Trisha Krishnan

Trisha Krishnan (born 4 May 1983) known mononymously as Trisha is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Tamil and Telugu films. She gained prominence after winning the 1999 Miss Chennai pageant, which marked her entry into Cinema. Often referred to as the "Queen of South India", Trisha has received numerous accolades, including five Filmfare Award South, one Tamil Nadu State Film Award, one Nandi Award and eight SIIMA Awards.

After debuting with a minor supporting role in the Tamil romantic drama Jodi (1999), Trisha had her first lead role in the film Mounam Pesiyadhe (2002). She rose to fame starring in commercially successful films Saamy (2003), Ghilli (2004) and Aaru (2005) in Tamil cinema, and Varsham (2004), Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana (2005), Athadu (2005) and Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule (2007) in Telugu cinema, winning three Filmfare Awards for Best Actress – Telugu.

Trisha made her Hindi cinema debut by starring in the film Khatta Meetha (2010). Her performances in the comedy drama Abhiyum Naanum (2008), the romantic drama Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa (2010), the political thriller Kodi (2016), the romantic drama '96 (2018), and the historical dramas Ponniyin Selvan: I (2022) and Ponniyin Selvan: II (2023) received critical acclaim. Her performances in Kodi and '96 earned her the Filmfare Critics Best Actress – Tamil and the Best Actress – Tamil respectively, at the Filmfare Awards South. Her highest-grossing release to date is the action film Leo (2023).

Early life
Trisha Krishnan was born on 4 May 1983 to Krishnan Iyer and Uma Iyer in Madras, Tamil Nadu into a Tamil Palakkad Iyer family. She completed schooling at the Sacred Heart Matriculation School in Church Park, Chennai, and later pursued a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) course at the Ethiraj College for Women, Chennai. She ventured into modelling and appeared in several print and television commercials. In 1999, she won the "Miss Salem" beauty pageant, and later the same year, the Miss Chennai contest. She had also won the Miss India 2001 pageant's "Beautiful Smile" award.

Trisha had aspired to become a criminal psychologist initially, and resisted the thought of pursuing acting, as she wanted to complete her studies first. In 2000, she appeared in Falguni Pathak's music video Meri Chunar Udd Udd Jaye as Ayesha Takia's friend. She was later approached for an acting role in the Tamil film Lesa Lesa (2003) by Indian film director Priyadarshan, which marked the beginning of her professional career as an actress. She followed a tight shooting schedule while in college, making it difficult for her to continue her education. She compensated for this by attending summer classes.

1999–2003: Early career and success
Soon after her pageant success, Trisha began her acting career in a minor supporting role as Simran's friend in the romantic drama Jodi (1999). The first film she accepted was the Priyadarshan-directed Lesa Lesa, with the promotional posters for the film, also creating an offer to star in the A. R. Rahman musical hit, Enakku 20 Unakku 18 (2003). However, both the projects' releases were severely delayed, and her first release was Ameer's Mounam Pesiyadhe (2002) opposite Suriya. The film became a moderate success at the box office and managed to gain credentials for Trisha, with critics claiming that she was "undoubtedly a refreshing new find, with sparkling eyes and appealing demeanour", also going onto praise the dubbing artiste, Savitha Reddy, who has since regularly dubbed for Trisha. Manasellam (2003), her second project, saw her play a cancer patient, but the film went unnoticed upon its March release.

Her subsequent release was the Hari-directed action film, Saamy (2003) with Vikram. She played a soft-spoken college-going Brahmin girl and received positive reviews for her performance, with Sify's reviewer citing that she was "appealingly sensual" and looked "glamorous", and another critic writing that she looked "very pretty" and suited the role. The masala flick became the biggest blockbuster of the year, grossing ₹16 crores, and landed Trisha new offers, including several high-budget productions. Lesa Lesa, which was supposed to be her debut, released later the same month in May 2003. The romantic musical, based on the 1998 Malayalam film Summer in Bethlehem, fetched generally positive reviews. Following Lesa Lesa, she appeared in Alai (2003) which proved unsuccessful at the box office. Her fourth and final release of the year was Enakku 20 Unakku 18 (2003), which was commercially unsuccessful, but nevertheless helped proper her career due to its critically acclaimed music and visuals.

