Dushara Vijayan (born 14 October 1997)[1][2] is an Indian actress who is known for her works in Tamil cinema. She made her debut in the Tamil film Bodhai Yeri Budhi Maari (2019), and gained recognition for her performances in Sarpatta Parambarai (2021), Natchathiram Nagargiradhu (2022), Raayan (2024) and Vettaiyan (2024).[3][4] In January 2026, she received the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actress (Special Prize) for her 2022 performance in the film Natchathiram Nagargiradhu.[5]
Career
Born in Dindigul as the daughter of a local DMK Treasurer K. Vijayan,[6] Dushara initially pursued an engineering degree, before discontinuing and taking fashion studies. She made her acting debut in Bodhai Yeri Budhi Maari (2019), a film made by newcomers, before working on Anbulla Ghilli (2022), a film based on a dog.[7][8]
Dushara's breakthrough came through the sports drama Sarpatta Parambarai (2021), where she portrayed a feisty woman from 1970s Madras. She was selected for the film after director Pa. Ranjith had seen a photograph of her on Twitter and called her for a twenty-minute audition. Despite initially being unconvinced, Ranjith later chose to select her for the role. To prepare for the film, she learnt North Chennai dialect and picked up specific patterns of behaviour.[9] The film opened to positive reviews, with Dushara's performance winning acclaim.[10]
Dushara was later seen in Pa. Ranjith's romantic drama Natchathiram Nagargiradhu (2022) and Vasanthabalan's thriller Aneethi (2023) opposite Arjun Das.[11][12] In 2024, she appeared in Dhanush's action drama Raayan, and received critical acclaim for her performance.[13] Dushara Vijayan plays a teacher named Saranya with Rajinikanth in Vettaiyan (2024).[14] She plays the wife character with Vikram in Veera Dheera Sooran: Part 2 (2025).[15]
Filmography
Films
- All films are in Tamil, unless otherwise noted.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Sarkar | Office worker | Uncredited role |
| 2019 | Bodhai Yeri Budhi Maari | Janani | |
| 2021 | Sarpatta Parambarai | Maariyamma | |
| 2022 | Anbulla Ghilli | Anvitha | |
| Natchathiram Nagargiradhu | Rene (Thamizh) | [16] | |
| 2023 | Kazhuvethi Moorkkan | Kavitha | |
| Aneethi | Subbulakshmi | ||
| 2024 | Raayan | Durga | [17] |
| Vettaiyan | Saranya | ||
| 2025 | Veera Dheera Sooran | Kalaivaani | |
| 2026 | Template:Pending film | Template:TableTBA | Malayalam film[18] |
| Template:Pending film | Template:TableTBA | Filming[19] |
Web series
| Year | Title | Role | Language(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Postman | Anitha | Tamil | |
| 2026 | Template:Pending film | TBA | Post-production |
Music video
| Year | Song | Language(s) | Artist | Template:Tooltip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | "She's A Killer" | Tamil | Yuvan Shankar Raja | [20] |
Awards & nominations
References
- ↑ Instagram. instagram.com.
- ↑ Meet actor who wants to quit acting at 35, left engineering to pursue fashion design, and has worked with Dhanush, Mishra, Baisakhi. PINKVILLA(3 October 2024). Retrieved 2025-02-11.
- ↑ efhttps://www.reporterlive.com/amp/entertainment/entertainment-news/2024/10/19/reports-that-lyca-productions-have-asked-rajinikanth-to-compensate-for-the-loss-of-vettaiyan
- ↑ 2.0, ദര്ബാര്, ലാല് സലാം ദേ ഇപ്പോള് വേട്ടൈയനും... ലൈക്കയുടെ നഷ്ടം നികത്താന് അഞ്ചാമത്തെ സിനിമയും കമ്മിറ്റ് ചെയ്ത് രജിനികാന്ത്.
- ↑ Dushara Vijayan wins State Film Award for Best Actress for 'Natchathiram Nagargiradhu'. The Times of India(30 January 2026). Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- ↑ Meet actor who wants to quit acting at 35.... Pinkvilla. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
- ↑ Meet Kollywood's Newbie, Dushara Vijayan. femina.in(28 August 2021). Retrieved 24 March 2022.
- ↑ From modelling to tinsel town, Subramanian, Anupama. Deccan Chronicle(24 February 2019). Retrieved 24 March 2022.
- ↑ 'Sarpatta Parambarai' changed me as a person: Dushara Vijayan. The New Indian Express(21 July 2021). Retrieved 24 March 2022.
- ↑ I still can't move on from being Mariyamma: Dushara Vijayan. dtNext.in(27 July 2021).
- ↑ Dushara to team up with Pa Ranjith again for 'Natchathiram Nagargirathu'. The Times of India(28 July 2021). Retrieved 24 March 2022.
- ↑ Aneethi teaser: Arjun Das hunts for blood in Vasanthabalan's next. Cinema Express(10 September 2021). Retrieved 24 March 2022.
- ↑ Raayan movie review: Dhanush crafts an almost compelling film that needed a lot more heft. The Indian Express(26 July 2024). Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ↑ 'Vettaiyan' makers reveal character glimpses of Dushara Vijayan and Ritika Singh from the film. The Times of India. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
- ↑ Veera Dheera Sooran Review: Impactful But Drags. M9.News. Retrieved 2025-03-29.
- ↑ Dushara to team up with Pa Ranjith again for 'Natchathiram Nagargirathu'(28 July 2021). Retrieved 19 August 2022.
- ↑ Dushara on Raayan: I thank Dhanush for his guidance and vision. MSN.
- ↑ Antony Varghese Pepe’s Kattalan gets a new release date, Features, C. E.. The New Indian Express(2026-04-30). Retrieved 2026-05-04.
- ↑ Vishal 35 is now titled Magudam. Cinema Express(2025-08-24). Retrieved 2025-08-24.
- ↑ Minmini app, Yuvan come together for new track titled 'She's a Killer'. DT Next(8 July 2024). Retrieved 2025-02-20.
- ↑ OTTplay Awards 2022: Aishwarya Lekshmi, Dushara Vijayan win the Emerging OTT Star (Female) award. OTTPlay. Retrieved 2025-05-21.
- ↑ Nominations for the 67th Parle Filmfare Awards South 2022 with Kamar Film Factory | Filmfare.com. www.filmfare.com. Retrieved 2025-05-21.
- ↑ Chennai International Film Festival | December 11th - 18th | 2025. CIFF - Chennai International Film Festival. Retrieved 2025-05-21.
- ↑ Template:Cite AV media
- ↑ SIIMA 2025 winners list: Aadujeevitham, Amaran win big; Sai Pallavi, Prithviraj Sukumaran take home best actor honours. The Indian Express(2025-09-07). Retrieved 2025-11-09.
- ↑ Kollywood stars set to light up Penang for the 17th Edison Awards and Film Festival | Buletin Mutiara. www.buletinmutiara.com/(2025-03-12). Retrieved 2025-06-11.