Nithya Menen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nithya Menen
Nithya in 2023
Born	Nithya N.S (1990-04-08) 8 April 1990 (age 35) Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Other names	Nithya
Education	Mount Carmel College Manipal Academy of Higher Education
Occupation	Actress playback singer
Years active	1998–2002 (child artist); 2006‍–‍present
Awards	Full list

Nithya Menen (born 8 April 1990) is a famous Indian actress and singer. She works mostly in films made in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada languages. Nithya has acted in over 59 movies. She is known for playing strong and memorable characters.

Nithya has won many awards for her acting and singing. These include a National Film Award, four Filmfare Awards South, and two Nandi Awards. She started her career as a child artist in 1998. Her first main role was in the Kannada film 7 O' Clock in 2006.

Her big break came with the Telugu romance film Ala Modalaindi in 2011. This movie helped her win the Nandi Award for Best Actress. She also won a Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu for Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde (2013). Some of her other successful Telugu films include Ishq (2012) and Janatha Garage (2016).

Nithya became a top actress in South India with the Tamil film O Kadhal Kanmani (2015). She also starred in popular Malayalam films like Ustad Hotel (2012) and Bangalore Days (2014). In Tamil, she was seen in hits like Mersal (2017) and Thiruchitrambalam (2022). For Thiruchitrambalam, she won the National Film Award for Best Actress. In 2019, she made her Hindi film debut with Mission Mangal, which was a huge success.

Nithya Menen's Early Life

Nithya Menen was born on April 8, 1990, in Bangalore, India. Her parents, Sukumar and Nalini, are from Malayali families who settled in Bangalore. She went to Poorna Prajna School and Mount Carmel College, Bangalore.

Nithya first wanted to become a pilot. But she later changed her mind and decided to study filmmaking. During a school exam, she met director B. V. Nandini Reddy. Nandini Reddy encouraged Nithya to try acting. Nithya can speak six languages: Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, and English. She chose the surname "Menen" for her passport.

Nithya Menen's Acting Journey

Starting as a Child Artist (1998-2010)

Nithya first appeared on screen as a child in 1998. She was 8 years old and acted in the English film Hanuman. She played the younger sister of the character played by actress Tabu. She also acted in a Hindi TV show called Choti Maa – Ek Anokha Bandhan from 2001 to 2002.

In 2006, at age 15, she had a supporting role in the Kannada film 7 O' Clock. Her first main role in a Malayalam film was in Aakasha Gopuram (2008). She was still taking her 12th-grade exams when she got this role. Critics liked her performance, even though the film did not do well financially.

She returned to Kannada films with Josh in 2009. This film was very successful. She was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress award for her role. In the same year, she appeared in Vellathooval, Angel John, and Kerala Cafe. She received good reviews for Kerala Cafe. In 2010, she starred in Malayalam films like Anwar and Apoorvaragam.

Telugu Debut and Big Success (2011–2012)

Nithya in 2011

Nithya's career changed a lot in 2011 with her first Telugu film, Ala Modalaindi. This romantic comedy was a surprise hit. Critics praised Nithya's acting. One critic said she was "the best debut in recent years." She won the Nandi Award for Best Actress for this role. She also sang two songs for the film's soundtrack.

After Ala Modalaindi, she acted in the historical film Urumi. She played a princess named Bala. Critics said she "looks pretty and is a scene stealer." She was nominated for a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Malayalam. She also appeared in the Tamil and Telugu film Nootrenbadhu, playing a photojournalist. Nithya said the character was similar to herself. Later that year, she was in Malayalam films Violin and Makaramanju, and the Tamil film Veppam. She also sang and choreographed a song called "Payasa" in the Kannada film Aidondla Aidu.

In 2012, Nithya starred in the Telugu romance film Ishq with Nithiin. This film was a commercial success. She won an award for her performance and her chemistry with Nithiin. She then appeared in several Malayalam films. These included Karmayogi, Poppins, Thalsamayam Oru Penkutty, Bachelor Party, and Ustad Hotel. In Ustad Hotel, she played a strong-willed girl. Most of these films were very successful.

