->Honeyintruder888 at 07:39, 26 December 2021

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{{Short description|Indian film actress and classical dancer}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Divyaa Unni
| image = Divya unni.jpg
| caption = Unni
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1981|09|02|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Cochin]], [[Kerala]], [[India]]
| occupation = Actress, Indian classical dance performer and teacher
| years_active = 1987-present
| spouse = {{unbulleted list|{{marriage|Sudhir Sekharan Menon|2002|2017|reason=divorced}}|{{marriage|Arun Kumar|2018}}}}
| relatives = {{Ubl
| [[Vidhya Unni]] (sister)
| [[Meera Nandan]] (cousin)
| [[Remya Nambeesan]] (cousin)
}}
}}
'''Divyaa Unni''' is an Indian film actress and classical dancer who teaches various forms of dance such as [[Bharathanatyam]], [[Kuchipudi]] and [[Mohiniyattom]].

==Early life==
Divyaa Unni was born to Ponnethmadhatil Unnikrishnan and Kizhkemadhatil Uma Devi at Kochi, Kerala, India. Her mother Uma Devi, is a [[Sanskrit]] teacher and is the Head of Sanskrit Department; at [[Bhavan's Vidya Mandir, Girinagar|Bhavans Vidya Mandir, Girinagar]] & was awarded the [[National Award for Teachers (India)]],<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.bhavans.info/news/show_other_news.asp?nid=774&kid=32|title=National award for Sanskrit teacher Ms. Umadevi K. Ms. Umadevi K. Sanskrit teacher bagged the national Award for Best Teacher 2013 instituted by MHRD, New Delhi. She was invited to attend the award ceremony at New Delhi on Teachers Day.|website=www.bhavans.info/news/show_other_news.asp?nid=774&kid=32|language=en-US|access-date=2017-04-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.curriculum-magazine.com/list-of-teachers-who-were-awarded-national-award-on-teachers-day-2014/|title=List of teachers who were awarded National Award on Teachers Day 2014 {{!}} Curriculum Magazine|website=www.curriculum-magazine.com|language=en-US|access-date=2017-05-27}}</ref> in the year 2013 by the President of India Shri [[Pranab Mukherjee]]. She has a sister, [[Vidhya Unni]], who has worked as a lead in couple of [[Malayalam]] movies. Divyaa completed her schooling in [[Bhavan's Vidya Mandir, Girinagar]].

She graduated with a bachelor's degree in Communicative English from [[St. Teresa's College]], [[Ernakulam]]. Divyaa is related (cousin) to Malayalam actress [[Meera Nandan]] and [[Remya Nambeesan]].

Post her wedding, she quit cinema and got settled in the US. Divya Unni tied the knot with Arun Kumar in 2018, an engineer from the USA. The couple was blessed with a baby girl on January 14, 2020. The actress has two kids in her first marriage as well.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.indiaglitz.com/divya-unni-shares-a-lovely-picture-with-her-baby-girl-malayalam-news-289546| title = Divya Unni shares a lovely picture with her baby girl - Malayalam News - IndiaGlitz.com}} </ref>

==Film career==

Divyaa has acted as a lead in over 50 films in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada.

As a child, Divyaa got her first break in the film ''[[Neeyethra Dhanya]]'' (1987) when she was a student in second grade. It was followed by ''[[Pookkalam Varavayi]]'' (1991) directed by [[Kamaluddin Mohammed|Kamal]] and ''[[O' Faby]]'' (1993). She also did a TV serial ''Iniyonnu Vishramikkatte'' directed by [[Vinayan]].

Divyaa's first feature film as a lead actress was ''[[Kalyana Sougandhikam (1996 film)|Kalyana Sowgandhikam]]'' (1996) with actors like [[Dileep (actor)|Dileep]] and [[Kalabhavan Mani]] in the lead roles - one she did when she was fourteen; studying in the tenth grade. Subsequently, she worked with the actors [[Mammootty]], [[Mohanlal]], [[Suresh Gopi]], [[Jayaram]] and [[Dileep]] and directors [[Bharathan]]; [[I V Sasi]]; [[Sibi Malayil]] and [[Lohithadas]].

