Anu Sithara – Malayalam film actress of ‘Ramante Eden Thottam’ fame

Anu Sithara is a popular actress belonging to Malayalam film industry and she has also done a couple of Tamil movies. She made her film debut with 2013 Malayalam flick – Pottas Bomb as a child artist and also appeared in Oru Indian Pranayakadha as young Tulasi before moving to adult roles. She started her debut as an adult actress through Tamil film, Veri (Thimiru 2) and later fully concentrated on to Malayalam films. After a supporting role in Anarkali she played her first lead role in low-budget film, Happy Wedding in 2016. Since then in the past 5-6 years she appeared in 20 films within a short interval of time, earning fame as a top actress.

She played younger version of Lakshmi Gopalaswamy in Sathyan Anthikad’s Oru Indian Pranayakadha

Anu Sithara hails from Kalpetta of Wyanad district. She was born in 1995 to a Muslim father and Hindu mother. She is a trained dancer who studied at Kerala Kalamandalam, and won many prizes during her academic years. Since childhood she dreamt to become an actress. Yet she never imagined that her dreams would come true. She got married to Vishnu, long before she became a heroine in Malayalam cinema, and her husband accompanies her to film sets.

She started her film journey in 2013 as a child artist and later moved to lead heroine roles, within a short time. Initially she played supporting roles. Happy Wedding was her first full-length role in Malayalam cinema, and later she appeared in Campus Diary, Fukri, Marupadi etc. After that she bagged the lead role in Ramante Eden Thottam, opposite Kunchakko Boban. The movie received rave reviews, and Anu shot to instant fame after the movie release. Her performance in the movie bagged her numerous awards and nominations.

She got the major break through Ramante Eden Thottam

She received more film offers, and she later appeared in Achayans, Sarvopari Palakkaran, Naval Enna Jewel, Aana Alaralodalaral, Captain, Mamangam, Padayottam, Oru Kuttanadan Blog, Johny Johny Yes Appa, Subharathri, Oru Kuprasidha Payyan, And the Oscar Goes To… etc. Captain and Padayottam are among her major hits.

Anu Sithara – Some interesting and less-known facts

1. As she was born to Muslim father and Hindu mother, she practises both beliefs. She was brought up in a mixed culture.

2. She acted in two Tamil films – Veri (Thimiru 2) and Podhu Nalan Karudhi. After playing child roles Veri (Thimiru 2) was her first role as an adult actress.

3. Her father Abdul Salam is an amateur theater artist who wanted to join films. He played a cameo role in Subharathri, where his daughter played a pivot role.

4. She along with her mother runs a dance school at school, and it’s titled Navarasa.

5. She has participated in several talent hunt shows on television, and served as the celebrity judge for Mazhavil Manorama’s show, Eastern D4Junior v/s senior.

6. She is one of the very few successful actresses who made screen debut after marriage.

7. She married Vishnu in 2015 at the age of 20, after one-year long fight with her parents and settled in Wyanad. He is a distant relative of her mother. They secretly did register marriage before telling parents.

8. Before marriage once she went to Guruvayur temple for a photo shoot. Vishnu was also present in the role of a photographer. Though she wanted to enter the temple, because of time constraints she couldn’t fulfill her wish. She prayed in front of the temple that if her wish to marry Vishnu is fulfilled, they together will visit the temple. Within a few months they got married, and went to temple together. After marriage she was surprised to know that Vishnu also prayed the same.

9. She joined Kerala Kalamandalam after class 7. Though she joined the dance school with dreams to get doctorate in dance forms, she wanted to return back. Once she fled from the school lying that she wants to go to a temple on the special occasion of her birthday.

10. Her first stage appearance was for a cinematic dance for Malayalam song, “Sundari Sundari Onnorungi Vaa”. Her father was a stage actor and her mother, a dancer, and she did her first performance in the stage where both her parents have performed.

11. She mostly appeared in yellow costume for her stage performances and cultural events at village. She also got the nickname, “Manja Kili”, which literally means ‘Yellow bird’.