Continued Success and Recognition (2013–2015)

In 2013, Nithya starred in three Telugu films and one Kannada film. She was in Okkadine and Jabardasth. She received praise for playing a physically challenged girl in the Kannada film Myna. This film was very successful. She also sang a song for Myna.

Nithya won her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu for her role in Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde. This film was a huge box office hit. Times of India said, "Nithya Menen takes the honors as far as acting goes." In 2014, she played the lead in Malini 22 Palayamkottai. She also had a small role in the successful film Bangalore Days.

Nithya starred in many films that brought her more praise and success. In 2015, she appeared opposite Sharwanand in Malli Malli Idi Rani Roju. She played a young Muslim student in love with a Hindu boy. She won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress – Telugu and a Nandi Special Jury Award for her acting. This made her the first Telugu actress to win both these Filmfare awards. She also appeared in JK Enum Nanbanin Vaazhkai and S/O Satyamurthy. She then acted with Dulquer Salmaan in 100 Days of Love. All these films were successful.

Nithya gained more fame with three other films in 2015. She played a girl with a disability in Kanchana 2, which was a hit. Critics called her performance "crucial" and "effective." Nithya received great praise for the romantic film O Kadhal Kanmani, directed by Mani Ratnam. She played an architecture student named Tara. Her on-screen chemistry with Dulquer Salmaan was highly praised. The film was a financial success. She also played Princess Muktamba in Rudhramadevi.

Becoming a Leading Actress (2016–2021)

By 2016, Nithya Menen was a leading actress. She starred in three Tamil films. She was paired with Suriya for the first time in 24. Critics loved the film, and Nithya's role was praised. She also played the main heroine in Kotigobba 2 and Iru Mugan. In Telugu, she starred in Okka Ammayi Thappa and Janatha Garage. All these films were successful.

Her only film in 2017 was the Tamil film Mersal with Vijay. She played a strong and supportive wife. Firstpost said she "makes an impression with her competent performance." The film was a huge box office success. She won a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Tamil for this role. In 2018, she had two Telugu films. Nithya played a lesbian psychiatrist in Awe. This was a brave role for a mainstream South Indian actress. She also had a small role in Geetha Govindam.

Nithya at the Mission Mangal trailer launch

In 2019, Nithya played actress Savitri in NTR: Kathanayakudu. She also returned to Malayalam cinema with Praana. In this experimental film, she was the only actor on screen, playing an English writer. The News Minute praised her, saying, "Nithya carries it off all so effortlessly." Nithya made her Hindi film debut with the very successful film Mission Mangal. She played a satellite engineer. Critics noted her "delightfully good" performance.

In 2020, Nithya starred in the Tamil film Psycho. She played a quadriplegic ex-police officer. The same year, she started acting in web series. Her first was the Amazon Prime series Breathe: Into the Shadows.

Nithya starred in three Telugu films in 2021. She played a spirit named Maya in Ninnila Ninnila. Her next film, Skylab, was her first as a producer. She also played a singer in Gamanam.

Recent Work and Achievements (2022–Present)

In 2022, Nithya had four films and two web series released. She starred in Bheemla Nayak, which was a box office hit. She also appeared in the series Modern Love Hyderabad. Next, she played an unnamed lady in 19(1)(a). Nithya said this was one of her best performances. She also returned for the second season of Breathe: Into the Shadows.

Nithya received great reviews for the romantic drama Thiruchitrambalam with Dhanush. She played his childhood friend Shobana. The film was a big success. Critics praised her acting, saying she "nails [the role] to perfection." Her performance won her the National Film Award for Best Actress. Nithya then played a pregnant woman in her final film of the year, Wonder Women.

In 2023, Nithya's first film was Kolaambi. She called it one of her "all time favourite" films. Later that year, she played the lead in two more web series: Kumari Srimathi and Masterpeace.

Nithya started 2025 with Kadhalikka Neramillai. She played an architect and single mother. Critics called her "terrific" in the role.

