Tamil actresses are recognized worldwide for their voluptuous frames and their sensuous dance moves besides fantaboulus acting prowess. There are umpteen names that pop in mind when one talks about Tamil actresses, yet one name that  tops the charts for almost every movie buff is that if Trisha Krishnan.

Trisha was born on 4th May 1983 to Krishnan Iyer and Uma Krishnan in Chennai. She completed her higher education at the Ethiraj College in the same city. Even as a child Trisha was a keen performer in all sorts of cultural activities such as dancing and band and eventually started modeling as a teenager.  She appeared in a number of television and print commercials for the top notch brands such as Fair and Lovely. The beautiful lady boasts of some reputed titles such as Miss Salem, Miss Madras and even Miss Beautiful Smile.

After making a mark on the small screen she soon ventured into the dream world of cinema and acted in some of the famous movies and has become a Tamil movie mascot for many a producers too. Of late she has also been endorsing a soft drink brand as well as a two wheeler as a brand ambassador. After her immense success as a Tamil Movie star she also plans to enter the Mumbai film circle and make a mark there too.

In the league of Tamil actresses another name to reckon with is that of Tamil movie star Bhavana. She is popularly known as Bhavana (her onscreen name) but was born as Karthiki Menon (her original name) on June 6, 1984. Her father G Balachandran Menon is a famous cinematographer in the Tamil film industry. She forayed into the cinema world when she was a student of grade 11 and has never looked back since then. She has acted with some great names and has been casted by maverick directors for some memorable roles.

Bhavana even won critical acclaim for a few movies, especially two Kerala State Film Awards for her outstanding performances. She is one of the lucky actresses to have worked with almost all the renowned Malayalam actors coming from different age groups and eras and is well known for her sincere performances and her diligence and hard work.

The film world is flooded with umpteen names that have a raving numbers to their claim but certain actresses are regarded for the quality of work delivered and Bhavana and Trisha certainly belong to the latter league which has helped to stabilize the foundation of Tamil movie industry.

Born Karthika Menon on June 6, 1986, the talented Indian film actress chose to be known by her stage name, Bhavana. She has appeared in Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil and Kannada films. She’s a multiple time award winner, and her very first film Nammal caused her fame to skyrocket, as her performance earned her much renown and honors. Bhavana aspires to become a cinematographer as she progresses through show business. Her father is cinematographer G. Balachandran. Bhavana has one older brother, whose name is Jayadev.

Nammal truly was the spark that began Bhavana’s career. She won the Kerala State Special Jury Award for her performance, despite the fact that she was a minor role. The year was 2003, and Bhavana became a well-praised actress in her school years. Yes, that’s right. When Bavana performed in Nammal, she was in the eleventh grade. As is, Bhavana is still a young up-and-coming actress, but there is no doubt that she will take the stage and wow the audience many more times in her career.

She has played in very low-acclaimed movies, but has also had her fair share of successful movies. In the Tamil movie Chithiram Pesuthadi she played a young woman who falls in love with a troublemaker and attempts to change him for the better. Her heartfelt performance stunned audiences and critics, winning her Filmfare’s Best Tamil Female Debut award, as well as its Best Tamil Actress award.

Bhavana’s performance in Chithiram Pesuthadi is spectacular. She plays the leading lady in the film, taking the audience through a rollercoaster as she tells her story of a woman’s battle with love. Bhavana plays Charu, a NGO worker who battles injustice in her career. She meets Thiru, a common thug, and they begin to quarrel. Emotions run high, and Charu soon finds that she is spellbound by Thiru. She tries her best to convince him to leave his life of crime to live a good, honest life with her. Thiru falls deeply in love and he, as well as a few of his gang members, leave their old lives behind to live socially acceptable lives. They seem morally changed due to Charu’s influence, but unfortunately it does not last.

Once the lovely Charu falls deeply in love with Thiru and his newly moral life, she decides that she wishes to marry him. But, not long later tragedy strikes as Thiru is shoved into a police van. She finds that Thiru was caught at a brothel, and her heart breaks and she leaves Thiru behind. The rest of the film has constant changes as Charu battles with her love of a criminal, and her preference for a normal, good life.

