Indian actress (born 1991)
Aishwarya Lekshmi
Aishwarya in 2017
Born (1991-09-06 ) 6 September 1991 (age 34) Education Holy Angel's Convent Trivandrum Sacred Heart Convent Girls Higher Secondary School,Kerala
Sree Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences,Kerala (MBBS )Occupations Years active 2017–present
Aishwarya Lekshmi (born 6 September 1991) is an Indian actress and producer who works predominantly inMalayalam andTamil films. She has received oneFilmfare Award South , oneTamil Nadu State Film Award , oneKerala Film Critics Association Award and threeSIIMA Awards .[ 1]
Aishwarya Lekshmi made her acting debut with the 2017 Malayalam filmNjandukalude Nattil Oridavela , which earned her theFilmfare Award for Best Female Debut – South .[ 2] She went on receive praises forMayaanadhi (2017),Varathan (2018),Kaanekkaane (2021), the two-part Tamil epicPonniyin Selvan: I (2022), which is her highest grossing releases andPonniyin Selvan: II (2023),Ammu (2022),Kumari (2022),Gatta Kusthi (2022),Hello Mummy (2024) andMaaman (2025).[ 3] [ 4]
Early life and career [ edit ] Lekshmi was born on 6 September 1991 inThiruvananthapuram ,Kerala .[ 5] [ 6] [ 7] She did her schooling at theHoly Angel's Convent Thiruvananthapuram and at Sacred Heart Convent Girls Higher Secondary School, Angamaly.[ 8] She completed herMBBS degree fromSree Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences ,Ernakulam , in 2017. She later completed her internship at the institute.[ 2]
Lekshmi has been modelling since 2014. She has appeared on the covers of magazines such asFlower World ,Salt Studio ,Vanitha andFWD Life . She has modelled for brands such as Chemmanur Jewellers, Karikkineth Silks, La Brenda, Ezva Boutique, Akshaya Jewels and Sri Lakshmi Jewellery among others.[ 9]
Debut and breakthrough (2017-2021)[ edit ] Lekshmi states that she "never planned on acting", but gave her audition for Althaf Salim's 2017 filmNjandukalude Nattil Oridavela starringNivin Pauly and was cast in a prominent role.[ 2] She then played an aspiring actress in the romantic thrillerMayaanadhi oppositeTovino Thomas .[ 10] The film became a major success. Neelima Mohan ofThe News Minute called her the "heart and soul" of the film and added, "Emotions flit easily across her face—as a lover, the struggling model, the mortified daughter. She is a natural."[ 11] In 2018, she appeared inVarathan oppositeFahadh Faasil , a box office success.[ 12] Sajin Shrijith stated, "Aishwarya gets her own mass moment too through her act."[ 13]
In 2019, Lekshmi had three Malayalam releases:Vijay Superum Pournamiyum oppositeAsif Ali ,[ 14] Argentina Fans Kaattoorkadavu oppositeKalidas Jayaram [ 15] andBrother's Day alongsidePrithviraj Sukumaran .[ 16] She also made her Tamil debut that year, withAction , oppositeVishal .[ 17] In 2021, she first appeared in the Tamil filmJagame Thandhiram oppositeDhanush ,[ 18] and then had two Malayalam film releases,Laughing Budha andKaanekkaane opposite Tovino Thomas.[ 19] Anna MM Vetticad noted, "Tovino and Aishwarya are as immersed in their roles as they usually are, making it hard to unequivocally pass judgement against their characters."[ 20]
