Kannada actress who are popular in other film industries

These days, it isn’t uncommon for actresses from one south Indian film industry to cross over to a neighbouring industry to try her luck at films there. In fact, there are many Kannada film actresses who have made it big in films in other languages, most notably Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam. We take a look at some of them...

Kriti Kharbanda: Model-turned-actress Kriti Kharbanda is one of the most popular actresses in Kannada cinema, with hit films like Super Ranga and Googly to her credit. However, she started off her filmi journey in Telugu cinema with the film Boni in 2009, and became popular in Tollywood as well, especially with films like Om 3D and Bruce Lee – The Fighter. In fact, she is set to make her Kollywood and Bollywood film debuts with the Tamil version of Bruce Lee, and Raaz 4 respectively.

Pranitha Subhash: Pranitha is another former model who has had a successful runs in south Indian films. She made her film debut with the Kannada film Porki in 2010, the remake of the Tamil film Pokiri, opposite Darshan. She followed that up with a Telugu film titled Em Pillo Em Pillado the same year, and since then, has worked in Sandalwood and Tollywood with a fair measure of success. She also did the Tamil film Masss in 2015.

Ramya: Ramya is referred to as the Golden Girl of Kannada Cinema. She started out in the 2003 Kannada film Abhi opposite Puneeth Rajkumar, and climbed the popularity charts in Sandalwood. She went to school in Tamil Nadu, which gave her an opportunity to break into Kollywood as well, under the screen name Divya Spandana, with Kuththu opposite Simbu. While she has more Kannada films to her credit – such as Amruthadhare, Jothe Jotheyali and Just Math Mathalli – she managed to do a Tamil film every two years, on average, such as projects like Vaaranam Aayiram, Polladhavan and Singam Puli. She is now concentrating on her political career, as a member of the Congress party.

Sanjjanaa: Born Archana Galrani, Sanjjanaa made her film debut with the Tamil film Oru Kadhal Seiveer in 2006, and gained notoriety for her starring role in Ganda Hendathi and Boyfriend, the Kannada remake of the Bollywood hit Murder. In the years since, she has gone on to do Kannada, Telugu and, and to a lesser extent, Malayalam films. She was most recently seen in the Kannada film Cinema My Darling and in the Sardaar Gabbar Singh, Telugu Star Pawan Kalyan’s latest release.

Nikki Galrani: Nikki Galrani is Sanjjanaa’s younger sister, and in her short career, has made a mark in all four south Indian film industries. Her first film, the Malayalam film 1983, was a box-office success and won critical acclaim. Her performance won her several awards for Best Debut Performance that year. The success of this film, and the Mollywood film Vellimoonga, ensured that she was hot property in Sandalwood even before her first film, Ajith, released. Her Tamil film debut Darling was also a box-office hit. However, her Telugu films Krishnashtami and Malupu have not done as well.

Hariprriya: She’s another Karnataka-born lass who has made an impact in all four south Indian film industries. While her early films did not meet with much success, it was her performance in the 2009 movie Kallara Santhe and the 2010 film Cheluveye Ninne Nodalu that propelled her to stardom. She then forayed into Kollywood and Tollywood with Kanagavel Kaaka and Thakita Thakita respectively. Since then, she has been busy with Tamil and Telugu films, and also made her Mollywood debut with Thiruvambadi Thampan. She made a comeback to Sandalwood of sorts with the 2014 hit Ugramm, and has since been seen in the Rakshit Shetty-starrer Ricky. She is currently finishing work on the Malayalam film Bhadrasanam, and the Kannada films Manjina Hani and Neer Dose.

Sanchita Shetty: Sanchita Shetty made her film debut with the Kannada super-hit Mungaru Male in 2016, and has subsequently acted in Tamil and Telugu movies as well. In 2010, she appeared in the Tamil film Thillalangadi and the Telugu film Orange. Although both films were successful, her roles were small and she took a break for about a year as she was not willing to do second lead roles. In 2012, she signed her first leading role with the Tamil film Kollaikaran, which was followed by Soodhu Kavvum – the biggest success in Sanchita’s career. Her next Kannada film, Badmash, her first in five years, is slated for release in May 2016.

Nithya Menen: Nithya Menen is a Bengaluru lass with Kerala roots, so it’s hardly surprising that she has had a successful career in Mollywood. However, she started her acting career as a lead actor with the Kannada film 7 O’Clock in 2006 before she made her Malayalam film debut with Aakasha Gopuram. Her next Kannada film, Josh, was a commercial success. In 2011, she made her Telugu film debut with the sleeper hit Ala Modalaindi. Her Kannada film, the 2013 movie Mynaa, was also a success and earned her many accolades. She was also part of the hugely successful Malayalam film Bangalore Days and the Tamil hit O Kadhal Kanmani. Her next Kannada film is Kotigobba 2.

Nandita Swetha: Though she may have made it big in the Tamil film industry, Nandita will always be known for her film debut – the Kannada film Nanda Loves Nanditha – as she adopted her screen name from her character in the film. Her first Tamil film was Attakathi, in which her performance was lauded. She has several Tamil films up for release, such as Idam Porul Yaeval, Ulkuthu, Nenjam Marappathillai and Kaathiruppor Pattiyal.

Parvathy Nair: She may have her roots as a Malayali girl from Abu Dhabi, but Parvathy also has ties to Karnataka as she studied at Manipal Institute of Technology and won the Miss Karnataka pageant in 2009. Her Malayalam filmography is extensive, with films like Poppins, Angry Babies in Love and D Company to her credit. She has also acted in Tamil films like Yennai Arindhaal and Uttama Villain. Her work in her Kannada film debut, Story Kathe, earned her a SIIMA Award for Best Female Debutant. She has also subsequently appeared in the Kannada film Vascodigama. She is also set to make her Tollywood debut with Shoban Babu.