Janani (actress)

Janani Iyer was born in Kathivakkam in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. She did her schooling at DAV Gopalapuram and graduated with B.E. Computer Science and Engineering at Saveetha Engineering College, Chennai.{{cite web |title=Bala's new Tamil heroine! |website=Sify |date=31 January 2010 |url=http://sify.com/movies/tamil/fullstory.php?id=14929562 |access-date=2 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100203205152/http://sify.com/movies/tamil/fullstory.php?id=14929562 |archive-date=3 February 2010 |url-status=dead}}{{cite web |url=http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/54271.html |title=Janani Iyer- Bala's new heroine |website=IndiaGlitz.com |date=8 February 2010 |access-date=13 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130715071922/http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/54271.html |archive-date=15 July 2013 |url-status=live}} After her undergraduate studies, she got seat in Wollongong University, Australia. She dropped her studies plan and became a part of the cast of Avan Ivan.{{cite news |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/luck-by-chance/article3436325.ece |title=Luck by chance |first=Malathi |last=Rangarajan |newspaper=The Hindu |date=19 May 2012 |access-date=21 April 2019}} In 2014, she dropped Iyer from her name due to caste reasons.{{Cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/now-janani-iyer-changes-her-name/articleshow/39124393.cms |title=Now, Janani Iyer changes her name |website=The Times of India}} In April 16, actress Janani announced her engagement to her longtime friend Sai Roshan Shyam. The couple got engaged in a private and intimate ceremony attended by close family and friends. Janani confirmed the news by sharing a photograph from the ceremony on her official Instagram account.{{Cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/tamil/bigg-boss-tamil-fame-janani-gets-engaged-to-long-term-bff-sai-roshan-shyam/articleshow/120370509.cms |title=Janani Engagement News: Bigg Boss Tamil fame Janani gets engaged to long-term BFF Sai Roshan Shyam |website=The Times of India}}

After her studies, she ventured into modeling and appeared in over 150 regional television advertisements.{{cite news |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-02-04/news-interviews/28141821_1_avan-ivan-bala-sir-debut |title=A dream start for Janani Iyer |date=4 February 2010 |access-date=1 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131228052627/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-02-04/news-interviews/28141821_1_avan-ivan-bala-sir-debut |archive-date=28 December 2013 |work=The Times of India |url-status=dead}} However, Janani stated that she had always dreamt of becoming an actress, considering acting to be her "passion in life". During her modelling career, she appeared in cameo roles as a model in Thiru Thiru Thuru Thuru (2009) and as an assistant director to K. S. Ravikumar in Gautham Vasudev Menon's Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa (2010). She had earlier signed Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa to play the second lead actress, but her role was later shot featuring Samantha Ruth Prabhu.{{cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/did-you-know/Janani-Iyer-was-to-play-Samanthas-role-in-VTV/articleshow/41793923.cms |title=Janani Iyer was to play Samantha's role in VTV |website=The Times of India |date=5 September 2014 |access-date=21 April 2019}} In early 2010, following the recommendation of director A. L. Vijay, Janani went to audition for director Bala, who was looking for a Tamil-speaking newcomer for the lead female character for his film project, Avan Ivan (2011). Upon seeing her audition, Bala signed her for the role, saying he felt that she "fits into the role". The comedy-drama film featured Janani in the role of an innocent police constable opposite Vishal, and her performance won her positive reviews from critics. Her next release was Paagan (2013), in which she was paired opposite Srikanth.{{cite web |url=http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/70350.html |title=Srikanth – Janani Iyer in 'Paagan' |website=IndiaGlitz |date=29 August 2011 |access-date=29 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111113192848/http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/70350.html |archive-date=13 November 2011 |url-status=live}} A critic from Sify wrote, "Janani Iyer looks beautiful and it is a relief to watch a Tamil girl speaking in her own voice."{{cite web |url=http://www.sify.com/movies/paagan-review-tamil-15007193.html |title=Paagan Movie Review |website=Sify |access-date=18 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140122233108/http://www.sify.com/movies/paagan-review-tamil-15007193.html |archive-date=22 January 2014 |url-status=dead}} She also made her debut in Malayalam cinema with 3 Dots though the film did not perform well commercially.{{cite web |url=http://www.deccanchronicle.com/121128/entertainment-mollywood/article/janani%E2%80%99s-journey-begins-here |title=Janani's journey begins here |work=Deccan Chronicle |date=28 November 2012 |access-date=30 January 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112211441/http://www.deccanchronicle.com/121128/entertainment-mollywood/article/janani%E2%80%99s-journey-begins-here |archive-date=12 November 2013}}

