Priya Vasudev Mani Iyer, better known by her stage name Priyamani (Tamil: ப்ரியாமணி; Malayalam: പ്രിയാമണി) is an Indian film actress and model who has appeared in several Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada films. She is best known for earning a National Film Award for Best Actress for her role as Muththazhagu in the 2006 Tamil film Paruthi Veeran, and for her role as Malavika in the 2008 Malayalam film Thirakkatha for which she won the Filmfare Awards South for Best Actress.Priyamani was born into an Iyer family in Palakkad, Kerala, and grew up in Bangalore. As a result of her dynamic exposure in different South Indian states, she speaks Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, and Telugu. After completing her schooling, Priyamani modelled for print advertisements. As a subsequent result of her extended modeling, she began to earn opportunities to star in films. After being approached by several directors and being considered for roles, she finally starred in director Bharathiraja's film Kangalal Kaidhu Sei, which was released in 2004.[1] She is currently completing a B.A. in Psychology. She is the cousin of Bollywood actress Vidya Balan.
