Nithya Menen (born 8 April 1990) is an Indian actress and singer who works primarily in Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu films. Having worked in more than 50 films, she is acknowledged for her acting versatility.She appeared first on-screen as a child, when she was eight, in the French-Indian English film, Hanuman (1998), playing the younger sister to Tabu's character. At the age of 15, she appeared in a supporting role in the Kannada film 7 O' Clock, which was released in 2006. She started her film career by playing the lead role in the Malayalam film Aakasha Gopuram, which was released in 2008. Her debut in leading roles in Telugu and Tamil films were Ala Modalaindi (2011) and Nootrenbadhu (2011). Her Hindi debut was Mission Mangal (2019).

Early life

Nithya Menen was born on 8 April 1990 in Bangalore to Malayali parents settled in Karnataka. She was educated at Poorna Prajna School and Mount Carmel College, Bangalore.She has said that she initially wished to become a pilot, but ultimately found pilot unappealing, so she pivoted to filmmaking, and enrolled in a cinematography course at the Film and Television Institute of India at Pune. During the school's entrance exam, she met B. V. Nandini Reddy, who convinced Menen to take up acting. Nithya is a polyglot and can speak six languages including Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and English.As a child, Menen had acted in a French-Indian English film named ''Hanuman'', at the age of 8, playing younger sister to Tabu's character. At the age of 15, she played a supporting role in a Kannada film ''7 O' Clock''.

