Nithya Menon (born April 8, 1988) is an Indian actress and singer who has appeared in over 55 feature films in six languages: Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi, and English.
Nithya Menon made her film debut at the age of ten in the English film Hanuman (1998), playing the younger sister to Tabu's character. She began her acting career at the age of 17 when she played a supporting role in the 2006 Kannada film 7 O' Clock. She has starred in Malayalam's Aakasha Gopuram (2008), Telugu's Ala Modalaindi (2011), Tamil's Nootrenbadhu (2011), and Hindi's Mission Mangal (2019).
Early years
Nithya Menen was born on April 8, 1988, in Bangalore, Karnataka, to Malayali parents. Menen, who cannot read or write Malayalam, identifies as a Kannadiga. In Bangalore, she attended Poorna Prajna School and Mount Carmel College.
She stated that she wanted to be a journalist at first, but found it unappealing, so she switched to filmmaking and enrolled in a cinematography course at the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune. During the school entrance exam, she met B. V. Nandini Reddy, who persuaded Menen to pursue a career in acting.
1998-2002: Debut as a child actress
At the age of ten, Nithya played the younger sister to Tabu's character in the French-Indian English film Hanuman.
2006-2010: Kannada and Malayalam debuts
Menen made her acting debut in the Kannada film 7 O' Clock, directed by cinematographer Santosh Rai Pataje, in 2006. Her Malayalam debut in a leading role was in the 2008 offbeat film Aakasha Gopuram, directed by National Film Award-winning director K. P. Kumaran, in which she was paired with Mohanlal. She was in the middle of her 12th grade exams when she was approached for the part after Mohanlal saw her on the front cover of a tourism magazine, Stark World Kerala. Her performance was praised by critics, who wrote that she "shows sparkle in her debut venture" and "makes her entry in an impressive role," despite the fact that the film, based on the Norwegian play The Master Builder, received mixed reviews and was a financial failure. Her next appearance in Kannada films was in the superhit film Josh. She played a supporting role in the film, which received positive reviews and went on to become a commercial success, earning her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the 57th Filmfare Awards South. In 2010, she starred in Apoorvaragam, a Malayalam film in which she played Nancy, a young girl who becomes involved with two male students (Nishan and Asif Ali) who are later revealed to be con artists. The film received mixed to negative reviews, but it was a box office success.
Telugu debut and breakthrough in 2011-2012
Nandini Reddy's romantic comedy Ala Modalaindi, which was also Menen's first Telugu venture, was her first release in 2011. The film received positive reviews from critics and went on to become a sleeper hit, with Menen receiving praise for her performance. In his review, Idlebrain's Jeevi said she "epitomised 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 called her a "charming find" and "...quite the Genelia replacement that our cinema so desperately needs right now." She eventually won the Nandi Award for Best Actress and was nominated for a Filmfare Award for Best Actress at the 59th Filmfare Awards South. She also sang two songs for the film's soundtrack album, which was composed by Kalyani Malik. Menen was later dubbed "the discovery of the decade" by Nandini Reddy. Following Ala Modalaindi, she appeared as part of an ensemble cast in Santosh Sivan's historical fiction Urumi. 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 stated that much of her character was based on "Santosh's perception of who I am," with Sivan claiming that he wrote that role specifically for her and that only she could play it. At the 59th Filmfare Awards South, she was nominated for a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. She then starred in Jayendra's bilingual film Nootrenbadhu, which was made and released in Tamil and Telugu (as 180), as a photojournalist named Vidya. She described the character as "bubbly, full of life, nosey, wide-eyed, and innocent in life," and said it reminded her of herself. Later that year, she appeared in Malayalam films Violin by Sibi Malayil and Veppam in Tamil by Gautham Vasudev Menon. She also appeared in V. K. Prakash's Kannada anthology film Aidondla Aidu as a young bride obsessed with making payasam for her new husband, much to his chagrin. One of the songs, "Payasa," was written and choreographed by her.
