Nithya Menen
Introduction '''Nithya Menen''' (born 8 April 1990) is an Indian actress and singer who works primarily in Malayalam, Telugu and Tamil films. Having worked in more than fifty films, she is acknowledged for her acting versatility.She appeared first on-screen as a child, when she was eight, in the French-Indian English film, ''Hanuman'' (1998), playing the younger sister to Tabu's character. At the age of 15, she appeared in a supporting role in the Kannada film ''7 O' Clock'', which was released in 2006.She started her film career by playing the lead role  in the Malayalam film ''Aakasha Gopuram'', which was released in 2008.Her debut in leading roles in Telugu and Tamil films were ''Ala Modalaindi'' (2011) and ''Nootrenbadhu'' (2011). Her Hindi debut was ''Mission Mangal'' (2019).
Early life Nithya Menen was born on 8 April 1990 in Bangalore to Malayali parents settled in Karnataka. She was educated at Poorna Prajna School and Mount Carmel College, Bangalore.She has said that she initially wished to become a pilot, but ultimately found pilot unappealing, so she pivoted to filmmaking, and enrolled in a cinematography course at the Film and Television Institute of India at Pune. During the school's entrance exam, she met B. V. Nandini Reddy, who convinced Menen to take up acting. Nithya is a polyglot and can speak six languages including Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and English.As a child, Menen had acted in a French-Indian English film named ''Hanuman'', at the age of 8, playing younger sister to Tabu's character.
Career === Child artist (1998,2001-2002,2006) ===In 1998, Menen appeared first on-screen as a child in ''Hanuman'' (1998). She also was a part of the Hindi-language soap opera ''Choti Maa – Ek Anokha Bandhan''. She played a supporting role in the Kannada film ''7 O' Clock'' (2006).=== Career debut (2008-2010) ===The 2008 off-beat film ''Aakasha Gopuram'', directed by K. P. Kumaran, marked her film career in Malayalam in a leading role, in which she was paired with Mohanlal. She was in the midst of her 12th class exams when she was offered the role, after Mohanlal had spotted her on the front cover of a tourism magazine, Stark World Kerala. Her performance was well received, with critics writing that she shows "sparkle in her debut venture" and "makes her entry in an impressive role", though the film was a financial failure. She next made a comeback into Kannada films with the film ''Josh'' in 2009.The film received rave reviews, and became a commercial success as well, with her performance garnering her a nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category at the 57th Filmfare Awards South. The same year she appeared in ''Vellathooval'', ''Angel John'' and ''Kerala Cafe''. She received positive reviews for the lattermost. In 2010, she starred in the Malayalam films, ''Anwar'' and Apoorvaragam where she plays Nancy, a young girl who gets involved with two male students (Nishan and Asif Ali) who are later discovered to be con-artists. The film received mixed to negative reviews, but became a hit at the box office.=== Telugu debut and breakthrough (2011–2012) ===Menen in 2011Menen's career marked a turning point in 2011, with the romantic comedy ''Ala Modalaindi'', which was her maiden Telugu venture. The film opened to favourable reviews by critics and turned out to become a sleeper hit, while Menen received critical praise for her performance. ''Idlebrain''s Jeevi in his review cited that she "epitomized Nitya character with her fabulous performance", "looks beautiful in all kinds of dresses" and was "the best debut in recent years of Telugu cinema after Samantha in ''YMC''", while another critic wrote that she was a "charming find" and "...quite the Genelia replacement that our cinema so badly needs right now." She eventually won the Nandi Award for Best Actress for her performance and received a nomination for Filmfare Award for Best Actress. Further more, she also sang two songs for the soundtrack album of the film, tuned by Kalyani Malik. Nandini Reddy, later, went on to