Three Tamil films in which she enacted the lead female characters – Vallavan, Thalaimagan and E – were released simultaneously during Deepavali 2006.
She next made her debut in Telugu, starring in the film Lakshmi, following which she performed in Boss, I Love You. stated her performance was the "strength of the film". Nayanthara's first release in 2006 was Kalvanin Kadhali. Nayanthara then accepted to appear in an item number as herself in the Perarasu-directed masala film Sivakasi. Later that year she appeared in A R Murugadoss' Ghajini, in which she played a secondary female character. The film ran for over 800 days in theatres, eventually turning Nayanthara into one of the most-sought after actresses in Tamil. Vasu's wife had seen Manassinakkare and recommended her. While still shooting for Ayya, she was selected for the comedy horror film Chandramukhi, after its director P. stated that she had made a "sensational debut in Tamil", while a reviewer from said that her "presence with her beautiful smile is crowd winning". In 2005, she was cast in Hari's Ayya, debuting in the Tamil film industry as lead heroine of the Movie. Nayanthara subsequently started appearing in Tamil and Telugu films. She also acted in Thaskara Veeran and Rappakal.Įarly work in Tamil and Telugu cinema (2005–2007) 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". Both her releases in 2004, Natturajavu by Shaji Kailas, and Fazil's psychological thriller Vismayathumbathu, saw her co-starring alongside Mohanlal while she played the protagonist's adopted sister in the former, she portrayed a ghost in the latter. Manassinakkare went on to become a high financial success and she continued to receive acting offers. 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". She was spotted by director Sathyan Anthikkad, who had seen some of her modelling assignments and approached her to play a pivotal role in his film Manassinakkare (2003). While studying at college, Nayanthara worked part-time as a model. See also: Nayanthara filmography Debut in Malayalam cinema (2003–2004) In Thiruvalla, she studied at Balikamadom Girls Higher Secondary School and then attended Marthoma College, Thiruvalla for her bachelor's degree in English Literature. She did her schooling in Jamnagar, Gujarat and Delhi. As her father was an Indian Air Force official, Nayanthara studied in various parts of India, mainly in North India. Her elder brother, Leno, lives in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Nayanthara was born as Diana Mariam Kurian in Bangalore, Karnataka, India to Malabar Nasrani parents Kurian Kodiyattu and Omana Kurian who hail from the aristocratic Kodiyattu family from Thiruvalla, Kerala.
2.4 Comeback and stardom (2012–present).2.3 Public recognition and widespread success (2007–2011).2.2 Early work in Tamil and Telugu cinema (2005–2007).In 2017, she was awarded the Filmfare Award for Best Malayalam Actress for her performance in Puthiya Niyamam (2016), marking her first Filmfare Award in Malayalam. She won the Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Actress for her performance in Raja Rani (2013), Naanum Rowdy Dhaan (2015) and Aramm (2017). Her portrayal of Goddess Sita in Sri Rama Rajyam (2011) earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Telugu Actress and the Nandi Award for Best Actress.
In 2010, she also made her Kannada film debut through the film Super along with, Upendra, her only appearance in a Kannada film to date. After this she had numerous commercially successful Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu films like Chandramukhi (2005), Rappakal (2005), Ghajini (2005), Dubai Seenu (2007), Tulasi (2007), Billa (2007), Yaaradi Nee Mohini (2008), Aadhavan (2009), Adhurs (2010), Bodyguard (2010), Simha (2010), Boss Engira Bhaskaran (2010), Sri Rama Rajyam (2011), Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum (2012), Raja Rani (2013), Arrambam (2013), Bhaskar the Rascal (2015), Thani Oruvan (2015), Maya (2015), Naanum Rowdy Dhaan (2015), Babu Bangaram (2016), Iru Mugan (2016), Dora (2017), Velaikkaran (2017), Kolamavu Kokila (2018), Imaikkaa Nodigal (2018), Viswasam (2019), Love Action Drama (2019), Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy (2019) and Bigil (2019). She made her debut in Tamil cinema with Ayya (2005) and Telugu with Lakshmi (2006). She made her acting debut in the 2003 Malayalam film Manassinakkare with Jayaram.
Nayanthara is often referred as Lady Superstar of South Indian cinema. She was the only South Indian female actor to have made it to the Forbes India “Celebrity 100”, 2018 list, with her total earning credited at ₹ 15.17 crores. Nayanthara (born Diana Mariam Kurian 18 November 1984) is an Indian actress who predominantly appears and works in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam cinema.