Menen in 2011 during the filming of Thalsamayam Oru Penkutty (2012).
Menen's first release in 2012 was the Telugu romance film Ishq, starring Nitin Reddy. She won the CineMAA Award for Best Actress (Jury) while also being nominated for best actress at the SIIMA Awards. She later appeared 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
2013-2015: Achievements
She appeared in three Telugu films in 2013, Okkadine, Jabardasth, and Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde, as well as one Kannada film, Mynaa. She dubbed for herself and her co-star Isha Talwar in Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde, where she played a character with two shades. She received her first Filmfare Award for Best Telugu Actress for this film at the 61st Filmfare Awards South. Her Kannada film Mynaa, in which she plays a physically challenged girl and won the Filmfare Award for Best Film - Kannada, became very successful, completing 100 days in many centres across Karnataka, and her performance was well praised by critics. She also performed the female version of "Modele Maleyante," which received positive feedback. In 2014, she appeared in the Malayalam film Bangalore Days, which became the highest grossing film of the year.
Menen starred in a number of films in 2015, gaining both critical and commercial acclaim. In the beginning of the year, she collaborated with Sharwanand on the Telugu film Malli Malli Idi Rani Roju, which tells the story of a love story between a Muslim girl and a Hindu boy who are tragically separated by fate. Her performance as Nazeera, a young Muslim student in love who later becomes a successful businesswoman in Malaysia, was well received by critics, earning her the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress South, the Nandi Special Jury Award, and her second Filmfare nomination. Menen became the first Telugu actress to win both the Critics Award and the Best Actress Award at Filmfare. She had minor roles in Trivikram Srinivas' films S/O Satyamurthy and Kanchana 2 starring Raghava Lawrence and Rudhramadevi, in which she shared scenes with Anushka Shetty. In 2015, she co-starred in two films with Dulquer Salmaan: 100 Days of Love, a romantic Malayalam film, and OK Kanmani, a Tamil film directed by Mani Ratnam about a live-in relationship between a male video game designer and a female architectural student. Both films' reviews praised Dulquer and Menen's on-screen chemistry. She received near universal acclaim for her role as Tara in OK Kanmani and received her first Filmfare Award nomination for Best Tamil Actress.
2016–present
Menen appeared in three Tamil films in 2016. In the beginning of the year, she was paired opposite Suriya for the first time. The film received widespread critical acclaim, with critics praising her screen presence, and she was nominated for a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress - Tamil at the 64th Filmfare Awards South. She played the lead in K. S. Ravikumar's bilingual film Kotigobba 2 opposite Sudeep. She had a limited screen presence in the science-fiction thriller Iru Mugan, which she co-starred in with Vikram and Nayanthara. She appeared in two Telugu films, Okka Ammayi Thappa, opposite Sundeep Kishan, and Janatha Garage, opposite Jr. NTR.
Menen received the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress - Tamil for her performance in Mersal (2017)
Her only release in 2017 was the Tamil film Mersal, in which she starred alongside Vijay and was praised for her portrayal of a tough yet supportive wife, earning her a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress - Tamil at the 65th Filmfare Awards South.
Menen's first release in 2018 was Nani's Production venture, an anthology psychological thriller Awe, in which she became the first mainstream South Indian actress to play a gay psychologist. She and Eesha Rebba play a lesbian couple who try to convince the latter's parents to approve of their relationship in the film. The film received unanimous critical acclaim, with her performance receiving particular praise.
After Karmayogi, Aidondla Aidu, and its remake Poppins, she reunited with V. K. Prakash in the experimental film Praana, which also marks her return to the Malayalam industry after 2015's romantic film 100 Days of Love. She is the sole actor in the film and plays Tara Anuradha, an English writer who battles intolerance in society.
In 2019, she made her Hindi debut alongside Akshay Kumar and Vidya Balan in Mission Mangal.