In 2014, she appeared alongside Ashok Selvan in the crime thriller Thegidi, which won positive reviews and became a surprise success at the box office. A critic from IndiaGlitz.com noted "Janani Iyer is sweet and plays her part perfectly as Madhu the innocent girl".{{cite web |url=https://www.indiaglitz.com/thegidi-review-tamil-movie-review-18353 |title=Thegidi Movie Review |date=28 February 2014 |access-date=7 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924190234/http://www.indiaglitz.com/thegidi-review-tamil-movie-review-18353 |archive-date=24 September 2015 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=https://silverscreen.in/features/free-style-the-janani-iyer-interview/ |title=Free Style: The Janani Iyer Interview |last1=Vandhana |date=27 January 2015 |website=silverscreen.in |access-date=21 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406080439/http://silverscreen.in/features/free-style-the-janani-iyer-interview/ |archive-date=6 April 2016 |url-status=dead}} While waiting for better offers from the Tamil film industry, she prioritised working on Malayalam films and notably starred in films such as 3 Dots (2013) opposite Kunchacko Boban, 7th Day (2014) opposite Prithviraj which was a commercial success and Koothara (2014) alongside Mohanlal and Bharath. She also featured opposite actor Asif Ali in successive ventures, Mosayile Kuthira Meenukal (2014) and Ithu Thaanda Police (2016).{{cite web |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/regional/malayalam/news-and-interviews/Prithviraj-to-play-a-middle-aged-cop/articleshow/27240742.cms |title=Prithviraj to play a middle-aged cop! |work=The Times of India |date=13 December 2013 |access-date=30 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213085958/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/regional/malayalam/news-and-interviews/Prithviraj-to-play-a-middle-aged-cop/articleshow/27240742.cms |archive-date=13 December 2013 |url-status=live}} During the period, a further Malayalam film, Edison Photos opposite Nivin Pauly was cancelled.{{cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/Janani-to-play-a-Tulu-Brahmin-girl-in-Edison-Photos/articleshow/32793617.cms |title=Janani to play a Tulu Brahmin girl in Edison Photos |website=The Times of India |date=27 March 2014 |access-date=21 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150704003529/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/Janani-to-play-a-Tulu-Brahmin-girl-in-Edison-Photos/articleshow/32793617.cms |archive-date=4 July 2015 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=http://www.sify.com/movies/i-am-in-no-hurry-says-janani-iyer-news-malayalam-od1jXtcjfjasi.html |title=I am in no hurry, says Janani Iyer |website=Sify |access-date=21 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180925065110/http://www.sify.com/movies/i-am-in-no-hurry-says-janani-iyer-news-malayalam-od1jXtcjfjasi.html |archive-date=25 September 2018 |url-status=dead}}

Janani made a return to Tamil films in 2017 by featuring in the mystery film Adhe Kangal and the horror comedy Balloon. The following year, the long-delayed Vidhi Madhi Ultaa (2018) had a theatrical release, but went unnoticed at the box office. In 2018, she appeared on the Tamil television reality show Bigg Boss Tamil 2 hosted by Kamal Haasan, which is telecasted on Star Vijay.{{Cite news |url=https://www.vikatan.com/news/cinema/127956-janani-iyer-enters-big-boss-house-as-contestant.html |title=பிக்பாஸ் போட்டியாளரான பாலா பட கதாநாயகி! |last=Lee |first=Dharmik |date=17 June 2018 |work=Vikatan |access-date=17 June 2018 |language=ta |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617220123/https://www.vikatan.com/news/cinema/127956-janani-iyer-enters-big-boss-house-as-contestant.html |archive-date=17 June 2018 |url-status=live}}

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Category:Actresses from Chennai

Category:Indian film actresses

Category:Tamil actresses

Category:Actresses in Tamil cinema

Category:Actresses in Malayalam cinema

Category:Female models from Chennai

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century Indian actresses

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)