Career

In 1998, Menen appeared first on-screen as a child in ''Hanuman'' (1998). She also was a part of the Hindi-language soap opera ''Choti Maa – Ek Anokha Bandhan''. She played a supporting role in the Kannada film ''7 O' Clock'' (2006).The 2008 off-beat film ''Aakasha Gopuram'', directed by K. P. Kumaran, marked her film career in Malayalam in a leading role, in which she was paired with Mohanlal. She was in the midst of her 12th class exams when she was offered the role, after Mohanlal had spotted her on the front cover of a tourism magazine, Stark World Kerala. Her performance was well received, with critics writing that she shows "sparkle in her debut venture" and "makes her entry in an impressive role", though the film was a financial failure. She next made a comeback into Kannada films with the film ''Josh'' in 2009. The film received rave reviews, She next made a comeback into Kannada films with the film ''Josh'' in 2009. The film received rave reviews, and became a commercial success as well, with her performance garnering her a nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category at the 57th Filmfare Awards South. The same year she appeared in ''Vellathooval'', ''Angel John'' and ''Kerala Cafe''. She received positive reviews for the lattermost. In 2010, she starred in the Malayalam films, ''Anwar'' and Apoorvaragam where she plays Nancy, a young girl who gets involved with two male students (Nishan and Asif Ali) who are later discovered to be con-artists. The film received mixed to negative reviews, but became a hit at the box office. The film opened to favourable reviews by critics and turned out to become a sleeper hit, while Menen received critical praise for her performance. ''Idlebrain''s Jeevi in his review cited that she "epitomized Nitya character with her fabulous performance", "looks beautiful in all kinds of dresses" and was "the best debut in recent years of Telugu cinema after Samantha in ''YMC''", while another critic wrote that she was a "charming find" and "...quite the Genelia replacement that our cinema so badly needs right now." She eventually won the Nandi Award for Best Actress for her performance and received a nomination for Filmfare Award for Best Actress. Further more, she also sang two songs for the soundtrack album of the film, tuned by Kalyani Malik. Nandini Reddy, later, went on to describe Menen as "the discovery of the decade". Following ''Ala Modalaindi'', she starred in Santosh Sivan's historical fiction ''Urumi'' as part of an ensemble cast. Following ''Ala Modalaindi'', she starred in Santosh Sivan's historical fiction ''Urumi'' as part of an ensemble cast. She portrayed a Chirakkal princess named Bala, playing the love interest of Prabhu Deva's character, which gained positive remarks, with a Sify review claiming that she "looks pretty and is a scene stealer". Menen quoted that much of her character was based on "Santosh's perception of who I am", with Sivan stating that he had written that role for her and that only she could play it. She received a nomination for Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 59th Filmfare Awards South She next appeared in ad-filmmaker Jayendra's bilingual venture ''Nootrenbadhu'', which was made and released in Tamil and Telugu (as ''180''), in which she played a photo journalist named Vidya. She described the character as "bubbly, full of life, nosey, wide-eyed and innocent in life" and to be similar to herself. Later the year, she was seen in Sibi Malayil's ''Violin'' in Malayalam and the Gautham Vasudev Menon-produced ''Veppam'' in Tamil. She also featured in V. K. Prakash's Kannada anthology film Aidondla Aidu where she played a young bride who is obsessed with making payasam for her new husband much to his chagrin. She had sung and also choreographed one of the songs, titled "Payasa".Menen's first 2012 release was the Telugu romance film ''Ishq'' with Nitin Reddy. She received the CineMAA Award for Best Actress (jury) while receiving best actress nomination at the same event and at the SIIMA Awards. She was later seen in five Malayalam films: ''Karmayogi'', V. K. Prakash's Malayalam adaptation of Shakespeare's ''Hamlet'' co-starring Indrajith Sukumaran, ''Poppins'', the Malayalam remake of ''Aidondla Aidu'' in which she reprised her role from the original and sang the Malayalam version of "Payasa", T. K. Rajeev Kumar's ''Thalsamayam Oru Penkutty'', in which she portrayed a village woman whose daily life is filmed and broadcast as a reality show for a month, Amal Neerad's ''Bachelor Party'' in which she played Asif Ali's wife and young mother to their baby and ''Ustad Hotel'' directed by Anwar Rasheed where she paired up for the first time with Dulquer Salmaan.In 2013, she starred in three Telugu and one Kannada film. She first appeared in ''Okkadine'' with Nara Rohit and in ''Jabardasth'' with Siddharth and Samantha. Menen received praises for playing the titular role of a physically challenged girl in ''Mynaa''. The film was successful and completed 100 days in many centers across Karnataka. Her performance was well praised by the critics. She also sang the female version of "Modele Maleyante" which was well received. Menen won rave reviews and her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu for playing a character with two shades in ''Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde'' opposite Nithin. Menen won rave reviews and her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu for playing a character with two shades in ''Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde'' opposite Nithin. It was a huge box office success. ''Times of India'' noted, "Nithya Menen takes the honors as far as acting goes. She has the author backed role and overshadows everyone else." ''123telugu'' termed her "the undisputed star of the film" and added that she "shines through brilliantly and her performance is a treat to watch". In 2014, she played the lead in ''Malini 22 Palayamkottai''. Menen then played a cameo in the successful film ''Bangalore Days'' alongside Fahadh Faasil. ''Sify'' wrote, "Nithya Menen has a limited role to play, but she suit her role perfectly."Menen starred in numerous films which gave her more critical and commercial recognition. In her first film of the year, she appeared opposite Sharwanand for, ''Malli Malli Idi Rani Roju''. She played a young Muslim student in love with a Hindu. She won the Filmfare Best Actress Critics – Telugu and Nandi Special Jury Award, for her performance. With this Menen became the first Telugu actress ever to win Critics Award & the Best Actress Award at Filmfare. ''News18'' noted, "Nithya changed looks and body language in each stage is impressive. She starts as a girl and ends as a woman. Her performance is worth commending." She then appeared in ''JK Enum Nanbanin Vaazhkai'' and ''S/O Satyamurthy'' directed by Trivikram Srinivas. Menen then played opposite Dulquer Salmaan in ''100 Days of Love''. ''The New Indian Express'' said she gave a "decent performance". All the three films were box office success. Menen achieved further acclaim with three more films in 2015. She played a crippled girl alongside Raghava Lawrence in his directorial ''Kanchana 2'', a successful film. The critics termed her performance "crucial" and "effective". Menen achieved further acclaim with three more films in 2015. She played a crippled girl alongside Raghava Lawrence in his directorial ''Kanchana 2'', a successful film. The critics termed her performance "crucial" and "effective". Menen received immense praises for the a romantic film ''O Kadhal Kanmani'', directed by Mani Ratnam. She played an architectural student Tara, opposite Dulquer Salmaan. Dulquer and Menen's on-screen chemistry was praised and she garnered her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil nomination. The film became a financial success at the box office. ''Firstpost'' noted, " Menen is an exceptional actor and has delivered a very realistic performance." It further praised her chemistry with Salmaan and added, "They're perfect as the couple and the credit goes to the director for capturing the chemistry between them in simple ways." She played princess Muktamba in ''Rudhramadevi'' with Anushka Shetty, her final film of the year. ''The Hindu'' stated, "Nithya Menen shows that she can leave an imprint on any character she plays. She is an endearing addition to this film."By 2016, Menen established herself as a leading actress. She starred in three Tamil films in 2016. Beginning the year was ''24'' where she was paired opposite Suriya for the first time. The film was opened to high critical acclaim, ''Deccan Chronicle'' wrote, "Nithya Menen shines in her role." Her screen presence and garnered her a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Tamil nomination. She played the main heroine in K. S. Ravikumar's bilingual project titled ''Kotigobba 2'' opposite Sudeep. Towards the end of the year, she starred alongside Vikram in science-fiction thriller ''Iru Mugan'' and received praises for her limited role. In Telugu, she starred in two films, ''Okka Ammayi Thappa'' opposite Sundeep Kishan and ''Janatha Garage'' opposite Jr. NTR. All of her films proved commercial success.Her only release in 2017 was the Tamil film ''Mersal'' opposite Vijay, where she was praised for her role as a tough yet supportive wife, ''Firstpost'' noted, "Among the three actresses, it is Nithya Menen who makes an impression with her competent performance." The film garnered her a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Tamil at 65th Filmfare Awards South and was a huge box office success. She had two Telugu films in 2018. Menen played a lesbian psychiatrist in ''Awe'', that received highly positive reviews. She became the first mainstream South Indian actress to play an LGBTQ character. ''The Hindu'' stated that Menen "shine through", giving her all to character that "don't come by often". She next had a cameo in ''Geetha Govindam''.Menon played actress Savitri in her first film of 2019, ''NTR: Kathanayakudu''. She reunited with V. K. Prakash in the experimental film ''Praana'' which also marks her comeback to Malayalam industry after 2015. She played an English writer who battles intolerance in society and is the sole actor in the film. ''The News Minute'' praised the actor and said, "Nithya displays the right emotions as Thara. Remember it's just her, and one person makes so much of an impact. Nithya carries it off all so effortlessly." Menen made her Hindi film debut with the highly successful film ''Mission Mangal'', playing a satellite engineer. ''Bollywood Hungama'' noted that Menen has a smaller role but "it serves as a great debut". ''NDTV'' said that as the staid and steady Varsha Pillai, Nithya Menen is "delightfully good". In 2020, Menon starred alongside Udhayanidhi Stalin in Mysskin's ''Psycho'', where she played Kamala Das, a foul-mouthed quadriplegic ex-police officer. In 2020, Menon starred alongside Udhayanidhi Stalin in Mysskin's ''Psycho'', where she played Kamala Das, a foul-mouthed quadriplegic ex-police officer. The same year, she made her OTT debut in the Amazon Prime series ''Breathe: Into the Shadows'' alongside Abhishek Bachchan and Amit Sadh, for which she received her first nomination for 'Best Actor, Series (Female): Drama' at the Filmfare OTT Awards.Menen starred in three Telugu films in 2021. She played a spirit named Maya in ''Ninnila Ninnila'' with Ashok Selvan and Ritu Varma. ''Firstpost'' wrote, "The big surprise in the film is Nithya whose impishness in the story is unlike anything else that she has portrayed over the years, and her on-screen chemistry with Selvan is a delight." Her next film ''Skylab'', marked her first film as a producer. She played a singer in her year's final film ''Gamanam''.Menen had four film and two web releases in 2022. She starred in ''Bheemla Nayak'' opposite Pawan Kalyan and Rana Daggubati, the film was a box office success. ''Cinema Express'' said, "Nithya Menen's Suguna, surprisingly gets a few memorable moments, and she brings a certain level of warmness to Bheemla whenever she is on screen." She appeared in the series ''Modern Love Hyderabad'', where ''NDTV'' termed her performance "luminous". Next she played an unknown lady in ''19(1)(a)'' with Vijay Sethupathi. After this she reprised her role in the second season of ''Breathe: Into the Shadows''.Menen received rave reviews for the romantic drama ''Thiruchitrambalam'' opposite Dhanush as his childhood best friend. It became a critical and commercial success. While ''Hindustan Times'' noted, "Nithya Menen has always shied away from playing the quintessential heroine. She's phenomenal in the film, playing a key character that she nails to perfection." ''India Today'' wrote, "If you give Nithya Menen a meaty character, everyone else can sit back and admire her living the role with full of zest." Menon played a pregnant women in her final film of the year, ''Wonder Women''. Menen appeared in ''Kolaambi'', her first film of 2023, which she termed among her "all time favourite". Menen appeared in ''Kolaambi'', her first film of 2023, which she termed among her "all time favourite". She will next appear in the series ''Master Peace'' and ''Kumari Srimathi''. She will next appear in the series ''Master Peace'' and ''Kumari Srimathi''.

Child artiste, film debut in Kannada and Malayalam (1998; 2001-02; 2006–2010)

In 1998, Menen started her acting career as a child artiste in ''Hanuman'' (1998). She also was a part of the Hindi-language soap opera ''Choti Maa - Ek Anokha Bandhan''. She played a supporting role in the Kannada film ''7 O' Clock''. The 2008 off-beat film ''Aakasha Gopuram'', directed by K. P. Kumaran, marked her Malayalam debut in a leading role, in which she was paired with Mohanlal. She was in the midst of her 12th class exams when she was offered the role, after Mohanlal had spotted her on the front cover of a tourism magazine, Stark World Kerala. Her performance was well received, with critics writing that she shows "sparkle in her debut venture" and "makes her entry in an impressive role", though the film was a financial failure. She next made a comeback into Kannada films with the film ''Josh'' in 2009. The film received rave reviews, She next made a comeback into Kannada films with the film ''Josh'' in 2009. The film received rave reviews, and became a commercial success as well, with her performance garnering her a nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category at the 57th Filmfare Awards South. The same year she appeared in ''Vellathooval'', ''Angel John'' and ''Kerala Cafe''. She received positive reviews for the lattermost. In 2010, she starred in the Malayalam films, ''Anwar'' and Apoorvaragam where she plays Nancy, a young girl who gets involved with two male students (Nishan and Asif Ali) who are later discovered to be con-artists. The film received mixed to negative reviews, but became a hit at the box office.

