bhaskaran, too. The soundtrack album, which was released on 27 August 2010 at Sathyam Cinemas, contains 5 tracks, featuring lyrics penned by Na...
(Tamil) and Super (Kannada). She won the Asianet Film Awards Best Actress in a leading role for her performance in Bodyguard. The latter three, in particular, were exceptionally successful, with Simha becoming one of the highest-grossing Telugu films of the year and Boss Engira Bhaskaran releasing to highly positive reviews and becoming a blockbuster
Blockbuster (entertainment)
Blockbuster, as applied to film or theatre, denotes a very popular or successful production. The entertainment industry use was originally theatrical slang referring to a particularly successful play but is now used primarily by the film industry...
. Upendra
Upendra
Upendra is a cine actor, director, script writer and singer. Born in a middle class family at Koteshwara near Kundapura, he belongs to Kannada speaking Kota Brahmin community. Upendra started his career off with famous director Kashinath as a writer and an assistant director...
's Super, which marked her debut into the Kannada film industry
Cinema of Karnataka
The cinema of Karnataka , sometimes colloquially referred to as Sandalwood and as Chandanavana in Kannada, encompasses movies made in the Indian state of Karnataka based in Bangalore. Most of the movies are made in Kannada, with a handful of them in Konkani or Tulu. Today more than 100 films are...
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
Shyamaprasad is an Indian film director. Directing highly acclaimed and complex films such as Agnisakshi, Akale, Ore Kadal and Elektra, he has won several state, national and international film awards.-Biography:...
's critically acclaimed Malayalam film Elektra
Elektra (2010 film)
Elektra is a 2010 Malayalam psychological drama film co-written and directed by Shyamaprasad, starring Nayantara, Manisha Koirala, Prakash Raj, Biju Menon and Skanda Ashok. It was produced by N. B...
. Her performance was well appreciated by critics when it was screened at the International Film Festival of India
International Film Festival of India
The International Film Festival of India , founded in 1952, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. Held annually in the beach town of Goa, in the Western Coast of the country, the festival aims at providing a common platform for the cinemas of the world to project the excellence of...
. The film was also screened at the Dubai International Film Festival
Dubai International Film Festival
The Dubai International Film Festival is an international film festival based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Launched in 2004, it aims to foster the growth of filmmaking in the Arab world.-Overview:...
.
Relationships
While shooting for her Tamil film VallavanVallavan
Vallavan is a 2006Tamil film written and directed by T. R. Silambarasan, starring himself in the title role along with Nayantara, Reema Sen and Sandhya whilst Santhanam, Premji Amaren, Sathyan and S. Ve. Shekhar play supporting roles. The dialogues are written by noted writer Balakumaran, whilst...
, she was romantically linked with the film's director and co-actor Silambarasan Rajendar, which she, however, denied. During the making and after the release of her film Villu
Villu (film)
Villu is a 2009 Tamil film directed by Prabhu Deva. The film stars Joseph Vijay in a dual role while Nayantara and Prakash Raj play other prominent roles. Manoj K. Jayan, Vadivelu, Adithya, Geetha, and Ranjitha play supporting roles whilst Prabhu Deva, Mumaith Khan, Zabyn Khan, and Kushboo Sundar...
, reports suggested that she was in a relationship with its director Prabhu Deva, with some sources even claiming that both had married secretly in June 2009. She had tattooed his name on her wrist, and began appearing with him in public, while keeping silence and refusing to comment about the issue, neither denying nor confirming the relationship. In September 2010 then, Prabhu Deva openly confessed his love for Nayantara and further stated that he would marry her soon. The issue soon gained media attention and turned into a controversy, since Prabhu Deva was already married and not divorced yet, with his wife Ramalath, unwilling to agree for a divorce, filing a petition at the family court, seeking directions against her husband and Nayantara from marrying, attending functions together and receiving awards as husband and wife and requesting a reunion with him. Furthermore, Ramalath threatened to go on hunger strike
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
, if Prabhu Deva married Nayantara, while several women's organizations also conducted protests against Nayantara for "bringing disrepute to Tamil culture", burning an effigy
Effigy
An effigy is a representation of a person, especially in the form of sculpture or some other three-dimensional form.The term is usually associated with full-length figures of a deceased person depicted in stone or wood on church monuments. These most often lie supine with hands together in prayer,...
of her.
