Saranya Ponvannan

Saranya Ponvannan (born Sheela Christina ) is an Indian actress who predominantly appears in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam and a few Kannada language films. She also acted in one Hindi movie Chup: Revenge of the Artist in 2022. Saranya made her acting debut in a lead role in Mani Ratnam's Nayakan and went on to play lead roles from 1987 to 1996. Following an eight-year sabbatical, she returned to films in 2003 as a character actor roles. In her career spanning around over 25 years she had won a number of accolades including one National Film Award, two Tamil Nadu State Film Awards and five Filmfare Award South.

Career

Saranya made her Tamil debut in Mani Ratnam's production Nayakan, as the female lead opposite Kamal Haasan in 1987.

In 1996, she made her Kannada debut with Appaji. After 1996, she quit from acting. In 2000 she appeared playing the lead role in the comedy television series, Veettukku Veedu Lootty, and subsequently accepted some supporting roles in other projects. During 2006 she appeared in family-drama serial Mugangal, which aired on Sun TV.

After a break from films she made a comeback in 2003 Tamil film Alai opposite Raghuvaran as Silambarasan 's mother. Since then she has been noted for her "mother" roles in films most notably Raam, Thavamai Thavamirundhu and Em Magan in the mid-2000s.

Her performance as Veerayi, a widowed mother torn between love and possessiveness, in the 2010 film Thenmerku Paruvakaatru – her 100th release – earned her the National Film Award for Best Actress. Her major breakthrough was 2005 Tamil film Thavamai Thavamirundhu after which she established herself as a prominent and leading actress in South India. As of 2017, she was one of the highest paid character actresses in the south Indian film industry.

She has also played the role of villain in Achamindri (2016).

In 2017, she had only three releases. She starred in the sequel of 2014 Tamil film Velaiyilla Pattathari, reprising the role of Bhuvana, in a cameo appearance. The character had died in the original film, but the filmmakers wanted her to appear in the sequel, because of her part in the former's success. Her second venture was with Vishnu Vishal in the film Katha Nayagan, playing the mother of Vishnu Vishal. Later she starred in Magalir Mattum, a women-centric film, in which she played alongside Jyothika, Oorvasi and Bhanupriya.

In 2018, she was first seen in comedy-family drama Mannar Vagaiyara as Vemal's mother; her comedy timing was well received, however Itly was released and opened to negative reviews. Later she was seen in Vijay Sethupathi's Junga and Nayanthara's Kolamavu Kokila as the mother of Kokila She is the daughter of Malayalam film director A. B. Raj, who had directed over 75 films. Her family is from Alappuzha, Kerala. She married actor-director Ponvannan in 1995, who co-starred with her in Karuthamma (1994), and the couple has two daughters.

Awards

National Film Awards 2011—Best Actress for Thenmerku Paruvakaatru

Tamil Nadu State Film Awards 2006 – Best Supporting Actress for Em Magan 2010 – Best Supporting Actress for Kalavani

Filmfare Awards Winnings: 2005 – Winner—Best Supporting Actress for Thavamai Thavamirundhu 2006 – Winner—Best Supporting Actress for Em Magan 2011 – Winner—Best Supporting Actress for Thenmerku Paruvakaatru 2012 – Winner—Best Supporting Actress for Neerparavai 2019 - Winner- Best Supporting Actress for Kolamavu Kokila Nominations: 2005 - Nominated- Best Supporting Actress - Tamil for Raam 2012 - Nominated- Best Supporting Actress - Tamil for Oru Kal Oru Kannadi 2010 – Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress - Telugu for Puli 2014 – Nominated–Best Supporting Actress - Tamil for Velaiyilla Pattathari 2016 – Nominated–Best Supporting Actress - Tamil for Kodi

South Indian International Movie Awards 2013 – Winner—Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Neerparavai 2014 – Nominated–Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Kutti Puli 2015 – Winner—Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Velaiyilla Pattathari 2019 – Nominated–Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Kolamavu Kokila

Ananda Vikatan Awards 2010 – Winner–Best Supporting Actress for Kalavani 2014 – Winner–Best Supporting Actress for Ennamo Nadakkudhu & Velaiyilla Pattathari

Vijay Awards 2011 – Winner—Best Supporting Actress for Thenmerku Paruvakaatru 2013 - Nominated—Best Supporting Actress for Oru Kal Oru Kannadi 2015 – Nominated–Best Supporting Actress for Velaiyilla Pattathari

Norway Tamil Film Festival Awards 2011 - Winner-Best Supporting Actress for Thenmerku Paruvakaatru 2013 - Winner-Best Supporting Actress for Oru Kal Oru Kannadi 2014 - Nominated-Best Supporting Actress forVelaiyilla Pattathari

Edison Awards 2011 - Winner-Best Supporting Actress for Thenmerku Paruvakaatru

JFW Awards 2014 - Women Achiever of the year 2025 - Best On Screen Mother of Tamil Cinema

JFW Movie Awards 2019 - Best Supporting Actress for Kolamavu Kokila

Filmography

Films Nominated - SIIMA for Best Supporting Actress Tamil The Villain Vishalavva Kannada Oru Kuprasidha Payyan Chembakaamal Malayalam 2019 Kalavani 2 Lakshmi Tamil Gang Leader Varalakshmi Telugu 2021 Bhoomi Bhoominathan's mother Tamil Maha Samudhram Arjun's mother Telugu MGR Magan Rasathi Tamil 2022 Etharkkum Thunindhavan Kosalai Tamil Viruman Muthulakshmi Tamil Chup: Revenge of the Artist Nila's Mother Hindi (Bollywood cinema) debut Varalaru Mukkiyam Malar Tamil Aruvaa Sanda Valli Tamil 2023 Kushi Rajalakshmi Telugu Conjuring Kannapan Lakshmi Tamil 2024 Mazhai Pidikkatha Manithan Rathnam, Burma’s mother Tamil Brother Hemamalini Sivagurunathan Tamil 2025 Nilavuku En Mel Ennadi Kobam Ponni Tamil Bun Butter Jam Lalitha Tamil Padaiyaanda Maaveeraa Kalyani Tamil Bha. Bha. Ba. Vavamani Malayalam Tamil Filming

As playback singer Year Film Song Language Composer Note 2014 Ennamo Nadakkudhu "Meesa Kokku" Tamil Premgi Amaren Debut as Singer 2017 Magalir Mattum"Time Passukkosaram" Tamil Ghibran Also lead actor

Television Year Television series Channel Notes 1991 Penn DD Podhigai Episode 7 (Lead) 1992 Ninaivu Kurippugal Host2000-2003 Veetuku Veedu Looty Jaya TV Meena (Lead role) 183 Episodes 2006-2007 Mugangal Sun TV Lead role 177 Episodes 2022 Amudhavum Annalakshmiyum Zee Tamil Herself (for promotion in promo) Along with Sneha, SangeethaMaari Meenakshi Ponnungaa 2024 Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale Netflix Herself