Ananya (actress)
Encyclopedia
Ayilya Nair better known by her stage name Ananya, is an Indian film actress, who appears in Malayalam, Tamil
and Telugu films. She made her acting debut in Malayalam with Positive
(2008) and debuted the following year in Tamil with Naadodigal
, which emerged a critical and commercial success. She currently has a list of films in her hands in Malayalam and Tamil
.
, Kerala
. She has one brother Arjun, who is an engineering student. She appeared as a child artist
in one of his father's productions, Pai Brothers (1995). Ananya pursued a B.A. degree in Communicative English at the St. Xavier's College, Aluva
. During her childhood, she was an archer
and won the State Championship. While representing her college in a television reality show "Star Wars", she was spotted by various directors and received acting offers. After declining five projects, she decided to give it a try, accepting to act in Positive
.
. The film was a high commercial success, and Ananya rose to fame, with her performance in the film being appreciated. She went on to reprise the same role in its Malayalam remake Ithu Nammude Katha
. The film Shikkar alongside Mohanlal
, gave her a big break in Malayalam. She did some thrilling scenes in the climax of the movie Shikkar that impressed Mohanlal, which made him call her the "Vijayashanti
" of Malayalam. She also played a supporting role in Kandahar, which saw her sharing screen space with Mohanlal, Sunil Shetty and Amitabh Bachchan
. In 2011, Ananya played one of the female lead roles in Engeyum Eppodhum
, which received rave reviews and became a sleeper hit
. Ananya later stated, "I am in no hurry. I want to wait and watch and choose my projects with care. I have been getting a lot of offers from Tamil especially after Engeyum Eppodhum became a big success".
Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema is the film industry based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to the production of films in the Tamil language. It is based in Chennai's Kodambakkam district, where several South Indian film production companies are headquartered...
and Telugu films. She made her acting debut in Malayalam with Positive
Positive (2008 film)
Positive is a 2008 film by V. K. Prakash starring Jayasurya, Suraj and Ananya.- Plot :Raju , Winnie , Udhayan and Cherry who are close friends forms a music troupe. In the meantime, Raju starts an affiar with a young girl named Jyothi . But one day jyothi left hostel with out telling anything to...
(2008) and debuted the following year in Tamil with Naadodigal
Naadodigal
Naadodigal is a 2009 Indian drama film written and directed by Samuthirakani. The film stars Sasikumar along with Chennai 600028 fame Vijay Vasanth and Kallori fame Bharani in lead roles, with newcomers Ananya, Abhinaya and Malaysia-based Shanthini Deva enacting the lead female roles and Ganja...
, which emerged a critical and commercial success. She currently has a list of films in her hands in Malayalam and Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
.
Early life
Ananya was born as Ayilya to Malayali parents Gopalakrishnan Nair, a noted film producer, and Praseetha in PerumbavoorPerumbavoor
Perumbavoor is a suburban region of Kochi city and a municipality in Ernakulam District in the Indian state of Kerala. It lies in the North Eastern tip of the Greater Cochin area and is also the headquarters of Kunnathunad Taluk. It is a Main Satellite Centres of Kochi City. Perumbavoor is famed...
, Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. She has one brother Arjun, who is an engineering student. She appeared as a child artist
Child actor
The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting in motion pictures or television, but also to an adult who began his or her acting career as a child; to avoid confusion, the latter is also called a former child actor...
in one of his father's productions, Pai Brothers (1995). Ananya pursued a B.A. degree in Communicative English at the St. Xavier's College, Aluva
Aluva
Aluva , is a suburb of the city of Kochi, situated north of the city center and a municipality in Ernakulam district, Kerala, India. Aluva is also a major industrial center of the state....
. During her childhood, she was an archer
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
and won the State Championship. While representing her college in a television reality show "Star Wars", she was spotted by various directors and received acting offers. After declining five projects, she decided to give it a try, accepting to act in Positive
Positive (2008 film)
Positive is a 2008 film by V. K. Prakash starring Jayasurya, Suraj and Ananya.- Plot :Raju , Winnie , Udhayan and Cherry who are close friends forms a music troupe. In the meantime, Raju starts an affiar with a young girl named Jyothi . But one day jyothi left hostel with out telling anything to...
.
