The Tamil cinema industry is one of the biggest in the country and produces some amazing movies.
South Indian film industry is regarded as one of the most creative film industries in the world. Most South Indian movies are simultaneously released in Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Telugu languages.
South Indian actresses are known not only for their looks but also for their acting talent. Here are the names of some of the most famous Tamil actresses in movies and TV.
Ciarra, Origin: Irish ~ View Detail
Hansika Motwani(Hindi origin), meaning 'swan', works mainly in Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada movies and made her debut in 2007 in the Telugu movie 'Desamuduru'. She debuted in Tamil with the movie 'Mappillai'. She has enjoyed a fledging acting career featuring numerous hit movies.
Akshara Haasan(Sanskrit origin), meaning 'indestructible', works mainly in Tamil and Hindi cinema. She is the daughter of Superstar Kamal Haasan and Sarika Thakur and is the younger sister of Shruthi Haasan. She debuted in Tamil cinema in the 2017 movie 'Vivegam' opposite superstar Ajith.
Aditi Balan(Sanskrit origin), meaning 'boundless', works predominantly in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu cinema and made her debut with the movie 'Puli' in 2015. In 2017, she played the lead in the movie 'Aruvi' and received immense critical and commercial acclaim.
Radhika Apte(Sanskrit origin), meaning 'prosperous', works mainly in Hindi films but has acted in some popular Tamil, Telugu, and Bengali films. She made her debut in Tamil cinema with the 2012 movie 'Dhoni'. She has gained lots of critical acclaim for her performances and is a highly sought-after actress.
Juwan, Origin: Arabic ~ View Detail
Julisa, Meaning: youthful or sky father Origin: Spanish variation of Julia
Lakshmi Menon(Sanskrit origin), meaning 'fortune', acts mainly in Tamil and Malayalam cinema. She debuted in Tamil in the 2012 movie 'Kumki'.
Amala Paul(Sanskrit origin), meaning 'pure', works mainly in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu films. She debuted with the Malayalam movie 'Neelathamara' in 2009.
Nilima Rani(Hindi origin), meaning 'blue', is a popular Tamil TV and soap opera actor, who is very well known for the show 'Niram Maratha Pookkal', which she produced.
J. Jayalalithaa(Sanskrit origin), meaning 'victorious', worked mainly in Tamil cinema and is popularly called Amma or Puratchi Thalivu. She is the fifth chief minister of Tamil Nadu and was considered the most influential actress in Indian cinema history.
Tyquan,
Anjali Devi(Sanskrit origin), meaning 'divine offering', acted predominantly in Tamil and Telugu cinema. She debuted in the Telugu industry with the movie 'Gollabhama' in 1947 and her debut film in Tamil was 'Mahathma Udangar' in the same year.
Kalyani Priyadarshan(Sanskrit origin), meaning 'auspicious', works mainly in Malayalam and Tamil cinema. She is the daughter of the very popular director Priyadarshan. She has worked as an assistant in famous movies like 'Krrish 3' and 'Iru Mugan'. She made her debut in Tamil cinema with 'Hero'.
Micayla, Origin: Hebrew
Catherine Tresa(Greek origin), meaning 'pure', works mainly in Tamil and Telugu cinema. She made her debut in the Kannada movie 'Shankar IPS' and in Tamil in the 2014 movie 'Madras'.
Keerthy Suresh Kumar(Sanskrit origin), meaning 'fame', works mainly in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam cinema. Keerthy Suresh started her acting career in Tamil cinema in 2015 in the movie 'Idhu Enna Maayam'.
Madhuri Devi (Sanskrit origin), meaning 'sweetness', acted in films from the '40s to the '50s and has starred opposite superstars like MGR. She made her debut in the 1937 film 'Ambikapathy'.
S. Varalakshmi mainly worked in Tamil and Telugu films. She made her debut in Telugu cinema with 'Balayogini' in 1937 and in Tamil cinema with 'Sevasadanam' in 1938.
Nayanthara(Sanskrit origin), meaning 'iris', works in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam cinema. She is considered to be a 'Lady Superstar'. She debuted with the Tamil movie 'Ayya' in 2005. She is one of the highly paid actresses in the country and is best known for her role in 'Naanum Rowdy Dhaan'.
