Padmapriya Janakiraman | |
|---|---|
 Padmapriya in 2008 | |
| Born | Padmapriya Janakiraman Delhi, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Other names | Priya |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 2004–2017
2022–present |
| Spouse |
Jasmine Shah (m. 2014) |
Padmapriya Janakiraman, better known mononymously as Padmapriya, is an Indian actress who mainly appears in Malayalam films.[1] Padmapriya made her acting debut in the Telugu film Seenu Vasanthi Lakshmi in 2004.[2]
Early life
Padmapriya hails from Delhi and was born to Janakiraman, a distinguished brigadier in the Indian Army, and Vijaya, both of Tamilian descent.[1][3]
She did her schooling at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Trimulgherry, Secunderabad, Telangana [1] and studied at Loyola Academy, Alwal, Secunderabad, from which she graduated with a B.Com degree.[4] Later, she pursued an MBA degree in finance at KIAMS, Harihar. She was then working for GE Capital as a risk consultant in Bangalore and Gurgaon.[3] After GE she was with Symphony in Bangalore. During her free-time, she ventured into modelling, which would later pave her way to the film business and acting. She has also won Miss Andhra Pradesh in 2001.[1] While studying in 12th class in Andhra Pradesh, Padmapriya did a music album.[5]
She also holds a PG Diploma in Environmental Law from National Law School of India University and Masters in Public Administration from New York University.
Career
Padmapriya made her acting debut in the 2004 Telugu film Seenu Vasanthi Lakshmi, a remake of the Malayalam film Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njaanum. She played the role of a sexually exploited poor sister of a blind man in the film. Padmapriya says, she accepted this offer "for the sake of friendship".[5] This made possible her entry into the Malayalam film industry in the same year, starring in the film Kaazhcha alongside Mammootty. For her portrayal of a mother of a young girl, who struggles to accommodate another child, a victim of the Gujarat earthquake, she received rave reviews and the Asianet Award for Best Female New Face of the Year.[6]
In 2005, she acted in her first Tamil-language film, Thavamai Thavamirundhu, a drama that dealt with familial bond, depicting a father-son relationship, in which she was paired opposite actor-director Cheran. She played a simple college girl in the film, which garnered highly positive reviews and won several awards at major Indian award ceremonies, including a National Film Award (for Best Film on Family Welfare). Padmapriya herself was awarded the Filmfare Award for Best Debut Actress for her critically acclaimed performance.[7] She next starred in the Malayalam film Rajamanikyam again alongside Mammootty. The comedy film, featuring also Rahman and Sindhu Menon, was a success.[8]
In 2006, she appeared in 6 films. Her first release that year was Vadakkum Nathan, which Padmapriya considers as her debut film, citing: "I started taking this career seriously with that movie".[5] She next starred in the Tamil film Pattiyal, in which she portrayed a salesgirl at a garment company. The Vishnuvardhan-directed gangster film, in which she shared screen space with Arya, Bharath and Pooja Umashankar, was a commercial and critical success, becoming one of the highest-grossing Tamil films of the year. Later that year, she acted in the Malayalam-language film Karutha Pakshikal and Yes Your Honour, which both were well appreciated by critics. Padmapriya's performance in both the films received positive reviews, particularly her portrayal as Poongodi, a street beggar, in the former fetched her rave accolades and earned her several awards including a Filmfare Best Actress Award.[9][10]
In 2007, she had 7 releases, the first being Anchil Oral Arjunan. Next she starred in Veeralipattu and Satham Podathey, a Tamil film. The latter was a psychological thriller directed by Vasanth, where she enacted the role of a helpless wife, who gets kidnapped by her former husband, whom she had divorced due to his alcohol addiction.
Following Satham Podathey, she appeared in the films Naalu Pennungal in Malayalam, directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Mirugam in Tamil, directed by Samy. In Naalu Pennungal, which fetched its director the National Film Award for Best Direction, she played the role of a street prostitute, whilst in Mirugam, she played a tomboyish wife to a ruffian, who behaves like an animal, for which she won the Tamil Nadu State Film Special Award for Best Actress.[11]
In 2010, Padmapriya debuted into Hindi films by playing a bar owner in Striker,[12] as well as into Kannada films as a human rights activist in Thamassu.[13] She also starred in the Tamil cowboy-based film Irumbukkottai Murattu Singam as an army officer's daughter,[12] and in the Malayalam Kutty Shrank with Mammootty. In 2011, she starred in Naayika with a performance that won critical acclaim.[14] NDTV wrote that her "beauty and acting skills helped in portraying the role to perfection and 'young Gracy' ends as the saving 'grace' of the film". She has acted in some advertisements.[15]
Personal life
On 12 November 2014, Padmapriya married Jasmine Shah in Mumbai. He is from Gujarat and works as the Policy Head for South Asia at Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, which is headquartered in Massachusetts Institute of Technology.[16] She met him while both were pursuing their Master's from Columbia and New York University.[17]
