Chaitra Reddy

Chaitra Reddy is an Indian actress who works in Tamil, Kannada and Telugu television and in films. She is best known to Tamil viewers for two long-running serials: as Swetha, the scheming antagonist of Zee Tamil's Yaaradi Nee Mohini (2017 to 2021), and as the nurse Kayalvizhi in the title role of Sun TV's Kayal, which ran from October 2021 to October 2026 and won her the Sun Kudumbam Viruthugal for Best Actress in 2022 and 2025.

From Karnataka, she started out in Kannada television as the lead of Avanu Mathe Shravani (2014 to 2016) and entered Tamil television in late 2016 when she took over the role of Dr Priya from Priya Bhavani Shankar in Star Vijay's Kalyanam Mudhal Kadhal Varai. Her films include the Kannada releases Rugged (2019) and MRP (2022) and the Tamil film Valimai (2022), in which she played Latha opposite Ajith Kumar.

As of November 2026, Kayal has just concluded after five years on air, with its final episode telecast on 24 October 2026.

Quick facts

Career

Kannada television (2014 to 2016)

Chaitra Reddy made her acting debut in 2014 as Shravani, the lead of the Kannada serial Avanu Mathe Shravani, and stayed with the show until 2016.

Kalyanam Mudhal Kadhal Varai (2016 to 2017)

Her first Tamil serial was Kalyanam Mudhal Kadhal Varai, Star Vijay's remake of the Hindi series Yeh Hai Mohabbatein, directed by Thai Selvam. The serial had been running since November 2014 with Priya Bhavani Shankar as Dr Priya, a doctor who marries her neighbour Arjun Swaminathan, played by Amit Bhargav, to protect his daughter. When Priya Bhavani Shankar's contract ended in October 2016, Chaitra stepped into the role in November 2016 and played it until the serial ended on 27 January 2017 after 600 episodes.

Yaaradi Nee Mohini (2017 to 2021)

Chaitra's breakthrough came with Yaaradi Nee Mohini, a supernatural drama on Zee Tamil that ran from 24 April 2017 to 22 August 2021 for 1,253 episodes, directed by N. Priyan. She played Swetha, the second lead and main antagonist, who is the arch-rival of the heroine Vennila (Nachathira) and the former fiancée of the hero Mutharasan (played by Shreekumar). The role made her one of the best-known villains on Tamil television. She won Favourite Villi at the first Zee Tamil Kudumbam Viruthugal in 2018 and Best Villi at the third edition in 2020, as well as Best Villi at the 2020 Galatta TV Awards.

Telugu television (2019 to 2020)

While Yaaradi Nee Mohini was still on air, she played the title role of Subhadra in the Telugu serial Subhadra Parinayam on Gemini TV, which ran for 99 episodes from 14 October 2019 to 28 February 2020.

Kayal (2021 to 2026)

Chaitra returned to Tamil television as a heroine with Kayal, which premiered on Sun TV on 25 October 2021. Directed by P. Selvam and produced by Vision Time India with Sun Entertainment, the family drama follows Kayalvizhi Muthuvel, a nurse who becomes the main provider for her family, and her marriage to Ezhil, a boxer played by Sanjeev Karthick. Its concept drew on K. Balachander's 1987 film Manathil Urudhi Vendum. The serial was later remade by the Sun network in Telugu (Saadhana), Kannada (Radhika), Bengali, Marathi and Malayalam (Bhavana).

At the 2022 Sun Kudumbam Viruthugal, Kayal won Best Serial and Chaitra won Best Actress. She received the Best Actress award again, this time shared with another actress, at the 2025 Sun Kudumbam Viruthugal. The serial's final episode was telecast on 24 October 2026.

Films (2019 onwards)

Chaitra's first film was the Kannada release Rugged (2019), directed by Mahesh Gowda, in which she played Nandini. In 2022 she had her first film as a lead actress with the Kannada film MRP, again as a character named Nandini. The same year she made her Tamil film debut in Valimai, H. Vinoth's action film starring Ajith Kumar, which was produced by Boney Kapoor and released on 24 February 2022. She played Latha, a supporting role.

Reality television

In 2024 she took part in the first season of the Sun TV cooking show Top Cooku Dupe Cooku, hosted by VJ Rakesh and judged by chefs Venkatesh Bhat and Rammohan and singer Binni Krishnakumar. The season ran from 19 May to 29 September 2024, and she finished among the runners-up.

Television

Filmography

Awards

FAQ

Who is Chaitra Reddy?

Chaitra Reddy is an actress from Karnataka who works in Tamil, Kannada and Telugu television and films. She is best known as Swetha in Yaaradi Nee Mohini and as Kayal in Sun TV's Kayal.

Which serial did Chaitra Reddy start with?

She made her debut in 2014 as Shravani, the lead of the Kannada serial Avanu Mathe Shravani.

Did Chaitra Reddy replace Priya Bhavani Shankar?

Yes. She took over the role of Dr Priya in Star Vijay's Kalyanam Mudhal Kadhal Varai in November 2016, after Priya Bhavani Shankar's contract ended, and played it until the serial finished in January 2017.

When did the Kayal serial end?

Kayal premiered on Sun TV on 25 October 2021 and its final episode was telecast on 24 October 2026.

Which films has Chaitra Reddy acted in?

Rugged (2019) and MRP (2022) in Kannada, and Valimai (2022) in Tamil, where she played Latha opposite Ajith Kumar.

Which awards has Chaitra Reddy won?

Her awards include Best Actress at the Sun Kudumbam Viruthugal in 2022 and 2025 for Kayal, Favourite Villi (2018) and Best Villi (2020) at the Zee Tamil Kudumbam Viruthugal, and Best Villi at the 2020 Galatta TV Awards, the last three for Yaaradi Nee Mohini.