Tamanna Bhatia(Sanskrit origin), meaning 'desire', works predominantly in Tamil and Telugu cinema. She has also appeared in some Hindi movies. She is known for her beautiful smile. She made her debut in Tamil with 'Kedi' movie. She is one of the most sought-after South Indian actresses with movies like 'Dharma Durai' to her credit.
Shruthi Haasan(Sanskrit origin), meaning 'music', works in Tamil, Hindi, and Telugu cinema. She is the daughter of superstar Kamal Haasan. She is also a playback singer and made her acting debut in 2009 in the Hindi movie 'Luck' and made her debut in Tamil cinema with the superhit '7aum Arivu'. Her roles in movies like 'D Day' and 'Gabbar Singh' are appreciated.
Lakshmi(Sanskrit origin), meaning 'prosperous', acted in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi films. She debuted in a Tamil film in the 1961 movie 'Srivalli'.
Dasia, Origin: Arabic
Anushka Shetty(Sanskrit origin), meaning 'grace', is a brilliant actress who has worked predominantly in Tamil and Telugu cinema. Anushka Shetty, with her many superhit films, earned the title of a 'Lady Superstar'.
Shraddha Shrinath (Sanskrit origin), meaning 'devotion', works predominantly in Kannada and Tamil cinema. She made her debut in the Malayalam movie 'Kohinoor'. She made her Tamil debut in 2017 with 'Kaatru Veliyidai'.
Andrea Jeremiah(Greek origin), meaning 'strong', works in Tamil and Malayalam cinema. She was originally a playback singer and made her acting debut in the 2007 Tamil movie 'Pachaikili Muthucharam' and in Malayalam with the critically acclaimed 'Annayum Rasoolum'.
Rajasree acted predominantly in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam industries and has done more than 200 films.
Coleton, Origin: English
Shamna Kasim (Arabic origin), meaning 'gift of god', works predominantly in Malayalam, Telugu, and Tamil films. She debuted in 2004 with the Malayalam movie 'Manju Poloru Penlutty' and in Tamil in 2006 with the movie 'Pagadai'.
Nikki Galrani(Greek origin), meaning 'peoples victory', works mainly in Tamil and Malayalam cinema. She debuted in 2014 in the Malayalam movie '1983' and debuted in Tamil with the 2015 movie 'Darling'.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu(Syrian origin), meaning 'listener', predominantly works in Tamil and Telugu films but has also acted in Bollywood. Samantha made her debut in Telugu films with 'Ye Maaya Chesave' and rose to fame through the superhit S. S. Rajamouli movie 'Eega'. She made her debut in Tamil cinema with 'Neethaane En Ponvasantham'. Samantha recently divorced from her husband Naga Chaitanya.
Aparna Balamurali(Sanskrit origin), meaning 'leafless', works mainly in Malayalam and Tamil cinema. She is a very critically acclaimed actress and made her debut in Tamil in the 2017 movie '8 Thottakkal'.
Namitha Pramod(Hindi origin), meaning 'humble', works predominantly in Malayalam and Tamil films. She made her debut in the 2011 superhit Malayalam movie 'Traffic' and made her debut in Tamil cinema in the 2014 movie 'En Kaadhal Pudhithu'.
T. R. Rajakumari(Sanskrit origin), meaning 'princess', was popularly called the 'dream girl of Tamil cinema' and was a classical singer and dancer. She debuted in 1939 in the movie 'Kumara Kulothungan'.
Nivetha Thomas(Hindi origin), meaning 'gentle', acts predominantly in Telugu, Malayalam, and Tamil cinema. She made her debut as a child artist in the Malayalam movie 'Veruthe Oru Bharya' and debuted in Tamil cinema in the 2008 movie 'Kuruvi'.
Yulissa, Origin: English
Manjima Mohan(Urdu origin), meaning 'beautiful', works predominantly in Malayalam and Tamil cinema. She made her debut in Malayalam with the superhit 'Oru Vadakkan Selfie’ and in Tamil in 2016 with 'Acham Enbadhu Madamaiyada'.
Shianne, Origin: Hebrew
Seetha Meghana Vincentis a popular TV serial actress who has done shows in Malayalam and Tamil. She made her debut in Tamil with the show 'Kayal' in 2014.
Raashi Khanna(Sanskrit origin), meaning 'fate', works mainly in Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam cinema and had also appeared in a few Hindi movies. She made her debut in the 2015 Hindi movie 'Madras Café' and made her debut in Tamil in 2018 with 'Imaikka Nodigal'.
