Nayanthara birthday special: She walked in as a village girl; starred alongside Jayaram, now rules south cinema

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Nayanthara's ascent from a quaint Kerala village to becoming a cinematic icon is nothing short of extraordinary. Beginning her acting career in 2003, she gained widespread recognition through the film 'Chandramukhi.' Now, she takes on a new challenge alongside Nandamuri Balakrishna in the epic saga NBK111.

From a serene village in Kerala to the heights of Indian cinema, the rise of this actress reads like a story carved by fate.In 2003, a shy 19-year-old named Diana Mariam Kurian stepped in front of the camera for the first time in 'Manassinakkare'.

Cast as Gauri, the gentle, sari-clad village girl opposite Jayaram, she entered Malayalam cinema through the warm, family-centric world of Sathyan Anthikad.

Few could have predicted that the young newcomer would one day reshape the landscape of South Indian stardom.

The transformation into a superstar

Years later, destiny rewrote her path with 'Chandramukhi' (2015), where she embraced a divine aura as Durga. The character from 'Manichitrathazhu' remake gave her much popularity and the superstar Nayanthara was slowly shaping up.Nayanthara soon became a popular name in Malayalam and Tamil cinema. She shared screen space with Mohanlal, Mammootty, Rajinikanth, Ajith Kumar and several other noted actors. From playing emotional characters to funny ones such as in 'Naanum Rowdy Dhaan', Nayanthara proved that she knows how to breath life into any kind of roles.She made a grand Bollywood debut opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Atlee’s 'Jawan'. Although the movie had not received much love from the south audiences, it definitely introduced Nayanthara's swag and screen presence to the Hindi audiences.

Reuniting with Balakrishna for a historical epic

And now, in 2025, the actress steps into yet another monumental chapter. Nayanthara teams up with Nandamuri Balakrishna for NBK111, a historical drama helmed by director Gopichand Malineni.The makers unveiled a striking motion poster on November 18—her birthday—confirming her role as the Queen in this ambitious period saga. Gopichand Malineni announced on X: “Here she comes… Welcoming the one and only Queen #Nayanthara garu into the world of #NBK111.

Honoured to have her power and grace in our story.”Vriddhi Cinemas added: “The Queen who carries the calm of oceans and the fury of storms… HISTORICAL ROAR loading… with gigantic updates soon.”Looking ahead, the actress is also set to make a grand comeback to Malayalam cinema with Mammootty and Mohanlal's 'Patriot' and the Nivin Pauly starrer 'Dear Students'.