Trisha Krishnan (born 4 May 1983) is an Indian model and actress who has appeared in films in five languages, primarily Tamil and Telugu. She rose to prominence after winning the Miss Chennai pageant in 1999, which marked her debut in the film industry. Trisha is known as the "Queen of South India" because of her contributions to the film industries of all South Indian languages. The Times of India named her one of the best South Indian actresses.
She had her first lead role in the 2002 film Mounam Pesiyadhe after appearing in a supporting role in the 1999 Tamil romantic drama Jodi. She rose to prominence in Tamil cinema with Saamy (2003), Ghilli (2004), and Aaru (2005), and in Telugu cinema with Varsham (2004), Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana (2005), Athadu (2005), and Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule (2007), winning three Filmfare Awards for Best Actress - Telugu. Trisha made her Bollywood debut in Khatta Meetha, a satirical comedy (2010). Her performances in the comedy drama Abhiyum Naanum (2008), the romantic drama Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa (2010), the political thriller Kodi (2016), the romantic drama '96 (2018), and the epic historical drama Ponniyin Selvan: I (2022) received critical acclaim; Kodi and '96 earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics) - Tamil.
Trisha was born on 4 May 1983 in Chennai (then known as Madras) to Krishnan Iyer and Uma, into a Palakkad Tamil Brahmin family. She attended Sacred Heart Matriculation School in Church Park, Chennai, before enrolling in a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) programme at Ethiraj College for Women (Chennai). She dabbled in modelling and appeared in a number of print and television commercials. She won the "Miss Salem" beauty pageant in 1999, and the Miss Chennai competition later that year. She had also won the "Beautiful Smile" award at the Miss India 2001 pageant. She eats only vegetarian food.
Trisha initially wanted to be a criminal psychologist and resisted the idea of acting because she wanted to finish her studies first. She also appeared as Ayesha Takia's friend in Falguni Pathak's music video Meri Chunar Udd Udd Jaye, directed by Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru. She was later approached by Indian film director Priyadarshan for an acting role in the Tamil film Lesa Lesa (2003), which launched her professional career as an actress. She had a strict shooting schedule in college, which made it difficult for her to continue her education. She made up for it by taking summer classes.
A career in film
See also Trisha's filmography and Trisha's list of awards and nominations from 1999 to 2003: Early career and achievement
Trisha began her acting career soon after her pageant success, in a minor supporting role as Simran's friend in the romantic drama Jodi (1999). The first film she accepted was Priyadarshan's Lesa Lesa, with the promotional posters for the film resulting in an offer to star in A. R. Rahman's musical hit, Enakku 20 Unakku 18. (2003). However, both projects were severely delayed, and her first release was Ameer's Mounam Pesiyadhe (2002), in which she co-starred with Surya Sivakumar. The film was a moderate success at the box office and helped Trisha establish her credentials, with critics praising her as "undoubtedly a refreshing new find, with sparkling eyes and appealing demeanour," as well as praising the dubbing artist, Savitha Reddy, who has since regularly dubbed for Trisha. Her second project, Manasellam (2003), saw her play a cancer patient, but the film went unnoticed.
Her next film was the action film Saamy, directed by Hari and starring Vikram. She portrayed a soft-spoken college-going Brahmin girl and received positive feedback for her performance, with one critic writing that she was "appealingly sensual" and looked "glamorous," and another saying she was "very pretty" and suited the role. The masala film became the year's biggest blockbuster, grossing 16 crores, and landed Trisha several new offers, including several high-budget productions. Next came Lesa Lesa, which was supposed to be her debut. The romantic musical, based on the Malayalam film Summer in Bethlehem from 1998, received mostly positive reviews. Following Lesa Lesa, she starred in Alai, which was a box office flop. Then she released Enakku 20 Unakku 18 (2003), which was commercially unsuccessful but critically acclaimed for its music and visuals, propelling her career.
2004-2008: Telugu and Tamil film stardom
She made her Telugu film debut in 2004 with M S Raju's romantic action film Varsham, which catapulted her to stardom. Critics lauded her performance as Sailaja, a middle-class girl who becomes a film star on her father's insistence; Jeevi from Idlebrain claimed that she was "beautiful" and a "big plus to the film", labelling her performance as "natural", while Sify noted that she had "transformed herself into a fine actress with immense screen presence". A critic from fullhyderabad.com praised her, citing that she had shown why Tamil Nadu was "busy building her a temple", further adding that she looked "so fresh and fine, you feel like gifting her to the roses". While the film was a commercial success, running in theatres for over 175 days, being declared a "sensational hit," and becoming one of the year's highest-grossing films, Trisha won her first Filmfare Awards for Best Actress - Telugu, as well as the Santosham Award for Best Actress. She was also offered the same role in the Tamil remake Mazhai, but she turned it down. Later that year, she co-starred with Vijay in the action comedy film Ghilli as the female lead. She played Dhanalakshmi, a helpless girl who a Kabaddi player tries to save from the clutches of an influential thug who wants to marry her, with most critics agreeing that her performance was overshadowed by Vijay, and especially Prakash Raj's. The film eventually became the highest-grossing Tamil film of the year, with a 175-day run, and it remains Trisha's biggest commercial success at the time. She then appeared in Mani Ratnam's political drama Aayutha Ezhuthu as part of an ensemble cast that included Siddharth, Madhavan, and Surya. Despite positive reviews, the film underperformed at the box office, and she was once again outshone by the three lead male actors.
