Nayanthara

Nayanthara (born Diana Mariam Kurian, 18 November 1984) is an Indian actress and film producer who works mainly in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam cinema. She began her career with the Malayalam film Manassinakkare in 2003, made her Tamil debut with Ayya in 2005, her Telugu debut with Lakshmi in 2006 and her Kannada debut with Super in 2010.

She is best known for films such as Chandramukhi, Billa, Sri Rama Rajyam, Raja Rani, Naanum Rowdy Dhaan and Aramm, and she made her Hindi debut opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Jawan (2023). She has won five Filmfare Awards South, and with filmmaker Vignesh Shivan she runs the production banner Rowdy Pictures.

As of November 2026, her latest release is the devotional fantasy Mookuthi Amman 2, directed by Sundar C, which opened in theatres for Diwali on 6 November 2026. It was her fifth release of the year, after Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu, Patriot, Toxic and Hi.

Quick facts

Early life and education

Nayanthara was born Diana Mariam Kurian in Bengaluru. Her father, Kurian Kodiyattu, served as an officer in the Indian Air Force, so the family moved between several cities, and she went to school in places including Jamnagar and Delhi before the family settled in Thiruvalla, Kerala. She studied English Literature at Mar Thoma College in Thiruvalla, and she was still a student there when she was cast in her first film.

Career

Malayalam beginnings (2003 to 2004)

She made her acting debut as Gouri in Sathyan Anthikkad's Malayalam drama Manassinakkare (2003). In 2004 she appeared opposite Mohanlal in two films: Shaji Kailas's Natturajavu, as Katrina, and Fazil's Vismayathumbathu, where critics liked her performance as a ghost named Reetha Mathews.

Tamil breakthrough (2005 to 2007)

Her first Tamil film was Hari's Ayya (2005), where she played Selvi. The same year she played Durga in P. Vasu's comedy horror Chandramukhi, which ran in theatres for more than 800 days, and took a secondary role as Chitra in A. R. Murugadoss's Ghajini. She also acted with Mammootty in the Malayalam films Thaskara Veeran and Rappakal.

She entered Telugu cinema with Lakshmi (2006) and had three Tamil releases that Deepavali, Vallavan, Thalaimagan and E. In 2007 she played Sasha in Vishnuvardhan's gangster film Billa, which brought her a first Filmfare nomination in Tamil and the Vijay Award for Favourite Heroine. Her Telugu film Tulasi, with Venkatesh, did well commercially that year and earned her a first Filmfare nomination in Telugu.

Across four languages (2008 to 2012)

She worked steadily in Tamil with Yaaradi Nee Mohini, Aegan, Villu and Aadhavan. In 2010 she had releases in four languages, among them the Telugu films Adhurs and Simha, the Malayalam film Body Guard, the Tamil comedy Boss Engira Bhaskaran and her Kannada debut, Super. Her Malayalam drama Elektra, directed by Shyamaprasad, screened at the International Film Festival of India.

In Bapu's Telugu mythological film Sri Rama Rajyam (2011) she played Sita, and critics praised her performance. The role won her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress in Telugu and the Nandi Award for Best Actress. In Krish's Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum (2012) she played a journalist and dubbed her own lines in Telugu.

Raja Rani to Aramm (2013 to 2017)

Atlee's debut film Raja Rani (2013) cast her as Regina, alongside Arya, Jai and Nazriya Nazim. The film was a commercial success, and her performance won her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress in Tamil, the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actress and the Vijay Award for Best Actress. The same year she starred with Ajith Kumar in Vishnuvardhan's Arrambam.

In 2015 the horror film Maya was profitable at the box office, and she also appeared in Thani Oruvan. Vignesh Shivan's Naanum Rowdy Dhaan (2015), in which she played Kadambari, a woman who cannot hear, gave her a second Filmfare Award for Best Actress in Tamil. Her role in the Malayalam film Puthiya Niyamam (2016), opposite Mammootty, brought her a first Filmfare Award in Malayalam. She also starred with Vikram in Iru Mugan that year.

In 2017 she played the district collector Madhivadhani in Gopi Nainar's social drama Aramm, which was about the rescue of a young child who falls into a borewell. Critics praised the film and her performance, and it did well at the box office. It won her a third Filmfare Award for Best Actress in Tamil, the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actress and the SIIMA Award for Best Actress in Tamil.

