Abitha | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Jenila |
| Other names | Janeesha |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Spouse | Sunil |
| Children | 2 |
Abitha is an Indian actress who appears in Tamil language films and television serials. She appeared in notable productions including Sethu alongside Vikram. She is famous for her role as Archana in the serial Thirumathi Selvam, which aired from 2007 to 2013 in Sun TV starring opposite Sanjeev. She was the winner of Sun Kudumbam Viruthugal for Best Actress twice by Sun Kudumbam Viruthugal for Thirumathi Selvam in the years 2010 and 2012.[1]
Career
As a teenager, Abitha used to go and see the television serial, Nancy starring Sanghavi, being filmed near her house in Thiruvottiyur. The director of that serial recognised her and spoke to her parents, roping her in to play the heroine's sister in their next TV serial Criminal.[2] After doing a couple of serials, she did a low-budget film titled Golmaal as the sister of the lead lady and then B-Grade film titled Devadasi in Malayalam. At that time, director Bala roped her in for a leading role in Sethu alongside Vikram, which she signed after Keerthi Reddy and Rajshri had dropped out.[3] Bala renamed her Abitha from her original name of Jenila for the film, after the character she was portraying. The film opened in December 1999 at a single noon show at a suburban theatre but built up through word-of-mouth publicity and ran for over one hundred days at several cinema halls across Chennai, becoming a critical and commercial success. Sethu won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil and secured wins in the Best Film category at the Filmfare Awards and the Cinema Express Awards, while Abitha won critical acclaim for her role of a Tamil Brahmin girl.[4] After Sethu's success, Abitha was flooded with offers but chose to complete her studies and finish her PG in Sociology from Annamalai University. She revealed that by the time she decided to come back she had lost her contacts in the industry and was thereafter seen in only a couple of insignificant projects.[5]
She appeared alongside veteran actor Ramarajan in Seerivarum Kaalai before starring in Poove Pen Poove alongside newcomer Ishaq Husseini. After the failure of those films she played the role of Arjun's sister in Arasatchi. Other films in the period, such as Pirantha Naal with Prakash Raj, Kashmir with Abhinay and Kandhavel with Murali were not completed and indefinitely shelved.[6][7][8] In 2005, she got another breakthrough and signed on to play the lead role in Kannamma scripted by Karunanidhi, but to do so she unceremoniously opted out of another film titled Ullakadathal. Subsequently, the producers of that film complained and got her banned by the Producer's Council, leaving her out of both films.[9] [10] Later that year she featured in Unarchigal alongside Abbas and Kunal.[11]
Abitha was selected the best actress of Sun TV in the first two editions of Sun Kudumbam awards held in the years 2010 and 2012 for her performance as Archana in the show. She also starred in the serial Thangamana Purushan. She got married in 2009 and continued to work in serials following her marriage.[12]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Ettupatti Rasa | Ponrasu's daughter | Tamil | Credited as Janeesha |
| 1998 | Golmaal | Reshma | ||
| 1997 | Masmaram | Jasmine | Malayalam | |
| 1999 | Devadasi | Mala | Malayalam | |
| Sethu | Abithakuchalambal (Abitha) | Tamil | Nominated- Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Actress | |
| 2001 | Seerivarum Kaalai | Kamakshi | ||
| Poove Pen Poove | ||||
| 2002 | Puthiya Alai | |||
| 2004 | Arasatchi | Shwetha Ashok Mehta | ||
| Aagodella Olledakke | Kannada | |||
| 2006 | Unarchigal | Amrutha | Tamil | |
| Suyetchai MLA | Lakshmi | |||
| 2007 | Nam Naadu | Sathya's wife | ||
| 2017 | En Kadhal Devathai | |||
| 2023 | Thee Ivan |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Channel | Language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Criminal | Doordarshan | Tamil | |
| 1998 | Gokulam Colony | |||
| 2002 | Varam | Swarna | Sun TV | |
| 2002–2006 | Nagamma | Gemini TV | Telugu | |
| 2003 | Kungumam | Sun TV | Tamil | |
| 2003–2005 | Priyanaka | ETV | Telugu | |
| 2005 | Kadamattathu Kathanar | Unnimaya | Asianet | Malayalam |
| 2006–2007 | Raja Rajeshwari | Raja Rajeshwari | Sun TV | Tamil |
| 2006–2007 | Sorgam | Surya | ||
| 2007–2013 | Thirumathi Selvam | Archana | ||
| 2008–2010 | Thangamana Purushan | Raasi | Kalaignar TV | |
| 2008 | Manikoondu | Special Appearance | Sun TV | |
| 2009 | Simran Thirai | Shalini | Jaya TV | |
| 2009–2010 | Adhiparasakthi | Renuka Devi | Raj TV | |
| 2011 | Thendral | Archana | Sun TV | |
| 2013–2014 | Ponnunjal | Nandhini Vishwa | ||
| Muthaaram | Ranjini Murali | |||
| 2019 | Lakshmi Stores | Dr. Shyamala / Shanthi | ||
| 2022–2023 | Maari[13] | Deivanai | Zee Tamil | |
| 2022 | Super Mom Season 3 | Contestant | ||
| 2025–Present | Chinnanchiru Kiliye | Suguna | Zee Tamil |
References
- ^ "Sun Kudumbam Viruthugal 2012 Winner List". metromasti.com.
- ^ "I was thrilled when 'Sethu' was a big hit". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 23 November 2006.
- ^ "Tamil Movie News: March edition". Archived from the original on 30 April 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
- ^ Warrier, Shobha (17 August 2004). "Vikram's obsession gets its reward". Rediff. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
- ^ "Grill Mill - Abitha". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 27 May 2010.
- ^ "New Tamil films in the making". 5 August 2003. Archived from the original on 5 August 2003.
- ^ "Tamil Movies Online ::::: News". Archived from the original on 11 October 2008. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
- ^ "Location news - Pirantha naal". 24 August 2004. Archived from the original on 24 August 2004.
- ^ Archived copy Deprecated link archived 26 January 2013 at archive.today
- ^ Archived copy Deprecated link archived 26 January 2013 at archive.today
- ^ "டோடோவின் ரஃப் நோட்டு — Tamil Kavithai - தமிழ் கவிதைகள் - நூற்று கணக்கில்!". Cinesouth.com. Archived from the original on 5 December 2005. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
- ^ "Wedding bells for Abitha". The Times of India. 11 May 2009. Archived from the original on 7 December 2013. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
- ^ "New show 'Maari' set to launch soon; Abitha set for a comeback after 3 years". The Times of India. 5 June 2022.