1998-2001: Debut as child actress

As a child, Nithya had acted in an Indian English film named The Monkey Who Knew Too Much, at the age of 8, playing younger sister to Tabu's character. She also played the childhood stepdaughter role in the Hindi serial, Chhoti Maa...Ek Anokha Bandhan, a remake of the Tamil serial Chitti.

Child artiste, film debut in Kannada(supporting role) and Malayalam(leading role) (1998, 2001-02; 2006; 2008–2010)

In 1998, Menen started her acting career as a child artiste in ''Hanuman'' (1998). She also was a part of the Hindi-language soap opera ''Choti Maa - Ek Anokha Bandhan''. She played a supporting role in the Kannada film ''7 O' Clock''. The 2008 off-beat film ''Aakasha Gopuram'', directed by K. P. Kumaran, marked her Malayalam debut in a leading role, in which she was paired with Mohanlal. She was in the midst of her 12th class exams when she was offered the role, after Mohanlal had spotted her on the front cover of a tourism magazine, Stark World Kerala. Her performance was well received, with critics writing that she shows "sparkle in her debut venture" and "makes her entry in an impressive role", though the film was a financial failure. She next made a comeback into Kannada films with the film ''Josh'' in 2009. The film received rave reviews, She next made a comeback into Kannada films with the film ''Josh'' in 2009. The film received rave reviews, and became a commercial success as well, with her performance garnering her a nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category at the 57th Filmfare Awards South. The same year she appeared in ''Vellathooval'', ''Angel John'' and ''Kerala Cafe''. She received positive reviews for the lattermost. In 2010, she starred in the Malayalam films, ''Anwar'' and Apoorvaragam where she plays Nancy, a young girl who gets involved with two male students (Nishan and Asif Ali) who are later discovered to be con-artists. The film received mixed to negative reviews, but became a hit at the box office.

Child artist (1998, 2001–2002, 2006)

In 1998, Menen appeared first on-screen as a child in ''Hanuman'' (1998). She also was a part of the Hindi-language soap opera ''Choti Maa – Ek Anokha Bandhan''. She played a supporting role in the Kannada film ''7 O' Clock'' (2006).

1998–2002: Debut as child actress

As a child, Nithya had acted in a French-Indian English film named ''Hanuman'', at the age of 10, playing younger sister to Tabu's character.

Child artiste and film debut (1998–2010)

In 1998, Menen started her acting career as a child artiste in ''Hanuman'' (1998). She also was a part of the Hindi-language soap opera ''Choti Maa - Ek Anokha Bandhan''. She played a supporting role in the Kannada film ''7 O' Clock'' (2006). The 2008 off-beat film ''Aakasha Gopuram'', directed by K. P. Kumaran, marked her Malayalam debut in a leading role, in which she was paired with Mohanlal. She was in the midst of her 12th class exams when she was offered the role, after Mohanlal had spotted her on the front cover of a tourism magazine, Stark World Kerala. Her performance was well received, with critics writing that she shows "sparkle in her debut venture" and "makes her entry in an impressive role", though the film was a financial failure. She next made a comeback into Kannada films with the film ''Josh'' in 2009. The film received rave reviews, She next made a comeback into Kannada films with the film ''Josh'' in 2009. The film received rave reviews, and became a commercial success as well, with her performance garnering her a nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category at the 57th Filmfare Awards South. The same year she appeared in ''Vellathooval'', ''Angel John'' and ''Kerala Cafe''. She received positive reviews for the lattermost. In 2010, she starred in the Malayalam films, ''Anwar'' and Apoorvaragam where she plays Nancy, a young girl who gets involved with two male students (Nishan and Asif Ali) who are later discovered to be con-artists. The film received mixed to negative reviews, but became a hit at the box office.

Film debut in Kannada and Malayalam (2006-2010)

In 2006, Menen started her acting career in a supporting role with the Kannada film ''7 O' Clock''. The 2008 off-beat film ''Aakasha Gopuram'', directed by K. P. Kumaran, marked her Malayalam debut in which she was paired with Mohanlal. She was in the midst of her 12th class exams when she was offered the role, after Mohanlal had spotted her on the front cover of a tourism magazine, Stark World Kerala. Her performance was well received, with critics writing that she shows "sparkle in her debut venture" and "makes her entry in an impressive role", though the film was a financial failure. She next made a comeback into Kannada films with the super hit film ''Josh'' in 2009. She played a supporting role in the film, which received rave reviews, She next made a comeback into Kannada films with the super hit film ''Josh'' in 2009. She played a supporting role in the film, which received rave reviews, and became a commercial success as well, with her performance garnering her a nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category at the 57th Filmfare Awards South. The same year she appeared in ''Vellathooval'', ''Angel John'' and ''Kerala Cafe''. She received positive reviews for the lattermost. In 2010, she starred in the Malayalam films, ''Anwar'' and Apoorvaragam where she plays Nancy, a young girl who gets involved with two male students (Nishan and Asif Ali) who are later discovered to be con-artists. The film received mixed to negative reviews, but became a hit at the box office.

Career debut (2008–2010)

The 2008 off-beat film ''Aakasha Gopuram'', directed by K. P. Kumaran, marked her film career in Malayalam in a leading role, in which she was paired with Mohanlal. She was in the midst of her 12th class exams when she was offered the role, after Mohanlal had spotted her on the front cover of a tourism magazine, Stark World Kerala. Her performance was well received, with critics writing that she shows "sparkle in her debut venture" and "makes her entry in an impressive role", though the film was a financial failure. She next made a comeback into Kannada films with the film ''Josh'' in 2009. The film received rave reviews, She next made a comeback into Kannada films with the film ''Josh'' in 2009. The film received rave reviews, and became a commercial success as well, with her performance garnering her a nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category at the 57th Filmfare Awards South. The same year she appeared in ''Vellathooval'', ''Angel John'' and ''Kerala Cafe''. She received positive reviews for the lattermost. In 2010, she starred in the Malayalam films, ''Anwar'' and Apoorvaragam where she plays Nancy, a young girl who gets involved with two male students (Nishan and Asif Ali) who are later discovered to be con-artists. The film received mixed to negative reviews, but became a hit at the box office.

