Nayantara (born 18 November 1979 as Diana Mariam Kurian) is an Indian film actress from Kerala, who appears in South Indian films. She made her acting debut in the 2003 Malayalam film Manassinakkare and followed with Vismayathumbathu (2004) before foraying into Tamil and Telugu cinema.
She made her debut in Tamil cinema in 2005 with Ayya and a year later in Telugu with Lakshmi, after which she was the female lead in numerous commercially successful Tamil and Telugu films, making herself as one of the most sought after actresses in Tamil and Telugu cinema. In 2010, she also made her Kannada film debut through the film Super. Her portrayal of Sita in Sri Rama Rajyam (2011) earned her Filmfare Award for Best Telugu Actress and Nandi Award for Best Actress.