Nithya Menen's Filmography

Films

Key

Denotes films that have not yet been released

List of Nithya Menen film credits

Year	Title	Role	Language	Notes
1998	Hanuman	Munna	English	Child artist
2006	7 O' Clock	Anu	Kannada	credited as Nithya
2008	Aakasha Gopuram	Hilda Varghese	Malayalam	credited as Nithya
2009	Josh	Meera	Kannada	credited as Nithya
	Vellathooval	Jiya George	Malayalam	credited as Nithya
	Kerala Cafe	Nithya		credited as Nithya
	Angel John	Sofia
2010	Apoorvaragam	Nancy
	Anwar	Asna
2011	Ala Modalaindi	Nithya	Telugu
	Urumi	Chirakkal Bala/ Daisy da Cunha	Malayalam
	Nootrenbadhu/ 180	D. Vidya Lakshmi	Tamil	Bilingual film
			Telugu
	Violin	Angel	Malayalam
	Veppam	Revathy	Tamil
	Aidondla Aidu	Gowri	Kannada	Segment: "Payasa"
	Makaramanju	Malayali Penkutty	Malayalam
2012	Ishq	Priya	Telugu
	Thalsamayam Oru Penkutty	Manjula Ayyapan	Malayalam
	Karmayogi	Moonumani
	Doctor Innocentanu	Anna		Special appearance
	Bachelor Party	Neethu
	Ustad Hotel	Shahana
	Poppins	Ammu		Anthology film
2013	Okkadine	Shailaja	Telugu
	Jabardasth	Saraswati
	Myna	Myna	Kannada
	Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde	Shravani / Bangaram	Telugu
2014	Malini 22 Palayamkottai	Malini	Tamil
	Appavin Meesai	Sunanda		Unreleased
	Bangalore Days	Natasha Francis	Malayalam	Cameo appearance
2015	Malli Malli Idi Rani Roju	Nazeera Khanum	Telugu
	JK Enum Nanbanin Vaazhkai	Nithya	Tamil
	100 Days of Love	Sheela	Malayalam
	S/O Satyamurthy	Valli	Telugu
	Kanchana 2	Ganga	Tamil
	O Kadhal Kanmani	Tara Kalingarayar
	Rudhramadevi	Muktamba	Telugu
2016	24	Priya Sethuraman	Tamil
	Okka Ammayi Thappa	Mango / Satyabhama	Telugu
	Kotigobba 2 / Mudinja Ivana Pudi	Subhashini / Shubha	Kannada	Bilingual film
			Tamil
	Janatha Garage	Anu	Telugu
	Iru Mugan	Ayushi	Tamil
2017	Mersal	Aishwarya Vetrimaaran
2018	Awe	Krishnaveni	Telugu
	Geetha Govindam	Nithya		Special appearance
2019	NTR: Kathanayakudu	Savitri		Special appearance
	Praana	Tara Anuradha	Malayalam
	Mission Mangal	Varsha Pillai	Hindi
2020	Psycho	Kamala Das IPS	Tamil
2021	Ninnila Ninnila	Maya	Telugu
	Gamanam	Shailaputri Devi		Cameo appearance
	Skylab	Gouri Venkataraju		Also producer
2022	Aaraam Thirukalpana	Selin	Malayalam	Unreleased
	Bheemla Nayak	Suguna Nayak	Telugu
	19(1)(a)	Unnamed Cafe Runner	Malayalam
	Thiruchitrambalam	Shobana	Tamil
	Wonder Women	Nora Joseph	English
2023	Kolaambi	Arundhathi	Malayalam
2025	Kadhalikka Neramillai	Shriya Chandramohan	Tamil
	Idly Kadai	Kayal		Filming
TBA	Dear Exes	TBA		Filming
	Untitled VJS film	TBA		Filming

Television Shows

Music Videos

Voice Acting

Nithya Menen's Songs

Awards and Recognitions

Nithya Menen has won many important awards for her acting. She has won four Filmfare Awards. These include Best Actress – Telugu for Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde and Critics Best Actress – Telugu for Malli Malli Idi Rani Roju. She also won Best Supporting Actress – Tamil for Mersal and Critics Best Actress – Tamil for Thiruchitrambalam.

She has also won two Nandi Awards. These are Best Actress for Ala Modalaindi and a Special Jury Award for Malli Malli Idi Rani Roju. Her biggest award is the National Film Award for Best Actress for her amazing performance in Thiruchitrambalam.

See Also

In Spanish: Nithya Menen para niños