2006–2010: Debut in Kannada and Malayalam

In 2006, Menen started her acting career in a supporting role with the Kannada film ''7 O' Clock'' directed by cinematographer Santosh Rai Pataje. The 2008 off-beat film ''Aakasha Gopuram'', directed by National Film Award-winning director K. P. Kumaran, marked her Malayalam debut in a leading role in which she was paired with Mohanlal. She was in the midst of her 12th class exams when she was offered the role, after Mohanlal had spotted her on the front cover of a tourism magazine, Stark World Kerala. Her performance was well received, with critics writing that she shows "sparkle in her debut venture" and "makes her entry in an impressive role", though the film, based on the Norwegian play ''The Master Builder'', got mixed reviews and was a financial failure. She next made a comeback into Kannada films with the super hit film ''Josh''. She played a supporting role in the film, which received rave reviews, and became a commercial success as well, with her performance garnering her a nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category at the 57th Filmfare Awards South. In 2010, she starred in the Malayalam film, Apoorvaragam where she plays Nancy, a young girl who gets involved with two male students (Nishan and Asif Ali) who are later discovered to be con-artists. The film received mixed to negative reviews, but became a hit at the box office.

Telugu debut and breakthrough (2011-2012)

Menen's career marked a turning point in 2011, with the romantic comedy ''Ala Modalaindi'', which was her maiden Telugu venture. The film opened to favourable reviews by critics and turned out to become a sleeper hit, while Menen received critical praise for her performance. ''Idlebrain''s Jeevi in his review cited that she "epitomized Nitya character with her fabulous performance", "looks beautiful in all kinds of dresses" and was "the best debut in recent years of Telugu cinema after Samantha in ''YMC''", while another critic wrote that she was a "charming find" and "...quite the Genelia replacement that our cinema so badly needs right now." She eventually won the Nandi Award for Best Actress for her performance and received a nomination for Filmfare Award for Best Actress. Further more, she also sang two songs for the soundtrack album of the film, tuned by Kalyani Malik. Nandini Reddy, later, went on to describe Menen as "the discovery of the decade". Following ''Ala Modalaindi'', she starred in Santosh Sivan's historical fiction ''Urumi'' as part of an ensemble cast. Following ''Ala Modalaindi'', she starred in Santosh Sivan's historical fiction ''Urumi'' as part of an ensemble cast. She portrayed a Chirakkal princess named Bala, playing the love interest of Prabhu Deva's character, which gained positive remarks, with a Sify review claiming that she "looks pretty and is a scene stealer". Menen quoted that much of her character was based on "Santosh's perception of who I am", with Sivan stating that he had written that role for her and that only she could play it. She received a nomination for Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 59th Filmfare Awards South She next appeared in ad-filmmaker Jayendra's bilingual venture ''Nootrenbadhu'', which was made and released in Tamil and Telugu (as ''180''), in which she played a photo journalist named Vidya. She described the character as "bubbly, full of life, nosey, wide-eyed and innocent in life" and to be similar to herself. Later the year, she was seen in Sibi Malayil's ''Violin'' in Malayalam and the Gautham Vasudev Menon-produced ''Veppam'' in Tamil. She also featured in V. K. Prakash's Kannada anthology film Aidondla Aidu where she played a young bride who is obsessed with making payasam for her new husband much to his chagrin. She had sung and also choreographed one of the songs, titled "Payasa". Amal Neerad's ''Bachelor Party'' in which she played Asif Ali's wife and young mother to their baby and ''Ustad Hotel'' directed by Anwar Rasheed where she paired up for the first time with Dulquer Salmaan.

Telugu debut and breakthrough (2011–2012)

The film opened to favourable reviews by critics and turned out to become a sleeper hit, while Menen received critical praise for her performance. ''Idlebrain''s Jeevi in his review cited that she "epitomized Nitya character with her fabulous performance", "looks beautiful in all kinds of dresses" and was "the best debut in recent years of Telugu cinema after Samantha in ''YMC''", while another critic wrote that she was a "charming find" and "...quite the Genelia replacement that our cinema so badly needs right now." She eventually won the Nandi Award for Best Actress for her performance and received a nomination for Filmfare Award for Best Actress. Further more, she also sang two songs for the soundtrack album of the film, tuned by Kalyani Malik. Nandini Reddy, later, went on to describe Menen as "the discovery of the decade". Following ''Ala Modalaindi'', she starred in Santosh Sivan's historical fiction ''Urumi'' as part of an ensemble cast. Following ''Ala Modalaindi'', she starred in Santosh Sivan's historical fiction ''Urumi'' as part of an ensemble cast. She portrayed a Chirakkal princess named Bala, playing the love interest of Prabhu Deva's character, which gained positive remarks, with a Sify review claiming that she "looks pretty and is a scene stealer". Menen quoted that much of her character was based on "Santosh's perception of who I am", with Sivan stating that he had written that role for her and that only she could play it. She received a nomination for Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 59th Filmfare Awards South She next appeared in ad-filmmaker Jayendra's bilingual venture ''Nootrenbadhu'', which was made and released in Tamil and Telugu (as ''180''), in which she played a photo journalist named Vidya. She described the character as "bubbly, full of life, nosey, wide-eyed and innocent in life" and to be similar to herself. Later the year, she was seen in Sibi Malayil's ''Violin'' in Malayalam and the Gautham Vasudev Menon-produced ''Veppam'' in Tamil. She also featured in V. K. Prakash's Kannada anthology film Aidondla Aidu where she played a young bride who is obsessed with making payasam for her new husband much to his chagrin. She had sung and also choreographed one of the songs, titled "Payasa".Menen's first 2012 release was the Telugu romance film ''Ishq'' with Nitin Reddy. She received the CineMAA Award for Best Actress (jury) while receiving best actress nomination at the same event and at the SIIMA Awards. She was later seen in five Malayalam films: ''Karmayogi'', V. K. Prakash's Malayalam adaptation of Shakespeare's ''Hamlet'' co-starring Indrajith Sukumaran, ''Poppins'', the Malayalam remake of ''Aidondla Aidu'' in which she reprised her role from the original and sang the Malayalam version of "Payasa", T. K. Rajeev Kumar's ''Thalsamayam Oru Penkutty'', in which she portrayed a village woman whose daily life is filmed and broadcast as a reality show for a month, Amal Neerad's ''Bachelor Party'' in which she played Asif Ali's wife and young mother to their baby and ''Ustad Hotel'' directed by Anwar Rasheed where she paired up for the first time with Dulquer Salmaan.