==Dance career==

Divyaa started her [[Bharatanatyam]] dance training at the age of three,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.browngirlmagazine.com/2017/01/reinventing-the-panchakanya-women-through-bharatanatyam/|title=Reinventing the Panchakanya Women Through Bharatanatyam|date=2017-01-06|work=Brown Girl Magazine|access-date=2017-05-27|language=en-US}}</ref> thereafter she was trained in [[Kuchipudi]], and [[Mohiniyattam]]. Subsequently, Divyaa Unni was crowned, in 1990 and 1991, <nowiki>''Kalathilakom''</nowiki> in [[Kerala School Kalolsavam]] statewide competitions. On India's premier Television Channel [[Doordarshan]], she has presented a variety of Indian dance art-forms to such as [[Bharatanatyam]], [[Kuchipudi]], [[Mohiniyattam]], and [[Indian folk dance]]. She continues to perform at various Indian dance festivals<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/divyaa-unni-on-her-tryst-with-dance-and-long-break-from-cinema/article20010331.ece|title=Artistic endeavours|first=Athira|last=M|date=9 November 2017|publisher=|via=www.thehindu.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/mollywood/081117/a-lifelong-passion-for-dance.html|title=A lifelong passion for dance|date=9 November 2017|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.manoramaonline.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2017/11/11/divya-unni-back-on-stage-with-mesmerizing-dance-steps.html|title=Divya Unni back on stage with mesmerizing dance steps - Video|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/dance/delightful-performances-by-young-classical-dancers-at-sooryas-parampara-dance-festival/article20464680.ece|title=Review: Young dancers take the stage at Soorya's 'Parampara' festival|first=Hareesh N.|last=Nampoothiri|date=16 November 2017|publisher=|via=www.thehindu.com}}</ref> in India<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.narthaki.com/info/rev17/rev2139.html|title=Review - The flavors of a festival - Padma Jayaraj|website=www.narthaki.com}}</ref> and international stages throughout North America, Europe and Persian Gulf countries.

She has received many awards including the Aravindaksha Memorial Award – the ''Abhinaya Tilaka Puraskaram'' for the best state dance performance.

In the pursuit of promoting Indian culture in the West, Divyaa is developing the artistic talents of young children in the United States, where she currently resides. With this goal, she is currently the Director of ''Sreepadam School of Arts'' in [[Houston]], [[Texas]], United States.