Trisha had 12 releases over the next two years, with all but one featuring her as the female lead. She appeared in two male-oriented action-masala films, Thirupaachi and Aaru, both directed by Perarasu and Hari, and both had limited roles for her, with the former becoming a major commercial success. She co-starred with Siddharth in her second Telugu film, the romantic drama Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana. The film was Prabhu Deva's directorial debut, and Trisha received praise for her portrayal of the village girl Siri, which earned her several Best Actress awards, including her second consecutive Filmfare Awards for Best Actress - Telugu and her first Nandi Award for Best Actress. Idlebrain noticed she was "Simply fantastic. Her tender looks, innocent face, and Telugu traditional costumes make her a treat to watch," adding that her expressions and "naughty antics" were excellent, while Sify called Trisha "amazing as Siri." It is her best performance of her career, and she has excelled throughout." The film went on to win eight Filmfare Awards South, the most ever won by a Telugu film, as well as becoming a huge commercial success at the box office. She then co-starred with Mahesh Babu in the action thriller Athadu, which was a critical and commercial success, and her performance earned her a third nomination for Best Actress - Telugu at the Filmfare Awards. Trisha later reprised her role in the Tamil remake as well. Her subsequent films, N Lingusamy's Ji and Aathi, in which she starred alongside Ajith Kumar and Vijay, were both critical and commercial failures, while Aaru was a moderate success. Trisha was cast in the third consecutive M. S. Raju film after the success of Varsham and Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana, with the producer describing her as "one of the most talented and beautiful actresses I have ever worked with," drawing comparisons to the works of Savitri, Nargis, and Sophia Loren. Pournami, directed by Prabhu Deva once more, starred her as the titular character alongside an ensemble cast and bombed at the box office. Unakkum Enakkum, a remake of Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana in which she starred alongside Jayam Ravi, was her sole Tamil release in 2006. She appeared in the Telugu film Stalin alongside Chiranjeevi, and then in the Telugu film Sainikudu alongside Mahesh Babu.
Her next film, Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule, starred her opposite Venkatesh. The film, Selvaraghavan's first in Telugu, was a family comedy that received positive reviews from critics. For her performance in the film, Trisha received her third Filmfare Award for Best Actress - Telugu. She next starred in Kireedam alongside Ajith Kumar, where Trisha was stated as playing "her usual role and bringing anything special to the table". Her 2008 Tamil films, Bheema and Kuruvi, were box office flops. Krishna, a Telugu film starring Ravi Teja, became a box-office success. Her other film, Bujjigadu, starring Prabhas and directed by Puri Jagannadh, did well. Trisha received accolades for her performance in Radhamohan's Abhiyum Naanum. Sreenu Vaitla's directorial debut, King, starring Nagarjuna, was a box office success. For her performances in Krishna and Abhiyum Naanum, she received Filmfare Award nominations for Best Actress - Telugu and Tamil, respectively.
2009-2017: Continued Success
Her 2009 films Sarvam with Arya and Sankham opposite Gopichand performed poorly and grossed only averagely. Trisha played Jessie, a Syrian Christian Malayali girl, in Gautham Vasudev Menon's 2010 Tamil romantic drama Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa, which was a huge commercial success. The story revolves around a complicated relationship between a Syrian Christian Malayali girl and a Tamil Hindu assistant director who falls in love with her only to be met with her indifference and reluctance because they are from different religions and her strict conservative family will never agree to their marriage. Critics praised her performance, which earned her the Vijay Award for Favorite Heroine and a second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress - Tamil. Rediff's Pavithra Srinivasan commented, "Trisha is an absolute revelation. She dazzles in Nalini Sriram's simple costumes without her filmi make-up." "Trisha looks good and delivers her career-best performance in a knock-out role," Sify said.
In 2010, Namo Venkatesa was her sole Telugu release. In the same year, she appeared in Manmadhan Ambu alongside Kamal Haasan and R. Madhavan and made her Bollywood debut in Priyadarshan's Khatta Meetha. The film received mixed reviews from critics upon its initial release, and Box Office India rated it as an average box office performer. In 2011, she was involved in two commercially successful ventures: Theenmaar in Telugu and Venkat Prabhu's Mankatha in Tamil. The latter was the year's highest-grossing Tamil film.
She had two Telugu releases in 2012 - Bodyguard, a remake of the same-titled Malayalam film in which she was paired for the third time with Daggubati Venkatesh, and Dammu opposite N. T. Rama Rao Jr. - and two Tamil releases in 2013 - Samar starring Vishal and the comedy-drama Endrendrum Punnagai starring Jiiva. Her performance in the film earned her a third nomination for Best Actress - Tamil at the Filmfare Awards. She signed on for two "women-centric" bilingual projects, Rambha Urvasi Menaka and Kannaale Kannan, both with female lead casts. Both films were started, but they were put on hold in 2013.
