Top 10 Kollywood Actress
magine the hero of a movie romancing alone or dancing around trees all by himself! Sounds boring? No wonder the pretty damsels (read heroines) are called eye-candies, sirens etc. Though the look and role of the heroines have changed drastically from the previous decades, they are still an inseparable part of our movies. Here we are with our latest ranking which throws light on where the current heroines of Tamil cinema stand in terms of:
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- Tamanna Bhatia is an Indian film actress born in Mumbai, India. She made her acting debut in 2005 with Hindi film Chand Sa Roshan Chehra (2005).
Also in 2005, she made her Telugu debut with movie Sree (2005). In 2006, she appeared in her first Tamil film, Kedi (2006). In 2007, she starred in two films, Happy Days (2007) and Kalloori (2007), which both earned her critical acclaim.
With many commercial successes like Padikathavan, Ayan, Paiyaa and Siruthai, she established herself as one of the leading actresses in the south Indian film industry.With Kallori giving her the break she was expecting in Tamil, Tamannah struck gold in 2009 by starring in movies like Padikathavan, Ayan, Ananda Thandavam and Kanden Kadhalai. These movies helped Tamanna become a household name in Tamil cinema. Though she frequently acts in Telugu movies as well, she starred in Paiyya, Sura and Thillalangadi in 2010. No wonder her fans are waiting for her next two releases Siruthai and Vengai. - Actress
Trisha Krishnan is an Indian actress who predominantly works in Tamil and Telugu films. She speaks Tamil, English, Hindi, and French. She studied at Church Park, India and Ethiraj College, India. She is an only child and she lives with her parents and her grandmother. She was introduced into the film industry through director Ameer Sultan's film, Mounam Pesiyadhe (2002) where she acted in opposite Suriya. After that, she acted in Priyadarshan's Tamil project entitled Laysa Laysa (2003). In 1999, she won the "Miss Salem" beauty pageant, and later the same year, the Miss Chennai contest. She had also won the Miss India 2001 pageant's "Beautiful Smile" award. Among her hobbies are listening to music, reading and swimming.Though seen first in Jodi as Simran's friend, Trisha has acted in several movies in her decade old career in Kollywood, She has starred in many hit movies including Saami, Gilli and Tirupaachi. After consolidating her place in Tamil cinema, she started acting in Telugu movies and her Telugu movie Varsham sparked her career in Tollywood as well. With her recent foray into Bollywood, the expectations on her have surely increased. Her role in VTV was a revelation this year and hence her fans are all the more curious to watch her in Manmadhan Ambu.- Actress
- Producer
Nayantara was born as Diana Mariam Kurien in a Malayali Nasrani (Syrian Christian) family to an Indian Army Officer father, Kurien Kodiyattu, and Omana Kurien, in Bangalore, Karnataka. She has a brother, Leno, who resides in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
After her father's retirement the family settled down in Kerala where she continued with her college studies but she did her schooling in several schools in Chennai, Jamnagar, Delhi, and Gujarat.
During the year 2003, while still in college, she was spotted by director Sathyan Anthikkad who cast her in a Malayalam movie. Two years later, she went on to act in Tamil and Telugu movies. As she became popular she also appeared in Kannada language movies.
She soon acquired the reputation of acting opposite male actors who are almost twice as old. She starred in her first Malyalam film opposite Jayaram, and then in "Chandramukhi" with renowned Indian actor Rajnikanth, then with other aging actors like Sarath Kumar, Mohanlal, and Mammotty.
She has been cast to play the lead role in a much younger Simbu's directorial debut, in which he also has the lead role. Nayanthara and Simbu's intimate life-sized posters created shock waves in Chennai, which were subsequently pulled down by the police. Similar excitement resulted when glamorous life-sized posters were posted all over Chennai- this time with her co-star S.J. Surya.
During September 2010, Prabhu Deva, publicly declared his love for her, even though he was married to Ramalath and had three children. After a bitter and contested court battle, the couple was divorced during July 2011.
On August 7, 2011, Diana, a Jacobite Christian, converted to Hinduism at the Arya Samaj Mandir in Chennai and her screen-named is now her formal official name.