Film career
Her screenname became changed to Ananya, when she was working in her debut Tamil film NaadodigalNaadodigal
Naadodigal is a 2009 Indian drama film written and directed by Samuthirakani. The film stars Sasikumar along with Chennai 600028 fame Vijay Vasanth and Kallori fame Bharani in lead roles, with newcomers Ananya, Abhinaya and Malaysia-based Shanthini Deva enacting the lead female roles and Ganja...
. The film was a high commercial success, and Ananya rose to fame, with her performance in the film being appreciated. She went on to reprise the same role in its Malayalam remake Ithu Nammude Katha
Ithu Nammude Katha
Ithu Nammude Katha is a 2011 Malayalam film written and directed by Rajesh Kannankara, who debuts with this film. It stars Asif Ali, Nishan, Abhishek, Ananya, Amala Paul, and Nimisha in the lead roles. The film is an unofficial remake of 2009 Tamil film Nadodigal. The story revolves around a girl...
. The film Shikkar alongside Mohanlal
Mohanlal
Mohanlal Vishwanathan Nair , known mononymously as Mohanlal , is a National Award-winning Indian actor, producer, singer and writer who is well known for his versatile and natural acting in Indian cinema & hence widely known as the Universal Star...
, gave her a big break in Malayalam. She did some thrilling scenes in the climax of the movie Shikkar that impressed Mohanlal, which made him call her the "Vijayashanti
Vijayashanti
Vijayashanti is an Indian film actress and a politician from Andhra Pradesh. She has acted in over 185 movies in seven languages including Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi. She was born in Anaparti, India on 24 June 1966. She is credited as "The Lady Superstar" of South Indian cinema...
" of Malayalam. She also played a supporting role in Kandahar, which saw her sharing screen space with Mohanlal, Sunil Shetty and Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades...
. In 2011, Ananya played one of the female lead roles in Engeyum Eppodhum
Engeyum Eppodhum
The film score and soundtrack for Engeyum Eppodhum was composed by debutant C.Sathya. The album consists of 5 tracks, featuring lyrics penned by Na. Muthukumar and M. Saravanan. It was released on 3 August 2011 in Chennai released by actors Surya, Vivek and music director Harris Jayaraj.-Critical...
, which received rave reviews and became a sleeper hit
Sleeper hit
A sleeper hit, a.k.a. surprise hit , refers to a film, book, single, album, TV show, or video game that gains unexpected success or recognition...
. Ananya later stated, "I am in no hurry. I want to wait and watch and choose my projects with care. I have been getting a lot of offers from Tamil especially after Engeyum Eppodhum became a big success".
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Pai Brothers | Malayalam | Child artist | |
| 2008 | Positive Positive (2008 film) Positive is a 2008 film by V. K. Prakash starring Jayasurya, Suraj and Ananya.- Plot :Raju , Winnie , Udhayan and Cherry who are close friends forms a music troupe. In the meantime, Raju starts an affiar with a young girl named Jyothi . But one day jyothi left hostel with out telling anything to... |
Jyothi | Malayalam | Credited as Ayilya |
| 2009 | Naadodigal Naadodigal Naadodigal is a 2009 Indian drama film written and directed by Samuthirakani. The film stars Sasikumar along with Chennai 600028 fame Vijay Vasanth and Kallori fame Bharani in lead roles, with newcomers Ananya, Abhinaya and Malaysia-based Shanthini Deva enacting the lead female roles and Ganja... |
Nallammaal | Tamil Tamil language Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore... |
Tamil debut Winner, Vijay Award for Best Debut Actress Vijay Award for Best Debut Actress The Vijay for Best Debut Actress is given by STAR Vijay as part of its annual Vijay Awards ceremony for Tamil films.-The list:Here is a list of the award winners and the films for which they won.-Nominations:... |
| Rahasya Police Rahasya Police Rahasya Police is a 2009 Malayalam film by K. Madhu starring Jayaram. It also features Samvrutha Sunil, Shivani bhai, Sindhu Menon & Ayilya.- Plot :... |