Filmography
| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Seenu Vasanthi Lakshmi | Vasanthi | Telugu | Debut film; credited as Priya |
| Kaazhcha | Lakshmi Madhavan | Malayalam | ||
| Amrutham | Sainaba Gopinathan | Malayalam | ||
| 2005 | Thavamai Thavamirundhu | Vasanthi Ramalingam | Tamil | Won -Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut - Tamil |
| Rajamanikyam | Malli | Malayalam | ||
| 2006 | Vadakkumnadhan | Meera | Malayalam | |
| Pattiyal | Saroja | Tamil | ||
| Ashwaroodan | Sitalakshmi | Malayalam | ||
| Bhargavacharitham Moonam Khandam | Sophia | Malayalam | ||
| Karutha Pakshikal | Poongodi | Malayalam | Won -Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Malayalam | |
| Yes Your Honour | Maya Ravishankar | Malayalam | ||
| 2007 | Veeralipattu | Pooja | Malayalam | |
| Satham Podathey | Bhanumathi | Tamil | ||
| Paradesi | Usha | Malayalam | ||
| Naalu Pennungal | Kunnipennu | Malayalam | ||
| Time | Susan Mary Thomas | Malayalam | ||
| Mirugam | Azhagama Ayyanar | Tamil | Won - Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize | |
| 2008 | Pachamarathanalil | Anu Sachidanandan | Malayalam | |
| Laptop | Payal | Malayalam | ||
| 2009 | Pokkisham | Nadira | Tamil | |
| Katha Parayum Theruvoram | Neeraja | Malayalam | ||
| Kana Kanmani | Maya Roy | Malayalam | ||
| Pazhassi Raja | Neeli | Malayalam | Won - Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Malayalam National Film Award – Special Mention (feature film) | |
| Boomi Malayalam | Fousia | Malayalam | ||
| 2010 | Striker | Madhu | Hindi | |
| Irumbukkottai Murattu Singam | Pappali | Tamil | ||
| Andari Bandhuvaya | Paddu | Telugu | ||
| Thamassu | Dr. Shanthi | Kannada | ||
| Kutty Srank | Revamma | Malayalam | ||
| 2011 | Aidondla Aidu | Shantha | Kannada | |
| Seniors | Indhu | Malayalam | ||
| Snehaveedu | Sunanda | Malayalam | ||
| Naayika | Gracy | Malayalam | ||
| 2012 | Aparajita Tumi | Kuhu | Bengali | |
| Cobra | Sherly | Malayalam | ||
| Manjadikuru | Roja | Malayalam | Cameo appearance | |
| Bachelor Party | Item number | Malayalam | Cameo appearance | |
| No. 66 Madhura Bus | Soorya Padmam | Malayalam | ||
| Ivan Megharoopan | Ammini | Malayalam | ||
| Poppins | Kantha | Malayalam | ||
| 2013 | Maad Dad | Dr. Rasiya | Malayalam | |
| Papilio Buddha | Collector | Malayalam | ||
| Ladies and Gentleman | Jyothy | Malayalam | ||
| Thanga Meenkal | Evita | Tamil | ||
| 2014 | Bramman | Item number | Tamil | Cameo appearance |
| Iyobinte Pusthakam | Rahel | Malayalam | ||
| 2017 | Tiyaan | Vasundhara Devi | Malayalam | |
| Patel S. I. R. | Rajeswari / Raaji | Telugu | ||
| Crossroad | Seema | Malayalam | ||
| Chef | Radha Menon | Hindi | ||
| 2022 | Oru Thekkan Thallu Case | Rukmini | Malayalam | |
| Wonder Women | Veni | English | ||
Awards
- 2010 - Special Mention – Pazhassiraja[18]
- 2006 - Second Best Actress – Karutha Pakshikal
- 2009 - Second Best Actress – Pazhassiraja
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Multi-faceted artiste". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 22 April 2009. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
- 1 2 "Rajini, Kamal win best actor awards". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 29 September 2009. Archived from the original on 1 October 2009. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
- 1 2 "Padmapriya – "I have a soft corner for Siddharth"". Behindwoods. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
- ↑ "Padma Priya". primetimeprism.com. Archived from the original on 19 April 2009. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
- 1 2 3 Padmapriya: An Army Kid Turned Actor – Trivandrum News Archived 1 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Yentha.com (6 January 2012). Retrieved 31 March 2012.
- ↑ Life Kochi : Kazhcha bags Asianet award for best film. The Hindu (19 March 2005). Retrieved 31 March 2012.
- ↑ "'Anniyan' sweeps Filmfare Awards!". Sify. Archived from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
- ↑ "Malayalam cinema ready for Vishu". Rediff. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
- ↑ Pretty Padmapriya is back. Sify.com. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
- ↑ 'What's the harm in using your body'. The Times of India. (27 August 2007). Retrieved 31 March 2012.
- ↑ Tamilnadu state awards (2007, 2008) announced!. Sify.com (29 September 2009). Retrieved 31 March 2012.
- 1 2 Vijayakumar, Sindhu (12 April 2009). "I'm stuck in period films: Padmapriya". The Times of India. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
- ↑ "Shivrajkumar & Padmapriya in Thamassu". Sify. Archived from the original on 4 November 2009. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
- ↑ I follow my instinct: Padmapriya. The Times of India. (3 January 2012). Retrieved 31 March 2012.
- ↑ "Movie review: Malayalam film Nayika". Movies.ndtv.com. 31 March 2012. Archived from the original on 11 July 2012.
- ↑ "Actress Padmapriya gets married". Behindwoods.com. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
- ↑ "Southern actress Padmapriya gets hitched". Zee News. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
- ↑ "National Film Awards for 3 Idiots, Big B". NDTV Movies. 15 September 2010. Archived from the original on 13 July 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
External links