Veyil is a story about a young boy who had an obsession with local theater. He adored movies, and snuck away from school often to watch them at the theater near his home. The boy is Murugesan, who is the narrator of the film. Murugesan is much older now, but he reminisces on his clustered childhood that he spent with his father, a butcher, and his three siblings. Murugesan shows much affection and attention to his younger brother, until one day he is caught in the act of leaving school. Murugesan is found out by his father, while he was watching a film at the theater when he was supposed to be in school. His father severely punishes him, and Murugesan runs away, stealing family valuables on his way out of his father’s home.

Veyil, directed by Vasanthabalan details how Murugesan moves on, spending the money recklessly and ultimately waking to find that the remaining money he had was stolen from him. A local theater projectionist finds homeless Murugesan and takes him in. Murugesan’s child- and early adulthood is played out, before returning to the narrator. The rest of the film takes place in Murugesan’s present, as he returns home after the twenty year anniversary of him running away from his father and family. With love and sadness revolving around the little brother that he abandoned, Murugesan continues his life story in an attempt to make reparations for the past.

The Tamil movie has been celebrated at numerous film festivals, and likewise has earned many awards for its compelling and fascinating story. In 2006 Veyil won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil. Similarly, it won two Filmfare awards. One for Best Tamil Film and one for Best Tamil Director. Veyil won Best Film by the MGR Sivaji Academic Awards, as well as numerous awards for Best Other Language Film.

The Tamil movie is celebrated for its stark drama and compelling story, as you follow Murugesan through his petulant youth through his maturing adulthood. He grows and recognizes his mistakes, and yet life continues to be filled with hardship for the adult Murugesan. Love is also a key element in this film, as it details Murugesan’s depression in his adolescence, as the love of his life dies. Similarly he is confronted with a lovestruck woman later in the film, and his young brother deals with his own lover. The love of family is also strongly detailed, as Murugesan expresses sadness at his inability to be there for his younger brother, and his failure to be a good role model for the boy.

Tamil movies are based in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. One of the most popular movies to come out of this industry is Nayakan. Nayagan is the only Tamil movie ever listed in the “Best 100 Movies Ever Made” by Time magazine, and was nominated for an Academy Award for best foreign language movie.

This film is based on Varadharaja Mudaliar’s life, a dada in Mumbai. This film is about a boy that flees from a village located in Tamil Nadu clear to Bombay after murdering a police officer that had killed the boy’s father. This boy becomes a local dada, assisting the suppressed, and over time, becomes a don. The second part of the film highlights his arrest, killings, and his family.

Many people claim that this movie is very much like Francis Coppolo’s Godfather, but it is based on the life of Varadaraja Mudaliar. Arguments continue as to what the basis for this film was, but one thing remains is that it was a trendsetter for Tamil’s future movies.

Kamal Haasan stars as the don, and he is a well known Tamil actor. The cast also includes Saranya in her debut role, Janagaraj, Nizhalgal Ravi, Karthika, and Nassar, also making a debut in this film. Saranya plays the lead female role opposite to Kamal. This being her first film was a great start to her acting career. Since this film’s release, she has done 75 movies in different languages.

Karthika was another popular actress in this Tamil movie. She was at her peak in the movies during the 1980s. She was beautiful with very little makeup, and her styles varied greatly between movies. Karthika was known to play very bold roles in her movies. In Nayakan, she is the daughter of Velu Naykar (Kamal Haasan). In the peak of her career, she left the film industry to raise a family and has stayed out of the limelight since.

Nayakan is a movie that everyone should see because it is a Tamil movie classic. It is to the Tamil movie industry what The Godfather is to the U.S. film industry. It has all the components of a classic movie, with suspense, revenge, murder, and love. There are many reviews of this movie on the internet, as well as background the factual story this movie is based upon. Having an understand of the time period and the struggle of Southern India will also give a greater appreciation of the film.

