She acted in three Malayalam films: Raakilipattu (2007), Seetha Kalyanam (2009) and Kaathal – The Core (2023).

[110][111] For her work in Seetha

Kalyanam (2009), she was nominated for Best Actress – Malayalam at Filmfare Awards but lost to Swetha Menon for Paleri Manikyam.[112]

Personal life

Jyothika with her husband Suriya at the launch of her film Kaatrin
Mozhi (2018)
Jyothika is married to actor Suriya. The couple has worked in seven films together, the first being Poovellam Kettuppar (1999).[113] After dating for
several years, they got married on 11 September 2006.[114][115] They have two children: a daughter (Diya; born 2007) and a son (Dev; born 2010).[116][117]

Other ventures
Jyothika owns a film production and distribution company named 2D Entertainment, established by her husband and actor Suriya.[118] Rajsekar Pandian
is also a part of 2D. The company was named by the starting letter of Suriya's children Diya and Dev.[119][120] The company was established in 2013.[121]

The production house won Best Cinematography at 64th National Film Awards for DOP Tirru for 24 (2016)[122][123] and Best Production Design at 64th
National Film Awards for Subrata Chakraborthy, Shreyas Khedekar, and Amit Ray for 24 (2016).[124][125]

At 68th National Film Awards the film Soorarai Pottru won 5 Categories: Best Actor for Suriya,[126] National Film Award for Best Actress [127] for Aparna
Balamurali,[126] Best Feature Film for Suriya, Sudha Kongara, Jyothika,[126] Best Music Direction (Background Score)[128][129] for GV Prakash
Kumar[126] and Best Screenplay[130] for Sudha Kongara.[126]

Off-screen work
Jyothika along with her husband Suriya's Agaram Foundation donated ₹25 lakh to the Thanjavur government hospital in August 2020.[131] Apart from the
financial support she also donated medical equipment and beds. This comes after she was criticised for her comments on the poor maintenance of the
hospital before.[132] Jyothika also starred in a short commercial video outlining child poverty, labour and lack of education, titled Herova? Zerova?. It was
created by Agaram Foundation with the Ministry of Education in Tamil Nadu.[133][134] In 2021, Jyothika and Suriya's production house donated ₹1 crore to
the welfare of Tamil Nadu tribal community.[135]

Brand endorsements
Jyothika has endorsed several brands such as Idhayam oil and Paragon footwear in the early 2000s. She was also the brand ambassador
for RmKV silk sarees and Wardrobe Hub in Chennai. Later, she appeared in adverts for Aircel and Nes

Ayilya Gopalakrishnan, better known by her stage name Ananya, is an Indian actress who appears predominantly in Malayalam, and Tamil language
films as well as in a few, Telugu and Kannada films. She is also a singer and an archer.

She made her acting debut in the Malayalam film Positive (2008) and also debuted the following year in the Tamil film Naadodigal, which turned out to
be a critical and commercial success.[1] She received the Kerala State Television Award for Best Actress in 2012 for the telefilm Doore and the Filmfare
Award for Best Supporting Actress – Tamil for Engaeyum Eppothum in 2011.

Early life[edit]
Ananya was born as Ayilya to Malayali parents Gopalakrishnan Nair, a noted film producer, and Praseetha in Perumbavoor, Kerala.[2] She has one
younger brother Arjun. Her name was taken from her birth star Aslesha, called Ayilyam in Malayalam.

She appeared as a child artist in one of her father's productions (executive producer), Pai Brothers (1995).[3] Ananya pursued a B.A. degree in
Communicative English at St. Xavier's College for Women, Aluva.[2][3] During her childhood, she was an archer and won the State Championship.[4] While
representing her college in a television reality show Star Wars,[2] she was spotted by various directors and received acting offers. After declining five
projects, she decided to give it a try, accepting to act in Positive.[3]

Film career[edit]
Her screenname changed to Ananya, when she was working in her debut Tamil film Naadodigal.[4] The film was a high commercial success,[5] and
Ananya rose to fame, with her performance in the film being appreciated.[6] She went on to reprise the same role in its Malayalam remake Ithu
Nammude Katha.[7] The film Shikkar alongside Mohanlal, gave her a big break in Malayalam. She did some thrilling scenes in the climax of the movie
Shikkar that impressed Mohanlal, which made him call her the "Vijayashanti" of Malayalam.[8] She also played a supporting role in Kandahar, which saw
her sharing screen space with Mohanlal and Amitabh Bachchan.[9] In 2011, Ananya played one of the female lead roles in Engaeyum Eppothum, which
received rave reviews and became a sleeper hit.[10][11]

In 2014, she appeared in Pulivaal, her first Tamil release after three years.[12] As of 2018 she has Sigappu Rojakkal 2 in Tamil, Intintaa Annamayya in
Telugu, Ameya in Malayalam delayed for release.

Awards
Mukerji is considered in the media as one of the most popular and accomplished actresses of Indian cinema.[1][219][220] As part of a career
analysis, Sukanya Verma noted that after making an unconventional debut in films, Mukerji oscillated between success and failure for a few years
before achieving "the status of a star, performer and showgirl".[221] Indo-Asian News Service reported that during her initial years in the industry, Mukerji
was written off as the successful Kajol's poor cousin for being "plump" and "short".[25] Raja Sen opined that despite that, Mukerji "slogged her way with
grit" to emerge a successful star.[222]

Mukerji in 2009
Mukerji's directors Pradeep Sarkar and Reema Kagti have taken note of how much Mukerji prepares for her roles, with Kagti adding, "She gets
obsessive about the role and wants to know everything about her character. What's her character's back-story, what is going on in her head at a
specific point".[223][224] Mukerji described her approach to acting in 2012:
A month before I start shooting, I sit with my director, try to understand how he has visualised the character on the screen and take notes. Then I start
working on the most basic thing – the look. It's very important that the physical appearance of the character gets decided because if I look the
character, it makes it all the more believable. Once that is achieved, I go into the finer nuances of what the girl is like, her background. And then from
there [...] I have to get the accent right.[225]

