Asin Thottumkal (born 26 October 1985), known mononymously asAsin, is an Indian former actress who appeared predominantly inTamil,Hindi andTelugu films. Asin is a recipient ofseveral accolades including aFilmfare Award, twoFilmfare Awards South and fourSIIMA Awards. TheGovernment of Tamil Nadu honoured her with the state's highest civilian awardKalaimamani, in 2009.[1] Asin is considered as one of the leading South Indian actresses of the 2000s and is referred to as the "Queen of Kollywood".[2][3]
In late 2008, Asin made her debut in theBollywood filmGhajini (2008), oppositeAamir Khan, which was the first Bollywood film to have collected more than₹1 billion in the domestic box office, subsequently collecting₹1.9 billion (US$22 million) worldwide. Asin won theFilmfare Best Female Debut Award and many accolades forGhajini. 2011 marked the most successful phase of Asin's Bollywood career, as she starred inAnees Bazmee'sromantic comedyReady, in which she co-starred alongsideSalman Khan. The film was a major hit at the box office, collecting₹1.84 billion (US$22 million) worldwide.[7] In 2012, Asin first starred inSajid Khan's multistarrerHousefull 2, which collected more than₹1 billion. She then featured inBol Bachchan andKhiladi 786, which were commercially successful with both grossing over₹1 billion. The 2015 film,All Is Well was her 25th milestone Film and also her last film, afterwards she retired from acting.[8] She is married to businessman Rahul Sharma, with whom she has a daughter.[9]
Asin was born on 26 October 1985[10][11][12] inKochi,Kerala, in aSyro-Malabar Catholic family.[13] Her father, Joseph Thottumkal, is an ex-CBI officer and later managed several businesses. Her mother, Seline Thottumkal, who moved from Kochi toChennai and then toMumbai to live with her daughter, is a medical surgeon.
According to custom, Asin was to be named Mary, after her paternal grandmother, but her father named her Asin, as the name had a beautiful meaning.[14] Asin has quoted that her name meanspure orwithout blemish.[15] She states that the 'A' in her name is fromSanskrit, meaning" "without," and "sin" is from English.[16][17]
Asin had two Telugu releases in 2004:Lakshmi Narasimha alongsideNandamuri Balakrishna andGharshana oppositeVenkatesh. In both these films, Asin portrayed the love interest for police officers and both were successful ventures.[24] Critics found her performance inGharshana to be "tender" and "adorable".[25] In the same year, Asin appeared in her firstTamil film wasM. Kumaran Son of Mahalakshmi, portraying aMalayali girl oppositeJayam Ravi, reprising her role from the originalAmma Nanna O Tamila Ammayi. The film was a box office success and introduced Asin to theTamil film industry.[26]The Hindu opined that she "fits the bill".[27]
Breakthrough and stardom in South Indian films (2005–2007)
After her first Telugu film of 2005,Chakram withPrabhas, which was a box office failure, Asin shifted her focus to Tamil films withUllam Ketkumae.[28] The film, initially launched in 2002, was supposed to be her debut, and is a college love story, which was long-delayed but eventually became a successful venture at the box office, creating wider opportunities for her.[29] Following this Asin had two releases-Sivakasi, oppositeVijay, andMajaa, oppositeVikram. Despite the latter becoming an average grosser, the former went on to be a successful venture at the box office.[30][31] S. R. Ashok Kumsr stated that she "proves her mettle" in the opening scenes ofMajaa.[32]
Asin was cited as a leading actress of the Tamil film industry after starring in blockbuster filmsGhajini,Sivakasi,Varalaru andPokkiri respectively.[33] The film which provided her breakthrough wasGhajini, oppositeSuriya. Her portrayal of a young model named Kalpana earned her theFilmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil.[34]Sify.com praised her portrayal as "magical", describing her character as a "lovable chatterbox" played with "sheer ability in the romantic interludes, the poignant and heartfelt scenes when she rescues minor girls from villains and her gory end are touching".[35]Ghajini went on to become one of the highest-grossing film of the year.[36]
The following year, her long-delayed ventureVaralaru, oppositeAjith Kumar, succeeded at the box office, and Malathi Rangarajan ofThe Hindu noted that she "looks lustrous and sails through her role smoothly".[37] Asin then appeared oppositePawan Kalyan inAnnavaram, another successful venture, which marked her final Telugu film.[38][39] I
In her first film of 2007, Asin played the lead opposite Ajith Kumar inAalwar, which became a box office failure.Sify noted that she looks a "million bucks", but has nothing much to do.[40] She then reunited with Vijay forPokkiri, which was a major success.[41] Shwetha Bhaskar termed her the film's "saving grace".[42] In her last film of the year, Asin appeared inVel, opposite Suriya, which subsequently became her third successful film released during the Diwali season in three years.[43] Asin portrayed a TV anchor, and TSV Hari found her to be "adequate".[44]
