Nayantara is an Indian film actress, who appears in South Indian films. She made her acting debut in the 2003 Malayalam film Manassinakkare and followed with the successful Vismayathumbathu (2004) before foraying into Tamil and Telugu cinema. She born on 18 November 1984 as Diana Mariam Kurian.
ഒരു ദക്ഷിണേന്ത്യൻ ചലച്ചിത്ര നടിയാണ് നയൻതാര എന്ന പേരിലറിയപ്പെടുന്ന ഡയാന മറിയം കുര്യൻ. മനസ്സിനക്കരെ എന്ന മലയാളചലച്ചിത്രത്തിലൂടെ ചലച്ചിത്രലോകത്തെത്തിയ നയൻതാര തമിഴ്, തെലുങ്ക് എന്നീ ഭാഷകളിലെ ചിത്രങ്ങളിലും അഭിനയിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട്. മനസ്സിനക്കരെയ്ക്കുപുറമെ തമിഴ് ചലച്ചിത്രങ്ങളായ ചന്ദ്രമുഖി, ഗജിനി, ബില്ല, യാരടീ നീ മോഹിനി തുടങ്ങിയ ചിത്രങ്ങൾ നയൻ താരയുടെ വിജയചിത്രങ്ങളിൽ ചിലതാണ്. ശ്രീരാമരാജ്യം എന്ന ചിത്രത്തിലെ അഭിനയത്തിനു മികച്ചനടിക്കുള്ള ആന്ധ്രാസർക്കാരിന്റെ നന്തി പുരസ്കാരം നയൻതാരയ്ക്കു ലഭിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട്. നയൻതാരയുടെ ആദ്യചലച്ചിത്രമായ മനസ്സിനക്കരെ സംവിധാനം ചെയ്തത് സത്യൻ അന്തിക്കാട് ആയിരുന്നു. ഈ ചിത്രത്തിൽ നായകനായഭിനയിച്ചത് ജയറാമായിരുന്നു. സാമ്പത്തികവിജയം നേടിയ ഈ ചിത്രത്തിൽ നയൻതാരയുടെ വേഷവും ശ്രദ്ധിക്കപ്പെട്ടു.
She made her debut into Tamil cinema with Ayya (2005), and later that year appeared in the commercially successful Ghajini. She gained fame as a lead actress with films such as Chandramukhi (2005), Billa (2007), Yaaradi Nee Mohini (2008), Boss Engira Bhaskaran (2010) Raja Rani (2013) and Arrambam(2013) in particular, making herself one among the most sought after actresses in Tamil cinema. She debuted in Telugu with Lakshmi (2006) and featured in the successful ventures like Tulasi (2007), Dubai Seenu (2007), Adurs (2010), Simha (2010) and later in 2010, made her Kannada film debut through the blockbuster Super. Her portrayal of Sita in Sri Rama Rajyam (2011) earned her Filmfare Award for Best Telugu Actress and Nandi Award for Best Actress.
തുടർന്ന് നയൻതാര അഭിനയിച്ചത് മോഹൻലാൽ നായകനായി അഭിനയിച്ച നാട്ടുരാജാവ് എന്ന ചിത്രത്തിലാണ്. ഷാജി കൈലാസ് സംവിധാനം ചെയ്ത ഈ ചിത്രത്തിൽ ഒരു സഹനടിയായാണ് നയൻതാര അഭിനയിച്ചത്. പിന്നീട് ഫാസിൽ സംവിധാനം ചെയ്ത വിസ്മയത്തുമ്പത്തിലും, പ്രമോദ് പപ്പൻ സംവിധാനം ചെയ്ത തസ്കരവീരനിലും[2], കമൽ സംവിധാനം ചെയ്ത രാപ്പകലിലും നയൻതാര അഭിനയിച്ചു. ഇക്കാലഘട്ടത്തിൽത്തന്നെ തമിഴ് ചലച്ചിത്രത്തിലേക്കും ഇവർ പ്രവേശിച്ചു. രജനികാന്തിൻറെ നായികയായി അഭിനയിച്ച ചന്ദ്രമുഖി, ശരത്കുമാറിൻറെ നായികയായി അഭിയിച്ച അയ്യാ, അജിത്തിൻറെ നായികയായി അഭിനയിച്ച ബില്ല തുടങ്ങിയവ നയൻതാരയുടെ ശ്രദ്ധേയ തമിഴ്ചിത്രങ്ങളിൽ ഉൾപ്പെടുന്നു.