2011–2012: Telugu debut and breakthrough

In 2011, her first release was Nandini Reddy's romantic comedy ''Ala Modalaindi'', which was Menen's maiden Telugu venture as well. The film opened to favourable reviews by critics and turned out to become a sleeper hit, while Menen received critical praise for her performance. ''Idlebrain''s Jeevi in his review cited that she "epitomized Nitya character with her fabulous performance", "looks beautiful in all kinds of dresses" and was "the best debut in recent years of Telugu cinema after Samantha in ''YMC''", while another critic wrote that she was a "charming find" and "...quite the Genelia replacement that our cinema so badly needs right now." She eventually won the Nandi Award for Best Actress for her performance and received a nomination for Filmfare Award for Best Actress at the 59th Filmfare Awards South. Further more, she also sang two songs for the soundtrack album of the film, tuned by Kalyani Malik. Nandini Reddy, later, went on to describe Menen as "the discovery of the decade". Following ''Ala Modalaindi'', she starred in Santosh Sivan's historical fiction ''Urumi'' as part of an ensemble cast. She portrayed a Chirakkal princess named Bala, playing the love interest of Prabhu Deva's character, which gained positive remarks, with a Sify review claiming that she "looks pretty and is a scene stealer". Menen quoted that much of her character was based on "Santosh's perception of who I am", with Sivan stating that he had written that role for her and that only she could play it. She received a nomination for Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 59th Filmfare Awards South She next appeared in ad-filmmaker Jayendra's bilingual venture ''Nootrenbadhu'', which was made and released in Tamil and Telugu (as ''180''), in which she played a photo journalist named Vidya. She described the character as "bubbly, full of life, nosey, wide-eyed and innocent in life" and to be similar to herself. Later the year, she was seen in Sibi Malayil's ''Violin'' in Malayalam and the Gautham Vasudev Menon-produced ''Veppam'' in Tamil. She also featured in V. K. Prakash's Kannada anthology film Aidondla Aidu where she played a young bride who is obsessed with making payasam for her new husband much to his chagrin. She had sung and also choreographed one of the songs, titled "Payasa". Amal Neerad's ''Bachelor Party'' in which she played Asif Ali's wife and young mother to their baby and ''Ustad Hotel'' directed by Anwar Rasheed where she paired up for the first time with Dulquer Salmaan.

2011-2012: Telugu debut and breakthrough

In 2011, her first release was Nandini Reddy's romantic comedy Ala Modalaindi, which was Menen's maiden Telugu venture as well. The film opened to favourable reviews by critics and turned out to become a sleeper hit, while Menen received critical praise for her performance. Idlebrain's Jeevi in his review cited that she "epitomized Nitya character with her fabulous performance", "looks beautiful in all kinds of dresses" and was "the best debut in recent years of Telugu cinema after Samantha in YMC", while another critic wrote that she was a "charming find" and "...quite the Genelia replacement that our cinema so badly needs right now." She eventually won the Nandi Award for Best Actress for her performance and received a nomination for Filmfare Award for Best Actress at the 59th Filmfare Awards South. Further more, she also sang two songs for the soundtrack album of the film, tuned by Kalyani Malik. Nandini Reddy, later, went on to describe Menen as "the discovery of the decade". Following Ala Modalaindi, she starred in Santosh Sivan's historical fiction Urumi as part of an ensemble cast. She portrayed a Chirakkal princess named Bala, playing the love interest of Prabhu Deva's character, which gained positive remarks, with a Sify review claiming that she "looks pretty and is a scene stealer". Menen quoted that much of her character was based on "Santosh's perception of who I am", with Sivan stating that he had written that role for her and that only she could play it. She received a nomination for Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 59th Filmfare Awards South She next appeared in ad-filmmaker Jayendra's bilingual venture Nootrenbadhu, which was made and released in Tamil and Telugu(as 180), in which she played a photo journalist named Vidya. She described the character as "bubbly, full of life, nosey, wide-eyed and innocent in life" and to be similar to herself. Later the year, she was seen in Sibi Malayil's Violin in Malayalam and the Gautham Menon-produced Veppam in Tamil. She also featured in V. K. Prakash's Kannada anthology film Aidondla Aidu where she played a young bride who is obsessed with making payasam for her new husband much to his chagrin. She had sung and also choreographed one of the songs, titled "Payasa".Menen's first 2012 release was the Telugu romance film Ishq with Nitin Reddy. She received the CineMAA Award for Best Actress (jury) while receiving best actress nomination at the same event and at the SIIMA Awards. She was later seen in 5 Malayalam films: Karmayogi, V. K. Prakash's Malayalam adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet co-starring Indrajith Sukumaran, Poppins, the Malayalam remake of Aidondla Aidu in which she reprised her role from the original and sang the Malayalam version of "Payasa", T. K. Rajeev Kumar's Thalsamayam Oru Penkutty, in which she portrayed a village woman whose daily life is filmed and broadcast as a reality show for a month, Amal Neerad's Bachelor Party in which she played Asif Ali's wife and young mother to their baby and Ustad Hotel directed by Anwar Rasheed where she paired up for the first time with Dulquer Salmaan.

Further work and continuous success (2013-2015)

In 2013, she starred in three Telugu and one Kannada film. She first appeared in ''Okkadine'' with Nara Rohit and in ''Jabardasth'' with Siddharth and Samantha. Menen received praises for playing the titular role of a physically challenged girl in ''Mynaa''. The film was successful and completed 100 days in many centers across Karnataka. Her performance was well praised by the critics. She also sang the female version of "Modele Maleyante" which was well received. Menen won rave reviews and her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu for playing a character with two shades in ''Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde'' opposite Nithin. Menen won rave reviews and her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu for playing a character with two shades in ''Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde'' opposite Nithin. It was a huge box office success. ''Times of India'' noted, "Nithya Menen takes the honors as far as acting goes. She has the author backed role and overshadows everyone else." ''123telugu'' termed her "the undisputed star of the film" and added that she "shines through brilliantly and her performance is a treat to watch". In 2014, she played the lead in ''Malini 22 Palayamkottai''. Menen then played a cameo in the successful film ''Bangalore Days'' alongside Fahadh Faasil. ''Sify'' wrote, "Nithya Menen has a limited role to play, but she suit her role perfectly."Menen starred in numerous films which gave her more critical and commercial recognition. In her first film of the year, she appeared opposite Sharwanand for, ''Malli Malli Idi Rani Roju''. She played a young Muslim student in love with a Hindu. She won the Filmfare Best Actress Critics - Telugu and Nandi Special Jury Award, for her performance. With this Menen became the first Telugu actress ever to win Critics Award & the Best Actress Award at Filmfare. ''News18'' noted, "Nithya changed looks and body language in each stage is impressive. She starts as a girl and ends as a woman. Her performance is worth commending." She then appeared in ''JK Enum Nanbanin Vaazhkai'' and ''S/O Satyamurthy'' directed by Trivikram Srinivas. Menen then played opposite Dulqeer Salmaan in ''100 Days of Love''. ''The New Indian Express'' said she gave a "decent performance". All the three films were box office success. Menen achieved further acclaim with three more films in 2015. She played a crippled girl alongside Raghava Lawrence in his directorial ''Kanchana 2'', a successful film. The critics termed her performance "crucial" and "effective". Menen achieved further acclaim with three more films in 2015. She played a crippled girl alongside Raghava Lawrence in his directorial ''Kanchana 2'', a successful film. The critics termed her performance "crucial" and "effective". Menen received immense praises for the a romantic film ''O Kadhal Kanmani'', directed by Mani Ratnam. She played an architectural student Tara, opposite Dulquer Salmaan. Dulquer and Menen's on-screen chemistry was praised and she garnered her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil nomination. The film became a financial success at the box office. ''Firstpost'' noted, " Menen is an exceptional actor and has delivered a very realistic performance." It further praised her chemistry with Salmaan and added, "They're perfect as the couple and the credit goes to the director for capturing the chemistry between them in simple ways." She played princess Muktamba in ''Rudhramadevi'' with Anushka Shetty, her final film of the year. ''The Hindu'' stated, "Nithya Menen shows that she can leave an imprint on any character she plays. She is an endearing addition to this film."

