Lena was born in 1981 in Thrissur, Kerala, to Mohan Kumar and Tina; her mother is a Catholic.

Before entering films, she completed her postgraduate degree in Clinical Psychology and worked as a clinical psychologist in Mumbai.

She made her acting debut in 1998 with the Malayalam film Sneham, where she played the role of Ammu.

Lena has acted in over 175 films across five languages—Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and English.

She is also an author, scriptwriter, YouTuber, and psychologist, showcasing her diverse talents beyond acting.

In Tamil cinema, she debuted with Anegan (2015), in Hindi with Airlift (2016), and in Telugu with Dr. Chakravarthy (2017).

Lena was married to Abhilash Kumar from 2004 to 2013, and in 2024 she married Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, commander of India’s Gaganyaan mission.

She earned the nickname “Lady Mammootty” in the Malayalam industry for her commanding screen presence.

Lena has been outspoken about mental health awareness and has made remarks on allopathic medicine and treatment of mental illness, sparking discussions.

She maintains her own website, lenaalife.com, where she shares insights into her career and personal journey.