Acting

Anjali

Anjali is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Tamil and Telugu cinema, alongside appearances in Kannada and Malayalam films. Born on June 16, 1986, in Razole, East Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh, into a Telugu family, she completed her schooling in Razole before moving to Chennai to pursue a degree in Mathematics. Entering the entertainment industry through modeling, she made her acting debut in the Telugu thriller Photo (2006). She achieved her major breakthrough in Tamil cinema with Ram's critically acclaimed psychological thriller Kattradhu Thamizh (2007). Her raw portrayal of Anandhi won her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut – South and the Vijay Award for Best Debut Actress, establishing her reputation for taking on intense, performance-oriented roles. Over the subsequent years, Anjali cemented her position as one of Tamil cinema's finest performers, winning consecutive Filmfare Awards for Best Actress – Tamil for her powerful performances as a salesgirl in Vasanthabalan's tragedy Angadi Theru (2010) and as a spirited nurse in M. Saravanan's romantic drama Engaeyum Eppothum (2011). Her performance in Angadi Theru also earned her a Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize. In Telugu cinema, Anjali achieved massive commercial success and widespread recognition for her role as Seetha in the blockbuster family drama Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu (2013) alongside Venkatesh, which won her the Nandi Special Jury Award. She went on to deliver a string of commercial hits in Tollywood, including Balupu (2013), Masala (2013), Dictator (2016), and the hit horror-comedy Geethanjali (2014). Her dual role in Geethanjali earned her the prestigious Nandi Award for Best Actress. Following a brief setback, she made a strong comeback with critically appreciated performances in the Tamil anthology Paava Kadhaigal (2020), the Telugu courtroom drama Vakeel Saab (2021) alongside Pawan Kalyan, and the Malayalam thriller Iratta (2023). Continuing to showcase her versatility in recent years, she reprised her horror-comedy role in the sequel Geethanjali Malli Vachindi (2024). In 2024, she earned significant critical acclaim and won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Telugu for her gritty portrayal of Rathnamala in the Telugu action drama Gangs of Godavari. Her filmography extends to S. Shankar's political action thriller Game Changer (2025) starring Ram Charan, where she plays the complex character Parvathy, and Ram's highly anticipated Tamil film Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai (2026) alongside Nivin Pauly, which premiered at the Rotterdam Film Festival. She is also slated to appear in upcoming projects like Magudam (2026).