Further work and continuous success (2013–2015)

In 2013, she starred in three Telugu and one Kannada film. She first appeared in ''Okkadine'' with Nara Rohit and in ''Jabardasth'' with Siddharth and Samantha. Menen received praises for playing the titular role of a physically challenged girl in ''Mynaa''. The film was successful and completed 100 days in many centers across Karnataka. Her performance was well praised by the critics. She also sang the female version of "Modele Maleyante" which was well received. Menen won rave reviews and her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu for playing a character with two shades in ''Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde'' opposite Nithin. Menen won rave reviews and her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu for playing a character with two shades in ''Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde'' opposite Nithin. It was a huge box office success. ''Times of India'' noted, "Nithya Menen takes the honors as far as acting goes. She has the author backed role and overshadows everyone else." ''123telugu'' termed her "the undisputed star of the film" and added that she "shines through brilliantly and her performance is a treat to watch". In 2014, she played the lead in ''Malini 22 Palayamkottai''. Menen then played a cameo in the successful film ''Bangalore Days'' alongside Fahadh Faasil. ''Sify'' wrote, "Nithya Menen has a limited role to play, but she suit her role perfectly."Menen starred in numerous films which gave her more critical and commercial recognition. In her first film of the year, she appeared opposite Sharwanand for, ''Malli Malli Idi Rani Roju''. She played a young Muslim student in love with a Hindu. She won the Filmfare Best Actress Critics – Telugu and Nandi Special Jury Award, for her performance. With this Menen became the first Telugu actress ever to win Critics Award & the Best Actress Award at Filmfare. ''News18'' noted, "Nithya changed looks and body language in each stage is impressive. She starts as a girl and ends as a woman. Her performance is worth commending." She then appeared in ''JK Enum Nanbanin Vaazhkai'' and ''S/O Satyamurthy'' directed by Trivikram Srinivas. Menen then played opposite Dulquer Salmaan in ''100 Days of Love''. ''The New Indian Express'' said she gave a "decent performance". All the three films were box office success. Menen achieved further acclaim with three more films in 2015. She played a crippled girl alongside Raghava Lawrence in his directorial ''Kanchana 2'', a successful film. The critics termed her performance "crucial" and "effective". Menen achieved further acclaim with three more films in 2015. She played a crippled girl alongside Raghava Lawrence in his directorial ''Kanchana 2'', a successful film. The critics termed her performance "crucial" and "effective". Menen received immense praises for the a romantic film ''O Kadhal Kanmani'', directed by Mani Ratnam. She played an architectural student Tara, opposite Dulquer Salmaan. Dulquer and Menen's on-screen chemistry was praised and she garnered her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil nomination. The film became a financial success at the box office. ''Firstpost'' noted, " Menen is an exceptional actor and has delivered a very realistic performance." It further praised her chemistry with Salmaan and added, "They're perfect as the couple and the credit goes to the director for capturing the chemistry between them in simple ways." She played princess Muktamba in ''Rudhramadevi'' with Anushka Shetty, her final film of the year. ''The Hindu'' stated, "Nithya Menen shows that she can leave an imprint on any character she plays. She is an endearing addition to this film."

2013–2015: Successes

In 2013, she starred in three Telugu films, ''Okkadine'', ''Jabardasth'' and ''Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde'' and one Kannada movie Mynaa. She played a character with two shades in ''Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde'' and she dubbed for herself as well as for the character of her co-star Isha Talwar. For this movie, she received her first Filmfare Award for Best Telugu Actress at the 61st Filmfare Awards South. Her Kannada film ''Mynaa'' which won the Filmfare Award for Best Film – Kannada in which she plays a character of a physically challenged girl, became very successful completing 100 days in many centers across Karnataka and her performance was well praised by the critics. She also sang the female version of "Modele Maleyante" which was well received. In 2014, she made a cameo in the Malayalam movie ''Bangalore Days'', which became the highest grosser of that year.In 2015, Menen starred in numerous films which gave her more critical and commercial recognition. In the beginning of the year, she paired up with Sharwanand for the Telugu movie, ''Malli Malli Idi Rani Roju'', a love story between a Muslim girl and a Hindu boy who are tragically separated by fate. Her performance as Nazeera, the young Muslim student in love who later becomes a successful businesswoman in Malaysia was well praised by the critics eventually receiving her Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress South, Nandi Special Jury Award and also receiving her second nomination at Filmfare. With this Menen became the first Telugu actress ever to win Critics Award & the Best Actress Award at Filmfare. She did minor roles in the films ''S/O Satyamurthy'' directed by Trivikram Srinivas, ''Kanchana 2'' directed by and starring Raghava Lawrence and ''Rudhramadevi'' where she shared scenes with Anushka Shetty. She appeared opposite ''Dulquer Salmaan'' in two films in 2015, ''100 Days of Love'', a romantic Malayalam film and ''OK Kanmani'', a Tamil film directed by Mani Ratnam which explored a live-in relationship between a male video game designer and a female architectural student. Dulquer and Menen's on-screen chemistry was praised in the reviews of both films. For OK Kanmani, she received near universal acclaim for her role as Tara and garnered her first Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Actress nomination.

2013–2015: Critical acclaim

In 2013, she starred in three Telugu films, Okkadine, Jabardasth and Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde and one Kannada movie Mynaa. She played a character with two shades in Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde and she dubbed for herself as well as for the character of her co-star Isha Talwar. For this movie, she received her first Filmfare Award for Best Telugu Actress at the 61st Filmfare Awards South. Her Kannada film Mynaa which won the Filmfare Award for Best Film – Kannada in which she plays a character of a physically challenged girl, became a huge blockbuster hit completing 100 days in many centers across Karnataka and her performance was well praised by the critics. She also sang the female version of "Modele Maleyante" which was well received. In 2014, she made a cameo in the Malayalam movie Bangalore Days, which became the highest grosser of that year.In 2015, Menen starred in numerous films which gave her more critical and commercial recognition. In the beginning of the year, she paired up with Sharwanand for the Telugu movie, Malli Malli Idi Rani Roju, a love story between a Muslim girl and a Hindu boy which is tragically separated by fate. Her performance as the young Muslim student in love who later becomes a successful businesswoman in Malaysia was well praised by the critics eventually receiving her Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress South, Nandi Special Jury Award and also receiving her second nomination at Filmfare. With this Menen became the first Telugu actress ever to win Critics Award & the Best Actress Award at Filmfare. She did minor roles in the films S/O Satyamurthy directed by Trivikram Srinivas, Kanchana 2 directed by and starring Raghava Lawrence and Rudhramadevi where she shared scenes with Anushka Shetty. She appeared opposite Dulquer Salmaan in two films in 2015, 100 Days of Love, a romantic Malayalam film and OK Kanmani, a Tamil film directed by Mani Ratnam which explored a live-in relationship between a male video game designer and a female architectural student. Dulquer and Menen's on-screen chemistry was praised in the reviews of both films. For OK Kanmani, she received near universal acclaim for her role as Tara and garnered her first Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Actress nomination.