With her attractive looks and talent, it is no wonder that she is one of the most popular and sought after actresses in the South Indian film industry.From a naive young girl in Ayya, Nayanthara has grown as a mature actress in Kollywood. Having starred in lots of popular movies like Chandramukhi, Ghajini, E etc, she became a crowd favourite with her roles in Billa and Yaaradi nee Mohini. If she was oomph personified in Billa, she became a household favourite for her role as Keerthi in Yaaradi Nee Mohini. She has acted with stars like Rajini, Vijay, Ajith and Surya. Her role in the recent movie Boss engira Baskaran is still being discussed.- Anushka Shetty is an Indian Film Actress. She was also a Yoga Instructor and has trained under yoga guru Bharat Thakur.
This tall and gorgeous beauty debuted in the 2005 Telugu film Super starring Nagarjuna which was super hit at box office. Later her performance in Vikramarkudu make her noticeable. But in Arundhati in which she had played the role of Jejamma, she got high critical acclaim and become one of the strong actress of Telugu Film Industry.The tall actress did feature in the Madhavan-starrer Rendu but concentrated on Telugu movies for a long time. Though a Telugu movie, talk about her performance in Arundathi reached to remote places in Tamil Nadu and made people wonder why she is not seen in Tamil. She obliged and starred in Vettaikaran with Vijay in the lead role. After Vijay, it was her turn to act with Suriya in Singam which lifted her popularity to new heights. She can be seen soon in Vaanam which is nearing completion. - Actress
- Producer
Genelia D'Souza is an Indian actress, model, and host. She has appeared in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam language films. After gaining wide attention in a Parker Pen commercial with Amitabh Bachchan, D'Souza began her acting career with Tujhe Meri Kasam in 2003. She was recognized for her role in Boys the same year, and later established herself in Telugu cinema by acting in several Telugu films during 2003-2005. D'Souza received her first Filmfare Award in 2006 for her performance in the Telugu romantic film, Bommarillu, which earned her critical acclaim. In 2008, she gave critically acclaimed performances in Santosh Subramaniam, a Tamil remake of Bommarillu, and the Bollywood movie Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na. Having acted in several commercially successful movies in Telugu and Tamil, D'Souza has established herself as one of the leading actresses of the South Indian film industry.In addition to movie acting, D'Souza has hosted the television show Big Switch, and is the brand ambassador of Fanta, Virgin Mobile India, Fastrack, LG Mobiles, Garnier Light, Margo, and Perk in IndiaChirpy, bubbly, effervescent: This is how her fans address her. Her energy and smile is nothing less than infectious. After Boys and Sachein, she made everyone welcome her with open arms through her movie Santhosh Subramaniam. She then went incognito as she became busy with Telugu and Hindi movies. Now she is back in 2010 with a neat performance in Uthama Puthiran and is also starring in the upcoming movie with Vijay titled 'Velayudham'.- Actress
Shriya Saran also known by the mononym Shriya, is an Indian film actress, model and presenter. She has worked in multiple of the regional industries of Indian cinema, including Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu language films, as well as a few films in English, Malayalam and Kannada. Saran made her film debut in 2001 with Ishtam and had her first commercial success with the Telugu film Santosham (2002). She would subsequently appear in several Telugu films, while making in-roads in the Hindi and Tamil film industries. In 2007, Saran starred in Sivaji (2007), the highest grossing Tamil film at that time. Her following projects include such Tamil films as Azhagiya Tamilmagan (2007) and Kanthaswamy (2009), as well as high-budget Hindi productions like Mission Istanbul (2008), her roles in which have established her as one of the leading actresses in the South Indian film industry. In 2008, Saran played the lead role in the American-Indian co-production The Other End of the Line (2007). Apart from her work in films, Saran has been the brand ambassador for several stores across India, endorsing beauty and health products. Among other activities, she has taken part in a number of charity organizations, and has recently opened a spa employing visually challenged people.After featuring in a lot of Telugu movies, Shriya showed a glimpse of her talent in Ennaku 20 Unnaku 18. Then she starred in Mazhai which made people take notice on her histrionics. If anything, 2007 would be a year she would never forget as that was when she was cast with Rajini in Sivaji: The Boss. This attracted producers to include her in high budget movies like Kandasamy. Her recent roles in Uthama Puthiran and Chikku Bukku are appreciated by fans and the public. Little wonder that her fans are expecting to see more of her on screen in 2011.- Actress
- Additional Crew
Asin was born in Cochin, Kerala, India in the Malayalam-speaking Thottumkal family which consists of her businessman dad, Joseph, and mom, Dr. Seline, who practices in Ernakulam. She attended Naval Public School in Cochin, and after obtaining her Matriculation, was enrolled in St. Theresa's Higher Secondary School. After successfully obtaining her Higher Secondary School Certificate, she enrolled in St. Theresa's College to continue studying in the Arts Faculty. After obtaining a Degree in B.A. English Literature, she assisted her dad in his business (which includes software, export of furniture and antiques) and also took up modeling on the side. Her modeling assignments included Colgate Toothpaste, and Fairever Cream.
