Nayanthara is an Indian film actress who predominantly appears in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam films. Nayanthara made her acting debut with the Malayalam film Manassinakkare in 2003. However, she became a household name with the variety of roles she played in her Tamil films. Her first Tamil film was Ayya, followed by Chandramukhi, in which she starred in many super hit films, including Vallavan (2006), Billa (2007), and Sri Rama Rajyam (2011), among others. After almost a year off, she returned to the big screen with the 2013 film Raja Rani, which became a box office hit. Her movies became superhits, and she ruled the box office. By 2015, she was considered the highest-paid female actor in the South Indian film industry.
Nayanthara made headlines for her performance in powerful and commercially successful women-centric films. Through her 20-year journey in the film industry, the actress has evolved from a Malayalam TV anchor to a superstar, a brand ambassador, an entrepreneur, and an investor. In addition to her playing career, Nayanthara is a producer. A confident achiever, she believes strongly that once a thought comes to the mind, it starts to manifest itself, and she has given shape to her dreams by venturing into business with her filmmaker husband, Vignesh Shivan. The duo’s film production house, Rowdy Pictures, produced the critically acclaimed Tamil film Koozhangal (2021). Under the banner of Rowdy Pictures, she has made movies such as Netrikann, Kaathu Vaakula Rendu Kaadhal, and Connect.
While Shivan analyzes the business opportunities, Nayanthara chips into build the brand and contributes towards the aesthetics and branding of the products. The couple is entrenched in every business decision and is quite hands-on. They actively participate and nurture their brands. Diversifying into other businesses, the couple launched The Lip Balm Company in 2021 and invested in the Chennai-based start-up Chai Wale. In order to rapidly grow the business, the couple collaborated with professionals to launch a skincare brand called 9Skin. She also founded a company, Femi9, that makes sanitary napkins and invested in the superfood brand, The Divine Foods.
“The film industry has taught Nayanthara the art of multitasking, communication, presentation, and showcasing, among others”
The film industry has taught Nayanthara the art of multitasking, communication, presentation, and showcasing, among others. Availability and time management are important factors for sustenance in the movie industry, and maintaining work balance becomes the key to staying at the top of the game. Garnering multiple skillsets, which contribute positively to strategy planning, has helped her embrace her role as an empowered businesswoman. Nayanthara makes no bones about making money in the business, but it is important to her that the end-user and her customers are happy and the products make a positive difference in their lives.
Fresh off the release of her 75th film, Nayanthara is geared up to pursue many more ventures and not just limit her entrepreneurial skills to beauty and personal care. Nayanthara is also a fitness enthusiast who follows a strict workout and diet regimen to keep herself in top shape and look beautiful.
The year 2023 turned out to be a big milestone in Nayanthara’s film journey. One of the highest-paid female actors in the South, she debuted in Bollywood opposite Shah Rukh Khan in one of the biggest Hindi blockbusters of the year—Jawan. The film continued its upward journey at the box office as the worldwide gross collections crossed ₹1152 crore. Her star continues to shine.
