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Meet the actor who made an indirect comment on Nayanthara's onscreen makeup, is daughter of a popular cinematographer, and was spotted by Mammootty
Read on to learn about an actress who is an amazing model, made her debut in Malayalam after being spotted by Mammootty, and sparked controversy with an indirect attack on Nayanthara!
This actress, who is the daughter of a popular cinematographer, made her debut in Malayalam cinema after being spotted by Megastar Mammootty. She started her career with mixed reviews but continues to move forward, appearing in several movies across different languages.
Yes, we are talking about the absolute diva, Malavika Mohanan, who made her acting debut in 2013 and is now set to star opposite Prabhas.
Meet the actress - Malavika Mohanan
Malavika Mohanan is an actress who turned to the profession after randomly accompanying her father to a fairness cream commercial shoot. During the shoot, which featured Mammootty, the megastar spotted her and inquired about her interest in acting.
While she was contemplating her plans for higher studies, Malavika considered the proposal of acting in a film, marking her debut as a leading lady. The film was the 2013 romantic movie Pattam Pole, starring Dulquer Salmaan in the lead role.
The actress landed her role in the film after passing an audition and generally learned the craft of acting as the shoot progressed on set. The movie was directed by cinematographer-turned-director Alagappan N and featured the love story between a Tamil Brahmin guy and a Christian girl.
Set against the backdrop of Ooty, the film begins with the two protagonists eloping from their homes to start a life together, fearing their parents won’t allow their union. However, as their finances dwindle and a misunderstanding arises between them, the two break up and return home.
The rest of the film focuses on how they cope with the situation, deal with animosity, and navigate their lingering love for each other despite their conflicts. The movie also features actors like Archana Kavi, Anoop Menon, Lalu Alex, Jayaprakash, Seetha, Leema Babu, Shraddha Gokul, Nandhu, and many others in key roles.
Check out a song from Pattam Pole:
Interestingly, the movie also marked Malavika’s debut as her own costume designer, owing to the original designer falling sick. During this same period, the actress started a fashion blog titled The Scarlet Window.
As time went on, Malavika appeared in films such as Nirnayakam with Asif Ali, the Kannada action movie Naanu Mattu Varalakshmi, and took on a supporting role in The Great Father featuring Mammootty. However, it was in 2017 that she gained significant recognition for her performance in director Majid Majidi’s Beyond The Clouds, where she starred alongside Ishaan Khattar, solidifying her position as a leading actress.
The drama film featured the actress as a poor girl from Mumbai’s Dhobi Ghat, where she played Ishaan’s older sister, who gets convicted and jailed after an incident. The movie explores the bond shared by the siblings as they try to resolve the conflict at hand. For her role, Malavika underwent significant physical transformation, losing 8 kgs in just 15 days for a sequence. She even refrained from washing her hair for several days to accurately portray her character.
Following her breakthrough role in Beyond The Clouds, Malavika appeared in several movies across languages, including the Rajinikanth starrer Petta, directed by Karthik Subbaraj. Her Tamil cinema debut inspired her to hire a tutor to help her practice lines in Tamil.
This led to her appearing in more Tamil movies, including Thalapathy Vijay’s Master, the Dhanush starrer Maaran, and the 2024 flick Thangalaan starring Chiyaan Vikram.
See Master's teaser here:
As the actress continued her work in Malayalam with the film Christy, she once again appeared in Hindi with the film Yudhra, co-starring Siddhant Chaturvedi. Over the years, Malavika has also made appearances in the Netflix biopic series Masaba Masaba and in Badshah's music video Tauba.
Moving ahead, Malavika is all set to play one of the leads in the Prabhas-starrer The Raja Saab. Directed by Maruthi, the movie is a romantic horror comedy and marks the actress's debut in Telugu cinema. Additionally, Malavika will be playing a key role in the film Sardar 2.
Back in the day, Malavika Mohanan sparked controversy after allegedly making an indirect comment about Nayanthara and her makeup in a movie. In an old interview, Malavika commented on how a popular actress appeared in a hospital scene wearing “perfect makeup.” Although she did not name anyone, netizens were divided—some defended Nayanthara, while others agreed with Malavika.
In response, Nayanthara addressed the issue in an interview, stating that she pays little attention to external comments and focuses only on her work. Later, Malavika once again found herself in the headlines after referring to female superstars using the term “Lady.”
This led to further uproar from netizens, prompting the actress to clarify her remark. She responded, “My comment was about a term that is used to describe female actors and not about any specific actor. I really respect and admire Nayanthara, and as a senior, I truly look up to her incredible journey.”
Malavika Mohanan’s personal life:
Malavika Mohanan was born in Payyanur, a town in the district of Kannur, Kerala, and was later brought up in Mumbai. Born in August 4, 1993, the 31-year-old actress is the daughter of popular cinematographer KU Mohanan who is known for his works in movies like Don, Andhadhun, Raees, Fukrey, Carbon, and many more.
The actress has a degree in Mass Media, initially aspiring to have a career as a cinematographer or as a director. Malavika also has a younger brother Aditya Mohanan.
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