# Sanjana Krishnamoorthy (சஞ்சனா கிருஷ்ணமூர்த்தி)
**Sanjana Krishnamoorthy** (சஞ்சனா கிருஷ்ணமூர்த்தி; born 2000) is an Indian actress and assistant director who works in Tamil-language films and web series. She is known for playing Velonie in the thriller web series *[Vadhandhi: The Fable of Velonie](https://www.edgepedia.org/vadhandhi-the-fable-of-velonie)* (2022) and Durga in the cricket drama film *Lubber Pandhu* (2024), and she has also worked as an assistant director to [Mani Ratnam](https://www.edgepedia.org/mani-ratnam) on *Thug Life* (2025).[1](https://tamilurl.com/celebrities/sanjana-krishnamoorthy/) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm14222534)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 2000, Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu, India[1](https://tamilurl.com/celebrities/sanjana-krishnamoorthy/) |
| Breakthrough role | Velonie, the central character of the Amazon Prime Video series *Vadhandhi: The Fable of Velonie* (2022)[1](https://tamilurl.com/celebrities/sanjana-krishnamoorthy/) |
| Film debut | Durga in *Lubber Pandhu* (2024), directed by Tamizharasan Pachamuthu[1](https://tamilurl.com/celebrities/sanjana-krishnamoorthy/) |
| Dual role on *Thug Life* (2025) | Assistant director to Mani Ratnam and actor, playing Mangai Shakthivel, daughter of Kamal Haasan's character[3](https://www.tv9tamilnews.com/entertainment/actress-sanjana-krishnamoorthy-has-spoken-candidly-about-working-on-director-mani-ratnams-film-thug-life-8036.html) |
| Upcoming film | Parvathi in *DC*, directed by Arun Matheswaran and produced by Sun Pictures, opposite Lokesh Kanagaraj in his acting debut and Wamiqa Gabbi[1](https://tamilurl.com/celebrities/sanjana-krishnamoorthy/) |
| Education | Visual Communication at M.O.P. Vaishnav College for Women, Chennai[1](https://tamilurl.com/celebrities/sanjana-krishnamoorthy/) |
| Recognition | Special award for best new face for *Lubber Pandhu* at the South Indian International Movie Awards in 2025[4](https://elcinema.com/person/2187492/) |
## Early life and background
Sanjana Krishnamoorthy was born in 2000 in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu.[1](https://tamilurl.com/celebrities/sanjana-krishnamoorthy/) She studied Visual Communication at M.O.P. Vaishnav College for Women in Chennai, where she took part in student films and workshops and interned with small production houses.[1](https://tamilurl.com/celebrities/sanjana-krishnamoorthy/) After finishing her degree she worked as a graphic designer on the YouTube channel Aasam Machi, where she also appeared in a few videos.[1](https://tamilurl.com/celebrities/sanjana-krishnamoorthy/)
She has said that as a child she wanted to be a filmmaker, and she entered cinema with directing in mind before the camera drew her to acting first.[5](https://www.indulgexpress.com/amp/story/entertainment/celebs/2025/Jan/10/sanjana-krishnamoorthy-on-pongal-celebrations-her-rise-in-kollywood-and-pursuing-her-filmmaking-dream)
## Screen career
**Vadhandhi.** Her screen debut came in the whodunit mystery thriller *Vadhandhi: The Fable of Velonie* (2022), an Amazon Prime Video series produced by Pushkar and Gayatri's company Wallwatcher Films, in which she played the enigmatic title character Velonie.[1](https://tamilurl.com/celebrities/sanjana-krishnamoorthy/) Sharing the screen with SJ Suryah, Laila, and Nassar, her performance drew attention and is credited with first establishing her as an actress to watch.[5](https://www.indulgexpress.com/amp/story/entertainment/celebs/2025/Jan/10/sanjana-krishnamoorthy-on-pongal-celebrations-her-rise-in-kollywood-and-pursuing-her-filmmaking-dream) • [6](https://www.filmibeat.com/top-listing/why-sanjana-krishnamoorthy-is-one-of-tamil-cinemas-most-promising-young-stars-5-8958.html) Her first screen credit was a smaller part as Pallavi in the 2021 mini-series *I Hate You I Love You*.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm14222534)
**Lubber Pandhu.** She made her film debut as the female lead, Durga, in *Lubber Pandhu* (2024), directed by debutant Tamizharasan Pachamuthu, opposite [Harish Kalyan](https://www.edgepedia.org/harish-kalyan) and Attakathi Dinesh.[7](https://www.tv9tamilnews.com/entertainment/sanjana-krishnamoorthy-shared-something-about-the-dc-movie-she-starred-in-with-lokesh-kanagaraj-80274.html) The film, set in rural Perambalur, is a sports drama about street cricket that also deals with caste politics and family dynamics; Durga is the daughter of Swasika's character Yashodha and becomes the fiancée of Kalyan's character Anbu.[1](https://tamilurl.com/celebrities/sanjana-krishnamoorthy/) • [8](https://www.thenewsminute.com/flix/lubber-pandhu-review-a-nuanced-drama-unfolding-on-the-canvas-of-a-sports-film)
Released on 20 September 2024, the film became a commercial success, earning over ₹440 million (₹44 crore) worldwide on a modest budget, and holds an IMDb rating of 8.1/10.