describe Menen as "the discovery of the decade". Following ''Ala Modalaindi'', she starred in Santosh Sivan's historical fiction ''Urumi'' as part of an ensemble cast. She portrayed a Chirakkal princess named Bala, playing the love interest of Prabhu Deva's character, which gained positive remarks, with a Sify review claiming that she "looks pretty and is a scene stealer". Menen quoted that much of her character was based on "Santosh's perception of who I am", with Sivan stating that he had written that role for her and that only she could play it. She received a nomination for Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 59th Filmfare Awards South She next appeared in ad-filmmaker Jayendra's bilingual venture ''Nootrenbadhu'', which was made and released in Tamil and Telugu (as ''180''), in which she played a photo journalist named Vidya. She described the character as "bubbly, full of life, nosey, wide-eyed and innocent in life" and to be similar to herself. Later the year, she was seen in Sibi Malayil's ''Violin'' in Malayalam and the Gautham Vasudev Menon-produced ''Veppam'' in Tamil. She also featured in V. K. Prakash's Kannada anthology film Aidondla Aidu where she played a young bride who is obsessed with making payasam for her new husband much to his chagrin. She had sung and also choreographed one of the songs, titled "Payasa".Menen's first 2012 release was the Telugu romance film ''Ishq'' with Nitin Reddy. She received the CineMAA Award for Best Actress (jury) while receiving best actress nomination at the same event and at the SIIMA Awards. She was later seen in five Malayalam films: ''Karmayogi'', V. K. Prakash's Malayalam adaptation of Shakespeare's ''Hamlet'' co-starring Indrajith Sukumaran, ''Poppins'', the Malayalam remake of ''Aidondla Aidu'' in which she reprised her role from the original and sang the Malayalam version of "Payasa", T. K. Rajeev Kumar's ''Thalsamayam Oru Penkutty'', in which she portrayed a village woman whose daily life is filmed and broadcast as a reality show for a month, Amal Neerad's ''Bachelor Party'' in which she played Asif Ali's wife and young mother to their baby and ''Ustad Hotel'' directed by Anwar Rasheed where she paired up for the first time with Dulquer Salmaan.=== Further work and continuous success (2013–2015) ===In 2013, she starred in three Telugu and one Kannada film. She first appeared in ''Okkadine'' with Nara Rohit and in ''Jabardasth'' with Siddharth and Samantha. Menen received praises for playing the titular role of a physically challenged girl in ''Mynaa''. The film was successful and completed 100 days in many centers across Karnataka. Her performance was well praised by the critics. She also sang the female version of "Modele Maleyante" which was well received. Menen won rave reviews and her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu for playing a character with two shades in ''Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde'' opposite Nithin. It was a huge box office success. ''Times of India'' noted, "Nithya Menen takes the honors as far as acting goes. She has the author backed role and overshadows everyone else." ''123telugu'' termed her "the undisputed star of the film" and added that she "shines through brilliantly and her performance is a treat to watch". In 2014, she played the lead in ''Malini 22 Palayamkottai''. Menen then played a cameo in the successful film ''Bangalore Days'' alongside Fahadh Faasil. ''Sify'' wrote, "Nithya Menen has a limited role to play, but she suit her role perfectly. "Menen starred in numerous films which gave her more critical and commercial recognition. In her first film of the year, she appeared opposite Sharwanand for, ''Malli Malli Idi Rani Roju''. She played a young Muslim student in love with a Hindu. She won the Filmfare Best Actress Critics – Telugu and Nandi Special Jury Award, for her performance. With this Menen became the first Telugu actress ever to win Critics Award & the Best Actress Award at Filmfare. ''News18'' noted, "Nithya changed looks and body language in each stage is impressive. She