In 2020, she co-starred in Mysskin's Psycho with Udhayanidhi Stalin and Aditi Rao Hydari as Kamala Das, a bitter, foul-mouthed quadriplegic ex-police officer who aids in the capture of a psychopathic serial killer. She also made her OTT debut alongside Abhishek Bachchan and Amit Sadh in the Amazon Prime series Breathe: Into the Shadows, which received mixed to negative reviews, but she was praised for her role as a desperate mother. At the Filmfare OTT Awards, she received her first nomination for 'Best Actor, Series (Female): Drama.
Menen appeared in Ani Sasi's Ninnila Ninnila in 2021, co-starring Ashok Selvan and Ritu Varma, as Maya, a childlike, adventurous girl who tragically dies in an accident, but whose spirit lives on in the main protagonist's mind. She made her producer debut in Skylab, where she played the rebellious and outspoken daughter of a zamindar in a village near Karimnagar who is trying to figure out who she is as a writer.
Menen starred opposite Pawan Kalyan in Bheemla Nayak in 2022, where she was praised by critics for portraying the powerful role of Nayak wife, and the film grossed over 160 crore at the box office. Later, she co-starred with Revathi in Modern Love Hyderabad, a film about an estranged relationship (due to an interfaith marriage) between a mother and her daughter, and Menen's performance as Noori Hussain was praised. Later, she starred in the romantic drama film Thiruchitrambalam alongside Dhanush as his childhood best friend Shobana, and her performance was praised by The News Minute. Nithya had several offers to work with Dhanush before this film, including Aadukalam, but she couldn't because of other commitments. Dhanush also planned to direct a film in 2018 with Nithya collaborating with him, but that project did not materialise. Dhanush had Nithya in mind for the lead role while writing the script for Thiruchtrambalam. The film was a critical and commercial success at the box office, grossing more than $100 million.
 | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Hanuman | Munna | English | Child artist |
| 2006 | 7 O' Clock | Anu | Kannada | |
| 2008 | Aakasha Gopuram | Hilda Varghese | Malayalam | |
| 2009 | Josh | Meera | Kannada | |
| Vellathooval | Jiya | Malayalam | ||
| Kerala Cafe | Nithya | Malayalam | ||
| Angel John | Sofia | Malayalam | ||
| 2010 | Apoorvaragam | Nancy | Malayalam | |
| Anwar | Asna | Malayalam | ||
| 2011 | Ala Modalaindi | Nithya | Telugu | |
| Urumi | Chirakkal Bala/ Daisy da Cunha[a] | Malayalam | ||
| Nootrenbadhu/ 180 | D. Vidya Lakshmi | Tamil | Bilingual film | |
| Telugu | ||||
| Violin | Angel | Malayalam | ||
| Veppam | Revathy | Tamil | ||
| Aidondla Aidu | Gowri | Kannada | Anthology film | |
| Makaramanju | Model | Malayalam | ||
| 2012 | Ishq | Priya | Telugu | |
| Thalsamayam Oru Penkutty | Manjula Ayyapan | Malayalam | ||
| Karmayogi | Moonumani | Malayalam | ||
| Doctor Innocentanu | Anna | Malayalam | Special appearance | |
| Bachelor Party | Neethu | Malayalam | ||
| Ustad Hotel | Shahana | Malayalam | ||
| Poppins | Ammu | Malayalam | Anthology film | |
| 2013 | Okkadine | Shailaja | Telugu | |
| Jabardasth | Saraswati | Telugu | ||
| Myna | Myna | Kannada | ||
| Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde | Shravani / Bangaram[a] | Telugu | ||
