Did you know Nayanthara's real name is Diana? Here’s why she changed it

Nayanthara is currently under the spotlight for her documentary Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairytale which was released on Netflix on Monday. The one-hour-twenty-two-minute-long documentary offers a peek into her journey from childhood to being the Lady Superstar of Kollywood, highlighting her personal and professional triumphs and struggles. The actress also revealed how she came to be known as Nayanthara, but not by her birth name Diana Mariam Kurian. 

Nayanthara was born into a Malayali Nasrani (Syrian Christian) family to an Indian Army Officer father, Kurien Kodiyattu, and a homemaker Omana Kurien, in Karnataka. She was in college in 2003 when she was spotted by director Sathyan Anthikkad. The director, impressed by her confident personality, decided to launch her in a Malayalam film, Manassinakkare. However, he thought that her name couldn't be the same as her character name, Diana. Following this, he shortlisted three new names, and the clapboard boy at the shoot was the one who picked his favourite: Nayanthara, which means ‘star’ and since then Diana became Nayanthara. 

Later, Nayanthara also embraced Hinduism at the Arya Samaj Temple in Chennai. She completed the ritual under the guidance of the priest where she chanted hymns and Gayatri Mantra. She officially changed from being Christian to Hindu in 2011. The actress, currently married to filmmaker Vignesh Shivan, used a Christian-Hindu traditional theme for a wedding ceremony in 2022 in Chennai. On the professional front, Nayanthara made her Bollywood debut with Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan released in 2023. Up next, the actress is set to feature in Rakkayie, directed by debutante filmmaker Senthil Nallasamy. On the occasion of her 40th birthday, she revealed the first look teaser of the upcoming action-drama. Her fierce action sequences and intense acting in the teaser has created high expectations among the audience for the upcoming film.