Trisha Krishnan, known mononymously as Trisha, is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Tamil and Telugu cinema, with occasional appearances in Malayalam and Hindi films. Active since the early 2000s, she is one of the leading actresses of South Indian cinema and has received multiple Filmfare Awards South.
| Full name | Trisha Krishnan |
|---|---|
| Born | 4 May 1983, Palakkad, Kerala, India |
| Education | Sacred Heart Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Chennai; Ethiraj College for Women, Chennai |
| Occupation | Actress, model |
| Years active | 1999 – present |
| Languages of work | Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi, English |
| Notable awards | Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil; Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu |
Trisha was born in Palakkad, Kerala, into a Tamil Iyengar family and was raised in Chennai. She completed her schooling at Sacred Heart Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Church Park, Chennai, and pursued a Bachelor's degree at Ethiraj College for Women. She entered the public eye after winning the Miss Madras pageant in 1999 and being a finalist at the Miss India contest in 2001.
Trisha made her screen debut with a brief appearance in the Tamil film Jodi (1999), directed by Praveen Gandhi. Her first major lead role came in Mounam Pesiyadhe (2002), directed by Ameer, which established her as a promising new actress in Tamil cinema.
She achieved breakthrough success with Saamy (2003), opposite Vikram, directed by Hari. This was followed by hits including Ghilli (2004) with Vijay, directed by Dharani, and Aaytha Ezhuthu (2004) by Mani Ratnam. Her Telugu debut came with Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana (2005), directed by Prabhu Deva, which became one of the highest-grossing Telugu films of its time and earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu. Other notable films from this period include Aathi (2006), Stalin (2006) and Kireedam (2007).
Trisha appeared in Sarvam (2009), Manmadhan Ambu (2010) by K. S. Ravikumar, and Khatta Meetha (2010), her Hindi debut directed by Priyadarshan. She received critical acclaim for her performance in Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa (2010), directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon, and its Telugu version Ye Maaya Chesave. She continued with films such as Mankatha (2011) opposite Ajith Kumar, Endrendrum Punnagai (2013), and Aranmanai (2014).
Her later work includes Kodi (2016) with Dhanush, 96 (2018) by C. Prem Kumar opposite Vijay Sethupathi, which received widespread critical praise, and Mohan Raja's Petta (2019) directed by Karthik Subbaraj, opposite Rajinikanth. She returned to Telugu cinema with Ponniyin Selvan: I (2022) and Ponniyin Selvan: II (2023), both directed by Mani Ratnam, and appeared in Leo (2023) directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, opposite Vijay. She also featured in The Road (2023), her debut as a producer in Tamil cinema.
Trisha has been a brand ambassador for several consumer brands and has endorsed products in segments such as jewellery, garments, and beverages across South India. She has been associated with charitable initiatives related to children's welfare and has supported organisations working in animal welfare.
Trisha is regarded as one of the most prominent female stars in Tamil and Telugu cinema of the 2000s and 2010s. Her sustained presence across two decades, with successful collaborations with directors such as Mani Ratnam, Gautham Vasudev Menon and Hari, and her transition from commercial heroine roles to character-driven films like 96 and Ponniyin Selvan, mark her as a significant figure in contemporary South Indian cinema.