Actor profile

Saranya Ponvannan

26th April 1970 Alappuzha, Kerala, India Acting

Sheela better known by her stage name Saranya is an Indian film actress who has predominantly appeared in Tamil language films. Saranya made her debut in a lead role in Mani Ratnam's Nayagan and went on to play lead roles in a few films during the late 1980s. Following an eight-year sabbatical, she returned to feature films as a character artiste, essaying supporting roles, particularly playing mother characters to lead artists. For her performances in films including Raam (2005), Thavamai Thavamirundhu (2005), Em Magan (2006) and Kalavani (2010), she has received notable critical praise and several accolades, including three Filmfare Awards for Best Supporting Actress, while her performance in Thenmerku Paruvakaatru fetched her the National Film Award for Best Actress in 2011.Saranya is the daughter of Malayalam film director A. B. Raj. She is married to a fellow actor, Ponvannan.

100 Movies 0 TV Shows 124 Credits

Filmography

Movies & TV Shows

Nagabandham: The Secret Treasure poster

Nagabandham: The Secret Treasure 2nd July 2026 as Padmamma

Bha. Bha. Ba. poster

Bha. Bha. Ba. 18th December 2025 as Vaavamani

Bun Butter Jam poster

Bun Butter Jam 18th July 2025 as Lalitha

Nilavuku En Mel Ennadi Kobam poster

Nilavuku En Mel Ennadi Kobam 21st February 2025 as Ponni

Brother poster

Brother 30th October 2024 as Hemamalini

Mazhai Pidikatha Manithan poster

Mazhai Pidikatha Manithan 2nd August 2024 as Burma's Mother

Conjuring Kannappan poster

Conjuring Kannappan 8th December 2023 as Lakshmi

Kushi poster

Kushi 31st August 2023

Aruva Sanda poster

Aruva Sanda 30th December 2022

Varalaru Mukkiyam poster

Varalaru Mukkiyam 9th December 2022

Chup poster

Chup 23rd September 2022 as Mrs. Menon

Viruman poster

Viruman 12th August 2022 as Muthulakshmi

Etharkkum Thunindhavan poster

Etharkkum Thunindhavan 10th March 2022 as Kosalai

MGR Magan poster

MGR Magan 4th November 2021 as Rasaathi

Maha Samudram poster

Maha Samudram 14th October 2021 as Arjun's mother

Sashi poster

Sashi 19th March 2021

Bhoomi poster

Bhoomi 14th January 2021 as Bhoominathan's Mother

Nani's Gang Leader poster

Nani's Gang Leader 13th September 2019 as Varalakshmi

Kalavani 2 poster

Kalavani 2 5th July 2019

Oru Kuprasidha Payyan poster

Oru Kuprasidha Payyan 9th November 2018 as Chembammal

Kolamavu Kokila poster

Kolamavu Kokila 17th August 2018 as Kokila's Mother

Marainthirunthu Paarkum Marmam Enna poster

Marainthirunthu Paarkum Marmam Enna 17th August 2018 as Aiyappan's Mother

Junga poster

Junga 27th July 2018 as Junga's mother

Inba Twinkle Lilly poster

Inba Twinkle Lilly 29th June 2018 as Inbaa

The Villain poster

The Villain 31st May 2018 as Vishalavva

Mannar Vagaiyara poster

Mannar Vagaiyara 26th January 2018 as Ilaiyarani's mother

Magalir Mattum poster

Magalir Mattum 15th September 2017 as Subbu

Katha Nayagan poster

Katha Nayagan 8th September 2017 as Thambidurai's Mother

Velaiyilla Pattathari 2 poster

Velaiyilla Pattathari 2 11th August 2017 as Bhuvana

Achamindri poster

Achamindri 30th December 2016

Kodi poster

Kodi 28th October 2016 as Kodi and Anbu's Mother

Remo poster

Remo 7th October 2016 as Arun's Mother

Tamilselvanum Thaniyar Anjalum poster

Tamilselvanum Thaniyar Anjalum 5th August 2016

Brahmotsavam poster

Brahmotsavam 20th May 2016

Brahmotsavam poster

Brahmotsavam 20th May 2016 as Ajay's Relative

24 poster

24 5th May 2016 as Sathyabama

Bangalore Naatkal poster

Bangalore Naatkal 4th February 2016 as Kannan's mother

Velaiyilla Pattathari poster

Velaiyilla Pattathari 18th July 2014 as Bhuvana

Manam poster

Manam 23rd May 2014 as Seetharamudu's Mother

Naan Sigappu Manithan poster

Naan Sigappu Manithan 11th April 2014 as Sumathi

Idhu Kathirvelan Kadhal poster

