Onam 2020: Malayali beauties who've won hearts in Tollywood

The Telugu film industry has always welcomed actors from other states, with actresses from up North or South-Indian states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala being common-place here. Despite the stories made here rarely giving actresses much scope to perform in star films, all that is slowly changing now, thanks to female-centric films and stories written keeping the female protagonists in mind too.The grand sets, foreign shoots, and of course, even the Telugu audience’s obsession for wanting fresh faces every few years makes it all possible. While in the yesteryears, actresses like Revathi, Shobhana, Kalyani, Meera Jasmine and more were all the rage, take a look at these eight Malayali actresses that Tollywood movie buffs are obsessed with:


Samantha was born to a Telugu father, Prabhu and a Malayali mother, Ninette who hails from Alappuzha, Kerala. As she grew up in Pallavaram, Chennai, Sam has always called herself a Tamilian, apart from her mixed lineage. Ever since her debut in Telugu in 2010 in Ye Maaya Chesave, Samantha has been the dream-girl Jessie for everyone. Her being voted Hyderabad Times’ Most Desirable Woman 2019 and her rich body of work with films like U Turn, Majili, Oh! Baby and Jaanu clearly show how loved she truly is.


Daughter of Malayalam producer G Suresh Kumar and Tamil actress Menaka, Keerthy made her debut in Telugu with Nenu Sailaja and went on to do commercial films like Nenu Local and Agnyaathavaasi. But it was the Savitri biopic Mahanati that truly brought out the actress in her, making her a sweetheart to Tollywood film buffs. With films like Miss India, Good Luck Sakhi and Rang De in her kitty, fans can’t wait to see her again on-screen.


Nayanthara’s last Telugu films before Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy and Jai Simha were Babu Bangaram and Greeku Veerudu. And yet, every Tamil film of hers that gets dubbed into Telugu finds an audience even today. There’s a reason she’s known as the Lady Superstar, seeing as how her acting skills and good looks ensure she remains a classic forever.


Born in Kannur, Kerala, Nivetha Thomas was already well-known as a child actress before she made her debut as a lead in Telugu in 2016 with Nani starrer Gentleman. After acting in films like Jai Lava Kusa and Ninnu Kori, Nivetha took a break to concentrate on her studies and graduate because she was tired of managing shoot schedules around her college work. She made a stunning comeback with films like 118, Brochevarevarura and Darbar. And now, with Vakeel Saab and V in her kitty, clearly Tollywood loves her.


This curly haired cutie made her debut in Telugu as the feisty and head-strong Nagavalli in A Aa in 2016, but fans of the original Premam had already fallen head-over-heels for Mary George. The actress has since made her mark in films like Sathamanam Bhavati, Vunnadhi Okate Zindagi, Rakshasudu and more. Her social media presence, which sees her not just owning her curls but also showing off her love for felines and puppies, makes her all the more relatable.


While born in Bangalore, Nithya Menen was brought up by Malayali parents. She always wanted to be a journalist but fate had other plans for her. While her first on-screen appearance was at the age of ten in an English film called The Monkey Who Knew Too Much, she was all anyone could talk about after her debut in Telugu in Ala Modalaindi. And with acting skills like that, not to mention adorable looks, it’s no wonder she’s the ‘Ok Bangaram’ of Telugu audience.


Daughter of filmmaker Priyadarshan and Malayalam actress Lissy, Kalyani Priyadarshan made a stunning debut in Telugu with Akhil Akkineni in Hello. Following it up with films like Chitralahari and Ranarangam, fans can’t wait to see this pixie beauty on screen again. What’s more, as if fans didn’t love her enough, she even won hearts by dedicating her Onam Pookolam to corona warriors.


Born to Malayali-Indian parents from Chicago, she moved to India to pursue a career in acting. This sexy siren is all the rage on social media, with fans waiting for her to share pics with bated breathe. With her silky hair and come-hither eyes, Anu is a stunner who’s here to stay. Her work in films like Agnyaathavaasi, Naa Peru Surya and Shailaja Reddy Alludu hasn’t gone unnoticed either. She will soon be seen in Alludu Adhurs and fans can’t wait.