New divas of Mollywood

We are looking at the latest crop of actresses from Malayalam movie industry who have established their place through their incredible performances. Unlike many actresses from the past, these new age heroines of Mollywood seem confident about their caliber and choosy about their roles which is evident from their instant popularity and acceptance among movie lovers.

Aishwarya who is a doctor by profession pursued her dream of becoming a heroine and succeeded in style by winning the hearts of movie lovers through her role Aparna a.k.a Appu in the movie 'Mayaanadhi', directed by Ashiq Abu. Her first steps towards cinema started with her modelling career and after three years she debuted in the movie 'Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela'. Though the movie didn't find great success, Aishwarya's performance was well received which won her a role in Ashiq's 'Mayaanadhi'. Aishwarya truly lived the character Appu, that of an aspiring model lacking confidence. She portrayed the complex nature of a woman who is uncertain about her love and life. The change of emotions, feelings, insecurity, passion and aspirations were well essayed by Aishwarya in the movie. Her on-screen chemistry with Tovino was mesmerizing and her dialogue "sex is not a promise" was much celebrated for breaking conventional male thought process. Aishwarya, without doubt, will continue to reign Mollywood if she chooses her characters wisely.

No one could easily forget the innocent yet mischevious 'Eli' from 'Anuraga Karikkin Vellam', which won Rajisha the State award for best actress last year. Paired along with Asif Ali in the movie, Rajisha's character brimmed with life and love. Her performance in 'Anuraga Karikkin Vellam' won the hearts of audience for its tender and realistic treatment. Rajisha before coming to movies has hosted many television shows on Malayalam channels. Her expressive eyes and unique way of dialogue delivery adds to her advantage as an actress. After the success of 'Anuraga Karikkin Vellam', Rajisha acted in two more movies which include 'Georgettan's Pooram' and 'Oru Cinemakaran'. She was recently a part of a play and is looking forward to a long-lasting career in the movie industry.

Not many would be lucky enough like Nimisha, to debut in a movie that won both audience and critical appraisal alike. Nimisha's character in Dileesh Pothan hit 'Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum' was one of a kind in Malayalam cinema that gave immense prominence and scope for the heroine throughout the movie. 'Sreeja', the character portrayed by Nimisha, embodied a strong woman, a fighter, battling for survival and love of her husband. Nimisha transformed into the character with supreme conviction as her role left an imprint in the viewer's mind. Paired along with the experienced Suraj Venjaramoodu and versatile Fahadh Faasil, Nimisha's performance was on par with her established co-actors. After her first movie, Nimisha was again given a lead role in the movie 'Eeda', a political drama, which again had equal prominence to both hero and heroine. Her performance along with Shane Nigam in 'Eeda' was intriguing and was well noted by film critics and movie lovers.

Anu Sithara swept viewers off their feet in her first movie as lead actress, with her sensual eyes and graceful acting. Though Anu has acted in a few movies before being roped in as the lead actress in 'Ramante Eden Thottam' directed by Ranjith Shankar, her stand out performance as Malini, established her place in Mollywood. Anu's portrayal of Malini, a housewife who is sacrificing her dreams for her husband and later realising the importance of independence in life, was one of the inspiring female characters made in Malayalam cinema recently. Anu's performance elevated her to one of the top heroines in Mollywood and soon she was cast in the movie 'Captain', paired along with Jayasurya. The movie, a biopic of legendary Indian footballer VP Sathyan is still running successfully in theatres.

Not many have heard of the actress Santhy Balakrishnan, as her debut movie 'Tharangam' paired along with Tovino didn't do well at the box office and was not well received by viewers. However, Santhy, unlike her contemporaries, came to cinema after proving her acting skill as a theatre artist. This experience was evident in her performance in the experimental movie 'Randuper' directed by debutant Prem Shankar.The movie was well received in festival circuits. Santhy's character 'Ria' in 'Randuper' was unique for its enigmatic aura. The character demanded a sense of mystery and ambiguity which Santhy did with conviction. Though Santhy has not acted in any movies after 'Randuper', she is now concentrating more on theatre.