Shivada Nair

Sshivada started her acting career through a small role in 2009 Malayalam anthology film Kerala Cafe. But she didn't get enough recognition. Later when working as a VJ in television, she was spotted by Malayalam director Fazil, who cast her as the female lead in his 2011 film Living Together. Then she auditioned for the Tamil film Nedunchaalai. Though her mother tongue is Malayalam, Sshivada managed to dub for her first film. She says, "I was born in Trichy and studied in Chennai till my fifth standard before moving to Kerala. So, I'm comfortable speaking Tamil." Sshivada received praise for her portrayal of Manga, a Malayalam village girl, who runs a dhaba. While Sify wrote "new find Shivada...steals the show. She lights the screen as she executes the loud, aggressive and righteous Manga with a lot of style and élan", Baradwaj Rangan called her a "terrific newcomer". In her next film Zero, a supernatural thriller directed by debutant Shiv Mohaa, a former assistant of Bharat Bala, she plays Priya, "a modern-day wife, who is also orthodox and holds on to some traditional values". In March 2017, Sshivada signed a new project, to be directed by Ashwin Saravanan and starring along S J Suryah and Wamiqa Gabbi.