2004–2008: Stardom in Telugu and Tamil cinema
In 2004, she debuted in Telugu cinema with M. S. Raju-produced romantic action film Varsham, which turned her into an overnight sensation. Critics lauded her performance as Sailaja, a middle-class girl who becomes a film star on her father's insistence; Jeevi from Idlebrain stated that she was "beautiful" and a "big plus to the film", labelling her performance as "natural", while Sify noted that she had "transformed herself into a fine actress with immense screen presence". A critic from fullhyderabad.com praised her, citing that she had shown why Tamil Nadu was "busy building her a temple", further adding that she looked "so fresh and fine, you feel like gifting her to the roses". The film was a major commercial success, running in theatres for over 175 days and becoming one of the highest-grossing films of the year, and was declared a "sensational hit". For her role in Varsham, Trisha won her first Filmfare Awards for Best Actress – Telugu award, as well as the Santosham Award for Best Actress. She was also offered the same role in its Tamil remake Mazhai, which she declined.

Later in 2004, she acted as the female lead opposite Vijay in the action comedy film Ghilli. She played the character of Dhanalakshmi, a helpless girl who is protected from a thug by a Kabaddi player. However, most critics agreed that her performance in this film was overshadowed by Vijay and Prakash Raj. The film eventually emerged as the highest-grossing Tamil film of the year, celebrating a 175-day run, and was Trisha's biggest commercial success at the time. She next appeared in a small role in Mani Ratnam's political drama Aayutha Ezhuthu (2004), starring as part of an ensemble cast that included Siddharth, Madhavan and Surya. The film, despite favourable reviews, performed poorly at the box office, and she was once again outshone by the three male lead actors.

In the following two years, Trisha had 12 releases overall, where she featured as the female lead in all but one. She was part of two male-oriented action-masala flicks Thirupaachi (2005) and Aaru (2005), directed by Perarasu and Hari respectively, which both offered only limited roles for her. Of these, Thirupaachi became a major commercial success. In her second Telugu project, the romantic drama Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana (2005), she starred alongside Siddharth. The film, being Prabhu Deva's directorial debut, opened to rave reviews, with Trisha receiving praise for her portrayal as the village girl Siri. This performance earned her several Best Actress awards, including her second consecutive Filmfare Awards for Best Actress – Telugu and her first Nandi Award for Best Actress. Idlebrain noted that she was "just great. Her tender looks, innocent face and Telugu traditional costumes make her a treat to watch", further labelling her expressions and "naughty antics" as excellent, while Sify wrote of Trisha that she was "amazing as Siri [...] It is her career-best performance and she has excelled throughout." The film eventually won eight Filmfare Awards South, the most ever by any Telugu film, while also emerging as a major commercial success at the box office.

Continuing her string of releases in 2005, she then starred alongside Mahesh Babu in the action thriller Athadu, which proved to be a critical and commercial success, and her performance as Poori earned her third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu. Trisha later went on to reprise the role in its Tamil remake, Nandhu, as well. Her subsequent releases, N Lingusamy's Ji (2005) and Aathi (2006), which saw her acting opposite Ajith Kumar and Vijay respectively, were the former was both critical and economical failure and the latter Vijay starrer was a average grosser.

Her next role in Pournami (2006), was directed by Prabhu Deva, saw her third-consecutive starring role in an M. S. Raju production. Trisha was featured in the titular role alongside an ensemble cast. She had previously earned Raju's praise after her work in the successful Varsham and Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana, with him stating that she was "one of the most talented and beautiful actresses I have ever worked with", going on to draw comparisons to the works of Savitri, Nargis and Sophia Loren.

