How Nayanthara became the Lady Superstar of Tamil Cinema

Nayanthara began her career in 2003, and it took a few years for her to establish her box office credentials. By 2010, Nayanthara was one of leading female stars when she decided to go on a hiatus. Image: IMDb

However, it was in 2013 when the actress showed a clear inclination towards films that are equally reliant on their female stars as male stars. It was Atlee’s film Raja Rani that was a turning point f Image: IMDb

The next years saw Nayanthara headline movies like Anaamika, Aramm, Maya and Thani Oruvan that highlighted the actress’ strengths, underlining what set Nayanthara apart from other top actresses. Image: IMDb

It wasn’t until 2018 film Kolamaavu Kokila, where she played a young woman mired in a drug scandal, that industry took note of Nayanthara’s rising stardom which was now comparable to leading heroes. Image: IMDb

Some of Nayanthara’s other notable films where her character drove the narrative are Imaikaa Nodigal, Aramm, Thirunaal and Love Action Drama. Image: IMDb

The years of 2020 and 2021 saw Nayanthara appear alongside big stars like Chiranjeevi and Rajinikanth, which reaffirmed her superstar status. Image: IMDb

Even though her recent Tamil release Iraivan wasn’t a big release, it marked a major milestone for Nayanthara, as she became the first Tamil actress to charge 10 crore fee for a film. Image: IMDb