Vasantha Balan has brought a shocking addition to Tamil movie theater. Targeting his attention on the sufferers of today’s workers, he creates a film detailing the injustices that these people are subject to on a day to day basis. The poor workers have nowhere else to go, and they live a life of misery and torment. He tells this story, all while creating a fantastic film to enrapture audiences and critics alike. His eye-opening addition is undoubtedly going to win awards for its excellence.

Just this year (2010), the Tamil film has been brought to the public and considered without a doubt a new masterpiece in Tamil theater. It is Angadi Theru. The film hit theaters in March, winning fantastic reviews by both critics and viewers. The film brought to light a painfully real story of young people who travel to Chennai, hoping to find better lives to live. Unfortunately the grass isn’t as green on the other side, and the film’s characters are met with suffering.

People who work on Ranganathan street have a difficult life. This is the theme and the image that Angadi Theru portrays for the audience. Jothi and Kani work on Ranganathan street, but live in entirely different villages. The textile shop they work at shows the suffering within the place of employment. Women are sexually harassed, men are physically abused, and all at the hands of their supervisors. Love blooms in the harsh conditions, and horrible consequences begin to show through. Talking to the opposite sex is banned, and from the beginning to the end of the film audiences are taken on an emotional rollercoaster as they feel the pain of the suffering men and women of Ranganathan street.

The shocking part of this compelling story is the fact that is based on real life experiences that Vasanthabalan feels strongly about. The writer knowingly developed this controversial film of the real lives of workers, placing it to the hands of harsh critics and audiences alike. His leap of faith proved fruitful, as the film has unanimously been decided as emotional, entertaining and compelling to watch.

Viewers of the movie have claimed to be completely moved by their experience. Visiting fan sites of the film reveal a shocked audience who recognizes their lack of concern for suffering salespeople in India. This Tamil movie is not only a fascinating story, but it also may play a strong role in altering people of what is happening behind the scenes of the stores and markets that they frequent.

Tamil actress Asin Thottumkal was born on October 26, 1985. The Indian film star hails from the state of Kerala and made her acting debut with the film Narendra Makan Jayakanthan in 2001. The movie was a success and this opened new doors for the young actress. Two years after her first film, Asin Thottumkal starred in Amma Nanna O Tamila Ammayi. Thottumkal bagged a Filmfare Award for Best Telugu Actress because of the said movie. A few more films later, she won her second award, a South Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her outstanding performance in Ghajini –one of her Tamil movies in 2005. A year later, the beautiful Tamil movie star played the lead female role in the action-packed comedy movie Varalaru.

The Syrian Catholic actress started her acting career at age 15 under the management of her father, former businessman Joseph Thottumkal. She stopped acting for a year to pursue her studies and later on starred opposite Ravi Teja in her first Telugu movie. Her first Tamil language movie is M. Kumaran son of Mahalakshmi with Jayam Ravi. After her success in the Tamil film industry, the young woman did her very first dual role opposite Kamal Haasan in K.S. Ravikumar’s Dasavathaaram. Haassan portrayed 10 people in the film making it a commercial success and a unique work of art. The movie was Asin’s biggest project to date. Her roles in the movie was well-received by critics and fans. One of her roles in the film is a Vaishnavite from the 12th century and the other a Brahmin from Chidambaram. Dasavathaaram is one of the biggest blockbusters in the Southern movie industry to date making the Tamil actress one of the most loved by Tamil movie fans.

News of her great performances have graced lots of Indian news blogs and magazines. Taran Adarsh, a noted critic in India said that her Hindi debut film is “fabulous”. She is not only fabulous but she is also very talented and acts her roles with flare. Two years before Dasavathaaram, Asin released Annavaram in Telugu. Three films in Tamil entitled Aalwar, Pokkiri and Vel followed it. In 2009, the beautiful actress released London Dreams in Hindi as a girl named Priya.

Awards Won

Asin Thottumkal won ITFA’s Best Actress Award for Dasavathaaram, she was also nominated for the Vijay Award (Best Actress) and Vijay Award (Favourite Heroine). In 2008, she won the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award, IIFA Star Debut Award, Star Screen Award (Most Promising Newcomer – Female), and Stardust Superstar of Tomorrow – Female.