Career expansion and progression (2022-present)[ edit ] The year 2022 was a turning point in her career with nine film releases. Among these, onlyGargi ,Ponniyin Selvan: I andGatta Kusthi emerged as commercial successes. Apart from a cameo inGargi , which she also co-produced,[ 21] she appeared in the anthologyPutham Pudhu Kaalai Vidiyaadhaa , inGodse alongsideSatyadev , her Telugu debut, inCaptain oppositeArya .[ 22] [ 23] Ponniyin Selvan: I saw her playPoonguzhali oppositeAshwin Kakumanu . The film emerged as thefifth highest-grossing Tamil film of all time .[ 24] She received praises for playing the titular role of a teacher inArchana 31 Not Out ,[ 25] a domestic violence victim inAmmu and an orphan inKumari .[ 26] ForAmmu , Haricharan Pudipeddi ofHindustan Times noted, "As the helpless wife, Aishwarya plays her part so well. This is one of her best performances."[ 27] Her last release that year wasGatta Kusthi , where she played a wrestler oppositeVishnu Vishal .[ 28] Navein Darshan ofCinema Express stated, "Aishwarya sells the role effortlessly with both comedy and action."[ 29]
In 2023, Lekshmi first appeared inChristopher alongsideMammootty .[ 30] Gayathri Gokul ofThe Week stated that she does justice to her role.[ 31] Lekshmi then reprised her character in the sequelPonniyin Selvan: II .[ 32] Later, she appeared oppositeDulquer Salmaan inKing of Kotha .[ 33] Lekshmi's first film of 2024 wasPon Ondru Kanden oppositeAshok Selvan , which simultaneously released on OTT and television.[ 34] In her next film, she played an educated woman oppositeSharaf U Dheen inHello Mummy .[ 35] It was a box office success.[ 36]
Lekshmi's first release of 2025 saw her play a doctor oppositeSoori inMaaman , which emerged a commercial success.[ 37] Avinash Ramachandran ofCinema Express stated, "Aishwarya is terrific in a role that is quite layered, but is never given the breathing space to become something more prolific."[ 38] She next playedSilambarasan 's long lost sister in the multi-starrerThug Life , which underperformed at the box office.[ 39] [ 40]
Lekshmi in 2023 Lekshmi was named theKochi Times Most Desirable Women , both in 2018 and 2019, and was placed 4th in the list, in 2020.[ 41] [ 42] [ 43] Her performance inMayaanadhi , is regarded as one of the "100 Greatest Performances of the Decade" byFilm Companion .[ 44] Lekshmi is also considered as one of the highest paid Malayalam actresses.[ 45] In 2022,Forbes India included her in its first ever "Showstoppers – India's Top 50 Outperformers" list.[ 46]
Key † Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released
Awards and nominations [ edit ] ^ "Winners: 65th Jio Filmfare Awards (South) 2018" .The Times of India .Archived from the original on 17 June 2018. Retrieved28 June 2018 .^a b c "Aishwarya Lekshmi to play Nivin's heroine" .The Times of India .Archived from the original on 19 August 2017. Retrieved20 August 2017 .^ "Action (2019)" .Irish Film Classification Office .Archived from the original on 17 January 2022. Retrieved2 November 2022 .^ S, Srivatsan (28 October 2020)."Not lost in translation: Why the Hindi dubbed versions of South Indian films are in demand" .The Hindu .Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved28 October 2020 .The Hindi-dubbed version of Tamil film Action starring Vishal and Tamannaah Bhatia — a film which underperformed critically and commercially upon release — has 74 million views on YouTube in under three weeks of its upload. ^ "Happy Birthday Aishwarya Lekshmi" .The Times of India . 6 September 2020.Archived from the original on 5 October 2021. Retrieved18 July 2021 .^ "Actor Aishwarya Lekshmi tests positive for COVID-19, says she 'took it easy' " .The News Minute . 9 April 2021.Archived from the original on 9 April 2021. Retrieved18 July 2021 .