starts as a girl and ends as a woman. Her performance is worth commending." She then appeared in ''JK Enum Nanbanin Vaazhkai'' and ''S/O Satyamurthy'' directed by Trivikram Srinivas. Menen then played opposite Dulquer Salmaan in ''100 Days of Love''. ''The New Indian Express'' said she gave a "decent performance". All the three films were box office success. Menen achieved further acclaim with three more films in 2015.She played a crippled girl alongside Raghava Lawrence in his directorial ''Kanchana 2'', a successful film. The critics termed her performance "crucial" and "effective". Menen received immense praises for the a romantic film ''O Kadhal Kanmani'', directed by Mani Ratnam. She played an architectural student Tara, opposite Dulquer Salmaan. Dulquer and Menen's on-screen chemistry was praised and she garnered her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil nomination. The film became a financial success at the box office. ''Firstpost'' noted, " Menen is an exceptional actor and has delivered a very realistic performance." It further praised her chemistry with Salmaan and added, "They're perfect as the couple and the credit goes to the director for capturing the chemistry between them in simple ways." She played princess Muktamba in ''Rudhramadevi'' with Anushka Shetty, her final film of the year. ''The Hindu'' stated, "Nithya Menen shows that she can leave an imprint on any character she plays. She is an endearing addition to this film. "=== Established actress and acclaim (2016–2021) ===By 2016, Menen established herself as a leading actress. She starred in three Tamil films in 2016.Beginning the year was ''24'' where she was paired opposite Suriya for the first time. The film was opened to high critical acclaim, ''Deccan Chronicle'' wrote, "Nithya Menen shines in her role." Her screen presence and garnered her a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Tamil nomination. She played the main heroine in K. S. Ravikumar's bilingual project titled ''Kotigobba 2'' opposite Sudeep. Towards the end of the year, she starred alongside Vikram in science-fiction thriller ''Iru Mugan'' and received praises for her limited role. In Telugu, she starred in two films, ''Okka Ammayi Thappa'' opposite Sundeep Kishan and ''Janatha Garage'' opposite Jr. NTR. All of her films proved commercial success.Her only release in 2017 was the Tamil film ''Mersal'' opposite Vijay, where she was praised for her role as a tough yet supportive wife, ''Firstpost'' noted, "Among the three actresses, it is Nithya Menen who makes an impression with her competent performance." The film garnered her a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Tamil at 65th Filmfare Awards South and was a huge box office success. She had two Telugu films in 2018.Menen played a lesbian psychiatrist in ''Awe'', that received highly positive reviews. She became the first mainstream South Indian actress to play an LGBTQ character. ''The Hindu'' stated that Menen "shine through", giving her all to character that "don't come by often". She next had a cameo in ''Geetha Govindam''.Menon played actress Savitri in her first film of 2019, ''NTR: Kathanayakudu''. She reunited with V. K. Prakash in the experimental film ''Praana'' which also marks her comeback to Malayalam industry after 2015.She played an English writer who battles intolerance in society and is the sole actor in the film. ''The News Minute'' praised the actor and said, "Nithya displays the right emotions as Thara. Remember it's just her, and one person makes so much of an impact. Nithya carries it off all so effortlessly." Menen made her Hindi film debut with the highly successful film ''Mission Mangal'', playing a satellite engineer. ''Bollywood Hungama'' noted that Menen has a smaller role but "it serves as a great debut". ''NDTV'' said that as the staid and steady Varsha Pillai, Nithya Menen is "delightfully good". In 2020, Menon starred alongside Udhayanidhi Stalin in Mysskin's ''Psycho'', where she played Kamala Das, a foul-mouthed quadriplegic ex-police officer. The same year, she made