| 2014 | Malini 22 Palayamkottai | Malini | Tamil | |
| Bangalore Days | Natasha Francis | Malayalam | Cameo appearance | |
| 2015 | Malli Malli Idi Rani Roju | Nazeera Khanum | Telugu | |
| JK Enum Nanbanin Vaazhkai | Nithya | Tamil | Telugu version Rajadhi Raja released in 2016 | |
| 100 Days of Love | Sheela | Malayalam | ||
| S/O Satyamurthy | Valli | Telugu | ||
| Kanchana 2 | Ganga | Tamil | ||
| O Kadhal Kanmani | Tara Kalingarayan | Tamil | ||
| Rudhramadevi | Muktamba | Telugu | ||
| 2016 | 24 | Priya | Tamil | |
| Okka Ammayi Thappa | Mango / Satyabhama[a] | Telugu | ||
| Kotigobba 2 / Mudinja Ivana Pudi | Subhashini / Shubhasree | Kannada | Bilingual film | |
| Tamil | ||||
| Janatha Garage | Anu | Telugu | ||
| Iru Mugan | Ayushi | Tamil | ||
| 2017 | Mersal | Aishwarya Vetrimaaran | Tamil | |
| 2018 | Awe | Krishnaveni (Krish)[a] | Telugu | |
| Geetha Govindam | Nithya | Telugu | Special appearance | |
| 2019 | NTR: Kathanayakudu | Savitri | Telugu | Special appearance |
| Praana | Tara Anuradha | Malayalam | Multilingual film | |
| Mission Mangal | Varsha Pillai | Hindi | ||
| 2020 | Psycho | Kamala Das IPS | Tamil | |
| 2021 | Ninnila Ninnila | Maya | Telugu | |
| Gamanam | Shailaputri Devi | Telugu | Anthology film; cameo appearance | |
| Skylab | Gouri | Telugu | Also producer | |
| Kolaambi | Arundhathi | Malayalam | ||
| 2022 | Bheemla Nayak | Suguna | Telugu | |
| 19(1)(a) | Penkutty | Malayalam | ||
| Thiruchitrambalam | Shobana | Tamil | ||
| Wonder Women | Nora Joseph | English | ||
| 2023 | Aaram Thirukalpana | Celine | Malayalam |
| Year | Program | Role | Channel | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-2002 | Chhoti Maa...Ek Anokha Bandhan | Young Koyna | Zee TV | Hindi | Child Artist |
| 2022 | Telugu Indian Idol | Judge | Aha | Telugu |
| Year | Title | Role | Platform | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Breathe: Into the Shadows | Abha Sabarwal | Amazon Prime Video | Hindi | Season 2 |
| 2022 | Modern Love Hyderabad | Noori Hussain | Amazon Prime Video | Telugu | |
| Breathe: Into the Shadows | Abha Sabarwal | Amazon Prime Video | Hindi | Season 3 | |
| 2023 | Kumari Srimathi | TBA | Amazon Prime Video | Telugu |
| Year | Song | Language | Singer(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Thaniye | Malayalam | Siddharth Menon, Nithya Menen | on YouTube |
| 2022 | Tanha | Hindi | Siddharth Menon, Nithya Menen | on YouTube |
| Year | Film | Role | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TBA | Color of a Nation | Pregnant woman | Telugu | Short film |
| Year | Film | Role | Language |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde | Shruti | Telugu |
| 2019 | Frozen 2 | Elsa | Telugu |
| Year | Song | Title | Language | Composer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | "Payasa" | Aidondla Aidu | Kannada | Abhijit-Joe | |
| 2011 | "Edo Anukunte" | Ala Modalaindi | Telugu | Kalyani Malik | |
| "Ammammo Ammo" | Ala Modalaindi | Telugu | Kalyani Malik | ||
| 2012 | "Oh Priya Priya" | Ishq | Telugu | Anoop Rubens | |
| "Payasam" | Poppins | Malayalam | Ratheesh Vegha | ||
| 2013 | "Arere Arere" | Jabardasth | Telugu | S. Thaman | |
| "Doore Doore Neengi" | Natholi Oru Cheria Meenalla | Malayalam | Abhijith | ||
| "Modala Maleyante" | Myna | Kannada | Jassie Gift | Solo singer | |