^ FWDmedia (3 August 2017)."Aishwarya Lekshmi: Breathing New Life Into South Indian Cinema" .FWD Life | The Premium Lifestyle Magazine | .Archived from the original on 31 May 2023. Retrieved31 May 2023 . ^ "I want to be remembered by the characters I do: 'Mayaanadhi' Aishwarya Lekshmi to TNM" .The News Minute . 17 January 2018.Archived from the original on 8 January 2022. Retrieved7 January 2022 .^ " 'Destiny's child' Aishwarya Lekshmi: Meet the debutant heroine of Nivin Pauly's Njandukalude Naattil Oridavela" .The New Indian Express .Archived from the original on 20 August 2017. Retrieved20 August 2017 .^ " 'Mayaanadhi' actress Aishwarya Lekshmi opens up about the film, Tovino" .The Times of India . 23 December 2017.Archived from the original on 5 January 2018. Retrieved5 January 2018 .^ Manoj Kumar R. (4 January 2018)."The best Malayalam films of 2017: Take Off, Angamaly Diaries and Ramaleela find place in the list" .The Indian Express . Retrieved5 January 2018 . ^ M. K., Surendhar (5 October 2018)."Devadas earns Rs 29 cr in four-day opening weekend; Fahadh Faasil's Varathan rakes in record breaking numbers" .Firstpost . Retrieved10 November 2018 . ^ "Varathan Review: A blistering and immensely satisfying revenge thriller" .Cinemaexpress.xom . 23 September 2018. Retrieved4 October 2018 .^ "Vijay Superum Pournamiyum' movie pooja held in Kochi" .The Times of India .Archived from the original on 13 December 2018. Retrieved8 December 2018 .^ "Kalidas and Aishwarya Lekshmi are classmates in Midhun Manuel Thomas film Argentina Fans Kaattoorkadavu" .The Times of India .Archived from the original on 5 May 2023. Retrieved26 April 2023 .^ George, Vijay (5 September 2019)." 'Brother's Day' is a family thriller, says Kalabhavan Shajohn" .The Hindu .Archived from the original on 23 October 2023. Retrieved5 September 2019 . ^ "Action Movie Review" .The Times of India . 15 November 2019.Archived from the original on 15 November 2019. Retrieved16 November 2019 .^ Pudipeddi, Haricharan (28 June 2021)."Karthik Subbaraj on criticism for Jagame Thandhiram: 'It's got lot of love and hate' " .Hindustan Times .Archived from the original on 28 January 2023. Retrieved28 August 2023 . ^ " 'Kaanekkaane': Tovino Thomas and Aishwarya Lekshmi team up once again" .The Times of India . 26 September 2020.Archived from the original on 13 September 2022. Retrieved12 September 2021 .^ "Kaanekkaane movie review: Riveting cinema with a contentious take on lapses of conscience" .Firstpost . 20 September 2021.Archived from the original on 20 September 2021. Retrieved20 September 2021 .^ "Aishwarya Lekshmi Breaks Down At Her Production 'Gargi' Press Meet" . 7 July 2022.Archived from the original on 7 July 2022. Retrieved7 July 2022 .^ "Godse Movie Review: Satyadev shines in this message-oriented mystery" .The Times of India . 17 June 2022.^ "Captain Movie Review: Arya's film is poor man's Predator" .India Today . 8 September 2022.Archived from the original on 8 September 2022.^ "Ponniyin Selvan I box office: Aishwarya Rai-starrer crosses ₹500 crore worldwide, only the second Tamil film to do so" .Hindustan Times . 18 November 2022.Archived from the original on 18 November 2022. Retrieved16 January 2023 .^ "Archana 31 not out review: Aishwarya Lekshmi shines in tiring watch" .The Indian Express . 11 February 2022. Retrieved20 April 2022 .^ Praveen, S. r (28 October 2022)." 'Kumari' movie review: Immersive fantasy-horror drama pulled down by a shallow script" .The Hindu . ^ "Ammu movie review: Chilling story of a woman's fight against domestic violence" .Hindustan Times . 20 October 2022. Retrieved25 October 2022 .^ " 'Gatta Kusthi' box office collection day 1: Vishnu Vishal starrer mints Rs 4 crore" .The Times of India . 