Mukerji actively avoids typecasting, and has been credited in the media for her versatility.[226][227][228] Manjula Negi of Hindustan Times said that she
balances between high-profile blockbusters and small-scale films.[229] Namrata Joshi of Outlook adds that she is unafraid to take risks and portray roles
that "none of her contemporaries have been able to do".[1] Mukerji has played several roles that were considered to be a departure from traditional
portrayals of women in mainstream Indian cinema at that time; in Hum Tum she played a widow who engages in pre-marital sex, in Kabhi Alvida Naa
Kehna she is involved in an extra-marital affair with a married man, and in Bichhoo and No One Killed Jessica she smokes, drinks and mouths
expletives.[33][230][231] The media cites her as an "unconventional beauty" – her husky voice, eyes and smile being her distinctive features.[232] Baradwaj
Rangan believes that Mukerji's unusual "sandpaper-scratchy, I'm-recovering-from-a-bad-cold" voice sets her apart from her contemporaries.
[1]
Filmfare termed Mukerji "Earthy, effervescent and emotional". It added that her screen presence has "no parallel".[233]

Writing about her acting skills, Forbes India noted, "Regarded as one of the best actors of her generation, Mukerji went on to master her skills to such
an extent that she could easily absorb the nuances of the characters she played and effortlessly become that person on screen."[223] Shraddha
Jahagirdar-Saxena cited Mukerji as the "ruling star" of the silver firmament and added, "Mukerji has achieved a certain standing in the industry. She is
the embodiment of the modern, independent woman who has made it on her own steam and on her own terms."[2] When Mukerji made her screen
comeback with Hichki, Nayandeep Rakshit compared her to actress Sridevi and said that making a strong comeback, Mukerji has managed to still be
"relevant".[234] Gautam Chintamani called the actress "effortlessly talented" and noted, "Mukerji mirrors the epitaph of being one of the last true
superstars in the conventional description of the word."[235] Mukerji became the first and the only Indian actress to win both the Best Actress and Best
Supporting Actress Filmfare trophies in a single year. She later achieved another feat, when she won both the Best Actress - Critics and Best Actress
awards during the same year for the same film, the first ever actress to do so.[236][237]
Public image[edit]

Mukerji's husky voice, accentuated eyes and smile have been identified by
the media as her trademark [238]

Mukerji has featured in listings of the most attractive Indian celebrities, and was one of the highest-paid actresses in Bollywood.[1][2] Filmfare featured her
in their "Ten Most Powerful People in Bollywood" list for two consecutive years (2005–2006).[239] Mukerji featured in Box Office India's "Top Bollywood
Actresses" list for six years and ranked first for two consecutive years (2005–2006) and ranked 3rd in its "All Time Top Actress" list. [27][240] In Rediff.com's
annual listing of "Best Bollywood Actresses", she topped the list for three consecutive years (2004–2006).[241][242][243] She was further placed 2nd in 2003,
5th in 2007, 10th in 2012,[244][245][246] 7th in 2014, 10th in 2018 and 5th in 2023.[247][248][249] She was also placed in Rediff.com's other listing - "Powerlist: Top
Bollywood Actresses",[250] "Bollywood's Best Actresses of all time",[222] "Top 10 Actresses of 2000–2010" and "Best Dressed Woman".[251]
[252]
Filmfare further placed her in their "Top Ten Actresses" list from 2003 to 2006.[253][254][255]

Mukerji is also known as a sex symbol and is among the most attractive actresses. The UK magazine Eastern Eye placed her in their "Asia's Sexiest
Women" list between 2006 and 2012.[256][257] The Times of India placed her 2nd in their "50 Beautiful Faces" list.[258] She was placed in Outlook India's 75
Best Bollywood Actresses list.[259] India Today placed her in a similar list of top Bollywood actresses.[219] Rediff.com placed her 5th in their "Bollywood's
Most Beautiful Actresses" list.[260] Adding further to Mukerji's star power, Femina listed her in their "50 Most Beautiful Women" list in 2007 and 2008.
[261]
American hip hop Blue Scholars, named a song after Mukerji in their 2011 album Cinemetropolis.[262][263] Mukerji has been the brand ambassador for a
number of products, but since 2007, Mukerji's popularity was on a decline and she lost out on her brand endorsements to a number of younger
actresses.[118][264]

Mukerji featured among the "Greatest Bollywood Stars" in a UK poll celebrating 100 years of Indian cinema in 2013.[265][266] That same year, Mukerji was
honoured by the US Council on the day of Barack Obama's inauguration into office for Contribution to Indian Cinema.[267] She has received the Rajiv
Gandhi Award for her contribution to the entertainment industry.[268] In 2015, the University of Mumbai felicitated her for her contribution to Bollywood. In
2017, she was honoured with the Outstanding Contribution to Cinema Award by the Government of Mauritius, and in 2018, was received an award for
Excellence in Cinema at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne.[269][270][271] Mukerji was among the ten recipients of IIFA-FICCI Frames' award for Most
Powerful Entertainers of the Decade.[272]

Accolades[edit]
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Rani Mukerji

Mukerji has won eight Filmfare Awards. For her roles in the films Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Yuva (2004) and No One Killed Jessica (2011), she won
the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. She won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for Hum Tum (2004) and Black (2005), and the Filmfare
Critics Award for Best Actress for Saathiya (2002), Black (2005), and Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway (2023).[41][273]

See also