Priya Mani Raj born 4 June 1984 known professionally as Priyamani, is an Indian actress who predominantly works in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, and Kannada films. She is the recipient of several awards, including a National Film Award and three Filmfare Awards South.
Priyamani made her acting debut with the 2003 Telugu film Evare Atagaadu. She gained widespread recognition for her role as a village girl in the Tamil romantic drama Paruthiveeran in 2007, receiving a National Film Award for Best Actress and a Filmfare Award for Best Actress in Tamil. Her other notable works include Raam (2009), Raavan (2010), Raavanan (2010), Pranchiyettan & the Saint (2010), Chaarulatha (2012), and Idolle Ramayana (2016). She began starring in the spy-thriller series The Family Man in 2019, and has played supporting roles in the action film Jawan (2023) and thriller Article 370 (2024).
Priyamani Biography : Early life and education
Priyamani was born and raised in Bangalore, Karnataka[6] belonging to a Palakkad Iyer family. Her father, Vasudevan Mani Iyer, owns a plantation business and her mother, former national level badminton player, Lathamani Iyer, was a bank manager at Union Bank of India. She modelled for Kanchipuram Silk, Erode Bharani Silks and Lakshmi silks during her school years. When she was in the 12th Standard, Tamil director Bharathiraja introduced her to the film industry. While at school, she actively participated in extracurricular activities and in sports. She is the granddaughter of Carnatic vocalist, Kamala Kailas. She is the cousin of film actress, Vidya Balan and the niece of playback singer, Malgudi Shubha.
Priyamani was educated at Sri Aurobindo Memorial School, Bengaluru, and thereafter at Bishop Cotton Women’s Christian College, Bengaluru. After completing her schooling, she modelled for print advertisements. She then pursued a degree in Bachelor of Arts in psychology through correspondence. She can speak in English, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu and Hindi fluently. Director Fazil had approached her, and she rejected the offer prior to her board examinations and eventually made her film debut in a Tamil film.
Priyamani Biography : Career
Priyamani made her debut with Telugu film, Evare Atagaadu. Although she began her acting career with Bharathiraja’s Tamil film, Kangalal Kaidhu Sei, it was Evare Atagaadu which was released first.
Priyamani then made her debut in Malayalam cinema with Sathyam. Then she was signed by Tamil film director and cinematographer Balu Mahendra to act in the 2005 drama Adhu Oru Kana Kaalam. Before release, Babith said “Priyamani has come up with an excellent performance in the movie. Adhu Oru Kana Kaalam was critically acclaimed but failed at the box office. However, she won acclaim for her performance in the film. In 2006, Priyamani starred in the Telugu film Pellaina Kothalo. The film was a hit and got her three Telugu films.
Priyamani managed to prove her acting credentials and commercial appeal with 2007’s Paruthiveeran, directed by Ameer, in which she was co-starred with debutant Karthi. A rural subject which told the story of a notorious young villager in Madurai, the film won critical acclaim and became a surprise box-office blockbuster. She went on to win the National Film Award, followed by South Filmfare Award, Tamil Nadu State Film Award and an award at the Osian’s Cinefan Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema.
She had another commercially successful film in Telugu, in the 2007 film Yamadonga and in the Tamil film Malaikottai. She again received critical acclaim in 2008 for her role in the Malayalam film Thirakkatha, in which she played a role based on the turbulent real-life story of late film actress Srividya. She won another Filmfare Award for her performance. In Tamil, she had a single release in 2008: Thotta.
In 2009 she had two Tamil releases, the masala film Arumugam and the remake of the Malayalam blockbuster Classmates, titled Ninaithale Inikkum. The former was a commercial failure: Her Kannada debut film Raam was also a commercial success. All three of her Telugu releases that year, however, (Drona, Mitrudu, Pravarakhyudu) did not do well at the box office. In 2010 she acted in the satirical film Pranchiyettan & the Saint which became the longest-running Malayalam film since 2005. She won a Filmfare nomination for her role as a Mumbai-based interior decorator in the film.