Srividya(Sanskrit origin), meaning 'knowledge', predominantly acted in Malayalam and Tamil cinema. She has starred in more than 800 movies and has also been a playback singer.
Pushpavalli(Tamil origin), meaning 'flower vine', worked mainly in Telugu cinema. She was the lover of Gemini Ganeshan and is the mother of Hindi superstar Rekha. She made her debut in Tamil cinema in 'Dasi Aparanji' in 1944.
Jayabharathi (Sanskrit origin), meaning 'victory', has acted in Tamil and Malayalam movies and started her career as a child actress. Her Malayalam movie 'Rathinirvedam' directed by Bharathan is considered to be a landmark in Indian cinema history.
Kaylan, Origin: American
Sridevi (Sanskrit origin), meaning 'Goddess', has acted in almost all major film industries in the country and is the first female superstar of India. She has been facilitated with various awards for her incredible acting performances.
Rachita Mahalakshmi (Sanskrit origin), meaning 'written', is one of the highest-paid Tamil TV actresses and has worked in Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada TV shows. She is extremely well known for her role in the show 'Saravanan Meenatchi'.
Trisha Krishnan(Latin origin), meaning 'noble', works predominantly in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam cinema. She is called the 'Queen of South India' for her immense beauty and great acting talent. She debuted in 1999 with the Tamil movie 'Jodi' in a lead role. In 2010, she won Vijay Award for Favorite Heroine.
Shriya Saran(Sanskrit origin), meaning 'Goddess Lakshmi', works in Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi cinema. Shriya Saran is a highly paid Tamil actress who debuted in the Tamil movie 'Ennakku 20 Unaklu 18'. She won several awards including Best Actress award for 'Gautami Putra Satakarni' in 2017.
Asin(Sanskrit origin), meaning 'metal', has acted in Tamil, Hindi, and Telugu cinema. She has been called the 'Queen of Kollywood' and is considered a 'Lady Superstar'. She debuted in Tamil films in the 2004 movie 'M.Kumaran S/O Mahalakshmi'. She won the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award for her debut Hindi movie 'Ghajini'. She also won the Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Actress for her performance in the Tamil version of the same movie.
Yulisa, Meaning: youthful or sky father Origin: Spanish variation of Julisa or Julia
Nazriya Nazim(Arabic origin), meaning 'beauty', works mainly in Malayalam and Tamil cinema. She was a child artist who made her debut in Malayalam cinema in the movie 'Palunku' in 2006 and debuted in Tamil in 2013 with 'Raja Rani'. She started her career as a television anchor but went on to become a renowned Malayalam actress.
Shruthi Raj (Sanskrit origin), meaning 'a component of a classical song', is a popular TV serial actress who has done shows in almost all major South Indian languages.
Srithika (Sanskrit origin), meaning 'simple', is a popular Tamil serial actress who made her debut in the show 'Metti Oli' that ran from 2002-2005 on Sun TV.
Baylie, Origin: English
Rakul Preet Singh(Sanskrit origin), meaning 'God's gift', works predominantly in Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi movies and made her debut in Kannada with 'Gilli' in 2009 and in Tamil in the same year with 'Thadaiyara Thaaka'.
Bryana, Origin: Variations of Briana
Madonna Sebastian(Italian origin), meaning 'my lady', works mainly in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu movies and made her debut in Malayalam films in 2015 with the super hit movie 'Premam' and interestingly made her debut in both Tamil and Telugu industries in 2016.
Vanesa, Origin: Croatian
Carlee, Origin: Spelling variation of Carly
Sneha (Sanskrit origin), meaning 'friendship', works predominantly in Tamil and Telugu movies and made her debut in Tamil with 'Ennavale' in 2000 in which Madhavan was her co-actor. She has received critical and commercial acclaim for her performances and is a prominent South Indian actress.
Kajal Aggarwal(Hindi origin), works predominantly in Tamil and Telugu cinema and has also featured in some Hindi movies. She debuted in the Hindi movie 'Kyu! Ho Gaya Na' in 2007 and made her debut in Tamil cinema in 2010. She is known for her lead role in the movie 'Naan Mahaan Alla'.
Vyjayanthimala(Sanskrit origin), is named after a flower offered to Lord Krishna. This actress worked predominantly in Tamil and Hindi cinema and is also a parliamentarian. She made her debut as a child actress in the Tamil movie 'Vaazhkai' in 1949.