her OTT debut in the Amazon Prime series ''Breathe: Into the Shadows'' alongside Abhishek Bachchan, for which she received her first nomination for 'Best Actor, Series (Female): Drama' at the Filmfare OTT Awards.Menen starred in three Telugu films in 2021.She played a spirit named Maya in ''Ninnila Ninnila'' with Ashok Selvan and Ritu Varma. ''Firstpost'' wrote, "The big surprise in the film is Nithya whose impishness in the story is unlike anything else that she has portrayed over the years, and her on-screen chemistry with Selvan is a delight." Her next film ''Skylab'', marked her first film as a producer. She played a singer in her year's final film ''Gamanam''.=== Expansion and recent work (2022–present) ===Menen had four film and two web releases in 2022.She starred in ''Bheemla Nayak'' opposite Pawan Kalyan, the film was a box office success. ''Cinema Express'' said, "Nithya Menen's Suguna, surprisingly gets a few memorable moments, and she brings a certain level of warmness to Bheemla whenever she is on screen." She appeared in the series ''Modern Love Hyderabad'', where ''NDTV'' termed her performance "luminous". Next she played an unknown lady in ''19(1)(a)'' with Vijay Sethupathi. After this she reprised her role in the third season of ''Breathe: Into the Shadows''.Menen received rave reviews for the romantic drama ''Thiruchitrambalam'' opposite Dhanush as his childhood best friend. It became a critical and commercial success. While ''Hindustan Times'' noted, "Nithya Menen has always shied away from playing the quintessential heroine. She's phenomenal in the film, playing a key character that she nails to perfection." ''India Today'' wrote, "If you give Nithya Menen a meaty character, everyone else can sit back and admire her living the role with full of zest." Menon played a pregnant women in her final film of the year, ''Wonder Women''. Menen appeared in ''Kolaambi'', her first film of 2023, which she termed among her "all time favourite". She will next appear in the series ''Master Peace'' and ''Kumari Srimathi''.
Artistry and media image Menen at 65th Filmfare Awards South in 2017Ankur Pathak of ''HuffPost'' said that her filmography is "filled with experiments" and noted, "The actor has taken risks throughout her career. Menen has ensured that she's unforgettable even in cameos." Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of ''The Hindu'' said that she shows "shown a natural flair for acting" and noted that she has worked in a variety of genres from – breezy romance to period drama to out-of-the-box projects. Latha Srinivasan of ''The New Indian Express'' noted, "Nithya Menen slips into her character's skin with effortless ease." Nibandh Vinod of ''News18'' termed her an "accomplished actress and singer" who has established a career in five industries.Menen is widely known for her performances in films such as – ''Kerala Cafe'', ''Ala Modalaindi'', ''180'', ''Ishq'', ''Ustad Hotel'', ''Malli Malli Idi Raani Roju'', ''O Kadhal Kanmani'', ''Mersal'', ''Awe'' and ''Thiruchitrambalam'' among others. Menen has been placed in ''Rediff.com''s "Top Telugu Actresses". She ranked 3rd in 2011, 5th in 2012, 1st in 2013 and 3rd in 2015.In its "Top Kannada Actresses", she ranked 1st in 2013 and in "Top Tamil Actresses" list, she ranked 5th in 2015. ''Forbes India'' included Menen in its first ever "Showstoppers – India's Top 50 Outperformers" list. She stood at the 30th place on its most influential stars on Instagram in South cinema for the year 2021 list.Menen is known as someone who is a very private person. Hemanth Kumar of ''Firstpost'' said, "There's always been an air of mystery about Nithya Menen, and when she talks, she's careful about how she articulates her thoughts and ideas. Despite her popularity, the actress is hardly in news." Often compared to late actress Soundarya, Menen takes it as a compliment. “Since Soundarya, perhaps there hasn't been anyone that people could relate to. She was loved and respected,” she says. In Hyderabad Times' Most Desirable Woman list, she was placed 19th in 2014 and 15th in 2015.
