Top 5 Actress in Tollywood: Leading Ladies of the Telugu Film Industry
Top 5 Actress in Tollywood, known for their mesmerizing performances and stunning beauty. From established stars to emerging talents, explore the diverse talents shaping the Telugu film industry.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu
Samantha Ruth Prabhu (formerly Akkineni; born 28 April 1987) is an Indian actress who works primarily in Telugu and Tamil films.She is the recipient of several accolades, including four Filmfare Awards South.
After a brief stint as a model while pursuing a degree in commerce, Samantha made her acting debut in the Telugu romance film Ye Maaya Chesave (2010), winning the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut – South. She became the second actress to win both the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil and Best Actress – Telugu in the same year, for her performances in the 2012 films Neethaane En Ponvasantham and Eega, respectively. Over the next few years, she played the leading lady in top-grossing androcentric films such as Dookudu (2011), Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu (2012), Attarintiki Daredi (2013), Kaththi (2014), Theri (2016), 24 (2016), Mersal(2017), and Rangasthalam (2018). Her performance in A Aa (2016) won Samantha her fourth Filmfare Award, and she gained further praise for her performances in Mahanati (2018), Super Deluxe (2019), and Majili (2019), and the Amazon Prime Video thriller series The Family Man (2021). The last of these earned her a Filmfare OTT Award. In 2023, she had two critical and commercial failures in Shaakuntalam and Kushi.
Samantha is the founder of a charitable trust Pratyusha Support
Rashmika Mandanna
Rashmika Mandanna (born 5 April 1996) is an Indian actress who works in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi films.She is a recipient of four SIIMA Awards and a Filmfare Award South. She was featured by Forbes India in their 30 Under 30 list of 2024.
Rashmika made her acting debut with the Kannada film Kirik Party(2016), and had her first Telugu film release in the romantic comedy Chalo (2018). A turning point in her career came with the romance Geetha Govindam (2018), which earned her the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress – South. She played the leading lady in the action comedies Devadas (2018) and Sarileru Neekevvaru (2020), and the romance Bheeshma (2020), with her performance in the latter earning critical acclaim. Her first Tamil release came in the action drama film Sulthan (2021).
She gained wider success for playing the leading lady in the action film Pushpa: The Rise (2022). Following a supporting role in the period drama Sita Ramam (2022), she expanded to Hindi cinema and had her highest-grossing release with the action thriller Animal (2023).
Tamannaah Bhatia
Tamanna Bhatia (born 21 December 1989), is an Indian actress who primarily works in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi cinema. She has appeared in over 80 films, and has won a Kalaimamani Award, a SIIM Award and has received several Filmfare Awards South nominations.
Tamannaah began her acting career with the Hindi film Chand Sa Roshan Chehra (2005). She then debuted in Telugu cinema with Sri (2005) and Tamil cinema with Kedi (2006). Her Telugu films include Happy Days (2007), Konchem Ishtam Konchem Kashtam (2009), 100% Love (2011), Oosaravelli (2011), Racha (2012), Tadakha (2013), Aagadu (2014), Baahubali: The Beginning (2015), Bengal Tiger (2015), Oopiri (2016), Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017), F2: Fun and Frustration (2019), Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy (2019) and F3: Fun and Frustration (2022). Her Tamil films include Ayan (2009), Paiyaa (2010), Sura (2010), Siruthai (2011), Veeram(2014), Devi (2016), Sketch (2018) and Jailer (2023).
She has also starred in several streaming projects, including 11th Hour (2021), November Story (2021), Jee Karda (2023) and Aakhri Sach (2023).
Kajal Aggarwal
Kajal A Kitchlu ( Aggarwal;born 19 June 1985) is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Telugu and Tamil language films alongside Hindi language films. She has worked in more than 50 films and has received two South Indian International Movie Awards.
Aggarwal made her acting debut with a small role in the 2004 Hindi film Kyun! Ho Gaya Na… and had her first Telugu film release in Lakshmi Kalyanam (2007). In the same year, she gained wider recognition for starring in Chandamama. The 2009 fantasy film Magadheera, one of the highest-grossing Telugu films of all time, marked a turning point in her career, earning her critical acclaim.
Her other notable Telugu films include Darling (2010), Brindavanam (2010), Mr. Perfect (2011), Businessman (2012), Naayak (2013), Baadhah (2013), Govindudu Andarivadele (2014), Temper (2015), Khaidi No. 150 (2017), Nene Raju Nene Mantri (2017), Awe (2018) and Bhagavanth Kesari (2023).She has also played the female lead in the high-profile Tamil projects Naan Mahaan Alla (2010), Maattrraan (2012), Thuppakki (2012), Jilla (2014), Vivegam (2017), Mersal (2017) and Comali (2019). Her most successful Hindi films were the action film Singham (2011) and the thriller Special 26 (2013).
In 2020, a wax figure of Aggarwal was put on display at Madame Tussauds Singapore, making it the first of an actress from South Indian cinema.
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Anushka Shetty
Sweety Shetty (born 7 November 1981), known by her stage name Anushka Shetty, is an Indian actress known for her work majorly in Telugu and Tamil cinema. She is the recipient of three Filmare Awards South, two Nandi Awards, two SIIMA Awards and one Tamil Nadu State Film Award. Having appeared in 48 films in a variety of roles, she is one of the highest-paid South Indian actresses.
She made her acting debut with the 2005 Telugu film Super, which garnered her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress – Telugu nomination. The following year, she starred in S. S. Rajamouli’s blockbuster hit Vikramarkudu. Her further releases Lakshyam (2007), Souryam (2008), and Chintakayala Ravi (2008) were also box office successes. In 2009, Shetty played dual roles in the Telugu dark fantasy film Arundhati, which led her to her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu, and Nandi Award. The following year, Shetty’s portrayal of a prostitute in the acclaimed drama Vedam won her a second consecutive Best Actress Award from Filmfare.
In the 2010s, Shetty also starred in Tamil cinema in the action films such as Vettaikaaran (2009), Singam (2010), Singam II (2013), and Yennai Arindhaal (2015), all of which were major commercial successes. She continued to draw praise from critics with her leading performances in the dramas Vaanam (2011), Deiva Thirumagal (2011) and Size Zero (2015). She portrayed the titular queen in the 2015 epic historical fiction Rudhramadevi, which won her the third Filmfare Award for Best Actress- Telugu. Shetty’s portrayal of Princess Devasena in the Baahubali series (2015–17) received widespread acclaim