Established actress and acclaim (2016-2021)

By 2016, Menen established herself as a leading actress. She starred in three Tamil films in 2016. Beginning the year was ''24'' where she was paired opposite Suriya for the first time. The film was opened to high critical acclaim, ''Deccan Chronicle'' wrote, "Nithya Menen shines in her role." Her screen presence and garnered her a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Tamil nomination. She played the main heroine in K. S. Ravikumar's bilingual project titled ''Kotigobba 2'' opposite Sudeep. Towards the end of the year, she starred alongside Vikram in science-fiction thriller ''Iru Mugan'' and received praises for her limited role. In Telugu, she starred in two films, ''Okka Ammayi Thappa'' opposite Sundeep Kishan and ''Janatha Garage'' opposite Jr. NTR. All of her films proved commercial success.Her only release in 2017 was the Tamil film ''Mersal'' opposite Vijay, where she was praised for her role as a tough yet supportive wife, ''Firstpost'' noted, "Among the three actresses, it is Nithya Menen who makes an impression with her competent performance." The film garnered her a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Tamil at 65th Filmfare Awards South and was a huge box office success. She had two Telugu films in 2018. Menen played a lesbian psychiatrist in ''Awe'', that received highly positive reviews. She became the first mainstream South Indian actress to play an LGBTQ character. ''The Hindu'' stated that Menen "shine through", giving her all to character that "don't come by often". She next had a cameo in ''Geetha Govindam''.Menon played actress Savitri in her first film of 2019, ''NTR: Kathanayakudu''. She reunited with V. K. Prakash in the experimental film ''Praana'' which also marks her comeback to Malayalam industry after 2015. She played an English writer who battles intolerance in society and is the sole actor in the film. ''The News Minute'' praised the actor and said, "Nithya displays the right emotions as Thara. Remember it's just her, and one person makes so much of an impact. Nithya carries it off all so effortlessly." Menen made her Hindi film debut with the highly successful film ''Mission Mangal'', playing a satellite engineer. ''Bollywood Hungama'' noted that Menen has a smaller role but "it serves as a great debut". ''NDTV'' said that as the staid and steady Varsha Pillai, Nithya Menen is "delightfully good". In 2020, Menon starred alongside Udhayanidhi Stalin in Mysskin's ''Psycho'', where she played Kamala Das, a foul-mouthed quadriplegic ex-police officer. In 2020, Menon starred alongside Udhayanidhi Stalin in Mysskin's ''Psycho'', where she played Kamala Das, a foul-mouthed quadriplegic ex-police officer. The same year, she made her OTT debut in the Amazon Prime series ''Breathe: Into the Shadows'' alongside Abhishek Bachchan, for which she received her first nomination for 'Best Actor, Series (Female): Drama' at the Filmfare OTT Awards. ''Firstpost'' wrote, "The big surprise in the film is Nithya whose impishness in the story is unlike anything else that she has portrayed over the years, and her on-screen chemistry with Selvan is a delight." Her next film ''Skylab'', marked her first film as a producer. She played a singer in her year's final film ''Gamanam''.

Established actress and acclaim (2016–2021)

By 2016, Menen established herself as a leading actress. She starred in three Tamil films in 2016. Beginning the year was ''24'' where she was paired opposite Suriya for the first time. The film was opened to high critical acclaim, ''Deccan Chronicle'' wrote, "Nithya Menen shines in her role." Her screen presence and garnered her a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Tamil nomination. She played the main heroine in K. S. Ravikumar's bilingual project titled ''Kotigobba 2'' opposite Sudeep. Towards the end of the year, she starred alongside Vikram in science-fiction thriller ''Iru Mugan'' and received praises for her limited role. In Telugu, she starred in two films, ''Okka Ammayi Thappa'' opposite Sundeep Kishan and ''Janatha Garage'' opposite Jr. NTR. All of her films proved commercial success.Her only release in 2017 was the Tamil film ''Mersal'' opposite Vijay, where she was praised for her role as a tough yet supportive wife, ''Firstpost'' noted, "Among the three actresses, it is Nithya Menen who makes an impression with her competent performance." The film garnered her a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Tamil at 65th Filmfare Awards South and was a huge box office success. She had two Telugu films in 2018. Menen played a lesbian psychiatrist in ''Awe'', that received highly positive reviews. She became the first mainstream South Indian actress to play an LGBTQ character. ''The Hindu'' stated that Menen "shine through", giving her all to character that "don't come by often". She next had a cameo in ''Geetha Govindam''.Menon played actress Savitri in her first film of 2019, ''NTR: Kathanayakudu''. She reunited with V. K. Prakash in the experimental film ''Praana'' which also marks her comeback to Malayalam industry after 2015. She played an English writer who battles intolerance in society and is the sole actor in the film. ''The News Minute'' praised the actor and said, "Nithya displays the right emotions as Thara. Remember it's just her, and one person makes so much of an impact. Nithya carries it off all so effortlessly." Menen made her Hindi film debut with the highly successful film ''Mission Mangal'', playing a satellite engineer. ''Bollywood Hungama'' noted that Menen has a smaller role but "it serves as a great debut". ''NDTV'' said that as the staid and steady Varsha Pillai, Nithya Menen is "delightfully good". In 2020, Menon starred alongside Udhayanidhi Stalin in Mysskin's ''Psycho'', where she played Kamala Das, a foul-mouthed quadriplegic ex-police officer. In 2020, Menon starred alongside Udhayanidhi Stalin in Mysskin's ''Psycho'', where she played Kamala Das, a foul-mouthed quadriplegic ex-police officer. The same year, she made her OTT debut in the Amazon Prime series ''Breathe: Into the Shadows'' alongside Abhishek Bachchan and Amit Sadh, for which she received her first nomination for 'Best Actor, Series (Female): Drama' at the Filmfare OTT Awards.Menen starred in three Telugu films in 2021. She played a spirit named Maya in ''Ninnila Ninnila'' with Ashok Selvan and Ritu Varma. ''Firstpost'' wrote, "The big surprise in the film is Nithya whose impishness in the story is unlike anything else that she has portrayed over the years, and her on-screen chemistry with Selvan is a delight." Her next film ''Skylab'', marked her first film as a producer. She played a singer in her year's final film ''Gamanam''.

