The South Indian film industry is as big if not bigger than Bollywood itself. The South Indian audience is known for their dedication and the abundant love that they shower their actors with. They idolize movie stars and treat them with a lot of respect.
Being an actress ain’t as easy as it looks. Beyond being beautiful, one has to know the tricks and trade of acting skills, which is what helps have a prolonged career in the cinema.
India is the largest producer of movies. Bollywood, Kollywood, Tollywood and other regional cinema industries together produce more movies than any nations in the world.
Meanwhile, in this article, we will now take a glimpse at the South Indian actresses who changed their names for success and it worked well for them.
1. Nayanthara
Nayanthara began her career as a TV host and debuted on the small screen with the show Chamayam. She then kick-started work on her first film, Manassinakkare, directed by Sathyan Anthikad, in 2003.
Her hit movies include Viswasam, Naanum Rowdy Thaan, Darbar, Bigil, Raja Rani, Chandramukhi, Imaikkaa Nodigal. Her real name is Diana Mariam Kurian.
2. Anushka Shetty
Sweety Shetty, known by her stage name “Anushka Shetty” is a popular Indian actress and model who primarily works in Telugu and Tamil films. Notably, she is also the recipient of three Filmfare Awards South, an Andhra Pradesh state Nandi Award, and a Tamil Nadu State Film Award.
3. Rambha
Rambha, aka Vijayalakshmi Yeedi, has appeared in a number of Indian films, including Hindi movies. Her Bollywood career began in 1995 with the film Jallad. She appeared in several famous Bollywood films until 2004, including Beti No. 1, Gharwali Baharwali, Payar Diwana Hota Hai, and others. Her real name is Vijayalakshmi.
4. Sneha
Sneha is one of the beautiful actresses in South Indian film industry. She has acted predominantly in Tamil and Telugu movies. Her real name is Suhasini Rajaram Naidu. She made her debut with the Malayalam film, Ingane Oru Nilapakshi.
5. Bhumika Chawla
Bhumika Chawla is still remembered for her role in ‘Tere Naam’ alongside Salman Khan. But beyond that there is nothing more that highlights her career in the Bollywood industry however, she found success in Tollywood.
With her 20 years long career she has worked in more than 50 films ranging from Telugu, Malayalam, and Tamil. Now she has also stepped into the world of producing with the 2010 release, ‘Thakita Thakita’. Her real name is Rachna Chawla.