Bhama | Malayalam | ||
| 2010 | Seetha Ram | Malayalam | ||
| Shikkar | Ganga | Malayalam | ||
| Fiddle Fiddle (film) Fiddle is a 2010 Malayalam film directed by Prabhakaran Muthana starring Idea Star Singer fame Varun J. Thilak. It also has Jagathy Sreekumar, Ayilya and Salim Kumar in pivotal roles.- Story :... |
Gayatri | Malayalam | ||
| Oru Small Family Oru Small Family Oru Small Family is a 2010 Malayalam film directed by Rajasenan, starring Rajasenan, Seetha, Kailash and Ananya.-Plot:The film revolves around two families, one that became rich by making illicit liquor and the other, of a sub-registrar played by Rajasenan, who tries to fight liquor consumption in... |
Ammu Vishwanathan | Malayalam | ||
| Kandahar | Malayalam | |||
| 2011 | Ithu Nammude Katha Ithu Nammude Katha Ithu Nammude Katha is a 2011 Malayalam film written and directed by Rajesh Kannankara, who debuts with this film. It stars Asif Ali, Nishan, Abhishek, Ananya, Amala Paul, and Nimisha in the lead roles. The film is an unofficial remake of 2009 Tamil film Nadodigal. The story revolves around a girl... |
Kalyani | Malayalam | Unofficial remake of Tamil film Naadodigal Naadodigal Naadodigal is a 2009 Indian drama film written and directed by Samuthirakani. The film stars Sasikumar along with Chennai 600028 fame Vijay Vasanth and Kallori fame Bharani in lead roles, with newcomers Ananya, Abhinaya and Malaysia-based Shanthini Deva enacting the lead female roles and Ganja... |
| Seedan Seedan Seedan is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by Subramaniya Shiva. The film stars newcomer Krishna and Ananya of Naadodigal fame in the lead and features Dhanush in an extended guest appearance, while Suhasini, Sheela and Vivek appear in supporting roles.The film, a remake of the... |
Mahalakshmi | Tamil | ||
| Seniors | Jenny | Malayalam | ||
| Amayakudu | Divya | Telugu Telugu language Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu... |
||
| Doctor Love Doctor Love (film) Doctor Love or Dr. Love is a 2011 Malayalam romantic comedy film directed by K. Biju in his debut film. The film was produced by Joy Thomas and Sakthikulangara jointly, and stars Kunchacko Boban, Bhavana, Ananya, Manikkuttan, Salim Kumar, Vijayaraghavan, Nedumudi Venu, Hemanth, Vidya Unni, Aju... |
Gowri | Malayalam | ||
| Engeyum Eppodhum Engeyum Eppodhum The film score and soundtrack for Engeyum Eppodhum was composed by debutant C.Sathya. The album consists of 5 tracks, featuring lyrics penned by Na. Muthukumar and M. Saravanan. It was released on 3 August 2011 in Chennai released by actors Surya, Vivek and music director Harris Jayaraj.-Critical... |
Amudha | Tamil | ||
| Sandwich Sandwich (2011 film) Sandwich is a 2011 Malayalam film directed by debutant director M. S. Manu, starring Kunchacko Boban, Richa Panai and Ananya in the lead roles. The movie was released on October 14, 2011 to mixed response.-Plot:... |
Kanmani | Malayalam | ||
| Kunjaliyan Kunjaliyan Kunjaliyan is an upcoming Malayalam Masala film directed by Saji Surendran and written by Krishna Poojapura, the film features Jayasurya and Ananya in lead roles... |
Malayalam | Filming | ||
| The Reporter The Reporter (film) The Reporter is an upcoming action-romance Malayalam film directed by Venugopan. The film stars Kailash, Samuthirakani,Ananya and Abhinaya.-Cast:* Kailash* Samuthirakani* Ananya* Abhinaya* Jagathy * Sasi Kalinga* Salim Kumar* Suraj Venjaramoodu... |
Malayalam | Filming | ||
| 2012 | Masters Masters (film) -Cast:* Prithviraj as ASP Sriramakrishnan* Sasikumar as Milan Paul* Ananya* Mithra Kurian * Parvathi Menon* Pia Bajpai* Biju Menon* Salim Kumar* Mukesh as Selvam's uncle... |
Malayalam | Filming | |
| Gokulakrishna | Kannada | Filming | ||
| Achan Balan Makan Bheeman | Malayalam | Filming | ||
| Ameya | Malayalam | Filming | ||
| Iravum Pagalum | Tamil | Announced | ||
| Mullamottum Mundiricharum | Malayalam | Announced | ||
| Untitled project with director Ajith Menon | Tamil | Announced |