Nithya Menen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nithya Menen
Nithya in 2023
Born	Nalini Sukumaran Nithya (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 (child artist) ; 2006 ‍–‍ present
Awards	Full list

Nithya Menen, whose full name is Nalini Sukumaran Nithya, is a talented Indian actress and singer. She was born on April 8, 1990. Nithya is well-known for her work in films made in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu languages. She has also appeared in a few Kannada films.

Nithya has acted in over 62 movies and is famous for playing strong characters. She has won many awards, including a National Film Award, four Filmfare Awards South, and two Nandi Awards.

She started her acting journey as a child in 1998 in the film Hanuman. Her first main role was in the Kannada film 7 O' Clock in 2006. In 2011, the romantic film Ala Modalaindi became a big success for her. She won the Nandi Award for Best Actress for this role. Nithya also won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu for her performance in Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde (2013).

She became a leading actress in South India with the Tamil romantic film O Kadhal Kanmani (2015). Nithya has starred in many successful films like Ustad Hotel (2012), Bangalore Days (2014), Kanchana 2 (2015), 24 (2016), Mersal (2017), and Thiruchitrambalam (2022). Her role in Mersal earned her the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress – Tamil award. For Thiruchitrambalam, she won the Filmfare Critics Best Actress – Tamil award and a National Film Award for Best Actress. In 2019, Nithya also acted in her first Hindi film, Mission Mangal, which became her highest-earning movie.

About Nithya Menen

Early Life and Education

Nithya Menen was born in Bangalore, Karnataka, India. Her grandparents were from Kerala and had moved to Bangalore. She went to Poorna Prajna School and Mount Carmel College in Bangalore. Later, she studied journalism at Manipal Academy of Higher Education.

Nithya first wanted to become a pilot. However, she later found that flying wasn't for her. She then decided to study filmmaking at the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune. There, she met B. V. Nandini Reddy, who encouraged her to try acting. Nithya is very good with languages and can speak six different ones. These include Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, and English.

Starting Her Acting Journey

Nithya first appeared on screen as a child artist in 1998. She was 8 years old and played a small role in the French-Indian English film Hanuman. She also had a part in a Hindi TV show called Choti Maa – Ek Anokha Bandhan in 2001-2002.

In 2006, when she was 15, Nithya played 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 didn't do well financially.

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

Nithya Menen's Film Career

Becoming a Star (2011–2014)

Nithya in 2011

Nithya's career took a big turn in 2011 with her first Telugu film, Ala Modalaindi. This romantic comedy was a surprise hit, and Nithya received great reviews for her acting. Many critics praised her performance, calling her a "charming find." She won the Nandi Award for Best Actress for this film. She also sang two songs for the movie's soundtrack.

After Ala Modalaindi, she appeared in the historical film Urumi (2011). She played a princess named Bala, and her performance was well-received. She was nominated for a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. Nithya also starred in Nootrenbadhu (released in Tamil and Telugu) as a photojournalist. She described her character as "bubbly" and similar to herself. Later that year, she was in Violin (Malayalam) and Veppam (Tamil). She also sang and choreographed a song called "Payasa" in the Kannada film Aidondla Aidu.

In 2012, Nithya's Telugu romance film Ishq was a commercial success. She won an award for her role and her chemistry with co-star Nithiin was praised. She then appeared in several Malayalam films, including Ustad Hotel, where she played a strong-willed girl. Most of these films were very successful, making Nithya a popular actress.

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

In 2014, she played a nursing student in Malini 22 Palayamkottai. Critics noted her confident performance. Nithya also had a special appearance in the Malayalam film Bangalore Days, which became one of the highest-earning Malayalam films ever.

Leading Actress Roles (2015–2019)

Nithya starred in many films in 2015 that brought her more recognition. In Malli Malli Idi Rani Roju, she played a young Muslim student in love with a Hindu. She won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress – Telugu for this role. This made her the first Telugu actress to win both the Critics Award and the Best Actress Award at Filmfare. She also appeared in JK Enum Nanbanin Vaazhkai and S/O Satyamurthy. All these films were successful.