She was subsequently signed by director Mani Ratnam for his bilingual film, titled Raavanan and Raavan in Tamil and Hindi respectively. Soon after, she was hired by Bollywood director-producer Ram Gopal Varma for his bilingual film Rakht Charitra. Varma decided to cast her after seeing her National Award-winning performance in Paruthiveeran.[citation needed] Her Kannada film Vishnuvardhana became a blockbuster hit and later she starred in Anna Bond. Although the film was poorly received by critics and featured on Rediff’s “Most Disappointing Kannada Films of 2012” list, it went on to become a successful venture at the box office.[citation needed] She appeared in an item number in the Bollywood film Chennai Express. She has completed shooting for a Malayalam film, The True Story and the Telugu film, Chandee, in which she plays Ganga the granddaughter of a freedom fighter, who seeks revenge for the problems her family had to face. She was cast opposite Darshan in the Kannada film Ambareesha in (2014). In 2024, she was cast in the Hindi film Article 370 In 2014, she posed for a PETA ad campaign, asking the public to boycott zoos that feature caged tigers.
Besides The Family Man, Priyamani was also in ZEE5’s His Storyy, Narappa, and Virata Parvam.[citation needed]
Priyamani Biography : Personal life
Priyamani married Mustafa Raj, an event organiser, in a private ceremony on 23 August 2017.
Filmography
Key
† Denotes films that have not yet been released
Films
Year Title Role Language Notes Ref.
2003 Evare Atagaadu Rekha Telugu credited as Priya
2004 Kangalal Kaidhu Sei Vidhya Tamil
Satyam Sona Malayalam
2005 Adhu Oru Kana Kaalam Thulasi Tamil
Otta Nanayam Reshma Malayalam
2006 Pellaina Kothalo Lakshmi Telugu
Madhu Mercy Tamil
2007 Paruthiveeran Muthazhagu Tamil National Film Award for Best Actress (2006)
Toss Naina Telugu
Yamadonga Maheswari Telugu
Nava Vasantham Anjali Telugu
Malaikottai Malar Tamil
2008 Thotta Nalina Tamil
Thirakkatha Malavika Malayalam
Hare Ram Anjali Telugu
King Dancer Telugu Special appearance (song Nuvvu Ready Nenu Ready)
2009 Drona Indhu Telugu
Mitrudu Indu Telugu
Puthiya Mukham Anjana Malayalam
Arumugam Yamini Tamil
Ninaithale Inikkum Meera Tamil
Pravarakhyudu Sailaja Telugu
Raam Pooja Kannada
2010 Shambo Shiva Shambo Munimma Telugu
Sadhyam Suhani Telugu
Golimaar Pavithra Telugu
Raavan Jamuni Hindi
Raavanan Vennila Tamil
Pranchiyettan and the Saint Padmashree Malayalam
Eno Onthara Madhumathi Kannada
Rakht Charitra II Bhavani Hindi
Telugu Bilingual film (also partially reshot in Tamil)
Ragada Priya/Ashtalakshmi Telugu
2011 Raaj Mythili Telugu
Kshetram Naga Penchalamma/
Sohini Aggarwal Telugu
Vishnuvardhana Meera Kannada
2012 Ko Ko Cauvery Kannada
Anna Bond Meera Kannada
Grandmaster Deepthi Malayalam
Chaarulatha Chaaru and Latha Kannada
Tamil Bilingual film
2013 Lakshmi Priya Kannada
Chennai Express Dancer Hindi Special appearance (song 1-2-3-4 Get on the Dance Floor)
Chandee Ganga/Chandee Telugu
2014 Alice: A True Story Alice/Uma Malayalam
Njangalude Veettile Athidhikal Bhavana Malayalam
Ambareesha Smitha Kannada
2015 Ranna Dancer Kannada Special Appearance (song What to do)
2016 Kathe Chitrakathe Nirdeshana Puttanna Geethanjali Kannada
Kalpana 2 Kalpana Kannada
Dana Kayonu Jagadhamba (Jhummi) Kannada
Idolle Ramayana
Mana Oori Ramayanam Susheela Kannada
Telugu Bilingual film
2017 Chowka Mariea D Souza Kannada
2018 Dhwaja Ramya Kannada
Ashiq Vanna Divasam Shyni Malayalam
2019 Pathinettam Padi Gowri Vasudev Malayalam Cameo