She has completed filming for Idhu Kathirvelan Kadhal opposite Udhayanidhi Stalin which is directed by S. R. Prabhakaran and Anamika directed by Shekhar Kammula, which will be her next release. Her other upcoming films are Radha directed by Maruthi and two untitled projects directed by B. Gopaland Pandiraj.
Nayantara was born in Bangalore, Karnataka to Malayali Syrian Christian 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. She has said that she would have become a chartered accountant if not an actress .
പത്തനംതിട്ട ജില്ലയിലെ തിരുവല്ലയിലുള്ള ഒരു ഓർത്തഡോക്സ് സിറിയൻ ക്രിസ്ത്യൻ കുടുംബത്തിലാണ് ഡയാന മറിയം കുര്യൻ എന്ന നയൻതാര ജനിച്ചത്. തിരുവല്ല ബാലികാമഠം ഹൈ സ്കൂളിലും മാർത്തോമ കോളേജിലുമായി വിദ്യാഭ്യാസം പൂർത്തിയാക്കി. ഇംഗ്ലീഷ് സാഹിത്യത്തിലാണ് ഇവർ ബിരുദം നേടിയത്. കൈരളി ടി.വിയിൽ ഫോൺ-ഇൻ പ്രോഗ്രാം അവതരിപ്പിച്ചുകൊണ്ടായിരുന്നു ദൃശ്യ മാധ്യമ രംഗത്ത് തുടക്കമിട്ടത്.
On 7 August 2011, Nayantara converted to Hinduism at the Arya Samaj Temple in Chennai. 2011 ആഗസ്റ്റ് 7ന് ചെന്നൈ ആര്യസമാജത്തിൽ നിന്നും ഹിന്ദുമതം സ്വീകരിച്ച ഇവർ നയൻതാര എന്ന പേര് ഔദ്യോഗികമായി സ്വീകരിച്ചു. She went through Shuddhi Karma, a procedure involving a Vedic purification and a Homam where Nayan chanted the hymns from Veda and Gayatri 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.
While shooting for her Tamil film Vallavan, she was romantically linked with the film's director and co-actor Silambarasan Rajendar. She initially denied the reports. In November 2006, however, she confirmed that she and Silambarasan had broken up, going on to add that she will not work with him again. During the making, in 2008, 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. His wife Ramalath, unwilling to agree for a divorce, filed a petition at the family court, sought directions against her husband and Nayantara from marrying, attending functions together and receiving awards as husband and wife and requested 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. In 2012, Nayantara confirmed that she had ended her relationship with Prabhu Deva.
Nayantara's only release in 2011 was the mythological film Sri Rama Rajyam by Bapu, in which she played the role of Sita. She received critical acclaim for her performance in the film with Rediff.com noting that "Nayanthara is the surprise package of the film. As Sita, she too has played the role of her lifetime. She gave a fine understated performance conveying a kaleidoscope of emotions", while Sify commented "Nayanthara gave a fitting answer to all, unleashing grace and accomplishing the assignment with absolute perfection."
Subsequently, she was awarded the Nandi Award for Best Actress and the Filmfare Award for Best Telugu Actress. The film was dubbed in the media as her swan song and considered to be her last release before her marriage as she was reported to quit acting thereafter.
In 2010, all Nayantara's releases, which featured her as the female lead, 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 Award for Best Actress 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.
In 2008 she had five releases, four of which were in Tamil. Her first release, the family entertainer Yaaradi Nee Mohini was critically acclaimed and one of the highest grossing Tamil films of the year. Nayantara's portrayal of Keerthi was appreciated by critics. Behindwoods.com wrote: "Nayan dispels her bombshell act and proves that she can more than just that. She breaks into tears when needed, shows vicious contempt when rubbed the wrong way in the name of love, and looks endearing in songs".
Nowrunning.com cited that she "exhibits her acting skills in full measure and gives a moving performance in emotional scenes", while Sify's critic wrote that she looked "sensational and has done a great job in perhaps the meatiest role she has done so far". She won the Vijay Award for Favourite Heroine for second consecutive year, as well as a nomination for the Best Actress prize at the 56th Filmfare Awards South. 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 Suriya which released in October of that year.
Nayan's first release in 2006 was Kalvanin Kadhali. Indiaglitz.com termed her performance as the "strength of the movie". She next made her debut in Telugu, starring in the film Lakshmi, following which she performed in Boss, I Love You, alongside Venkatesh and Nagarjuna respectively. Three Tamil films in which she enacted the lead female characters – Vallavan, Thalaimagan and E – were released simultaneously during Diwali 2006. All three films opened to mixed reviews; Nayantara mostly won praise for her performances. In Vallavan, she portrayed a lecturer who falls in love with a student younger than her.