Lead roles and big-star films (2018 to 2022)

She played the title role in Nelson Dilipkumar's Kolamaavu Kokila (2018), which earned her another Filmfare nomination, and acted with Atharvaa in Imaikkaa Nodigal. In 2019 she starred in Viswasam, appeared with Vijay in Bigil, with Chiranjeevi in the Telugu film Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy and with Nivin Pauly in the Malayalam film Love Action Drama.

In 2020 she played Lilly in Darbar with Rajinikanth and the goddess in Mookuthi Amman. In 2021 critics praised her role as a blind CBI officer in Netrikann, a remake of the South Korean film Blind, and she starred with Rajinikanth again in Annaatthe. Her 2022 releases were Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal with Vijay Sethupathi and Samantha, the survival thriller O2, the horror film Connect, the Telugu film Godfather and the Malayalam film Gold with Prithviraj Sukumaran.

Hindi debut with Jawan (2023 to 2025)

She made her Hindi debut in Atlee's action thriller Jawan, released on 7 September 2023, playing the officer Narmada Rai opposite Shah Rukh Khan. Jawan was the highest-grossing Indian film of 2023. Later that year she appeared in Iraivan and played a chef in Annapoorani: The Goddess of Food, which reunited her with Jai after Raja Rani. In 2024 Netflix released the documentary Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale about her life.

She started 2025 with Test, the first film directed by S. Sashikanth, which began streaming on Netflix on 4 April 2025. She played the schoolteacher Kumudha opposite R. Madhavan and Siddharth.

Five releases in 2026

Her first release of 2026 was Anil Ravipudi's Telugu film Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu, which came out on 12 January for Sankranti. She played Sasirekha opposite Chiranjeevi, and the film was a major success. In Mahesh Narayanan's Malayalam thriller Patriot, released on 1 May 2026, she played the lawyer Lathika Padmanabhan alongside Mammootty and Mohanlal.

Geetu Mohandas's Toxic, made in Kannada and English, opened on 26 August 2026 with Yash in the lead, and she played Ganga, the elder sister of his character. Critics mostly disliked the film. Two days later, on 28 August, she released the Tamil romantic drama Hi, the first film directed by Vishnu Edavan. She played Devayani opposite Kavin, produced the film as well, and it got mixed responses.

On 6 November 2026 she returned to the goddess role in Sundar C's Mookuthi Amman 2, playing a Chennai police constable named Sakthi. Regena Cassandrra, Duniya Vijay and Urvashi also appear in it. Reviews were mixed, though critics praised her performance.

Rowdy Pictures

Nayanthara and Vignesh Shivan run the production banner Rowdy Pictures. Its productions include Netrikann (2021), Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal (2022) and Koozhangal (Pebbles), a film directed by first-time filmmaker P. S. Vinothraj that was chosen as India's official entry for the 2022 Oscars in the international feature film category.

Upcoming films

Filmography

Awards

Personal life

Nayanthara married filmmaker Vignesh Shivan on 9 June 2022 in a private ceremony in Mahabalipuram. The two first worked together on Naanum Rowdy Dhaan (2015).

FAQ

What is Nayanthara's real name and where was she born?

Her birth name is Diana Mariam Kurian. She was born in Bengaluru on 18 November 1984.

What was Nayanthara's first film?

Her first film was the Malayalam drama Manassinakkare (2003), directed by Sathyan Anthikkad. Her first Tamil film was Ayya (2005).

What is Nayanthara's latest film?

As of November 2026, her latest release is Sundar C's Mookuthi Amman 2, which opened in theatres on 6 November 2026.

Which Hindi film has Nayanthara acted in?

She made her Hindi debut in Atlee's Jawan (2023), playing Narmada Rai opposite Shah Rukh Khan. It was the highest-grossing Indian film of 2023.

How many Filmfare Awards has Nayanthara won?

She has won five Filmfare Awards South, for Sri Rama Rajyam, Raja Rani, Naanum Rowdy Dhaan, Puthiya Niyamam and Aramm.

Who is Nayanthara's husband?

She married filmmaker Vignesh Shivan on 9 June 2022. Together they run the production banner Rowdy Pictures.