Nanna Prakara Dr. Amrutha Kannada
2020 Ateet Janvi Hindi Zee5 film
2021 Naarappa Sundaramma Telugu Amazon Prime film
2022 Bhamakalapam Anupama Mohan Telugu Aha film
Virata Parvam Comrade Bharatakka Telugu
Salaam Venky Adv. Nanda Kumar Hindi Cameo appearance
Dr. 56 Priya Krishna Kannada
Tamil Bilingual film
2023 Custody Chief Minister Dakshayani Telugu
Tamil Bilingual film
Jawan Lakshmi Hindi Partially reshot in Tamil
Neru Poornima Malayalam
2024 Bhamakalapam 2 Anupama Mohan Telugu
Article 370 Rajeshwari Swaminathan Hindi
Maidaan Saira Rahim Hindi
Quotation Gang † TBA Tamil Completed
Khaimara † TBA Kannada Filming
TBA Untitled next † TBA Malayalam Filming
Television
Web series
List of web series performances
Year Title Role Language Network Notes
2019–present The Family Man Suchitra Tiwari Hindi Amazon Prime Video
2021 His Story Sakshi Hindi Alt Balaji, ZEE5
2023 Sarvam Shakthi Mayam Priya Hindi ZEE5
As a host or judge
Year Program Language Channel Notes
2014 D 4 Dance Malayalam Mazhavil Manorama
2015 D 2 – D 4 Dance
Dancing Star 2 Kannada ETV Kannada
2016 Dancing Star Juniors
Kings of Dance Tamil Star Vijay
D 3 – D 4 Dance Malayalam Mazhavil Manorama Asiavision Television Award for Best Celebrity Judge
Dancing Star 3 Kannada Colors Kannada
2017 D4 junior v/s seniors Malayalam Mazhavil Manorama
Dance Jodi Dance 2 Tamil Zee Tamil
Dhee 10 Telugu ETV Telugu
2018–2019 Dhee 11 ETV Telugu
2018–2019 Dance Kerala Dance Malayalam Zee Keralam
2019 Teas Best Partner Mazhavil Manorama
Kerala Dance League Amrita TV Celebrity judge
D5 junior Mazhavil Manorama Grand finale jury
Famously Filmfare Malayalam
Kannada MX Player Host
2019–2020 Comedy Stars Malayalam Asianet Recurring Judge
2019–2020 Comedy Stars Weekend Challenge Asianet
Dance Jodi Dance 3.0 Tamil Zee Tamizh
2020 Dhee Champions Telugu ETV Telugu
2021 Dhee 13
2022 Dhee 14 Dancing Icon
Short films
Year Title Role Language Channel Notes
2017 Hand of God Eleena Malayalam Mazhavil Manorama
2019 White Blind lady English YouTube
Awards and nominations
Priyamani awards and nominations
Priyamani in an interview
Awards and nominations
Award
Wins
Nominations
Totals[a]
Wins 10
Nominations 16
Note
Year Award Category Language Work / film Result Ref.
2007 National Film Award for Best Actress Tamil Paruthiveeran Won
Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actress Won
Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil Won
Vijay Award for Best Actress Won
2008 Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Malayalam Malayalam Thirakkatha Won
2009 Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Kannada Kannada Raam Nominated
2011 Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Malayalam Malayalam Pranchiyettan and the Saint Nominated
2012 Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Kannada Kannada Chaarulatha Won
Suvarna Film Award for Best Actress Won
SIIMA Award for Best Actress – Kannada Won
2016 Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Telugu Telugu Mana Oori Ramayanam Nominated [citation needed]
2017 Kalaimamani Awards Tamil Contribution to Tamil Cinema Won
2020 Filmfare OTT Awards for Best Actor Series (Female) : Drama Hindi The Family Man Nominated
Filmfare OTT Awards Best Actor, Drama Series (Female) – Critics Choice Won
2022 SIIMA Award for Best Actress – Telugu Telugu Narappa Nominated
2023 SIIMA Award for Best Supporting Actress – Telugu Virata Parvam Nominated
Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Telugu Nominated