3 December 2022.Archived from the original on 5 December 2022. Retrieved4 December 2022 .Though it received a minimal response during the initial hours, with good reviews from critics and the movie audience, through word of mouth, the film is slowly picking up its pace and it is expected that over the weekend it will make a good collection at the box office. ^ "Gatta Kusthi Movie Review: This effective comedy needed more sensitivity" .Cinema Express . 2 December 2022.Archived from the original on 3 December 2022. Retrieved3 December 2022 .^ "Christopher Movie: ക്രിസ്റ്റഫർ കളക്ഷൻ റിപ്പോർട്ട് പുറത്ത്; കേരളത്തിൽ നേടിയത് ഇത്രയും" [Christopher Movie: Christopher Collection Report Out; Kerala has achieved this much].Zee Malayalam News . 10 February 2023. Retrieved12 February 2023 .^ " 'Christopher' review: Mammootty stands out in a stylish thriller that lacks depth" .The Week .^ Purushothaman, Kirubhakar (1 May 2023)." "Ponniyin Selvan 2 review: Mani Ratnam finally takes some creative liberty and it works" " .The Indian Express .Archived from the original on 6 May 2023. Retrieved5 May 2023 . ^ Menon, Vishal (24 August 2023)."King of Kotha Review: A Clever, Self-Aware Action Drama Turns Into An Empty Postcard Of Daggers And Swagger" .Film Companion . ^ Chandar, Bhuvanesh (15 April 2024)." 'Pon Ondru Kanden' movie review: A vexingly dull, caricaturish rom-com that tests your patience" .The Hindu .Archived from the original on 15 April 2024. Retrieved16 April 2024 . ^ "Hello Mummy movie review: Sharaf U Dheen, Aishwarya Lekshmi's horror comedy keeps flapping its wings, but fails to take off" .The Indian Express . 21 November 2024.^ "Mollywood 2024: 207 movies, but only 22 made money; Manjummel Boys dazzled in hit charts" .Manorama Online . 21 December 2024. Retrieved26 December 2024 .^ "Maaman Tamil Nadu Box Office Day 17: Soori and Aishwarya Lekshmi's actioner makes Rs 1.90 crore on 3rd Sunday, crosses Rs 35 crore mark" .Pinkvilla . 2 June 2025. Retrieved2 June 2025 .^ Ramachandran, Avinash (16 May 2025)."Maaman Movie Review: Aishwarya Lekshmi shines bright in this Soori-fronted melodrama that needed fewer detours" .Cinema Express . Retrieved16 May 2025 . ^ "Thug Life Review: Kamal Haasan's Film Definitely Needed More Life" .NDTV . Retrieved6 June 2025 .^ "Thug Life box office collection day 7: Mani Ratnam delivers his first flop in 10 years, Kamal Haasan-starrer falls short of Baby John, Sikandar" .The Indian Express . 12 June 2025. Retrieved12 June 2025 .^ "Kochi Times Most Desirable Woman 2018" .Times of India . Retrieved23 September 2019 .^ "Kochi Times 30 Most Desirable Woman 2019" .Times of India . Retrieved25 September 2020 .^ "Meet Kochi Times 30 Most Desirable Woman 2020" .Times of India . Retrieved27 September 2021 .^ "100 Greatest Performances of the Decade" .Film Companion . Archived fromthe original on 19 December 2019. Retrieved14 November 2020 .^ "Manju Warrier to Nayanthara: Top 7 highest-paid Malayalam actresses" .MSN . Asianet News. Retrieved21 January 2025 .^ "Showstoppers 2022–23: Meet India's Top 50 Outperformers" .Forbes India .Archived from the original on 6 January 2023. Retrieved29 December 2022 .^ "Nivin Pauly's 'Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela' to be an Onam release" .The News Minute . 4 July 2017.Archived from the original on 30 August 2017. Retrieved30 August 2017 .^ "Aishwarya Lekshmi, Tovino Thomas headline the romance of the year from Mollywood" .Firstpost . 25 December 2017.Archived from the original on 5 February 2022. Retrieved4 February 2022 .