Filmography ===Films===+ List of Nithya Menen film credits Year Title Role Language Notes 1998''Hanuman'' MunnaEnglish Child artist2006''7 O' Clock''AnuKannada Child artist2008''Aakasha Gopuram''Hilda VargheseMalayalam Career debut2009''Josh''MeeraKannada''Vellathooval''Jiya GeorgeMalayalam''Kerala Cafe''Nithya''Angel John''Sofia2010''Apoorvaragam''Nancy''Anwar''Asna2011''Ala Modalaindi''NithyaTelugu ''Urumi''Chirakkal Bala/ Daisy da CunhaMalayalam ''Nootrenbadhu''/ ''180''D. Vidya LakshmiTamilBilingual film Telugu''Violin''AngelMalayalam''Veppam''RevathyTamil''Aidondla Aidu''GowriKannadaAnthology film''Makaramanju''ModelMalayalam2012''Ishq''Priya Telugu''Thalsamayam Oru Penkutty''Manjula AyyapanMalayalam''Karmayogi''Moonumani''Doctor Innocentanu''AnnaSpecial appearance''Bachelor Party''Neethu''Ustad Hotel''Shahana''Poppins''AmmuAnthology film2013''Okkadine''ShailajaTelugu ''Jabardasth''Saraswati''Myna''MynaKannada''Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde''Shravani / BangaramTelugu2014''Malini 22 Palayamkottai''MaliniTamil''Bangalore Days''Natasha FrancisMalayalamCameo appearance2015''Malli Malli Idi Rani Roju''Nazeera KhanumTelugu''JK Enum Nanbanin Vaazhkai''NithyaTamilTelugu version ''Rajadhi Raja'' released in 2016''100 Days of Love''SheelaMalayalam''S/O Satyamurthy''ValliTelugu''Kanchana 2''GangaTamil''O Kadhal Kanmani''Tara Kalingarayar''Rudhramadevi''MuktambaTelugu2016''24''Priya SethuramanTamil''Okka Ammayi Thappa''Mango / SatyabhamaTelugu''Kotigobba 2 /'' ''Mudinja Ivana Pudi''Subhashini / ShubhaKannada Bilingual filmTamil''Janatha Garage''AnuTelugu''Iru Mugan''AyushiTamil2017''Mersal''Aishwarya Vetrimaaran2018''Awe''KrishnaveniTelugu''Geetha Govindam''NithyaSpecial appearance2019''NTR: Kathanayakudu''SavitriSpecial appearance''Praana'' Tara AnuradhaMalayalam Multilingual film''Mission Mangal''Varsha PillaiHindi2020''Psycho''Kamala Das IPSTamil ''Color of a Nation'' Pregnant womanTelugu Short film 2021''Ninnila Ninnila''Maya''Gamanam''Shailaputri DeviAnthology film; cameo appearance''Skylab'' Gouri VenkatarajuAlso producer 2022''Bheemla Nayak''Suguna Nayak''19(1)(a)'' PenkuttyMalayalam''Thiruchitrambalam''Shobana Tamil  ''Wonder Women'' Nora JosephEnglish  2023''Kolaambi'' Arundhathi Malayalam 2024Tamil=== Television ===+ List of Nithya Menen television credits Year Title Role Language Notes 2001–2002''Chhoti Maa...Ek Anokha Bandhan''Young KoynaHindiChild Artist2022''Telugu Indian Idol'' Judge Telugu=== Web series ===+ List of Nithya Menen web series credits Year Title Role Language Notes  2020–2022 ''Breathe: Into the Shadows'' Abha Sabarwal Hindiseasons 2–3 2022''Modern Love Hyderabad'' Noori Hussain Telugu 2023 ''Kumari Srimathi''Itikalipudi Kumari SrimathiTelugu''Masterpeace''Riya Kurian Malayalam=== Music videos ===+ List of Nithya Menen music video credits Year Song Language Singer(s) Notes2022Thaniye/TanhaMalayalam/HindiSiddharth Menon, Nithya Menenon YouTube=== Voice artist ===+ List of Nithya Menen film voice artist credits Year Title Role Language Notes2013''Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde''  Shruti  Telugu2019''Frozen 2''  Elsa  Telugu
