Tracing Nayanthara's rise from a quintessential 'heroine' to Tamil industry's 'Lady Superstar'
In a patriarchal industry, the rise of popular southern actress Nayanthara from a heroine to earning the moniker of ‘Lady Superstar’ is truly phenomenal and serves as the best answer to the million dollar question – is the heroine, though an integral part of the film, a liability?
While many argue that the superstar tag is debatable, her rise to the top against all odds cannot be questioned and that is what makes her a true fighter. From playing a regular heroine for nearly a decade, Nayanthara reinvented herself in the last few years, making smart career choices and daring to go solo in films such as Anaamika, Maya, Dora and this week’s Tamil release Aramm.
Nayanthara in a still from Ammal. YouTube
Having made her acting debut with 2003 Malayalam film Manassinakkare, Nayanthara has come a long way with her share of good and bad films. Be it a Chandramukhi or Lakshmi or Billa or Yaaradi Nee Mohini, her performance has never been a matter of concern. According to well-known distributor Abirami Ramanathan, Nayanthara has a very strong market base. “She has a bigger opening market than most of her contemporaries. Some of her films, despite the presence of an established star, did well and drew audiences solely because of her star presence.” Best examples of such films are Thirunaal and Irumugan, which had well known actors such as Jiiva and Vikram, but got a solid opening because of Nayanthara as well.
What makes Nayanthara tick, apart from the fact that she looks drop-dead gorgeous and can attract youngsters, is a question that needs to be answered. Director Ashwin Saravanan, who had worked with Nayanthara in Maya, believes it is her relentless energy to work non-stop. “It’s very inspiring to see her work. On the sets of Maya, she once told me it’s been six months since she went home. It might not be a big deal for most of us but that kind of commitment doesn’t come easily. You’ll never find her tired on the sets. She likes to push herself all the time,” Ashwin said, adding her old-school discipline is the other factor that keeps her going. “I’m sure most directors would agree with me on this. She is never late for shoot. More than her stardom, it’s her work ethic that really makes me look up to her.” It was with Maya, which worked wonders at the box-office, Nayanthara’s career took a detour and her choices since then have been quite impressive.
Aramm director Gopi Nainar says Nayanthara’s willingness to experiment and take risks has helped her break the heroine image. “Not many leading stars would like to take risks, especially when they’re in the top of their league. But she is an exception and she has proved from time to time that she likes to experiment. She gave break to so many first-time filmmakers like me,” said Gopi, who heaps praise on her involvement in a project. “When I told her she plays a Collector in the film, she even imagined her character’s look in her head. Lot of heroines like to be spoon-fed, exactly told what they should do. The moment she comes on board, Nayanthara ma'am owns her character. She will do everything in her ability to make it work,” he said.
Enlightening more on Nayanthara’s commitment, director Sekhar Kammula, who worked with her in Anaamika, Telugu remake of Kahaani, said that he never expected a star like her to be uncompromisingly committed. “I still remember once when we were shooting, I had noticed she had well groomed nails that looked very cute. But I felt her character in the film wouldn't have the time or mood to have such nails. I shared this with her and she instantly got them trimmed. I was astonished by her commitment,” he said. Recalling another instance, Kammula said, “We were required to shoot a risky stunt sequence and we were thinking of hiring a body double. Nayanthara intervened and said that she will do it on her own. She pulled off the stunt on her own and her hard work was evident in every frame.”
Nayanthara. Twitter
Unlike her contemporaries, Nayanthara is not chasing the media spotlight. In fact, she has remained an elusive and mysterious star, staying away from film and private functions. This has further helped in building her image. She is also constantly on the lookout for good scripts. The industry grapevine is that she not only liked the script of Aramm but also is said to have bankrolled the project. Gopi, putting the rumours to rest, clarified, “She helped put together the project. After she liked the script, she helped me find a producer. When you get that kind of support from a star, it’s so encouraging to work.”
Nayanthara has not completely bid adieu to star-studded projects, contrary to reports. However, she need not have to rely on her male counterpart anymore to shoulder a project. Producer C Kalyan, who is currently working with Nayanthara in Balakrishna-starrer Jai Simha, says she gives prime importance to her role. “She agreed to be part of this project because she was impressed with her role. I’m sure if you take a good role to her and if she likes it, she’d do the film and it doesn’t matter who is part of the project,” he said.
Her next big release is Chiranjeevi’s epic period drama Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy in which she will also share screen space with Amitabh Bachchan and Sudeep. She also has women-centric projects such as Kolayuthir Kaalam, Co Co and Imaikaa Nodigal in her kitty.
