BEHINDWOODS COLUMN

The year 2013 for the film industry assumes significance for quite a few reasons. While it is the centenary year of Indian cinema, it also marks a decade of exciting period for Diana Mariam Kurian aka Nayanthara who made her entry into the tinselville in God’s own country through Sathyan Anthikkad’s Manassinakkare in 2003 opposite Jayaram.

It is not something usual that a starlet gets featured alongside the veterans of the industry in their initial years but Nayan is not a usual girl either. Her subsequent films Natturajavu and the psychological thriller Vismayathumbathu earned her good name especially the latter where she held her fort opposite Mohanlal.

However her first entry into Tamil film industry was in 2005 in Hari’s Ayya with Sarathkumar and her ‘oru vaarthai kekka oru varusham’ paved way for a permanent place in the hearts of Tamil movie going audience.

Superstar Rajnikanth is a gargantuan figure for all age groups of cinephiles and it is more than an honor to be featured as his ladylove for any actress. It is undoubtedly an important milestone in the career of any artist. Nayan achieved this in her very second Tamil film Chandramukhi where her portrayal of the naiveté Durga earned her a huge fan base.

Films like Ghajini with Suriya, Sivakasi with Vijay (cameo) and a few other projects materialized in the interim but they were all lukewarm material to her career graph in Tamil. She simultaneously started spreading her wings in Telugu Desam with films like Lakshmi, Boss and Dubai Seenu with stalwarts Venkatesh, Nagarjuna and Ravi Teja.

2007 turned out to be a special year for Nayanthara when she had shed oodles of fat to earn an enviable svelte figure with a washboard abs. Her Ballelakka with the superstar in Sivaji became a rage overnight which she followed it with a debonair Sasha in Ajith’s Billa. Bikini could not have looked any more stylish than on Nayanthara. She carried herself with a lot of attitude sans vulgarity in the skimpy costume that never looked obtrusive.

Few more films and years, 2011 witnessed Nayan swinging to the other end of the spectrum with Rama Rajaym in Telugu which was then said to be her swansong. In fact, Ilayaraja who had composed for the film said, “I have never seen the real Seetha. But having seen Nayan in Rama Rajyam, Seetha will always be Nayanthara for me”. Coming from such a legend, the statement holds a profound value.

When ones’ career is going full throttle, it requires an extraordinary will power to call it quits and Nayan did that post Rama Rajyam. Her announcement of retirement for personal reasons evoked a teary response from her fans and industry people alike. Thankfully, her sabbatical was short and Nayan being Nayan, she sprung back to action undeterred by a personal debacle, to what she does best, facing the arc lights once again.

Heroines come with a very short shelf life in the glamour industry. They may start their career with young heroes but within a few years, they are relegated to peripheral roles in the form of sister or sister-in-law (anni). Nayan defied this unwritten diktat too. In her decade long career she has worked with the likes of Rajnikanth, Ajith, Vijay, Venkatesh, Nagarjuna, Mohanlal, Mammotty and Upendra and she continues to work with youngsters like Arya or Jai or Udhayanidhi Stalin with the same ease and professionalism. This is hardly the case when it comes to heroines and the Ayya girl is still going strong in this sector.

The very mention of Nayan brings to our thought a free spirited woman with a mind of her own but with a vulnerable countenance and it is this combination that strikes a chord with the audience. Hence her widespread popularity does not come as a surprise. At a time when being away from the spot of action even for a short period of time results in audience’s memory loss, Nayan has been very warmly embraced by the audience (after her break) which was evident by the response to her recently released Raja Rani that goes on to reiterate her reputation with fans.

A decade has passed by but still the Thiruvalla star looks sparkling and un-jaded. In her ten year stint in the industry, she may have been a witness to many ups and downs both professionally and personally. But at the end of the day, it is her spunk that makes her stand out from the crowd which makes us ask – Yaaradi Nee Mohini!

Here is wishing Nayanthara a powerful Arrambam once again!