Beliefs
On 7 August 2011, she convertedReligious conversion
Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religion that differs from the convert's previous religion. Changing from one denomination to another within the same religion is usually described as reaffiliation rather than conversion.People convert to a different religion for various reasons,...
to Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
at the Arya Samaj
Arya Samaj
Arya Samaj is a Hindu reform movement founded by Swami Dayananda on 10 April 1875. He was a sannyasi who believed in the infallible authority of the Vedas. Dayananda emphasized the ideals of brahmacharya...
Temple in Chennai. She went through Shuddhi Karma, a procedure involving a Vedic purification and a Homan
Homa (ritual)
Homa is a Sanskrit word which refers to any ritual in which making offerings into a consecrated fire is the primary action...
where Nayan chanted the hymns from Veda and Gayathri mantra under the guidance of the priest. After the purification ceremony, a Certificate of Conversion to Hinduism was issued to her and her stage name, Nayantara, became her official name.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Language | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Manassinakkare Manassinakkare Manassinakkare is a 2003 Malayalam film directed by Sathyan Anthikkad and written by Ranjan Pramod. Jayaram, Sheela, Nayantara, Innocent, Oduvil Unnikrishnan, K. P. A. C. Lalitha, Siddique, Sukumari, Nedumudi Venu, and Mammukoya star in the film... |
Gauri | Malayalam Malayalam language Malayalam , is one of the four major Dravidian languages of southern India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India with official language status in the state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry. It is spoken by 35.9 million people... |
Winner, Asianet Award for Best Female New Face of the Year |
| 2004 | Vismayathumbathu Vismayathumbathu Vismayathumbathu is a 2004 release Malayalam film directed by Fazil. It stars Mohanlal, Mukesh and Nayantara in lead roles. Mohanlal plays the role of a person who has the Sixth Sense power while Nayantara does the role of a wandering soul who get associated with Mohanlal.-Cast:* Mohanlal ....... |
Reetha Mathews | Malayalam | |
| Natturajavu Natturajavu Natturajavu is a 2004 release Malayalam film directed by Shaji Kailas. It stars Mohanlal, Meena, Nayantara, Kalabhavan Mani, Cochin Haneefa, K.P.A.C Lalitha, and Siddique in supporting roles.-Plot:... |
Katrina | Malayalam | ||
| 2005 | Ayya | Selvi | Tamil Tamil language Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore... |
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| Chandramukhi Chandramukhi Chandramukhi is a 2005 Indian horror, comedy and drama film directed by P. Vasu and produced by Ramkumar Ganesan. With a few deviations, it is a remake of Vasu's 2004 Kannada film Apthamitra, which was in-turn a remake of the 1993 Malayalam film Manichithrathazhu... |
Durga | Tamil | ||
| Thaskara Veeran Thaskara Veeran Thaskara Veeran is a Malayalam film directed by Pramod Pappan. The film stars Mammootty, Nayantara and Sheela in lead roles. The film also stars Madhu, Innocent, Rajan P.Dev, Siddique, Mamukkoya etc. The film released in 2005 and became a box office failure... |
Thankamani | Malayalam | ||
| Rappakal Rappakal Rappakal is a 2005 released Malayalam film directed by Kamal. Mammootty, Nayantara, Sharada appears in lead roles. Mammootty plays the role of a servant who look after the nook and corner of the bunglaw while Nayan does the role of a smart servant in the same house.-Cast:* Mammootty .. Krishnan*... |
Gauri | Malayalam | ||
| Ghajini | Chitra | Tamil | ||