^ " 'Varathan' review: Fahadh and Aishwarya hold together an uneven thriller" .The News Minute . 21 September 2018.Archived from the original on 23 September 2018. Retrieved4 October 2018 .^ Soman, Deepa."Vijay Superum Pournamiyum' poster has its stylish lead pair striking a pose" .The Times of India .Archived from the original on 13 December 2018. Retrieved8 December 2018 . ^ "First look poster of Kalidas Jayaram's 'Argentina Fans Kattoorkadavu' is out" .The News Minute . 27 October 2019.Archived from the original on 28 February 2019. Retrieved27 February 2019 .^ "Prasanna to debut in Malayalam with Brother's Day" .The Times of India .Archived from the original on 27 July 2019. Retrieved19 July 2019 .^ "Vishal plays a Commando in Sundar C's 'Action'!" .Sify . 15 August 2019. Archived fromthe original on 15 August 2019. Retrieved15 August 2019 .^ "Aishwarya Lekshmi joins Dhanush-Karthik Subbaraj's next" .The News Minute . 19 July 2019.Archived from the original on 6 February 2021. Retrieved26 August 2021 .^ ലേഖകൻ, മാധ്യമം (20 August 2021)."രമേഷ് പിഷാരടിയും ഐശ്വര്യ ലക്ഷ്മിയും ഒന്നിക്കുന്ന 'ലാഫിങ് ബുദ്ധ' ഒടിടി റിലീസിന്; ട്രെയിലർ പുറത്ത് | Madhyamam" .www.madhyamam.com (in Malayalam).Archived from the original on 24 August 2021. Retrieved3 October 2021 . ^ "Tovino-Aishwarya Lekshmi's Kaanekkaane completed" .The New Indian Express . 10 December 2020.Archived from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved11 December 2020 .^ "Aishwarya Lekshmi completes dubbing for 'Archana 31 Not Out' " .The Times of India . 18 March 2021.Archived from the original on 5 October 2021. Retrieved28 June 2021 .^ Praveen Sudevan (14 January 2022)." 'Putham Pudhu Kaalai Vidiyaadhaa…' review: Three hits and two misses in this anthology of hope" .The Hindu .Archived from the original on 17 January 2022. Retrieved19 January 2022 . ^ "Aishwarya Lekshmi breaks out on stage at the 'Gargi' press meet" .The Times of India . Retrieved7 July 2022 .^ "Arya announces new film Captain with director Shakti Soundar Rajan" .The News Minute . 19 November 2021.Archived from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved20 November 2021 .^ "Aishwarya Lekshmi begins to shoot for Ponniyin Selvan" .The Times of India .Archived from the original on 16 December 2019. Retrieved7 August 2020 .^ "Aishwarya Lekshmi begins filming for 'Gatta Kusthi' in Tenkasi" .The Times of India .Archived from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved14 May 2022 .^ "Aishwarya Lekshmi to debut in Tollywood with 'Godse' " .The News Minute . 13 January 2021.Archived from the original on 24 January 2021. Retrieved12 February 2021 .^ PTI (6 October 2022)."Aishwarya Lekshmi's Telugu movie 'Ammu' to premiere on Prime Video on October 19" .The Hindu .ISSN 0971-751X .Archived from the original on 6 October 2022. Retrieved6 October 2022 . ^ "Aishwarya Lekshmi-starrer Kumari wrapped up | Cinemaexpress" .Cinema Express . 5 February 2022.Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved14 May 2022 .^ "Aishwarya Lekshmi confirms being a part of Mammootty's 'Christopher' " .The Times of India . 18 August 2022.Archived from the original on 19 August 2022. Retrieved22 August 2022 .^ "Dulquer Salmaan join sets of King of Kotha" .The Indian Express . 26 September 2022.Archived from the original on 26 September 2022. Retrieved27 September 2022 .^ "Ponniyin Selvan 2: Vikram And Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's Film Gets A Release Date" .NDTV . 28 December 2022.Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved28 December 2022 .^ Features, C. E. (10 April 2024)." 'Sundari' song from Pon Ondru Kanden out" .Cinema Express . Retrieved10 April 2024 . ^ "Aishwarya Lekshmi, Sharaf U Dheen to star in 'Hello Mummy'; motion poster out" .The Hindu . 4 February 2024. Retrieved21 February 2024 .^ "Maaman: Aishwarya Lekshmi joins the cast of Soori's film with 'Vilangu' fame Prashanth Pandiyaraj" .The Hindu . Retrieved19 December 2024 .^ "Actress Aishwarya Lekshmi to act in Kamal Haasan-starrer Thug Life" .News18 . 13 January 2024.Archived from the original on 17 January 2024. Retrieved24 January 2024 .^ "Sai Dharam Tej to star opposite Aishwarya Lekshmi in his first pan-India film SDT18" .India Today . 27 June 2024. Retrieved30 June 2024 .^ "Urvashi and Joju George unite for 'Aasha'; Aishwarya Lekshmi joins cast; Shoot begins" .The Times of India . 15 July 2025. Retrieved17 July 2025 .^ "Vishnu Vishal-Aishwarya Lekshmi's Gatta Kusthi 2 goes on floors" .The New Indian Express . Retrieved4 September 2025 .^ "20th Asianet Film Awards" .The News Minute . 21 May 2018. Retrieved12 May 2020 .^a b "Winners of the 65th Jio Filmfare Awards (South) 2018" .Filmfare . 16 June 2018.Archived from the original on 17 June 2018. Retrieved9 December 2018 .^ "SIIMA awards 2017 nominations announced" .Sify . Archived fromthe original on 6 September 2017. Retrieved6 June 2021 .^ "SIIMA 2018: Sivakartikeyan, Nivin Pauly, R Madhavan, Hansika Motwani win big on day 1" .Hindustan Times . 15 September 2018.Archived from the original on 1 October 2019. Retrieved19 January 2020 .^ "Film critics awards announced" .The Hindu . 20 April 2018.Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved25 January 2023 .^ "വനിത ഫിലിം അവാര്ഡ് 2018: ഫഹദ് മികച്ച നടൻ, മഞ്ജു വാരിയർ, പാർവതി മികച്ച നടിമാർ" [Women's Film Award 2018: Fahadh Best Actor, Manju Warrier and Parvathy Best Actress].Malayala Manorama (in Malayalam). 27 February 2018. Retrieved7 June 2021 .^ "Asiavision Movie Awards 2018 complete winners list: Ayushmann Khurrana, Ranveer Singh, Dhanush win big" .India TV . 18 February 2019. Retrieved3 January 2020 .^ "CPC Cine Awards 2018: Joju George, Aishwarya Lekshmi & Lijo Jose Pellissery Win Top Honours!" . Yahoo! News. 29 January 2019.Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved8 May 2021 .^ "Vanitha Film Awards 2019: Mohanlal, Manju Warrier & Lijo Jose Pellissery Adjudged The Big Winners!" . Yahoo! Finance. 23 March 2019.Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved8 May 2021 .^ "Nominations for the 66th Filmfare Awards (South) 2019" .Filmfare . 10 December 2019.Archived from the original on 12 December 2019. Retrieved7 May 2021 .^ "Asianet Film Awards 2019 Winners List: Mohanlal, Manju Warrier, Prithviraj & Others Bag Top Honours!" . Yahoo! News. 22 March 2019.Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved7 May 2021 .^ "SIIMA 2019 winners full list: Dhanush, Trisha, Prithviraj win big" .The Indian Express . 17 August 2019.Archived from the original on 17 August 2019. Retrieved7 May 2021 .^ "Team 'Pushpa' wins big in 'SIIMA 2022' Winners list" .The Times of India . 11 September 2022.Archived from the original on 11 September 2022. Retrieved11 September 2022 .^ "Nominations for 68th Filmfare Awards South (Malayalam) 2023" .Filmfare . 11 July 2024. Retrieved15 July 2024 .^ "Winners of the 68th Filmfare Awards South (Tamil ) 2023" .Filmfare . 11 July 2024. Retrieved15 July 2024 .^ "Nominations for 68th Filmfare Awards South (Telugu) 2023" .Filmfare . 11 July 2024. Retrieved15 July 2024 .