This exposure got her noticed and she made her debut on the tinsel screen through director Sathyan Anthikad's "Narendaran Makan" with Malayalyee actor Kunjachacko Boban.
After her initial success, she was offered Telugu movies, and warmly welcomed in the Telugu film industry. It was a smooth transition from Telugu to Tamil with the film "M Kumaran s/o Mahalakshmi". Asin starred in the original Telugu version, so she was the obvious choice for the Tamil remake, opposite Jeyam Ravi. The movie was a super hit. What makes Asin hot in the Tamil film industry, apart from her looks, is that she has teamed up with all the top heroes -- Vijay, Ajith, Surya and now Vikram, in "Maja".
She speaks a wide range of languages such as Malyalam, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Sanskrit, English, French, and may well be the only Indian actress with a Blogspot in French. She is very active in various functions throughout Southern India, and credits her good upbringing to her parents, who she considers her role models. She was the winner of an entrepreneurial award as a teenager. She is fond of reading and has a huge collection of books.
Asin, along with her mom and dad, have left their Harrington Road apartment at Chetpet, Chennai, and have re-located to an apartment in Lokhandwala Complex, in Andheri (West), Mumbai, in order to enable her to debut in Bollywood movies.
She has had a taste of success at a very young age in Indian regional movies, it remains to be seen if her success will continue in Bollywood also.If she made people notice her in her first couple of movies, she made them to empathize, sympathize and feel for Kalpana in the movie Ghajini. Then she starred alongside Vijay, Ajith, Surya and Vikram. Then Dasavatharam happened and her performance was widely appreciated by everyone. But it was not all! The year 2008 had more in store for her. She stepped into Bollywood on a grand scale with the Hindi remake of Ghajini. Just when her Tamil fans were starting to miss her, she announced that she is not too far away from them by acting alongside Vijay in Kavalan, which is due for release soon.- Sameera's versatility as an actress and a trained Indian classical dancer made her perfect for Bollywood films. She debuted in a music video that got her noticed and kick started her movie career as one of the top actresses in India and has appeared in over fifteen films in just four years. She has shown her ability to carry off multiple characters in films like the controversial blockbuster Musafir (2004), where she played a rape victim who takes revenge to Kalpurush (2005), an art house film where Sameera plays a double role as a middle-class housewife and a prostitute which won India's highest award, the National Award and has received critical acclaim on the festival circuit.
Sameera was credited with having two independent films at the Toronto Film Festival 2007. Migration (2008), a short film directed by the legendary Mira Nair wherein she plays the role of a housewife affected with the disease and The Voyeurs, her second film with Buddhadev Dasgupta.
Sameera has become a household name amongst the 1.6 billion people living in India. As a symbol of fashion, sex, and beauty, Sameera has graced the covers of every magazine and is the subject of many documentaries including the BBC's Spice Trade. As a testament to her international appeal, Sameera was chosen by the BBC to step in the shoes of Spice Girl Emma Bunton to experience celebrity life in the UK and was asked to be a guest actor on the hit series Casualty (1986).
Sameera is also the first Indian actress to have her own video game, Sameera the Street Fighter. This mobile video game can be downloaded by millions of fans and is available to cell phone users throughout India.
Sameera lives with her parents and two sisters, Sushma Reddy (a VJ, model and actress) and Meghana (a supermodel) in Mumbai and spends significant amounts of time with Crayons and Dreamz Homes, her cause for getting homeless children off the streets of India.Sameera Reddy has a distinction of having acted in five languages: Hindi, Telugu, Bengali, Malayalam and Tamil. She tugged people's hearts with her role in Vaaranam Aayiram. To add to this, her liking for Tamil movies was reason enough for directors to cast her in their movies. Result? Asal, with Ajith in the lead, happened and set the tone for her next signings. Her thriller movie with Gautham Menon Nadunisi Naigal is awaiting release. More in the pipeline is Vettai, which has Arya and Madhavan in important roles and an untitled project with Vishal, which is directed by Prabhu Deva. - Priyamani is an established actress in the South Indian film industry. She grew up in Bangalore, completed her schooling at Sri Aurobindo Memorial School and later went to Bishop Cotton Woman's College.
