Anuja Iyer
Encyclopedia
Anuja Iyer is an Indian actress and model who works in the Tamil film industry
. She made her acting debut in the low budget horror flick Sivi
(2007) and became noted for her performances in Ninaithale Inikkum
(2009) and Unnaipol Oruvan (2009). Since April 2010, she is working as a columnist
for the popular entertainment website Behindwoods.
brahmin
family in Chennai
, Tamil Nadu
. She did her schooling at Rosary Matriculation Higher Secondary School
, Santhome
, Chennai and went on to pursue a B.Com (Honours)
degree at Shri Ram College of Commerce
in Delhi
. She then studied under the Sanwa Bank scholarship
programme, and further finished her Master's degree
in Advertising
and Public Relations
in Indian Institute of Mass Communication
(IIMC), Delhi, graduating with a PRSI (Public Relations Society of India) Award.
(2007), in which she played a ghost. She was praised for her performance. Her second film, Mudhal Mudhal Mudhal Varai (2008), termed as Tamil cinema's first "urban centric film" received critical acclaim, winning awards at international film festivals for its innovative approach to film making. Her role was one again lauded by critics and audiences. In 2009, she appeared in the college drama Ninaithale Inikkum
, a remake of the 2006 Malayalam film Classmates. Anuja essayed the character of a reserved Muslim college student Shalini who attempts to take revenge on the murderer of her lover. Later that year, she starred in Unnaipol Oruvan and its Telugu version Eeenadu
alongside veteran actors Kamal Haasan
, Mohanlal
and Venkatesh
. Her portrayal of Natasha Rajkumar, a television journalist, was apppreciated by critics and fetched her a nomination for the Best Supporting Actress Award at the 56th Filmfare Awards South
.
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...
. She made her acting debut in the low budget horror flick Sivi
Sivi
Sivi is a Tamil film starring Yogi, Jayashri Rao and Anuja Iyer, directed by K. R. Senthil Nathan. It is a remake of the 2004 Thai-thriller, Shutter.-Plot:...
(2007) and became noted for her performances in Ninaithale Inikkum
Ninaithale Inikkum (2009 film)
Ninaithale Inikkum is a 2009 Tamil mystery-drama film directed by Kumaravelan. The film stars Prithviraj Sukumaran, Sakthi Vasu, Priyamani, Karthik Kumar and Anuja Iyer in the lead roles while K. Bhagyaraj and Manobala play supporting roles. The film's score was composed by Vijay Antony.The film...
(2009) and Unnaipol Oruvan (2009). Since April 2010, she is working as a columnist
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
for the popular entertainment website Behindwoods.
Early life
Anuja was born into a TamilTamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
family in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. She did her schooling at Rosary Matriculation Higher Secondary School
Rosary Matriculation Hr. Sec.
-Location:Located in the heart of the city, Santhome, just a stone's throw away from the famous Chennai landmarks, the Marina Beach and the Santhome Basilica, Rosary Matriculation is shielded from public view by massive gates and trees. It is one of the most elite schools in the area of Mylapore...
, Santhome
Santhome
-History:The word Santhome or San Thome is derived from Saint Thomas, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. The local Christian belief is that the apostle came to India in A.D.52, was martyred in A.D.72 at St.Thomas Mount in the City and was interred in Mylapore. A church was built over his...
, Chennai and went on to pursue a B.Com (Honours)
Bachelor of Commerce
A Bachelor of Commerce is an undergraduate degree in commerce and related subjects. The degree is also known as the Bachelor of Commerce and Administration, or BCA...
degree at Shri Ram College of Commerce
Shri Ram College of Commerce
Shri Ram College of Commerce or Shri Ram College or SRCC is a constituent college of the University of Delhi, located in New Delhi, India. SRCC is the leading institute for higher studies in Commerce and Economics in India. It is considered as one of the most prestigious colleges in the...
in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
. She then studied under the Sanwa Bank scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
programme, and further finished her Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
and Public Relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
in Indian Institute of Mass Communication
Indian Institute of Mass Communication
The Indian Institute of Mass Communication is India's premier media school funded and promoted by the Government of India. IIMC is an autonomous society under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The institution was established on August 17, 1965 with support from UNESCO.-The...
(IIMC), Delhi, graduating with a PRSI (Public Relations Society of India) Award.
Career
Her first film was the horror flick, SiviSivi
Sivi is a Tamil film starring Yogi, Jayashri Rao and Anuja Iyer, directed by K. R. Senthil Nathan. It is a remake of the 2004 Thai-thriller, Shutter.-Plot:...