| "O Premada Poojari" | Myna | Kannada | Jassie Gift | Duet with Shreya Ghoshal | |
| "Thu Hi Rey" | Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde | Telugu | Anoop Rubens | ||
| "Hi my name is malini" | Malini 22 Palayamkottai | Tamil | Arvind & Shankar | ||
| "Kanneer Thulilye (Duet)" | Malini 22 Palayamkottai | Tamil | Arvind & Shankar | ||
| "Madharthamma (Immigrant Mix)" | Malini 22 Palayamkottai | Tamil | Arvind & Shankar | ||
| "Hi my name is malini" | Malini 22 | Telugu | Arvind & Shankar | ||
| "Navve Kaluva (Duet)" | Malini 22 | Telugu | Arvind & Shankar | ||
| "Yennali (Immigrant Mix)" | Malini 22 | Telugu | Arvind & Shankar | ||
| 2015 | "Paalnilaa : Lets Do the Dandiya" | Rockstar (2015 film) | Malayalam | Prashant Pillai | |
| 2016 | "Laalijo" | 24 | Telugu | A. R. Rahman | |
| "Hrudayam Kannulatho" | 100 Days of Love | Telugu | Govind Menon | ||
| 2018 | "Va Va Vo" | Mohanlal | Malayalam | Tony Joseph Pallivathukal | |
| 2021 | "Thiruppavai" | Margazhi Thingal | Tamil | Ravi G | |
| 2022 | Thaniye | Thaniye | Malayalam | Sidharth Menon | Music video |
| 2022 | Thanha | Thanha | Hindi | Sidharth Menon | Music video |
| Year | Award | Category | Film | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Filmfare Awards South | Best Supporting Actress – Kannada | Josh | Nominated | |
| 2011 | Best Supporting Actress – Malayalam | Urumi | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress – Telugu | Ala Modalaindi | Nominated | |||
| Best Female Playback Singer – Telugu (for song "Ammammo Ammo") | Nominated | ||||
| 1st South Indian International Movie Awards | Best Female Debut (Telugu) | Nominated | |||
| Best Female Playback Singer (Telugu) (for song "Ammammo Ammo") | Nominated | ||||
| Nandi Awards | Best Actress | Won | |||
| Vijay Awards | Best Actress | Nootrenbandhu | Nominated | ||
| 2012 | CineMAA Awards | Best Actress (Jury) | Ishq | Won | |
| 2nd South Indian International Movie Awards | Rising Star of South Indian Cinema (Female) | – | Won | ||
| 2013 | Filmfare Awards South | Best Actress – Kannada | Myna | Nominated | |
| Best Actress – Telugu | Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde | Won | |||
| 3rd South Indian International Movie Awards | Best Actress (Telugu) | Nominated | |||
| Vanitha Film Awards | Best Pair (along with Dulquer Salmaan) | Ustad Hotel | Won | ||
| 2014 | Vijay Awards | Best Actress | Malini 22 Palayamkottai | Nominated | |
| 2015 | Filmfare Awards South | Best Actress – Telugu | Malli Malli Idi Rani Roju | Nominated | |
| Best Actress – Telugu (Critics) | Won | ||||
| 5th South Indian International Movie Awards | Best Actress (Telugu) | Nominated | |||
| 1st IIFA Utsavam Awards | Best Actress – Telugu | Nominated | |||
| Nandi Awards | Special Jury Award | Won | |||
| Filmfare Awards South | Best Actress – Tamil | OK Kanmani | Nominated | ||
| 5th South Indian International Movie Awards | Best Actress – Tamil | Nominated | |||
| Best Actress – Tamil (Critics) | Won | ||||
| Best Supporting Actress (Telugu) | Rudhramadevi | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actress – Tamil | Kanchana 2 | Nominated | |||
| 2016 | 2nd IIFA Utsavam Awards | Best Supporting Actress – Telugu | Rudhramadevi | Nominated | |
| 2017 | 64th Filmfare Awards South | Best Supporting Actress – Tamil | 24 | Nominated | |
