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Meet actor who survived a fan’s kidnapping attempt, has temples built in her name, and worked with stars like Ajith, NBK, and Mohanlal
Can you guess the name of this popular Indian actress who worked extensively in regional cinema despite hailing from Surat in Gujarat? Let us know.
In today's meet the actor, we will talk about an Indian actress who initially started her career as a model. At the age of 17, she was crowned Miss Surat and even participated in the Miss India pageant in 2001. While Celina Jaitley won the big title, this actress ended up as the third runner-up. After working across Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam film industries, she ventured into politics. Yes, you guessed her name right. She is none other than Namitha Vankawala.
Who is Namitha Vankawala?
Namitha Vankawala is a popular Indian actress from Surat, Gujarat. After a successful modeling career, she featured in several TV commercials including Arun Ice Creams, Himani cream, Nile shampoo and more. In 2002, Namitha made her acting debut with Srinu Vaitla's directorial film Sontham.
After the success of her first project, she began to receive several great offers. In the same year, Namitha shared screen space with actor Venkatesh Daggubati in Gemeni. Due to her mature look, makers began to cast her opposite veteran stars like Captain Vijayakanth, Sathyaraj, Sarathkumar and others.
However, she rose to fame for featuring opposite Ajith Kumar in the 2007 film Billa. The movie also starred Nayanthara as the female lead. Namitha also worked with Nandamuri Balakrishna in Simha, Mohanlal in Pulimurugan and Thalapathy Vijay in Azhagiya Tamizh Magan.
Due to her glamorous on-screen presence, she quickly garnered attention and developed a dedicated fan base in Tamil Nadu. Later, she also appeared in Kamal Haasan-hosted reality TV show Bigg Boss in 2017.
A look at Namitha's success and personal life
At the peak of her career, Namitha did several great films with renowned actors. According to a report by DNA, the actress has three temples built after her by fans in Tamil Nadu. In 2008, one of Namitha's followers constructed a temple in Coimbatore to worship her. She is the only actress after Khushbu Sundar in the state to have a temple dedicated after her name.
In 2012, a Japanese media station even called her the "most beautiful person" in India. However, from 2009 to 2021, the actress witnessed a significant decline in her career graph. She began to receive fewer roles and most of her projects ended up being a disaster at the box office.
During this time, Namitha decided to tie the knot with businessman Veerendra Chowdary. The couple got married in Tirupati in 2017. In 2022, they welcomed their twin sons and announced the joyous news via their social media handles.
Namitha's controversies
More than a decade ago, Namitha jetted off to Trichy to attend an event. According to a report by News 18, a man named Periasamy disguised himself as her driver and sped away in a car with the actress. Terrified by the situation, the real driver contacted the organizers. Soon, they alerted the police officials who nabbed the kidnapper by overtaking his vehicle. The miscreant told the police he was a fan of Namitha. Fortunately, the actress safely returned home unharmed.
Meanwhile, Namitha has now ventured into politics and serves as a state executive member of the BJP in Tamil Nadu.
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