==Filmography==

{| class="wikitable"
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Director !! Language !! Notes
|-
| 2019|| ''[[Aakasha Ganga 2]]'' || Maya / Daisy || [[Vinayan]] || Malayalam ||Photo archive
|-
| 2019|| ''Thanka Bhasma Kuriyitta Thamburatti'' || Herself || [[Vinayan]] || Malayalam ||Photo archive
|-
| 2013 || ''[[Musafir (2012 film)|Musafir]]'' ||Herself || [[Pramod Pappan]] ||Malayalam||Guest appearance
|-
| 2010 || ''Upadeshiyude Makan'' ||Irin || Joshy Mathew || Malayalam||
|-
| 2008 || ''[[Magic Lamp (film)|Magic Lamp]]'' || Viji|| [[K. K. Haridas]] || Malayalam||Delayed release
|-
| 2006 || ''Illalu Priyuralu''|| Divya|| Bhanu Shankar||[[Telugu language|Telugu]]||Delayed release
|-
| rowspan="6"|2001 || ''[[Vedham]]'' || Anitha Sanjay ||[[Arjun Sarja]]||Tamil||
|-
| ''[[Aandan Adimai]]'' || Gayathri ||[[Manivannan]]||Tamil||
|-
| ''Oru Apoorva Pranayakatha'' || Meenakshi ||Noufal||Malayalam||
|-
| ''[[Nakshathragal Parayathirunnathu]]'' ||Shivaranjini ||C.S. Sudheesh||Malayalam||
|-
|''Jameendar'' || ||Haridas||Malayalam||
|-
|''Baanallu Neene Bhuviyallu Neene''||Lalitha / Anita || [[S. Narayan]] || [[Kannada]] ||
|-
|rowspan="4"|2000
| ''[[Palayathu Amman]]'' || Savithri || [[Rama Narayanan]] ||Tamil||
|-
|| ''[[Sabhash]]''|| Shanthi ||[[K. Subash]]||Tamil||
|-
| ''[[Kannan Varuvaan]]'' || Parvathi||[[Sundar C.]] ||[[Tamil language|Tamil]]||
|-
| ''[[Mark Antony (film)|Mark Antony]]'' || Nimmi || [[T. S. Suresh Babu]] || Malayalam||
|-
|Rowspan=5|1999|| ''[[Niram]]'' ||Herself ||[[Kamal (director)|Kamal]] ||Malayalam||Guest appearance
|-
|''[[Aakasha Ganga]]'' || Maya / Daisy || [[Vinayan]] ||Malayalam||
|-
| ''[[Aayiram Meni]]'' || Mallika || [[I. V. Sasi]] || Malayalam||
|-
| ''[[Ustaad (1999 film)|Usthad]]'' ||Padmaja / Pappa|| [[Sibi Malayil]] || Malayalam||
|-
| ''[[Friends (1999 film)|Friends]]'' || Uma || [[Siddique (director)|Siddique]] || Malayalam||
|-
|Rowspan=5|1998 || ''[[Sooryaputhran]]''|| Maya ||[[Thulasidas]]||Malayalam||
|-
|''[[The Truth (1998 film)|The Truth]]'' || Nimmi|| [[Shaji Kailas]] ||Malayalam||
|-
| ''[[Ayushman Bhava (1998 film)|Ayushman Bhava]]'' || Sumangala|| Suresh Vinu || Malayalam||
|-
|''[[Oru Maravathoor Kanavu]]'' || Annie|| [[Lal Jose]] || Malayalam||
|-
| ''[[Pranayavarnangal]]'' ||Maya || [[Sibi Malayil]] ||Malayalam||
|-
|Rowspan=6|1997 || ''[[Varnapakittu]]'' || Nancy || [[I. V. Sasi]] || Malayalam||
|-
| ''Churam'' || Maya || [[Bharathan]] || Malayalam ||
|-
| ''[[Katha Nayagan (1997 film)|Katha Nayagan]]'' || Gopika || [[Rajasenan]] ||Malayalam||
|-
| ''[[Karunyam]]'' || Indu || [[A. K. Lohithadas|Lohithadas]] || Malayalam||
|-
| ''[[Nee Varuvolam]]'' ||Revathi || [[Sibi Malayil]] || Malayalam||
|-
| ''Shibiram'' ||Minikutty || [[T. S. Suresh Babu]] ||Malayalam||
|-
| 1996 || ''[[Kalyana Sougandhikam (1996 film)|Kalyana Sowgandhikam]]'' || Athira || [[Vinayan]] || Malayalam||Debut as Lead actress
|-
| 1993 || ''[[Sowbhagyam]]'' || Indhu's Sister || [[Sandhya Mohan]] || Malayalam||Rowspan=4|Child artist
|-
|1993 || ''[[O' Faby]]'' ||Child artist || [[Sreekumar Krishnan Nair]] ||Malayalam
|-
| 1991 || ''[[Pookkalam Varavayi]]'' || School girl ||[[Kamal (director)|Kamal]]||Malayalam
|-
| 1987 || ''[[Neeyethra Dhanya]]''||Young Shyamala||[[Jesey]] ||[[Malayalam]]
|}

==Television==
; Serials
* Iniyonnu Vishramikkate (DD Malayalam)
* Shankupushpam (Asianet)
; Telefilm
* Pranayam (Surya TV)
;TV shows as Host
* American Jalakam (Asianet)
* America Today (Kairali TV)
* Pravaham

==Dance video==
* Kaathidam Keralathe (2020)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Divyaa Unni}}
* {{IMDb name|id=0881285|name=Divya Unni}}
* {{Facebook|DivyaaUnniOfficial}}
* {{Instagram|divyaaunni}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Unni, Divya}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century American dancers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian actresses]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian dancers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian educators]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women artists]]
[[Category:20th-century women educators]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian actresses]]
[[Category:Actresses from Kochi]]
[[Category:Actresses in Kannada cinema]]
[[Category:Actresses in Malayalam cinema]]
[[Category:Actresses in Malayalam television]]
[[Category:Actresses in Tamil cinema]]
[[Category:Actresses in Telugu cinema]]
[[Category:Bharatanatyam exponents]]
[[Category:Child actresses in Malayalam cinema]]
[[Category:Dancers from Kerala]]
[[Category:Educators from Kerala]]
[[Category:Indian dance teachers]]
[[Category:Indian film actresses]]
[[Category:Indian television actresses]]
[[Category:Kuchipudi dancers]]
[[Category:Teachers of Indian classical dance]]
[[Category:Women artists from Kerala]]
[[Category:Women educators from Kerala]]
[[Category:St. Teresa's College alumni]]
[[Category:1981 births]]

Divyaa Unni - Revision history

->Honeyintruder888 at 07:39, 26 December 2021