After establishing herself as a leading actress in South India, Asin ventured intoHindi films withGhajini, a 2008 remake of her Tamil film of the same name. She reprised Kalpana oppositeAamir Khan.[49]Taran Adarsh noted: "Asin is fabulous. She looks fresh and photogenic and acts her part brilliantly."Shubhra Gupta called her the "best part" of the film.[50][51]Ghajini became the highest grossing Hindi film of the year, grossing over Rs 194 crore at the box-office.[52][53] For her performance, she won theFilmfare Award for Best Female Debut.[54]
In her only film the following year,London Dreams, Asin played a music enthusiast from a conservative South Indian family oppositeSalman Khan andAjay Devgn.[55] In his review,Rajeev Masand criticized her performance and character.[56] The film was a commercial failure. Asin had no film release in 2010.[57]
Asin returned to Tamil films, with her first film of 2011,Kaavalan, opposite Vijay, which was a commercial success and won her theSIIMA Award for Best Actress – Tamil.[58] Pavithra Srinivasan found her "pretty" and added, "Asin had few moments to act as well, she does her best but isn't convincing."[59]Kaavalan became Asin's last Tamil film.[60] Later the year, Asin reunited with Salman Khan inReady, playing an NRI girl.[61][62]Ready was a commercial success, earning over₹1.8 billion (US$21 million).[63] Koel Purie Rinchet ofIndia Today stated that she matches Khan "repartee for repartee".[64]
Asin had three Hindi film releases in 2012. Asin first played an animal lover oppositeAkshay Kumar, in the multistarrerHousefull 2.[65]Taran Adarsh noted: "[a]mongst the female leads, Asin has the meatiest role and gives a decent account of herself."[66] The film went onto become a major commercial success.[67] Then, she played a Muslim girl pretending to be a Hindu inBol Bachchan opposite Ajay Devgn, which became another box office success.[68][69]Sukanya Verma opined that Asin had "very little to do".[70]Khiladi 786, which reunited her with Akshay Kumar was her final film of the year, and saw her playing a Marathi girl.[71] Subhash K. Jha found her to be back in "fetching form" post her work inGhajini.[72] The film was yet another box office success, making it Asin's most successful year in Hindi films.[73]
Post a two-year hiatus from films, Asin played the lead inAll Is Well, oppositeAbhishek Bachchan. In one interview, directorUmesh Shukla stated that Asin would be seen in an "important dramatic role".[74] The film was a box office average.[75] Ananya Bhattacharya termed her performance "passable".[76] It remains Asin's final film, as she retired from acting the following year.[77]
In an interview during theDNA I Can Women's Half Marathon in 2012, Asin, speaking about the importance of health and the necessity of education said:
This cause is probably one of the biggest women-centric issues in our country. I support the education of six children each year, five of which are girls. I have closely worked with these children and I know that if given the opportunity, women can educate themselves much better and know what is wrong or right for them. Education is a basic right and women should not be deprived of that.[79]
Asin marriedMicromax co-founder Rahul Sharma in January 2016 in aChristian wedding ceremony that was followed by aHindu wedding ceremony,[90][102] and quit acting after marriage.[103] Their first child, a daughter, was born on 24 October 2017.[104][105]
Following the Tamil filmGhajini,Rediff.com placed Asin 2nd in its "Best Tamil Actresses" list of 2005.[106] For the 2008 Hindi filmGhajini, Asin was placed in its "Top Ten Actresses in Bollywood" list and was named as one of the "Best Debut Actor" of the year.[107][108] In theTimes 50 Most Desirable Women list, Asin was placed 11th in 2010, 17th in 2011 and 16th in 2012.[109][110][111] InChennai Times Most Desirable Women list, Asin was placed 12th in 2012.[112]Times of India placed her at 16th position in its "50 Beautiful Faces" list.[113] She has been called a sex symbol by the media.[114] Asin was among the highest-grossing actresses in Indian cinema.[115][116]
^"I am only 23: Asin".The Times of India. 21 April 2009.Archived from the original on 21 October 2013. Retrieved4 August 2013.
^Dasgupta, Priyanka (26 October 2010)."I can't hide my age: Asin".The Times of India.Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved4 August 2013.
^Shivram, Prasanna (13 July 2007)."Jeeva's lyrical frames".The Hindu.Archived from the original on 21 August 2007. Retrieved24 December 2008.
^Rangarajan, Malathi (11 November 2005)."With the formula intact".The Hindu. Chennai, India. Archived fromthe original on 19 September 2006. Retrieved24 December 2008.
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