Real Name: Saranya Ponvannan was born as Sheela Christina before adopting her screen name.

Family Background: She is the daughter of renowned Malayalam film director A. B. Raj, which gave her early exposure to the film industry.

Debut Film: Her very first movie was Nayakan (1987), directed by Mani Ratnam, where she starred opposite Kamal Haasan.

Career Break: After acting in lead roles from 1987 to 1996, she took a long break from films following her marriage, returning only in 2003.

National Award Winner: She won the National Film Award for Best Actress in 2010 for Thenmerku Paruvakaatru, a rare achievement for someone primarily known for mother roles.

Screen Mother: Saranya has played mother roles in over 100 films across Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam cinema, making her one of the most recognized “screen mothers” in South India.

Costume Designer: Apart from acting, she is also a trained costume designer, showing her creative talent beyond acting.

Multilingual Actress: She has acted in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and even one Hindi film (Chup: Revenge of the Artist, 2022).

Awards Galore: She has won five Filmfare Awards South, two Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, and several other honors for her supporting roles.

Personal Life: Married to actor Ponvannan since 1995, she is a mother of two children.