In 2015, she appeared in Yennai Arindhaal with Ajith Kumar, Thoongavanam with Kamal Haasan, and Bhooloham with Jayam Ravi in Tamil. She also appeared in the horror sequel Aranmanai 2. (2017).
2018–present: Critical acclaim and a successful career
In 2016, she co-starred in the political drama Kodi with Dhanush, which was a critical and commercial success, earning her a Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics) - Tamil, as well as her fourth Filmfare Award nomination for Best Actress - Tamil.
In 2018, she made her Malayalam debut in the film Hey Jude, alongside Nivin Pauly. Following that, she starred alongside Vijay Sethupathi in the Tamil romantic drama '96,' which received widespread critical acclaim. Janani K. of India Today praised her performance as her best of her career. She received her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress - Tamil, as well as Best Actress honours from the SIIMA Awards, Edison Awards, Norway Tamil Film Festival Awards, and Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards.
She then appeared in Petta (2019), alongside superstar Rajinikanth, in a brief role.
She was next seen in Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan: I in 2022, playing the Chola princess Kundavai, for which she received critical acclaim.
Other projects and endorsements
Trisha is an animal lover who has served as PETA's Goodwill Ambassador. Trisha worked with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in 2010 to issue a public call to domesticate stray dogs rather than lusting after pedigreed foreign breeds. She was also a Goodwill Ambassador for PETA's "Angel for Animals" campaign, which encouraged people to adopt homeless dogs in 2010. Trisha was recognised for her efforts by PETA, which sent her an appreciation letter highlighting her animal rescue work and efforts to encourage people to adopt Indian community dogs.
Trisha took over as Fanta India's brand ambassador from Rani Mukerji. She is the new brand ambassador for Scooty Pep+, replacing Preity Zinta. She is also the brand ambassador for ITC Limited's Vivel Di Wills. She took over for Asin in the Fairever fairness cream commercial in 2011.
Trisha currently lives in Chennai with her mother and grandmother. Trisha's father passed away in October 2012. She speaks Tamil, English, Hindi, and French fluently. She eats only vegetarian food.
Her mother, Uma Krishnan, had been approached by several Tamil film makers and actors, including Kamal Hasaan, but declined because she wanted to focus on Trisha's career. She travels with Trisha to film sets, events, and functions, and they have only appeared together in a commercial advertisement. Trisha says of her relationship with her mother, "She has been a pillar of strength for me and has been there for me through thick and thin. Everyone in the industry, as well as my friends, knows how close I am to my mother."
Trisha married Varun Manian, a businessman from Chennai, on January 23, 2015. She confirmed in May 2015 that the couple had called it quits.
| Bio | |
|---|---|
| Real Name | Trisha Krishnan |
| Nickname | Honey |
| Profession | Actress |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height | in centimeters- 165 cm in meters- 1.65 m in Feet Inches- 5’ 5” |
| Weight | in Kilograms- 52 kg in Pounds- 115 lbs |
| Figure Measurements | 33-25-34 |
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 4 May 1983 |
| Age (as in 2017) | 39 Years |
| Birth Place | Pallakad, Kerala, India |
| Zodiac sign/Sun sign | Taurus |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| School | Sacred Heart Matriculation Hr. Sec School, Church Park, Chennai |
| College | Ethiraj College for Women, Chennai |
| Education Qualifications | Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) |
| Film Debut | Tamil: Jodi (1999) Telugu: Nee Manasu Naaku Telusu (2003) Bollywood: Khatta Meetha (2010) Kannada: Power (2014) |
| Family | Father- Krishnan (Died, Worked as a General Manager at a five star hotel in Hyderabad) Mother- Uma Krishnan Brother- Not Known Sister- Not Known |
| Religion | Hindu |
| Hobbies | Listening to music, reading, swimming |
| Favourite Things | |
| Favourite Films | Hollywood: The Silence of the Lambs (1991), The English Patient (1996) Tamil: Jilla (2014), Vaalu (2015) |
| Favourite TV Shows | American: The Muppets (2015-2016) Tamil: Saravanan Meenatchi (2011-2016) |
| Favourite Book | Vasco All Areas |
| Favourite Food | Brown rice & Chicken curry |
| Favourite Magazines | Femina, Cosmopolitan |
| Favourite Actors | Hollywood: Tom Hanks Bollywood: Salman Khan |
| Favourite Actresses | Hollywood: Julia Roberts, Jennifer Lawrence Bollywood: Manisha Koirala Tollywood: Simran |
| Favourite Colours | Black, White |
| Favourite Novelist | Danielle Steel |
| Favourite Cricketer | Mahendra Singh Dhoni |
| Favourite Dancer | Prabhu Deva |
| Boys, Affairs and More | |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Husband | N/A |
| Children | Daughter- N/A Son- N/A |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Trisha Krishnan
,-Biography,-Wiki,-Age,-Boyfriend-&-More-134.jpg "Surabhi-Samriddhi Mehra (Chinky Minky), Biography, Wiki, Age, Boyfriend & More")