2016–present

In 2016, Menen starred in three Tamil films. Beginning the year was ''24'' where she was paired opposite Suriya for the first time. The film was opened to high critical acclaim, with critics praising her screen presence and garnered her a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Tamil nomination at 64th Filmfare Awards South. She played the main heroine in K. S. Ravikumar's bilingual project titled ''Kotigobba 2'' opposite Sudeep. Towards the end of the year, she starred alongside Vikram and Nayanthara in a science-fiction thriller ''Iru Mugan'' where she had a limited screen presence. In Telugu, she starred in two films, ''Okka Ammayi Thappa'' opposite Sundeep Kishan and ''Janatha Garage'' opposite Jr. NTR.In 2018, Menen's first release was Nani's Production venture, an anthology psychological thriller ''Awe'', where she became the first mainstream South Indian actress to play an LGBTQ character who is a psychologist. In the film, she and Eesha Rebba portray a lesbian couple who try to get the latter's parents to approve their relationship. The film opened to unanimous critical acclaim with her performance garnering much praise.She reunited with V. K. Prakash after ''Karmayogi'', ''Aidondla Aidu'' and its remake ''Poppins'' in the experimental film ''Praana'' which also marks her comeback to Malayalam industry after 2015's romantic flick ''100 Days of Love''. She plays an English writer named Tara Anuradha who battles intolerance in society and is the sole actor in the film.In 2019, she made her Hindi debut with ''Mission Mangal'' alongside Akshay Kumar and Vidya Balan.In 2020, she starred alongside Udhayanidhi Stalin and Aditi Rao Hydari in Mysskin's ''Psycho'', where she played Kamala Das, a bitter, foul-mouthed quadriplegic ex-police officer who helps nab a psychopathic serial killer. She also made her OTT debut in the Amazon Prime series ''Breathe: Into the Shadows'' alongside Abhishek Bachchan and Amit Sadh which received mixed to negative reviews, however she was praised for her role as a desperate mother. She received her first nomination for 'Best Actor, Series (Female): Drama' at the Filmfare OTT Awards.In 2021, Menen starred in ''Ninnila Ninnila'', written and directed by Ani Sasi, co-starring Ashok Selvan and Ritu Varma where she played Maya, a childlike, adventurous girl who dies in an accident, but whose spirit is still alive in the main protagonist's mind. She made her producer debut in ''Skylab'' where she played a rebellious and outspoken daughter of a zamindar in a village near Karimnagar who seeks to discover her identity as a writer.In 2022, Menen starred in Bheemla Nayak opposite Pawan Kalyan, where she was praised by critics for portraying the powerful role as Nayak wife and the movie grossed over 160 cr at box office. Later she shared screen with Revathi in ''Modern Love Hyderabad'' which explores the estranged relationship (due to an interfaith marriage) between a mother and daughter where Menen performance as Noori Hussain was highly praised. Later she appeared in romantic drama film ''Thiruchitrambalam'' opposite Dhanush as his childhood best friend Shobana where a review from The News Minute complimented her performance. Nithya got 2–3 offers to act with Dhanush before this film, including for ''Aadukalam'' but she could not do that because of other reasons. Dhanush also planned to direct a movie in 2018 which would have Nithya collaborating with him, but again that project did not materialize. While writing the script for Thiruchtrambalam Dhanush had Nithya in mind for the lead role. The film became a critical and commercial success at the box office and grossed over 100 cr.

Expansion and recent work (2022-present)

Menen had four film and two web releases in 2022. She starred in ''Bheemla Nayak'' opposite Pawan Kalyan, the film was a box office success. ''Cinema Express'' said, "Nithya Menen's Suguna, surprisingly gets a few memorable moments, and she brings a certain level of warmness to Bheemla whenever she is on screen." She appeared in the series ''Modern Love Hyderabad'', where ''NDTV'' termed her performance "luminous". Next she played an unknown lady in ''19(1)(a)'' with Vijay Sethupathi. After this she reprised her role in the third season of ''Breathe: Into the Shadows''.Menen received rave reviews for the romantic drama ''Thiruchitrambalam'' opposite Dhanush as his childhood best friend. It became a critical and commercial success. While ''Hindustan Times'' noted, "Nithya Menen has always shied away from playing the quintessential heroine. She's phenomenal in the film, playing a key character that she nails to perfection." ''India Today'' wrote, "If you give Nithya Menen a meaty character, everyone else can sit back and admire her living the role with full of zest." Menon played a pregnant women in her final film of the year, ''Wonder Women''. Menen appeared in ''Kolaambi'', her first film of 2023, which she termed among her "all time favourite". Menen appeared in ''Kolaambi'', her first film of 2023, which she termed among her "all time favourite". She will next appear in the series ''Master Peace'' and ''Kumari Srimathi''. She will next appear in the series ''Master Peace'' and ''Kumari Srimathi''.

Expansion and recent work (2022–present)

Menen had four film and two web releases in 2022. She starred in ''Bheemla Nayak'' opposite Pawan Kalyan and Rana Daggubati, the film was a box office success. ''Cinema Express'' said, "Nithya Menen's Suguna, surprisingly gets a few memorable moments, and she brings a certain level of warmness to Bheemla whenever she is on screen." She appeared in the series ''Modern Love Hyderabad'', where ''NDTV'' termed her performance "luminous". Next she played an unknown lady in ''19(1)(a)'' with Vijay Sethupathi. After this she reprised her role in the second season of ''Breathe: Into the Shadows''.Menen received rave reviews for the romantic drama ''Thiruchitrambalam'' opposite Dhanush as his childhood best friend. It became a critical and commercial success. While ''Hindustan Times'' noted, "Nithya Menen has always shied away from playing the quintessential heroine. She's phenomenal in the film, playing a key character that she nails to perfection." ''India Today'' wrote, "If you give Nithya Menen a meaty character, everyone else can sit back and admire her living the role with full of zest." Menon played a pregnant women in her final film of the year, ''Wonder Women''. Menen appeared in ''Kolaambi'', her first film of 2023, which she termed among her "all time favourite". Menen appeared in ''Kolaambi'', her first film of 2023, which she termed among her "all time favourite". She will next appear in the series ''Master Peace'' and ''Kumari Srimathi''. She will next appear in the series ''Master Peace'' and ''Kumari Srimathi''.

2016–2020

In 2016, she starred in three Tamil films, 24 opposite Suriya, for the first time. The film was opened to high critical acclaim, with critics praising her screen presence and garnered her a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Tamil nomination at 64th Filmfare Awards South, Another K. S. Ravikumar's bilingual project titled Kotigobba 2 opposite Sudeep. later she starred along with Vikram in a SciFi thriller Iru Mugan in which she had a limited screen presence. In Telugu she starred in two films, okka Ammayi Thappa opposite Sundeep Kishan & Janatha Garage opposite Jr. NTR.In 2017, Her only release was a Tamil film Mersal opposite Vijay, garnered her a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Tamil at 65th Filmfare Awards South .In 2018, her first release was Nani's Production venture an anthology psychological thriller Awe In which she played one of the couple alongside Eesha Rebba who try to get the approval of their lesbian relationship from latter's parents. Later the film was opened to unanimous critical acclaim with critics praising menen's performance as screen lighting with a brief and impactful role.
Her next release was VK Prakash's Praana which marks her comeback to Malayalam industry after 2015's romantic flick 100 days of love.In 2019, she made her Hindi debut with Mission Mangal alongside Akshay Kumar. In 2020, Menen starred in Ninnila Ninnila, written and directed by Ani Sasi, and co-starring Ashok Selvan, and Ritu Varma.