Sify wrote: "Nayanthara virtually walks away with the film and has never looked so beautiful. She looks gorgeous especially in songs and does justice to her well-etched out role". The science fiction thriller E featured Nayantara in the role of a bar dancer. Reviewers claimed that she made an impact, was "very adequate and impressive in a slightly complicated role", and that she had "come up with a good performance". In Thalaimagan, she played a news reporter, with critics agreeing that she did not have much to do in the film. She regained her star billing in Kollywood acting opposite Ajith Kumar in the Vishnuvardhan-directed gangster film Billa (2007).
A remake of the same-titled 1980 Tamil film, it went on to become a blockbuster success at the box office, while Nayantara received many accolades for her performance as Sasha in her new glamour look. Sify heaped praise on her, describing her as a "show stopper". The reviewer further wrote: "Nayanthara has gone full throttle to look her sexiest best She has a beautiful body which she flaunts daringly and is also able to bring out the cold aloofness and bitterness of her character. Similarly a critic from Nowrunning.com noted that she looked "great in mini skirts, jacket, dark glasses and tall boots"
Nayantara 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. The family drama film opened to positive critical response, fetching Nayantara positive feedback as well. Behindwoods.com claimed that she had made a "sensational debut in Tamil", while a reviewer from Nowrunning.com said that her "presence with her beautiful smile is crowd winning". While still shooting for Ayya, she was selected to portray the love interest of Rajinikanth in the comedy horror film Chandramukhi, after its director P. Vasu's wife had seen Manassinakkare and recommended her. The film 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 told that appearing in Ghajini was a big mistake and the "worst decision" she ever took. Nayantara then accepted to appear in an item number as herself in the Perarasu-directed masala film Sivakasi starring Vijay.
While studying at college, Nayantara was working as a part-time model. She was spotted by director Sathyan Anthikkad, who had seen some of her modelling assignments and approached her to play a pivotal role opposite Jayaram in his film Manassinakkare (2003). 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 movie". Manassinakkare went on to become a high financial success and she continued to receive acting offers.
Her both 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. 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". She also acted opposite Mammootty in Thaskara Veeran and Rappakal.
Awards and honours to Nayantara
| Year |
Category |
Award |
Film |
Result |
| 2003 |
Asianet Award for Best Female New Face of the Year |
Asianet Film Awards |
Manassinakkare |
Won |
| 2007 |
Filmfare Award for Best Telugu Actress |
Filmfare Awards South |
Tulasi |
Nominated |
| Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Actress |
Filmfare Awards South |
Billa |
Nominated |
| Vijay Award for Favourite Heroine |
Vijay Awards |
Won |
| Sunfeast Isaiaruvi Tamil Music Award for Best Actress |
Sunfeast Tamil Music Awards |
Won |
| 2008 |
Vijay Award for Favourite Heroine |
Vijay Awards |
Yaaradi Nee Mohini |
Won |
| Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Actress |
Filmfare Awards South |
Nominated |
| 2009 |
Vijay Award for Favourite Heroine |
Vijay Awards |
Aadhavan |
Nominated |
| 2010 |
Asianet Award for Best Actress |
Asianet Film Awards |
Bodyguard |
Won |
| Vijay Award for Favourite Heroine |
Vijay Awards |
Boss Engira Bhaskaran |
Nominated |
| Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Actress |
Filmfare Awards South |
Nominated |
| Filmfare Award for Best Telugu Actress |
Simha |
Nominated |
| Filmfare Award for Best Kannada Actress |
Super |
Nominated |
| 2011 |
Filmfare Award for Best Telugu Actress |
Filmfare Awards South |
Sri Rama Rajyam |
Won |
| Nandi Award for Best Actress |
Nandi Awards |
Won |
| CineMAA Award for Best Actress (Jury) |
CineMAA Awards |
Won |
| SIIMA Award for Best Actress |
1st South Indian International Movie Awards |
Won |
| Bharatamuni Film Award for Best Actress |
Bharatamuni Film Awards |
Won |
| Ugadi Puraskar Award for Best Actress |
Ugadi Puraskar Awards |
Won |
| Santhosham South Film Award for Best Actress |
Santhosham South Film Awards |
Won |
| 2012 |
Filmfare Award for Best Telugu Actress |
Filmfare Awards South |
Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum |
Nominated |
| SIIMA Award for Best Actress (Critics) |
2nd South Indian International Movie Awards |
Won |
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