Sreeja Chandran

Sreeja Chandran is an Indian television actress from Kerala who has worked mainly in Malayalam and Tamil serials. Tamil viewers know her best as Meenatchi, the small-town schoolteacher from Tirunelveli in the first season of Star Vijay's Saravanan Meenatchi (2011 to 2013), opposite Mirchi Senthil. The serial was one of the biggest hits in Tamil television at the time, and it won her the Vijay Television Award for Favourite Actor (Female) in 2014.

She began in Malayalam television and cinema, appearing as a child artist in the film Kathapurushan (1995) and going on to a long run of serials on Asianet, Surya TV, Kairali TV, Amrita TV and DD Malayalam. Her Tamil debut was the Star Vijay serial Madurai, in which she was first paired with Senthil. Other Tamil serials include Manikoondu and Mundhanai Mudichu on Sun TV, Meera on Star Vijay and Nila on Kalaignar TV. Her last serial as a lead was Mappillai (2016 to 2017) on Star Vijay, again with Senthil.

Sreeja married Senthil in July 2014, the year after Saravanan Meenatchi ended. Since Mappillai the couple have worked together on the YouTube web series Kalyanam Conditions Apply, which has had three seasons, the first in 2017 and the third in 2021.

Quick facts

Career

Malayalam television and films (1995 to 2000s)

Sreeja's first screen appearance was as a child artist in Kathapurushan (1995). Her television debut was the Surya TV serial Pakalmazha, and over the following years she became a familiar face in Malayalam serials. On Asianet she appeared in Ammathamburatti, Gandharvayamam, Vikramadhithyan, Dracula, Kadamattathu Kathanar, Swantham (as Suchitra), Kudumbini (as Shyama), Akkare Ikkare, Penninte Katha and Nirmalyam (as Maya). On Surya TV her serials included Thulasidhalam, Manassariyathe (as Indhu), Sneham, Thalolam, Velankanni Mathavu (as Raechal), Aadhiparashakthi (as Devi), Mattoruval and Swamiya Saranamayyappa (as Parvathy). She also acted in Valayam (as Sunanda) and Kaazhcha on DD Malayalam, Priyam (as Asha) and Kanamarayathu on Kairali TV, and the Amrita TV telefilm Panthalayaniyilekku Oru Yathra.

She played Goddess Lakshmi in several mythological serials on Asianet, among them Sreekrishnaleela, Krishankripasagaram, Sreemahabhagavatham and Devimahathmyam, and Lakshmi and Sita in Swami Ayyappan.

Her Malayalam film credits include Pularvettam (2001), Krishna Gopalakrishna (2002), Valkannadi (2002), Sahodharan Sahadevan (2003), Pakal (2006) and Vadakkumnadhan (2006).

Move to Tamil television

Sreeja entered Tamil television with Madurai on Star Vijay, where she played Meenatchi opposite Senthil, a Radio Mirchi jockey turned actor. She followed Madurai with Manikoondu on Sun TV (as Preethi), Meera on Star Vijay (in the title role), Mundhanai Mudichu on Sun TV (as Tamilarasi) and Nila on Kalaignar TV (as Meenatchi).

Saravanan Meenatchi (2011 to 2013)

Saravanan Meenatchi premiered on Star Vijay on 7 March 2011 in the 8:30 pm weekday slot and ran for 616 episodes until 18 October 2013. Directed by Azhagar, it told the story of Saravanan, a Chennai radio jockey from a wealthy family, and Meenatchi, a teacher from a small town in Tirunelveli, who meet through a marriage proposal that falls through and then fall in love. Senthil played RJ Saravanan and Sreeja played Meenatchi. The cast also included Stalin Muthu as Meenatchi's brother Thamizh, Kuyili and Rajasekar as Saravanan's parents, and Kavin in an early role as Murugan.

The serial was the number one show in Tamil Nadu for several weeks and was the first serial from outside Sun TV to reach the top of the ratings charts. Its wedding episode, staged at a real venue in Karaikudi, was broadcast for about two and a half hours. At the 2014 Vijay Television Awards it won Favourite Fiction Series, while Sreeja won Favourite Actor (Female) and she and Senthil won Favourite Screen Pair. A second season with a new cast, led by Rachitha Mahalakshmi and Kavin, followed in October 2013.

Mappillai (2016 to 2017)

Sreeja and Senthil were reunited in Mappillai, which premiered on Star Vijay on 14 November 2016 and ran for 241 episodes until 6 October 2017. Directed by Francis Kathiravan, the serial first aired at 9 pm on weeknights and moved to 8 pm in June 2017. Sreeja played Jaya and Senthil played a son-in-law who is forced to live in his mother-in-law's house and must deal with the hardships that follow while supporting his wife's ambitions. At the 2017 Vijay Television Awards the serial won four awards from nine nominations, including Favourite Screen Pair for Senthil and Sreeja; Sreeja was also nominated for Favourite Actress.

Web series and later work

After Mappillai, Sreeja and Senthil moved to YouTube with the web series Kalyanam Conditions Apply (2017), in which she plays a character named Sreeja. It has since returned for two more seasons, the third of them in 2021. On the big screen she made a brief appearance as herself in the Tamil film Vennila Veedu (2014), in which Senthil also acted.

Tamil television

Web series

Films

Awards

Personal life

Sreeja married her Saravanan Meenatchi co-star Senthil Kumar on 2 July 2014 in a private ceremony in Tirupati attended by family and close friends.

FAQ

Who is Sreeja Chandran?

Sreeja Chandran is a television actress from Kerala who works in Malayalam and Tamil serials. She is best known as Meenatchi in the first season of Saravanan Meenatchi on Star Vijay.

Which serials has Sreeja Chandran acted in on Tamil television?

Madurai, Meera, Saravanan Meenatchi and Mappillai on Star Vijay, Manikoondu and Mundhanai Mudichu on Sun TV, and Nila on Kalaignar TV.

Who played Saravanan opposite Sreeja in Saravanan Meenatchi?

Senthil Kumar, the Radio Mirchi jockey known as Mirchi Senthil, played RJ Saravanan. The serial ran for 616 episodes from March 2011 to October 2013.

Is Sreeja Chandran married to Senthil?

Yes. She married Senthil Kumar on 2 July 2014 in Tirupati.

Which awards has Sreeja Chandran won?

She won Favourite Actor (Female) and Favourite Screen Pair at the 2014 Vijay Television Awards for Saravanan Meenatchi, and Favourite Screen Pair again at the 2017 Vijay Television Awards for Mappillai.

What has Sreeja Chandran done since Mappillai?

She and Senthil have acted together in the YouTube web series Kalyanam Conditions Apply, whose first season came out in 2017 and third season in 2021.