Right from student life, Priyamani was enthusiastic about extracurricular activities. As a student, she took part in a lot of competitions. She began working as a model for Kanchipuram silks after completing her studies.
During her college years, she began modelling and appeared in several advertisements, which eventually led to her foray into the film industry.
She was soon spotted by Bharathiraja in 2003, who offered her a role in the Tamil film Kangalal Kaidhu Sei (2004). However, it is the Telugu film Evare Athagadu (2003) that is considered her debut film as it came out first.
After her debut, she appeared in several other South Indian films and made a name for herself with her performances in films like Sathyam (2004), Athu Oru Kanaa Kaalam (2005), and Pellaina Kothalo (2006).
Priyamani's breakthrough performance came with the Tamil film Paruthiveeran (2007), directed by Ameer Sultan. She played the role of a village girl, and her portrayal of the character won her several awards, including a National Film Award and a Tamil Filmfare award for Best Actress.
After winning the National Award, the actress went on to give a noteworthy performance in the commercially successful Telugu film, Thief of Yama (2007), directed by S.S. Rajamouli.
In 2008, Priyamani received praise for her performance in the Malayalam film Thirakkatha (2008). This movie's plot revolves around twists and turns of the real-life lived by the late film actress Srividya. She also starred in the critically acclaimed and successful Tamil film Thotta (2008).
In 2009, Priyamani appeared in the successful remake of Ninaithale Inikkum (2009) and made her Kannada film debut with the successful Raam (2009).
In 2010, Priyamani starred in the super hit Pranchiyettan and the Saint (2010) with Mammootty. She played a Mumbai interior designer, and the film grossed over four crores in a little over two weeks.
Priyamani then worked with director Mani Ratnam on Raavanan (2010) and Raavan (2010), which was a hit in Tamil but a box-office disaster in Hindi.
She later acted in Ram Gopal Varma's Rakta Charitra (2010) with Vivek Oberoi, Suriya, and Shatrughan Sinha. The movie was critically acclaimed, and a box-office hit.
In 2012, Priyamani received critical acclaim for her roles in Anna Bond (2012) and Grandmaster (2012). She also starred in the superhit Kannada film Chaarulatha (2012) and won multiple awards, including Kannada Filmfare, for her portrayal of conjoined twins.
In 2013, she starred in the commercially and critically successful Telugu film Chandi (2013).
In 2016, she appeared in Kathe Chitrakathe Nirdeshana Puttanna (2016), a comedy horror film that had a successful 50-day run. She then starred in the romantic comedy Dana Kayonu (2016) directed by Yograj Bhat.
In 2017, she starred in the horror film Kalpana 2 (2016), directed by R. Anantharaju.
On August 23, 2017, Priyamani married her long-time boyfriend, Mustafa Raj, a businessman, in a private ceremony in Bangalore. It was rumoured that Priyamani planned to retire from acting after the wedding, but these reports were proven incorrect when she starred in the film Dhwaja (2018).
Having established herself in the South Indian film industry, Priyamani is now making waves with her performances in web shows. Her portrayal of the character "Suchitra Iyer" in her debut web series, The Family Man (2019), fetched her the Filmfare OTT award for Best Actress in a Drama Series (Critics).
Besides The Family man, her on-screen performance of the character Sakshi in ZEE5's His Story (2021) has moved audiences with her acting skills.
Priyamani has also appeared as a judge in many dance reality shows like the Telugu dance shows Dhee (2013) and the Tamil show Dance jodi dance 2.0 (2017).Muthazhagu, as she is still fondly called by many, announced the arrival of a promising talent in Tamil. Though she concentrated more on Telugu movies after her National award winning effort, she featured in Tamil too in movies like Malaikottai, Thotta, Aarumugam and Ninaithale Inikkum. Her acting prowess came to limelight again with strong performances in Raavanan and Rattha Charithiram in 2010. Her fans only wish to see her more often in Kollywood too. - Actress
Anjali is known for Kaminey (2009) and Game (2007).Anjali can call herself lucky to have featured in movies which offered her enough space to prove her acting skills. If Katradhu Thamizh was just an introduction, she confirmed her acting talent with another strong role in Angadi Theru. While her role in Magizhchi is talked about, she is going to be seen more in her forthcoming releases which include Thoonga Nagaram and Karungali.