She gained more fame with three other films in 2015. She played a girl with a disability in Kanchana 2, which was a hit. Nithya received huge 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. This film was a financial success. She also played Princess Muktamba in Rudhramadevi.

By 2016, Nithya was a well-known leading actress. She starred in three Tamil films that year. In 24, she was paired with Suriya for the first time. Her performance earned her a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Tamil nomination. She also starred in Kotigobba 2 and Iru Mugan. In Telugu, she appeared in Okka Ammayi Thappa and Janatha Garage. All her films were commercially successful.

In 2017, her only release was the Tamil film Mersal, where she played a strong and supportive wife. Her performance earned her a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Tamil. The film was a huge box office success. In 2018, Nithya played a lesbian psychiatrist in Awe, which received very positive reviews. She was one of the first mainstream South Indian actresses to play an LGBTQ character. She also had a small role in Geetha Govindam.

Nithya Menen at the Mission Mangal trailer launch

In 2019, Nithya played actress Savitri in NTR: Kathanayakudu. She also starred in the experimental Malayalam film Praana, where she was the only actor on screen. Nithya made her Hindi film debut with the very successful film Mission Mangal, playing a satellite engineer. Critics noted her good performance in this role.

Recent Success and Acclaim (2020–Present)

In 2020, Nithya starred in the Tamil film Psycho. The same year, she made her debut on Amazon Prime with the series Breathe: Into the Shadows. She received a nomination for Best Actor (Female) in a Drama Series for her role.

Nithya had 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.

In 2022, Nithya had four film releases and two web series. She starred in Bheemla Nayak, which was a box office hit. She appeared in the series Modern Love Hyderabad. Nithya also played a lady in 19(1)(a), a role she considers one of her best. She returned for the second season of Breathe: Into the Shadows.

Nithya received excellent reviews for the romantic drama Thiruchitrambalam (2022), where she played a childhood friend. This film was a big success. Her performance won her the National Film Award for Best Actress. Nithya also played a pregnant woman in her final film of 2022, Wonder Women.

In 2023, Nithya appeared in Kolaambi, a film she considers one of her favorites. She also starred in two web series: Kumari Srimathi, where she played a lively restaurant worker, and Masterpeace.

In 2025, Nithya started the year with Kadhalikka Neramillai, playing an architect and single mother. Her performance was called "terrific." She will next appear in Idly Kadai and Thalaivan Thalaivii.

Filmography

Films

Key

Denotes films that have not yet been released

List of Nithya Menen film credits

Year	Title	Role	Language	Notes
1998	Hanuman	Moona	English	credited as Nitiya Sukumaran; Child artist
2006	7 O' Clock	Anu	Kannada	credited as Nithya; Supporting role
2008	Aakasha Gopuram	Hilda Varghese	Malayalam	credited as Nithya; Debut in Lead Role
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	Telugu debut
	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 Faizal
	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
2024	Grey	Chahat	Hindi	Unreleased
2025	Kadhalikka Neramillai	Shreya Chandramohan	Tamil
	Thalaivan Thalaivii	Perarasi		Completed
	Idly Kadai	Kayal		Completed

Television

Voice Artist

Discography

Awards and Achievements

Nithya Menen has won many important awards for her acting. She received the National Film Award for Best Actress for her role in Thiruchitrambalam.

She has also won four Filmfare Awards:

• Best Actress – Telugu for Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde
• Critics Best Actress – Telugu for Malli Malli Idi Rani Roju
• Best Supporting Actress – Tamil for Mersal
• Critics Best Actress – Tamil for Thiruchitrambalam

Additionally, Nithya has won two Nandi Awards:

• Best Actress for Ala Modalaindi
• Special Jury Award for Malli Malli Idi Rani Roju

See also

In Spanish: Nithya Menen para niños