Her sole Tamil release of 2006, Unakkum Enakkum, was a remake of Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana. This film, where she acted opposite Jayam Ravi, did well at the box office. She also starred in the Telugu film Stalin (2006) with Chiranjeevi, following which her Telugu film Sainikudu (2006) with Mahesh Babu was released.

Her next release was Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule (2007), where she was cast opposite Venkatesh. The film, Selvaraghavan's first Telugu venture, received positive reviews from critics. Trisha received her third Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu for her performance in this film. She next starred in Kireedam (2007) alongside Ajith Kumar.

Her 2008 Tamil films, Bheema failed at the box office, whereas Kuruvi was a sleeper hit after completion of 150 day theatrical run at the box office. In the Telugu film Krishna with Ravi Teja became a blockbuster. Her following 2008 release Bujjigadu, directed by Puri Jagannadh and starring Prabhas, had a decent run. Trisha received praise for her performance in her next release, Radhamohan's Abhiyum Naanum (2008), which was followed by the Telugu King (2008), which emerged as a blockbuster at the box office. She received nominations for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu and Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil for her performances in Krishna and Abhiyum Naanum respectively.

2009–2017: Further success
Her 2009 films Sarvam with Arya and Sankham opposite Gopichand did not do well and became just average grossers. Trisha had a major role, starring as a Syrian Christian Malayali girl Jessie, in Gautham Vasudev Menon's 2010 Tamil romantic drama Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa, which was a major commercial success at the box office. The film centres around the complicated relationship between a Syrian Christian Malayali girl and a Tamil Hindu assistant director, who falls in love with her, only to be met by her indifference and reluctance as they belong to different religions and her strict conservative family will never consent to their marriage. Her performance was acclaimed by critics, earning her the Vijay Award for Favourite Heroine, in addition to her second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil. Pavithra Srinivasan of Rediff commented, "Trisha is a revelation. Shorn of her filmi make-up, she dazzles in Nalini Sriram's simple costumes." Sify remarked, "Trisha looks good and delivers her career-best performance in a knock-out role."

Namo Venkatesa was her sole Telugu release in 2010. In the same year, she starred in Manmadhan Ambu with Kamal Haasan and R. Madhavan and made her debut in Hindi cinema with the Priyadarshan film Khatta Meetha. Upon release, the film received mixed reviews from critics and Box Office India declared it an average performer at the box office. Trisha was part of two commercially successful ventures in 2011, Theenmaar in Telugu and Venkat Prabhu's Mankatha in Tamil. The latter was the highest-grossing Tamil film of the year.

In 2012, she had two Telugu releases – Bodyguard, a remake of the same-titled Malayalam film, where she was paired with Daggubati Venkatesh for the third time, and Dammu opposite N. T. Rama Rao Jr. This was followed by two Tamil releases in 2013 – Samar starring Vishal, and the comedy-drama Endrendrum Punnagai starring Jiiva. Her performance in the latter film earned Trisha her third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil. She signed on two "women-centric" bilingual projects featuring female lead casts, titled Rambha Urvasi Menaka and Kannaale Kannan. Although both films were commenced, they were stalled in 2013. She debuted in Kannada cinema with Power (2014).

Trisha's releases in 2015 included Yennai Arindhaal opposite Ajith Kumar, Thoongavanam with Kamal Haasan, and Bhooloham with Jayam Ravi in Tamil. She also acted in the horror film Aranmanai 2 (2017).

2018–present: Critical acclaim and continued career
In 2016, she starred in the political drama Kodi alongside Dhanush, which proved to be a critical and commercial success, earning her the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress – Tamil, in addition to her fourth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil.

In 2018, she acted in the Malayalam film Hey Jude with Nivin Pauly making her Malayalam debut. Following this, she played a leading role in the Tamil romantic drama '96 opposite Vijay Sethupathi and received widespread critical acclaim. Janani K. of India Today hailed her performance as her career-best. She won her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil, and other Best Actress awards at the SIIMA Awards, the Edison Awards, the Norway Tamil Film Festival Awards, and the Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards.