Indian born actress Lekha Washington was brought up in the capital city of Tamil Nadu. With Italian, Burmese and Indian blood in her veins, the Tamil actress is a stunning beauty and is one of the most beautiful actresses in India today. Washington started her career in theater arts and in the year 2006 became a VJ for SS Music. On that same year, the young lady was called in to host PCO. PCO later on became a very popular show in India opening doors for the young woman in Indian TV.

Lekha Washington

Aside from acting, this beauty is also a talented sculptor. In fact, she held her very first exhibition when she was 18. A versatile actress in her own right, Lekha Washington is never afraid to play roles in Tamil movies that are more daring than the usual leads in most films. In her movie opposite actor Rajeev Khandelwal, she appeared in a bikini but wearing a very daring outfit was not much of a challenge for the Tamil actress.
Being very talented, Washington also anchored the IPL cricket tournament on Sony TV and later on hosted a Canadian show 20/20. Her entry into the Indian movie industry in the year 2000 was in the film “Kadhalar Dhinam” where she had a cameo appearance. Her first movie in the English language is “Framed” and she played the role of Vini.

In 2007, the Tamil actress appeared in the film “Unnale Unnale” and a year later she played the role of Brinda Sekhar in “Jayamkondaan”. Her performance in the said film was well-received by critics and fans even if she played the role of the leading actor’s sister. Her subtle yet complex character in “Jayamkondaan” won the hearts of many. Washington, however, did not appear in many movies after this Kolywood film but sources say that the young lady chooses her roles well.

She signed to shoot a movie directed by Krish in 2009. The film entitled “Vedam” was in Telugu. After that, she finally entered the glitz and glamour of Bollywood through “Peter Gayam Kaam Se” a movie in Hindi. They are still filming the movie and it is due to be released this year. Another Tamil movie that the talented Ms. Washington is working on is “Quarter Cutting”. The movie will be shown in cinemas this year as well.
For Lekha Washington fans, you will be seeing more of her in 2011 in the film “Rakkozhi”.

Lekha's soft look

Up and coming Tamil actress Parvathi Menon hails from Calicut Kerala and studied English Literature in Trivandrum, Kerala. Before starring in films, the beautiful Parvathi Menon was one of the most successful anchors on Kiran TV. The music channel was her main gig for many years and later on, she was known for her entertaining phone-in programs.

Menon decided to venture into the movie industry in 2006 and after her Malayalam film debut “Out of Syllabus” on that year, she started acting in more movies in the Malayalam language. These movies were also released in that same year. The Malayam film “Notebook” released in 2006 is about the friendship of 3 students staying in a boarding school. The endearing story is one of Menon’s greatest works. The third film done by the Tamil actress is “Vinodayathra” where she plays the role of Rashmi.

In 2007 Parvathi Menon played the role of Anjali in the film “Milana” who is forced into an arranged marriage. The story eventually turns into a beautiful love story when Anjali and her husband Akash fall in love. The Kannada film was directed by Prakash. Another movie released in 2007 is a suspense thriller directed by Sibi Malayil and starred Parvathi Menon as the female lead. The suspense thriller is entitled “Flash” and deals with the harrowing experiences of a woman by the name of Dhwani.

In November of 2008, Parvathi Menon played one of her most celebrated roles in the Indian movie industry. The story of “Poo” happens in southern Tamil Nadu and starts with Maari (Parvathi) falling deeply in love with a co-worker (played by Srikanth). The film is not a simple love story however because the film also focuses on pureness of heart, forgiveness and acceptance. Parvathi Menon’s performance in the Tamil-language film was compelling and this did not go unnoticed because she won the Filmfare Best Actress Award for 2008. The film also took home the Best Film Award from Makkal TV along with Best Supporting Actor, Best Story, the Moser Bar Best Film and Best Music Director. Tamil Nadu State Film Awards also gave an award to the movie for portraying women in good light. It also raked in awards for Best Storywriter and Best Producer.

