Why 'Jawan' actor Nayanthara deserves the 'Lady Superstar' tag
"Lady Superstar" Nayanthara is set to awe Hindi-speaking audiences through her Bollywood debut in Atlee's Jawan, where she'll share screen space with Shah Rukh Khan and Vijay Sethupathi. A reigning superstar in the South, Nayanthara enjoys a devoted fan following across Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu-speaking belts. What is so special about her and why has she been crowned with this honor? Let's unravel.
Her track record in films belonging to different genres
Nayanthara hasn't allowed herself to be reduced simply to the male protagonist's love interest in romantic movies. Instead, she has been a part of flicks that have asked her to do a lot of heavy lifting and these belong to different genres—thrillers, horror, action, and comedy. Some examples are Billa (action-thriller), Connect (horror), Sri Rama Rajyam (mythological drama), and Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal (romantic comedy).
She concretized her position through female-centric movies
In an industry that is heavily dominated by male superstars and often reduces women to flowerpot roles/eye candies, and cardboard characters with little to no personalities of their own, Nayanthara is in a league of her own due to her female-centric cinema, where she doesn't need the crutches of a male actor's support. Examples include Anaamika, Netrikann, and Kolamaavu Kokila, among others.
She has been in showbiz for two decades now!
While it's common for male actors to remain active for two or three decades (or more), unfortunately, the same cannot be said for female actors whose time is more often than not limited and constricted by their age. Nayanthara, however, is an exception; she commenced her career in 2003, and still has miles to go! So far, reportedly, she has starred in 80 movies!
Beyond movies: Her fan-following and projects dedicated to her
Nayanthara's stardom is such that in 2021, Star Vijay telecast a program named Lady Superstar Nayanthara, where the actor spoke about her personal and professional life. Her relationship and wedding to director Vignesh Shivan also became the subject of Netflix's yet-to-be-released documentary Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale. Moreover, despite her unavailability online, she easily dominates social media each time a personal/professional update is announced.