| 2018 | 65th Filmfare Awards South | Mersal | Won | ||
| 7th South Indian International Movie Awards | Best Actress – Tamil | Nominated | |||
| 2020 | Filmfare OTT Awards | Best Actor Series: Drama (Female) | Breathe: Into The Shadows | Nominated |
| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Profession(s) | Actress, Playback Singer, Dubbing Artist |
| Famous Role | ‘Tara’ in the Tamil film, “O Kadhal Kanmani” (2015) |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height (approx.) | in centimeters- 160 cm in meters- 1.60 m in feet & inches- 5’ 3” |
| Eye Colour | Brown |
| Hair Colour | Black |
| Career | |
| Debut | Film (English): The Monkey Who Knew Too Much (1998) Film (Malayalam): Akasha Gopuram (2008) Film (Telugu): Ala Modalaindi (2011) Film (Tamil): Nootrenbadhu (2011) Film (Kannada): Seven O' Clock (2005) Film (Hindi): Mission Mangal (2019) TV (Hindi): Choti Maa...Ek Anokha Bandhan (2001) Song (Kannada): Payasa (2010) Song (Telugu): Edo Anukunte (2011) Song (Malayalam): Ammammo Ammo (2011) Song (Tamil): Hi My Name is Malini (2013) Web Series: Breathe: Into the Shadows (2020) |
| Awards, Honours, Achievements | • Nandi Award for ‘Best Actress’ for the film, “Ala Modalaindi” (2011) • Hyderabad Times Film Award for ‘Promising Newcomer Female’ for the film, “Ala Modalaindi” (2011) • Ugadi Puraskar Award for ‘Best Actress’ for the film, “Ala Modalaindi” (2011) • CineMAA Award for ‘Best Actress (Jury)’ for the film, “Ishq” (2012) • 2nd South Indian International Movie Award for ‘Rising Star of South Indian Cinema (Female)’ (2012) • Filmfare Awards South for ‘Best Actress-Telugu’ for the film, “Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde” (2013) • Vanitha Film Award for ‘Best Pair (along with Dulquer Salmaan)’ for the film, “Ustad Hotel” (2013) • Filmfare Awards South for ‘Best Actress – Telugu (Critics)’ for the film, “Malli Malli Idi Rani Roju” (2015) • Nandi Special Jury Award for the film, “Malli Malli Idi Rani Roju” (2015) • 5th South Indian International Movie Award for ‘Best Actress – Tamil (Critics)’ for the film, “OK Kanmani” (2015) • 65th Filmfare Awards South for ‘Best Supporting Actress – Tamil’ for the film, “Mersal” (2018) |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 8 April 1988 (Friday) |
| Age (as of 2022) | 34 Years |
| Birthplace | Banashankari, Bangalore, Karnataka, India |
| Zodiac sign | Aries |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Bangalore, Karnataka, India |
| College/University | • Manipal Institute of Communication, Manipal • Mount Caramel College, Bangalore |
| Educational Qualification | Course in Journalism |
| Hobbies | Singing, Travelling |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Family | |
| Husband/Spouse | N/A |
| Parents | Names Not Known |
| Favourites | |
| Actor | Mohanlal |
| Actress | Shobana |
| Colour(s) | Black, Blue |
| Film Director | Mani Ratnam |
| Cuisine | South Indian |
| Film(s) | Titanic (1997), The Matrix (1999), Spider-Man (2002) |
| Music Director | A. R. Rahman |
| Travel Destination(s) | Kerala, London, Goa |
| Singer | Shreya Ghoshal |
| Sport | Cricket |
| Writer | John Grisham |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Nithya Menen
,-Biography,-Wiki,-Age,-Boyfriend-&-More-134.jpg "Surabhi-Samriddhi Mehra (Chinky Minky), Biography, Wiki, Age, Boyfriend & More")