After the success of “Poo”, Menon filmed “Male Barali Manju Irali” which was not as commercially successful as “Poo” but equally compelling. She is currently filming her latest Kannada film Prithvi to be released this year.

Priyamani has already made a name for herself and she still has so much to prove. This Tamil actress was a fearless student in her youth. She may have frustrated the school administration but she had fun doing it. Her hobbies are music, eating ice cream, playing with puppies and kittens, dancing and gorging on chocolates.

Some of her Tamil movies are Adhu Oru Kaalam, Madhu and Paruthiveeran. There is nothing she really cannot do. With looks of this caliber, her only limitations are herself and her desire. She has modeled before, in fact, she was modeling before entering the movie business. She worked for some famous silk companies, Lakshmi, Kancheepuram and Erode. Not only did she wear and look pretty in other people’s clothes, she designed textiles herself and proved fairly adept at this.

There was some drinking fountain gossip about the relationship between her and Raja, another movie actor. They met in a movie called Toss Telugu. After some further public engagements between these two, the rumors began to intensify. Regardless, Priyamani denied the allegations as pure hysteria and counters that she is just a friend of Rajas.

She is not just another pretty face. She has talent and her work ethic has brought home some just desserts. In 2006, she won the Best Actress award under the helm of the National Film Award movie institute for her work in Paruthiveeran. The Tamil Nadu government selected her for the same award in the same movie. This movie was a success as well at the box office, persisting for 300 days throughout and up until the end of 2007.

Priyamani started this momentous movie career in the show called Kangalal Kaithu Sei about 8 years ago. This movie was a dud. It may not have been her fault though.

This movie starlet was raised in Bangalore. But she was not born there; she was originally from Palakkad Kerala. She does not have any issues with nudity as long as it is done professionally and she does not want to be caught up in any controversy regarding the subject. She was not originally attracted to being in movies but when she was offered a role she decided it would be foolish to pass up that opportunity. She can sing a little; this is a hobby of hers. Thus far, no one has offered her a music contract. Modeling fell naturally into showing her pretty smile on the silver screen and audiences have accepted her ever since.

Tamil actress Nayantara was born on Nov. 18th, 1984 in Tiruvalla, Pathanamthitta District of Kerala Nayanthara Height. She stands at only 5’4″ and has light brown hair. She enjoys listening to music and traveling and has appeared in several movies, with her first being Manassinakkare in 2003. Since then, she has appeared in many other movies, including Ayya and Lakshmi.

Nayantara was awarded Best Model of Kerala in 2002 for her spectacular performance, which has only added to her career as an actress. A little known fact about her is that she has a Bachelor of Arts in literature. Her name also means Eyes Like Stars, which is a very accurate name for her, given her looks.

Since her debut in the Malayalam film Manasinakkare, she has enjoyed a huge amount of success. It’s no surprise that Manasinakkare is her favorite film, given it has given her the start she sought which has lead her down the road to her current fame. Aside from acting in her films, Nayantara has a number of hobbies, many of which include traveling. She enjoys being on the road and seeing the world, but also enjoys sitting down with a good book or listening to music.

Nayanthara is currently single, since splitting with her boyfriend Silambarasan in 2006. He is also an actor and director and during this break up, she was guarded b a number of security personnel for several months. When asked about his brea up with Nayanthara, Silambarasan stated, that there was no particular reason for the break up, as he did not understand it. However, he stated that he would continue to hold her in his heart as God guides him through his life, and that he loved Nayanthara very dearly.

She loves North Indian food and her favorite color is black. One of the distinguishing features of her career is the fact that she has worked in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam movies. She also made a very special appearance in Sivaji, during the first song named Ballelakka. Since her debut, Nayanthara has enjoyed a rocket to success and is currently one of the top stars in the Telugu industry.

While acting, she wanted pursue her career as a Charted Accountant, but she decided to give this up in order to continue her career as an actress in the Tamil movie industry. Nayanthara has currently appeared in over twelve movies with more in her production list.