(2007), in which she played a ghost. She was praised for her performance. Her second film, Mudhal Mudhal Mudhal Varai (2008), termed as Tamil cinema's first "urban centric film" received critical acclaim, winning awards at international film festivals for its innovative approach to film making. Her role was one again lauded by critics and audiences. In 2009, she appeared in the college drama Ninaithale Inikkum
Ninaithale Inikkum (2009 film)
Ninaithale Inikkum is a 2009 Tamil mystery-drama film directed by Kumaravelan. The film stars Prithviraj Sukumaran, Sakthi Vasu, Priyamani, Karthik Kumar and Anuja Iyer in the lead roles while K. Bhagyaraj and Manobala play supporting roles. The film's score was composed by Vijay Antony.The film...
, a remake of the 2006 Malayalam film Classmates. Anuja essayed the character of a reserved Muslim college student Shalini who attempts to take revenge on the murderer of her lover. Later that year, she starred in Unnaipol Oruvan and its Telugu version Eeenadu
Eeenadu
Eeenadu is a 2009 Telugu film, a remake of the 2008 Hindi film A Wednesday!. Directed by Chakri Toleti, and starring Kamal Haasan and Venkatesh in the lead roles. It was simultaneously made in Tamil cinema as Unnaipol Oruvan with Mohanlal playing Venkatesh's role...
alongside veteran actors Kamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan is an Indian film actor, screenwriter and director, considered to be one of the leading method actors of Indian cinema. He is widely acclaimed as an actor and is well known for his versatility in acting...
, 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...
and Venkatesh
Daggubati Venkatesh
Venkatesh Daggubati is an Indian film actor who stars in Tollywood films. He is the son of veteran Tollywood film producer, former MP, Dr. D. Ramanaidu. He is often credited as Victory Venkatesh in films and is one of the lead actors in Telugu Cinema. He has won seven Nandi Awards and four...
. Her portrayal of Natasha Rajkumar, a television journalist, was apppreciated by critics and fetched her a nomination for the Best Supporting Actress Award at the 56th Filmfare Awards South
56th Filmfare Awards South
The 56th Filmfare Awards South ceremony honored its selection of the best South Indian films of 2008 and was held on Friday, July 31, 2009, in Hyderabad, India.-Nominations:...
.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Sivi Sivi Sivi is a Tamil film starring Yogi, Jayashri Rao and Anuja Iyer, directed by K. R. Senthil Nathan. It is a remake of the 2004 Thai-thriller, Shutter.-Plot:... |
Nandhini | 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... |
|
| 2008 | Mudhal Mudhal Mudhal Varai | Sindhu | Tamil | |
| 2009 | Ninaithale Inikkum Ninaithale Inikkum (2009 film) Ninaithale Inikkum is a 2009 Tamil mystery-drama film directed by Kumaravelan. The film stars Prithviraj Sukumaran, Sakthi Vasu, Priyamani, Karthik Kumar and Anuja Iyer in the lead roles while K. Bhagyaraj and Manobala play supporting roles. The film's score was composed by Vijay Antony.The film... |
Shalini | Tamil | |
| Unnaipol Oruvan | Natasha Rajkumar | 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... |
Nominated, Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Tamil | |
| Eeenadu Eeenadu Eeenadu is a 2009 Telugu film, a remake of the 2008 Hindi film A Wednesday!. Directed by Chakri Toleti, and starring Kamal Haasan and Venkatesh in the lead roles. It was simultaneously made in Tamil cinema as Unnaipol Oruvan with Mohanlal playing Venkatesh's role... |
Shilpa Krishna | 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... |
||
| 2011 | Ko Ko (film) Ko is a 2011 Indian Tamil political thriller film directed by K. V. Anand starring Jeeva, Ajmal Ameer, newcomer Karthika Nair and Piaa Bajpai. The film was released on 22 April 2011 to mostly positive reviews, and was dubbed into Telugu as Rangam as well. The film's plot outline is inspired by the... |
Herself | Tamil | Special appearance |
| Yuvan Yuvathi | Shalini | Guest appearance | ||
| Kadhal 2 Kalyanam Kadhal 2 Kalyanam Kadhal 2 Kalyanam is an upcoming Tamil-language romantic comedy film directed by newcomer Milind Rau that stars debutante Sathya, brother of Tamil actor Arya, and Divya Spandana in the lead roles, whilst, Jayashree, Nagendra Prasad, Kasthuri and Anuja Iyer play pivotal roles... |
Tamil | Post-production | ||
| Odi Vaa | Tamil | Filming |