Nisha Kumar is a Malaysian actress, model and television presenter based in Singapore, known for her work in Tamil-language television dramas on Mediacorp Vasantham. She entered the media industry through beauty pageants, becoming one of the seventeen finalists of Miss Universe Malaysia 2015 and was placed in the Top 10 at the final, before being named Miss Malaysia Pan Continental the same year.
Nisha made her acting debut in the Vasantham drama Ragasiyam (2015) and has since appeared in more than twenty Tamil-language television productions. She won Best Supporting Actress at the Pradhana Vizha awards in 2024, and in 2026 received the publicly voted Most Popular Female Star award at the same ceremony.
Early life and education Nisha is from Klang in Selangor, Malaysia. She is the eldest of three siblings. Her father, Dato' Santhira Kumar, is a businessman, and her mother is Indra Perumal. Her paternal grandparents came from Karaikudi in Tamil Nadu, India, and she is of Malaysian Indian descent.
She completed her secondary education at SMK Convent Klang, studied A-Levels at HELP University, and went on to study physiotherapy at MAHSA University. She is fluent in Tamil, English and Malay.
Career
Pageantry and modelling (2014–2015) Nisha first attracted media attention in Malaysia in 2014 as an aspiring model, telling The Star that appearing in magazines had been a long-held ambition.
In November 2014 she was named, at the age of 24, as one of the seventeen finalists of The Next Miss Universe Malaysia 2015, selected by the Miss Universe Malaysia Organisation after a six-month search in Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu. She was 25 by the time of the four-week training programme preceding the finale, which was held on 17 April 2015 at the Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur, and was then working as an accounts executive. She was placed in the Top 10 at the final. She was later named Miss Malaysia Pan Continental 2015.
Television (2015–present) Nisha began her television career with Mediacorp Vasantham in Singapore in 2015, making her acting debut in the drama Ragasiyam. She played the lead role of Shakti in the 2017 series Yaathumaagi. She went on to appear in a series of Vasantham dramas in lead and principal roles, and, being fluent in Tamil, Malay and English, also appeared in productions for Mediacorp Suria and Channel 5.
Alongside acting, Nisha has worked as a television presenter, hosting the fifth season of the Vasantham programme Udhayam.
Film In 2025, Nisha was announced in a principal role as Manju, an Indian police officer, in a feature film produced by the Singaporean producer Devarajan and shot in India, planned for release in Singapore, India and Malaysia. She described it as her first time playing a police officer.
Personal life Nisha was born and raised in Malaysia and later relocated to Singapore to pursue her acting career.
On 30 March 2020 she married Sathyamoorthi Naidu, a Singaporean actor and television drama assistant director, at the Sri Vairavimada Kaliamman Temple in Singapore. Because COVID-19 restrictions limited attendance to ten people, the ceremony was streamed live and watched by about 2,400 people, including her parents and relatives in Selangor, who were unable to travel to Singapore.
Filmography
Television Year Title Role Notes 2015 Ragasiyam (season 2) Amala Supporting role 2017 Thallipogathey Deeksha Supporting role 2017 Athiyaayam Pooja Supporting role 2017 Yaathumaagi Shakti Lead role 2018 Vettai 4 Jothi Supporting role 2019 Singa Airlines Charms / Chamundeshwary Main cast 2019 Uyire Priyanka Main cast 2019 Avathaaram Shalini Supporting role 2019 Kanne Kaniamuthe Lavanya Main cast 2020 Mitara Tara Lead role 2021 Kavasam Dr. Deepti Main cast 2022 Kanmani Madhu Lead role 2022 Kanne Kaniamuthe (season 2) Lavanya Main cast 2022 Maiyam Neha Main cast 2022 Amartyan Anu / Queen Indhumathi Double role 2023 Yaar 4 Vedhika Main cast 2023 Vinaivazhi Brindha Supporting role 2023 Thiruvaai Malarvaai 2 Mandakini Main cast 2023 Jambulingam Varsha Main cast 2024 Pithamagan Sneha Main cast 2024 Kavalan Usha Main cast 2024 Karuvanam Jasmin Special appearance 2024 Ayyaveedu Rukmini Main cast 2025 Sandamarutham Madhuvadhani Lead role 2025 Konjam Uppu Konjam Kaaram Meera Lead role 2025 Udhayam (season 5) Host Television presenter 2026 Kannae Kaniamuthe (season 3) Lavanya Main cast 2026 Mr & Master Cook Anchor Cooking show on Star Vijay
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Result Ref 2024 Pradhana Vizha Best Supporting Actress 2026 Pradhana Vizha Most Popular Female Star
References