She then starred in a brief role in Petta (2019), alongside superstar Rajinikanth. This was followed by her 60th film appearance with a starring role in Paramapadham Vilayattu (2021).

She was next seen in Mani Ratnam's 2022 film Ponniyin Selvan: I, in the role of the Chola princess, Kundavai, where her performance received critical acclaim. Her next appearance was in Tamil movie Raangi (2022). Her first release of 2023 was the sequel Ponniyin Selvan: II, where she reprised her role as Kundavai.

Her next release, Leo, is due on 19 October 2023. She has three other projects pending an official release date – these are Ram The Road, Sathuranga Vettai 2, a sequel to Sathuranga Vettai (2014) and Kamal Haasan-Mani Ratnam's film titled Thug Life.

Other work and endorsements
An ardent animal lover, Trisha has been the Goodwill Ambassador of PETA. In 2010, Trisha collaborated with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in issuing a public appeal to domesticate stray dogs rather than craving for pedigreed foreign breeds. She was also the Goodwill Ambassador for the "Angel for Animals" campaign organised by PETA in 2010, encouraging people to adopt homeless dogs. PETA praised Trisha for her work, and sent her an appreciation letter highlighting her animal rescue work and efforts to encourage people to adopt Indian community dogs. In 2017, Trisha was conferred the UNICEF celebrity advocate status. Subsequently, she will voice the rights of children including adolescents and young people.

Trisha replaced Rani Mukerji as the brand ambassador of Fanta India. She is the brand ambassador of Scooty Pep+, for which she has replaced Preity Zinta. She is also the brand ambassador for Vivel Di Wills, a product by ITC Limited. In 2011, she replaced Asin in the Fairever fairness cream commercial. Trisha is also a prominent celebrity endorser for other brands and products including Joy Alukkas, Volini, and Urbabrise.

Personal life
Trisha resides in Chennai with her mother and grandmother. Trisha's father died in October 2012. She can speak English, Hindi, Tamil, and French. She follows a vegetarian diet.

Her mother, Uma Krishnan, accompanies Trisha on film shoots, events, and functions, and they have appeared together in a commercial advertisement. Uma had been offered various roles by several Tamil film makers and actors including Kamal Haasan, but turned them down as she wanted to concentrate on Trisha's career. About her relationship with her mother, Trisha remarked: "She has been the pillar of my strength and has stood by me like a rock through thick and thin. [...] Everyone in the industry and my friends know how close I'm to my mom."

On 23 January 2015, Trisha became engaged to Varun Manian, a Chennai-based businessman. In May 2015, she confirmed that the couple had ended their engagement.

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Trisha is considered among the most popular actors of Tamil and Telugu cinema. She is one of the highest paid actresses in South Indian cinema, according to various media reports. Trisha received the Kalaimamani award, for her "Contribution in Tamil Cinema", in 2006.

The Indian Express noted Trisha to be "a top actor" in the South Indian film industry. Rediff.com termed her the "biggest sensation" in South India. Filmfare noted, "Trisha has remained popular with audiences by regularly playing endearing characters and appearing in blockbuster films." They further praised her "longevity" in the business. Gautam Sunder noted, "She has sustained two decades in films as a leading actor with proven mettle and box-office success." He also noted her "ubiquitous popularity" that still persists. Aditya Shrikrishna of Verve termed Trisha the "legacy maker" and noted, "Trisha has made her a popular choice for author-backed roles." In Rediff.com's "Top 5 Tamil Actresses" list, she was placed 3rd in 2006, 4th in 2008, 2nd in 2010 and 3rd in 2016. In its "Top 5 Telugu Actresses" list, she was placed 1st in 2007 and 2nd in 2008. Trisha ranked 5th in "Hottest Tamil Actresses" list.