Discography + List of Nithya Menen musical credits Year Song Title Language Composer Notes  2010  "Payasa" ''Aidondla Aidu'' Kannada  Abhijit-Joe2011 "Edo Anukunte"''Ala Modalaindi''TeluguKalyani Malik "Ammammo Ammo"2012  "Oh Priya Priya" ''Ishq'' Telugu  Anoop Rubens "Payasam" ''Poppins''Malayalam Ratheesh Vegha2013  "Arere Arere" ''Jabardasth''  Telugu  S. Thaman "Doore Doore Neengi"''Natholi Oru Cheria Meenalla''Malayalam  Abhijith "Modala Maleyante"''Myna''Kannada Jassie GiftSolo singer "O Premada Poojari"Duet with Shreya Ghoshal "Thu Hi Rey" ''Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde'' Telugu  Anoop Rubens "Hi My Name is Malini"''Malini 22 Palayamkottai''Tamil Arvind & Shankarwith Maalavika Manoj, Kovai Sarala, Vidyullekha  Raman, Harishitha Krishnan "Kanneer Thulilye (Duet)" "Madharthamma (Immigrant Mix)" "Hi my name is malini"''Ghatana'' '''(D)'''Telugu "Navve Kaluva (Duet)" "Yennali (Immigrant Mix)" 2015  "Paalnilaa: Lets Do the Dandiya"''Rockstar''Malayalam  Prashant Pillai2016  "Laalijo"''24'' '''(D)'''Telugu A. R. Rahman "Hrudayam Kannulatho"''100 Days of Love'' '''(D)'''Telugu Govind Menon 2018  "Va Va Vo" ''Mohanlal''Malayalam Tony Joseph Pallivathukal2021"Thiruppavai"''Margazhi Thingal''TamilRavi G2022"Thaniye"''Thaniye''MalayalamSidharth MenonMusic video2022"Thanha"''Thanha''Hindi
Accolades + List of awards and nominations received by Nithya Menen Year Award Category Work Result  2013 CineMAA Awards Best Actress – Critics ''Ishq''2010Filmfare Awards SouthBest Supporting Actress – Kannada''Josh''2012Best Supporting Actress – Malayalam''Urumi''Best Actress – Telugu''Ala Modalaindi''Best Female Playback Singer – Telugu (for ''"Ammammo Ammo"'')2014Best Actress – Kannada''Myna''Best Actress – Telugu ''Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde''2016Best Actress – Tamil''O Kadhal Kanmani''Best Actress – Telugu''Malli Malli Idi Rani Roju''Best Actress Critics – Telugu2017Best Supporting Actress – Tamil''24''2018''Mersal''2020Filmfare OTT AwardsBest Actor in a Drama Series – Female''Breathe: Into the Shadows''2013Hyderabad Times of India Film AwardsBest Actor – Female''Ishq''2016 IIFA Utsavam Best Actress – Telugu ''Malli Malli Idi Rani Roju''Best Supporting Actress – Tamil''Kanchana 2''2017Best Supporting Actress – Telugu''Rudhramadevi''2011Nandi AwardsBest Actress''Ala Modalaindi''2016Special Jury Award''Malli Malli Idi Rani Roju''2012South Indian International Movie AwardsBest Female Debut – Telugu''Ala Modalaindi''Best Female Playback Singer – Telugu (for ''"Ammammo Ammo"'')2013Rising Star of South Indian Cinema – Female2014Best Actress – Telugu''Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde''2016Best Actress – Tamil''O Kadhal Kanmani''Best Actress Critics – TamilBest Actress – Telugu''Malli Malli Idi Rani Roju''Best Supporting Actress – Tamil''Kanchana 2''Best Supporting Actress – Telugu''Rudramadevi''2018Best Actress – Tamil''Mersal''2023''Thiruchitrambalam''Best Actress – Telugu''Bheemla Nayak''2013Vanitha Film AwardsBest Star Pair (With Dulquer Salmaan)''Ustad Hotel''2012Vijay AwardsBest Actress''Nootrenbandhu''2015''Malini 22 Palayamkottai''
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