| Sivakasi Sivakasi (film) Sivakasi is a Tamil action-masala film directed by Perarasu, starring Vijay, Asin and Prakash Raj in lead roles. Nayantara perform in an item number. The film's music is composed by Srikanth Deva. The film released during Diwali 2005 and was declared a "blockbuster". It was leter remade into... |
Nayanthara | Tamil | Special appearance in the song "Kodambakkam Area" | |
| 2006 | Kalvanin Kadhali Kalvanin Kadhali Kalvanin Kaadhali is a 2006 Indian Tamil film written and directed by newcomer Thamilvaanan, who had worked as assistant to director Ezhil. The film stars S. J. Suryaah and Nayanthara in lead roles with Pyramid Natarajan, Vivek and Ganja Karuppu essaying supporting roles. It is notably, Suryah's... |
Haritha | Tamil | |
| Lakshmi Lakshmi (film) Lakshmi Lakshmi Lakshmi (Telugu (Dubbed into Malayalam as Lakshmi and Hindi as Meri Taqat) is a Telugu movie directed by V.V. Vinayak starring Venkatesh, Nayantara, and Charmme Kaur in the lead roles. The film was a "super Hit" at the box-office.-Story:... |
Nandhini | Telugu Telugu language Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu... |
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| Boss Boss, I Love You Boss is a 2006 Telugu film directed by V.N. Aditya. It stars Akkineni Nagarjuna, Nayantara, Poonam Bajwa, and Shriya Saran. The film's score and soundtrack will be composed by Kalyani Malik and Harry Anand. Cinematography for the movie is handled by Siva Kumar while editing is being handled by... |
Anuradha | Telugu | ||
| Vallavan Vallavan Vallavan is a 2006Tamil film written and directed by T. R. Silambarasan, starring himself in the title role along with Nayantara, Reema Sen and Sandhya whilst Santhanam, Premji Amaren, Sathyan and S. Ve. Shekhar play supporting roles. The dialogues are written by noted writer Balakumaran, whilst... |
Swapna | Tamil | ||
| Thalaimagan Thalaimagan Thalaimagan is a 2006 Tamil film starring Sarath Kumar, Nayanthara, Seema Biswas, Vadivelu, Mukesh Tiwari and Vijayakumar. The film was a huge failure and received a lot of negative criticism.-Plot:... |
Meghala | Tamil | ||
| E E (film) E is a 2006 Tamil film directed by S.P.Jananathan, who won the Indian National Award in 2004 for his debut, Iyarkai. Jeeva, Nayantara, Karunaas and Pasupathy play lead roles... |
Jyothi | Tamil | ||
| 2007 | Yogi | Nandini | Telugu | |
| Dubai Seenu Dubai Seenu Dubai Seenu is a 2007 Telugu film starring Ravi Teja in the lead role and Nayantara as Teja's love interest. The film is directed by Srinu Vaitla, who directed two other films of Ravi Teja, Nee Kosam and Venky. D.V.V. Danayya produces this film after the box office success of his maiden film,... |
Madhumathi | Telugu | ||
| Sivaji: The Boss | Tamil | Special appearance in song "Balleilakka Balleilakka Balleilakka is a song from the Tamil film Sivaji: The Boss starring Rajinikanth and Shriya Saran, directed by Shankar. The music was composed by the A. R. Rahman, lyrics were written by Na. Muthukumar and sung by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam , Reihana and Benny Dayal.The song is shot in India... " |
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| Tulasi Tulasi (film) Tulasi is a 2007 Tollywood film directed by Boyapati Srinu . It stars Venkatesh in the lead role as Tulasi Ram and Nayantara as the female lead. Music is scored by Devi Sri Prasad and the film is produced under Suresh Productions.This film story lines are nearly equals to before film Daddy... |
Vasundhara Ram | Telugu | Nominated, Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu | |
| Billa Billa (2007 film) Billa is a 2007 Tamil gangster-thriller film directed by Vishnuvardhan. Based on the 1980 Tamil film of the same name and the 2006 Hindi film, Don: The Chase Begins Again, it was adapted by the director, who rewrote portions of the film from the original... |
Sasha | Tamil | Winner, Vijay Award for Favourite Heroine Vijay Award for Favourite Heroine The Vijay for Favorite Heroine is given by STAR Vijay as part of its annual Vijay Awards ceremony for Tamil films.-Winners and nominations:*2006 Jyothika*2007 Nayantara - Billa**Shriya Saran - Sivaji: The Boss... , Nominated, Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil |
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| 2008 | Yaaradi Nee Mohini Yaaradi Nee Mohini Yaaradi Nee Mohini is a 2008 Tamil family drama film directed by Mithran Jawahar. The film, remake of the 2007 Telugu hit film Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule, directed by Selvaraghavan that starred Venkatesh and Trisha Krishnan, stars Dhanush, Selvaraghavan's brother, and Nayantara in lead roles,... |
Keerthi | Tamil | Winner, Vijay Award for Favourite Heroine Vijay Award for Favourite Heroine The Vijay for Favorite Heroine is given by STAR Vijay as part of its annual Vijay Awards ceremony for Tamil films.-Winners and nominations:*2006 Jyothika*2007 Nayantara - Billa**Shriya Saran - Sivaji: The Boss... Nominated, Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil |
| Kuselan Kuselan Kuselan is a 2008 Tamil drama film directed by P. Vasu, which was simultaneously made in Telugu as Kathanayakudu . Both remake of the Malayalam film Kadha Parayumbol, the film is directed by P. Vasu and produced by Pushpa Kandaswamy, Aswani Dutt and G. P. Vijayakumar in two languages... |
Nayanthara | Tamil | ||
| Sathyam | Deivalakshmi | Tamil | ||
| Aegan Aegan Aegan is a 2008 Tamil action and comedy film directed and co-written by Raju Sundaram and produced by Ayngaran International based on the 2004 Shahrukh Khan starrer Main Hoon Na... |
Mallika | Tamil | ||
| Twenty:20 | Diana | Malayalam | Special appearance in the song "He Dil Deewana" | |
| 2009 | Villu Villu (film) Villu is a 2009 Tamil film directed by Prabhu Deva. The film stars Joseph Vijay in a dual role while Nayantara and Prakash Raj play other prominent roles. Manoj K. Jayan, Vadivelu, Adithya, Geetha, and Ranjitha play supporting roles whilst Prabhu Deva, Mumaith Khan, Zabyn Khan, and Kushboo Sundar... |
Janavi | Tamil | |
| Anjaneyulu | Anjali | Telugu | ||
| Aadhavan Aadhavan Aadhavan is a 2009 Tamil action thriller, directed by K. S. Ravikumar and written by Ramesh Khanna. The film features Surya Sivakumar in the title role along with Nayantara in lead roles and Murali, Vadivelu, Anand Babu, Ramesh Khanna, B. Saroja Devi, Rahul Dev, Sayaji Shinde in its supporting... |
Thara | Tamil | Nominated, Vijay Award for Favourite Heroine Vijay Award for Favourite Heroine The Vijay for Favorite Heroine is given by STAR Vijay as part of its annual Vijay Awards ceremony for Tamil films.-Winners and nominations:*2006 Jyothika*2007 Nayantara - Billa**Shriya Saran - Sivaji: The Boss... |
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| 2010 | Adurs Adurs -External links:* Telugu dialog with optional English subtitles, Youtube hosted, courtesy of MAA TV.... |
Chandrakala | Telugu | |
| Bodyguard | Ammu Ashokan | Malayalam | Winner, Asianet Award for Best Actress | |
| Goa Goa (film) Goa is a 2010 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Venkat Prabhu, who with the project, directed his third film following two previous successes... |
Village girl | Tamil | Guest appearance | |
