Vrutika Shah

Nayanthara had a lot of lifting our jaws off the floor as she made her swaggy entry in her debut Bollywood stint, Jawan. In case you haven’t had a chance to watch the blockbuster film, Nayanthara plays the “hero cop” to Shah Rukh Khan’s badass villian. For her role, the actress made sure that her combat and gun skills were brilliant enough to shut up any sexist critism.

But this isn’t the first time Nayanthara has wowed her audiences. The 39-year-old is among the highest paid actresses in the country and has mainly dabbled in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam cinema. In fact, she is hailed as a ‘Lady Superstar’ down south for how she changed the narrative by popularising women-centric films. Her filmography has always been a carefully curated mix of commercial and content-driven movies, which is often stated as a reason for her immense success.

5 Nayanthara Movies To Watch

On occasion of Nayanthara’s birthday, we’re listing five of her movies that you must watch, even if you’re not a fan. After all, it’s always a good idea to familiarise yourself with one of the biggest superstars of the country.

1. Sri Rama Rajyam

You may be familiar with the story of Ramayana, but what happens after Ram rescues Sita from the clutches of Ravana? This Telugu film narrates the story of what happens after Lord Ram (Nandamuri Balakrishna) returns to Ayodhya and soon after sends a pregnant Sita (Nayanthara) into exile, since her reputation comes under questioning. She is found by Sant Valmiki (Akkineni Nageswara Rao), who lets her stay in his aashram and soon, she gives birth to twins, Luv and Kush. Nayanthara was praised for her potrayal of Sita and won her first Filmfare (Telugu) and Nandi Award for the same.

Available to stream on Netflix.

2. Aramm

This 2017 political drama tells the story of how a district collector (Nayanthara) is faced with dealing with an acute water shortage in the village, the anger and backlash of the residents and heat from political tensions. Things take a turn for the worse when a young girl gets trapped in an open borewell and things turn into a media circus for Nayanthara. This Gopi Nainar directorial didn’t only win critical and commercial acclaim, but also won several awards, including a few for Best Actress.

Available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.

3. Puthiya Niyamam

The brilliant star cast of this film is enough to convince you to watch it. In this Malayalam crime drama, Mamoothy plays an TV personality and divorce lawyer, while Nayanthara plays his wife, Vasuki, a kathakali artist, who is raped by her neighbours. After the intial shock, Vasuki takes on the task of getting herself justice via the telephonic help of the newly-appointed police commissioner, Jeena Bhai. Through mindbending twists and turns, this movie will surely take you a thrilling journey. For her performance as Vasuki, Nayanthara won the Filmfare Award (Malayalam) for Best Actress.

Available to stream on ZEE5

4. Raja Rani

This film marked the directorial debut of Atlee, who you may know from Jawan. This 2013 Tamil film sees Nayanthara and Arya play Regina and John, a couple who are forcibly married to each other after being unlucky in love in the past. However, a personal tragedy unites them in the end. This film in among Nayathara’s roster of commercial hits, and won her another Filmfare Award for Best Actress.

Available to stream on Disney+ Hotstar

5. Naanum Rowdy Thaan

If you’re a fan of romance and action films, don’t miss out on this one. Vijay Sethupati plays a local rowdy, who falls in love with Nayanthara’s Kadhambari, who had lost her hearing as a baby after her father was targetted by a gangster and is seeking revenge. Naanum Rowdy Dhaan is a serious revenge drama, as per its plot, but Vignesh Shivan’s direction lends it a touch of humour and lightness. This film also earned Nayanthara her second Filmfare Award (Tamil).

Available to stream on Aha.

So, which movie intrigues you the most?