Ayilya Gopalakrishnan, known professionally as Ananya, is an Indian actress who appears predominantly in Malayalam and Tamil language films as well as in a few Telugu and Kannada films. She is also a singer and an archer.
She made her acting debut in the Malayalam film Positive (2008) and also debuted the following year in Tamil through the film Naadodigal, which turned out to be a critical and commercial success. She received the Kerala State Television Award for Best Actress in 2012 for the telefilm Doore and the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Tamil for Engaeyum Eppothum in 2011.
Early life Ananya was born as Ayilya to Gopalakrishnan Nair, a film producer, and Praseetha in Kochi, Kerala. She has a younger brother named Arjun. Her name was taken from her birth star (nakshatra), Aslesha, which is called Ayilyam in Malayalam. She studied at St. Joseph's High School in Kochi and thereafter pursued a B.A. degree in Communicative English at St. Xavier's College for Women, Aluva.
During her childhood, she was an archer and won the State Championship. While representing her college in a television reality show, Star Wars, she was spotted by various film directors and received acting offers. After declining around five projects, she finally decided to give it a try, accepting to act in the movie Positive. She had appeared as a child artist in one of her father's movie productions (executive producer), Pai Brothers (1995). Her house is situated at Perumbavoor.
Film career
Her screen name was changed to Ananya when she was working in her debut Tamil film Naadodigal. The film was a high commercial success, and Ananya rose to fame with her performance in the film being appreciated. She went on to reprise the same role in the film's Malayalam remake Ithu Nammude Katha. The film Shikkar alongside Mohanlal, gave her a big break in Malayalam. She did some thrilling scenes in the climax of the movie that impressed Mohanlal, which made him call her the "Vijayashanti" of Malayalam. She also played a supporting role in Kandahar, sharing screen space with Mohanlal and Amitabh Bachchan. In 2011, Ananya played one of the female leads in Engaeyum Eppothum, which received rave reviews and became a sleeper hit.
In 2014, she appeared in Pulivaal, her first Tamil release after three years.
Awards
Kerala State Television Awards 2012 – Kerala State Television Award for Best Actress : Doore
Filmfare Awards South 2011 – Best Supporting Actress – Tamil: Engaeyum Eppothum
Asianet Film Awards 2010 – Best Supporting Actress : Seniors & Doctor Love
Vijay Awards 2009 – Best Debut Actress: Naadodigal 2011 – Nominated, Vijay Award for Best Supporting Actress: Engaeyum Eppothum
Filmography
Year Film Role Language Notes 1995 Vridhammare Sookshikkuka Malayalam Child artist 2008 Positive Jyothi Credited as Ayilya G. Nair 2009 Naadodigal Nallammaal Tamil Vijay Award for Best Debut Actress Rahasya Police Bhama Malayalam 2010 Shikkar Ganga Fiddle Gayatri Oru Small Family Ammu Vishwanathan Kandahar Student (A passenger on the plane) Special appearance 2011 Ithu Nammude Katha Kalyani Seedan Mahalakshmi Tamil Seniors Jeni Malayalam Asianet Film Award For Best Supporting Actress Amayakudu Divya Telugu Debut in Telugu Doctor Love Gowri Malayalam Asianet Film Award For Best Supporting Actress Engaeyum Eppothum Amudha Tamil Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – TamilNominated, Vijay Award for Best Supporting Actress Sandwich Kanmani Malayalam 2012 Kunjaliyan Maya Masters Ashley Jacob Mullamottum Munthiricharum Ranimol Gokula Krishna Aishwarya Kannada 2013 D Company Indumathi Malayalam Segment – "Oru Bolivian Diary 1995" Nadodimannan Meera 2014 Pulivaal Selvi Tamil Thomson Villa Sheelu Malayalam Raktharakshassu 3D Vampire Athithi Vasuki Tamil 100 Degree Celsius Ganga Malayalam 2015 Kalyanism Kalyani The Reporter Tara Viswanath Iravum Pagalum Varum Sona Tamil Urumbukal Urangarilla Sheela Malayalam 2016 A AaBhanumathi Telugu 2017Tiyaan AmbaMalayalam2018 Oru Kuttanadan Blog Gopan's wife 2019 Maharshi Pallavi Telugu2020 God Father Mithra Tamil2021BhramamSwapnaMalayalamReleased on Amazon Prime2022AppanRosy2023NilaNila2024 Swargam Cicily Thiru.ManickamSumathiTamil2025 DieselLakshmi KavithaMalayalamFilming
Discography Song Film Music director NotesPacha Manja100 Degree CelsiusGopi SundarPachaPachaGowtham RenilAlbumOmalkurunnukalSeetha KalyanamAsianet TV series
Television Year Title Role Channel Notes2021Comedy Stars JudgeAsianet2021Star MagicMentorFlowers TV2018Thamasha BazaarHostZee KeralamReplaced by Jewel Mary2018Oru Vattam KoodiHostKerala VisionReplaced by Kavitha Nair2018Seetha KalyanamAsianetTitle song playback singer2015Star ChallengeContestantFlowers TVreality show2015Smart ShowParticipantFlowers TVgame show2012Doore-Mazhavil ManoramaTelefilm2012DevidarshanamHostJaihind TVSpecial show2010Munch Star SingerHerselfAsianet 2008 Manjil Virinja Tharam Co HostKairali TV2009Vishu DarshanamHost2007Star WarsContestantReality show
References
External links