| Simha Simha (film) Simha is a 2010 Telugu film directed by Boyapati Seenu. The film stars Nandamuri Balakrishna, Nayantara, Adithya Menon, Sneha Ullal in the lead roles while Namitha, Kota Srinivasa Rao and others plays supporting roles. The film's music is by Chakri. Paruchuri Kiriti produced the film under the... |
Gayatri | Telugu | Nominated, Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu | |
| Boss Engira Bhaskaran Boss Engira Bhaskaran Following the success of Siva Manasula Sakthi, Yuvan Shankar Raja composed the musical score and soundtrack of Boss Engira Bhaskaran, too. The soundtrack album, which was released on 27 August 2010 at Sathyam Cinemas, contains 5 tracks, featuring lyrics penned by Na... |
Chandrika | Tamil | Nominated, Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil Nominated, Vijay Award for Favourite Heroine Vijay Award for Favourite Heroine The Vijay for Favorite Heroine is given by STAR Vijay as part of its annual Vijay Awards ceremony for Tamil films.-Winners and nominations:*2006 Jyothika*2007 Nayantara - Billa**Shriya Saran - Sivaji: The Boss... |
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| Super | Indira | Kannada Kannada language Kannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world... |
Nominated, Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Kannada | |
| Elektra Elektra (2010 film) Elektra is a 2010 Malayalam psychological drama film co-written and directed by Shyamaprasad, starring Nayantara, Manisha Koirala, Prakash Raj, Biju Menon and Skanda Ashok. It was produced by N. B... |
Elektra Alexander | Malayalam | ||
| 2011 | Sri Rama Rajyam Sri Rama Rajyam The soundtrack, composed by Ilaiyaraaja, features 16 tracks. The lyrics for all the songs were penned by Jonnavithula.-External links:*... |
Seetha | Telugu |
Awards
- 2003 – Asianet Award for Best Female New Face of the Year – ManassinakkareManassinakkareManassinakkare is a 2003 Malayalam film directed by Sathyan Anthikkad and written by Ranjan Pramod. Jayaram, Sheela, Nayantara, Innocent, Oduvil Unnikrishnan, K. P. A. C. Lalitha, Siddique, Sukumari, Nedumudi Venu, and Mammukoya star in the film...
- 2007 – Vijay Award for Favourite HeroineVijay Award for Favourite HeroineThe Vijay for Favorite Heroine is given by STAR Vijay as part of its annual Vijay Awards ceremony for Tamil films.-Winners and nominations:*2006 Jyothika*2007 Nayantara - Billa**Shriya Saran - Sivaji: The Boss...
– BillaBilla (2007 film)Billa is a 2007 Tamil gangster-thriller film directed by Vishnuvardhan. Based on the 1980 Tamil film of the same name and the 2006 Hindi film, Don: The Chase Begins Again, it was adapted by the director, who rewrote portions of the film from the original... - 2007 – Tamil Best Music Award for Best Stylish Heroine – BillaBilla (2007 film)Billa is a 2007 Tamil gangster-thriller film directed by Vishnuvardhan. Based on the 1980 Tamil film of the same name and the 2006 Hindi film, Don: The Chase Begins Again, it was adapted by the director, who rewrote portions of the film from the original...
- 2008 – Vijay Award for Favourite HeroineVijay Award for Favourite HeroineThe Vijay for Favorite Heroine is given by STAR Vijay as part of its annual Vijay Awards ceremony for Tamil films.-Winners and nominations:*2006 Jyothika*2007 Nayantara - Billa**Shriya Saran - Sivaji: The Boss...
– Yaaradi Nee MohiniYaaradi Nee MohiniYaaradi Nee Mohini is a 2008 Tamil family drama film directed by Mithran Jawahar. The film, remake of the 2007 Telugu hit film Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule, directed by Selvaraghavan that starred Venkatesh and Trisha Krishnan, stars Dhanush, Selvaraghavan's brother, and Nayantara in lead roles,... - 2010 – Close-Up Super Jodi Award
- 2010 – Asianet Award for Best Actress – Bodyguard