Idhu Kathirvelan Kadhal 14th February 2014 as Yasothammal

All in All Azhagu Raja poster

All in All Azhagu Raja 2nd November 2013 as Meenakshi Muthukrishnan

Naiyaandi poster

Naiyaandi 11th October 2013

Kutti Puli poster

Kutti Puli 30th May 2013 as Dheivaanai

Vatthikuchi poster

Vatthikuchi 15th March 2013 as Sakthi's mother

Neerparavai poster

Neerparavai 30th November 2012 as Mary

Chaarulatha poster

Chaarulatha 21st September 2012 as Charu and Latha's mother

Oru Kal Oru Kannadi poster

Oru Kal Oru Kannadi 12th April 2012 as Shenbagam Saravanan's mother

Mazhaikaalam poster

Mazhaikaalam 6th April 2012

Vaanam poster

Vaanam 29th April 2011 as Lakshmi

Muthukku Muthaaga poster

Muthukku Muthaaga 18th March 2011 as Pechi

Thenmerku Paruvakatru poster

Thenmerku Paruvakatru 24th December 2010 as Veerayi

Komaram Puli poster

Komaram Puli 10th September 2010 as Puli's Mother

Kalavani poster

Kalavani 25th June 2010 as Lakshmi

Vedam poster

Vedam 4th June 2010 as Padma

Magane En Marumagane poster

Magane En Marumagane 21st May 2010 as Jameendar's wife

Guru Sishyan poster

Guru Sishyan 7th May 2010 as Mahalakshmi

Thambikku Indha Ooru poster

Thambikku Indha Ooru 5th March 2010

Yavarum Nalam poster

Yavarum Nalam 6th March 2009 as Manohar's Mother

Colors poster

Colors 31st January 2009 as Lt.col.Dr Rajalakshmi

Dindigul Sarathy poster

Dindigul Sarathy 18th December 2008 as Sarathy's Mother

Thenavattu poster

Thenavattu 21st November 2008

Ready poster

Ready 19th June 2008

Paandi poster

Paandi 23rd May 2008 as Sivakami

Kuruvi poster

Kuruvi 3rd May 2008 as Koccha's Wife

Nenjathai Killadhe poster

Nenjathai Killadhe 14th February 2008

Pidichirukku poster

Pidichirukku 14th January 2008

Puli Varudhu poster

Puli Varudhu 21st December 2007

Vel poster

Vel 8th November 2007 as Mrs Thiyagarajan

Kireedam poster

Kireedam 20th July 2007 as Shakti's Mother

Pirappu poster

Pirappu 1st June 2007 as Kaliammal

Raju Bhai poster

Raju Bhai 18th May 2007

Jagadam poster

Jagadam 16th March 2007

Thirumagan poster

Thirumagan 9th March 2007 as Jayakodi

Rakhi poster

Rakhi 22nd December 2006 as Gowri's Mother

Thiruvilaiyaadal Aarambam poster

Thiruvilaiyaadal Aarambam 15th December 2006 as Saradha

Em Magan poster

Em Magan 8th September 2006 as Krishna's Mother

Sivakasi poster

Sivakasi 1st November 2005 as Kayalvizhi

Thavamai Thavamiruntu poster

Thavamai Thavamiruntu 31st October 2005 as Sarada

Raam poster

Raam 4th March 2005 as Saradha

Meesai Madhavan poster

Meesai Madhavan 17th December 2004 as Devi, Vignesh's mother

Adhu poster

Adhu 15th October 2004 as Meera's Mother

Arul poster

Arul 7th May 2004

Chatrapathy poster

Chatrapathy 3rd February 2004 as Saravanan's Sister

Alai poster

Alai 8th July 2003

Meendum Savithri poster

Meendum Savithri 9th February 1996 as Uma

Appaji poster

Appaji 4th January 1996

Karuththamma poster

Karuththamma 3rd November 1994 as Periyakanni

Dollar poster

Dollar 31st December 1993 as Lucy

Injakkadan Mathai & Sons poster

Injakkadan Mathai & Sons 19th March 1993 as Beena

Aanaval Mothiram poster

Aanaval Mothiram 27th April 1991 as Annie

Naan Pudicha Mappillai poster

Naan Pudicha Mappillai 21st February 1991

Ennum Nanmakal poster

Ennum Nanmakal 15th February 1991 as Indu

Aakasha Kottayile Sultan poster

Aakasha Kottayile Sultan 1st January 1991 as Mallika

Anjali poster

Anjali 12th July 1990 as Dr. Sheela

Ulagam Pirandhadhu Enakkaga poster

Ulagam Pirandhadhu Enakkaga 14th April 1990

Artham poster

Artham 28th July 1989 as Manasa

Sakalakala Sammandi poster

Sakalakala Sammandi 7th July 1989

Andru Peytha Mazhaiyil poster

Andru Peytha Mazhaiyil 29th January 1989 as Preethy

Nayakan poster

Nayakan 21st October 1987 as Neela

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