[1](https://tamilurl.com/celebrities/sanjana-krishnamoorthy/) Reviewers singled her out: [The Indian Express](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-indian-express) called Durga one of the film's strong emotional cores, while a Lensmen review noted that she was really good as Anbu's cheerful lover, a character with more clarity than her mother.[9](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/lubber-pandhu-movie-review-sports-spice-and-everything-nice-perfectly-come-together-in-this-riveting-family-drama-9576922/lite/) • [10](https://lensmenreviews.com/lubber-pandhu-tamil-movie-review-2024/) Her performance was praised by industry figures including [Vetrimaaran](https://www.edgepedia.org/vetrimaaran) and [Vijay Sethupathi](https://www.edgepedia.org/vijay-sethupathi).[1](https://tamilurl.com/celebrities/sanjana-krishnamoorthy/) In 2025 she received a special best-new-face award for the role at the South Indian International Movie Awards.[4](https://elcinema.com/person/2187492/) The film also placed among the top 10 Tamil films of 2024 by one account.[11](https://www.indiatoday.in/visualstories/entertainment/rising-star-sanjana-krishnamoorthy-241891-13-06-2025)
**Thug Life.** In 2025 she appeared in Mani Ratnam's *Thug Life*, starring [Kamal Haasan](https://www.edgepedia.org/kamal-haasan) and Silambarasan TR, playing Mangai Shakthivel, the daughter of Haasan's and Abhirami's characters.[1](https://tamilurl.com/celebrities/sanjana-krishnamoorthy/) • [11](https://www.indiatoday.in/visualstories/entertainment/rising-star-sanjana-krishnamoorthy-241891-13-06-2025) On the same film she served as an assistant director, having begun her film work in that capacity and having assisted directors including Mani Ratnam.[1](https://tamilurl.com/celebrities/sanjana-krishnamoorthy/) • [7](https://www.tv9tamilnews.com/entertainment/sanjana-krishnamoorthy-shared-something-about-the-dc-movie-she-starred-in-with-lokesh-kanagaraj-80274.html) She spoke about both roles at the film's trailer release event.[3](https://www.tv9tamilnews.com/entertainment/actress-sanjana-krishnamoorthy-has-spoken-candidly-about-working-on-director-mani-ratnams-film-thug-life-8036.html)
## Upcoming projects
Her next significant role is Parvathi in *DC*, directed by [Arun Matheswaran](https://www.edgepedia.org/arun-matheswaran) and produced by Sun Pictures, appearing alongside [Lokesh Kanagaraj](https://www.edgepedia.org/lokesh-kanagaraj) in his acting debut and [Wamiqa Gabbi](https://www.edgepedia.org/wamiqa-gabbi).[1](https://tamilurl.com/celebrities/sanjana-krishnamoorthy/) In an interview she described the film as set in a different kind of world and noted that its trending music is by Anirudh, marking her first film under that composer's direction.[7](https://www.tv9tamilnews.com/entertainment/sanjana-krishnamoorthy-shared-something-about-the-dc-movie-she-starred-in-with-lokesh-kanagaraj-80274.html) Listings also credit her with appearances in *Parimala and Co* (as Parasakthi) and the music video *Hangova* (2026), both connected to the *DC* project, with further films in production.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm14222534) • [12](https://www.studioflicks.com/person/sanjana-krishnamoorthy/)
## Career profile
Sanjana's career spans digital content, web series, and feature films, and she has explored several sides of filmmaking, moving from graphic design to assistant directing and acting.[1](https://tamilurl.com/celebrities/sanjana-krishnamoorthy/) • [13](https://saurav350.wordpress.com/2026/10/01/sanjana-krishnamoorthys-journey-in-tamil-cinema-and-ott/) Commentators describe her as building her place through varied characters, filmmakers, and genres rather than through big commercial projects alone, with roles ranging from the mystery of *Vadhandhi* to the cricket drama of *Lubber Pandhu* and the ensemble of *Thug Life*.[6](https://www.filmibeat.com/top-listing/why-sanjana-krishnamoorthy-is-one-of-tamil-cinemas-most-promising-young-stars-5-8958.html) She has stated an ambition to direct.[5](https://www.indulgexpress.com/amp/story/entertainment/celebs/2025/Jan/10/sanjana-krishnamoorthy-on-pongal-celebrations-her-rise-in-kollywood-and-pursuing-her-filmmaking-dream)
## References
1. [Sanjana Krishnamoorthy (2000) – Vadhandhi Velonie Actress, Tamil URL](https://tamilurl.com/celebrities/sanjana-krishnamoorthy/)
2. [Sanjana, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm14222534)
3. [Sanjana Krishnamoorthy on Thug Life, TV9 Tamil News](https://www.tv9tamilnews.com/entertainment/actress-sanjana-krishnamoorthy-has-spoken-candidly-about-working-on-director-mani-ratnams-film-thug-life-8036.html)
4. [Sanjana, ElCinema](https://elcinema.com/person/2187492/)
5. [Sanjana Krishnamoorthy on Pongal celebrations and her filmmaking dream, Indulge Express](https://www.indulgexpress.com/amp/story/entertainment/celebs/2025/Jan/10/sanjana-krishnamoorthy-on-pongal-celebrations-her-rise-in-kollywood-and-pursuing-her-filmmaking-dream)
6. [Why Sanjana Krishnamoorthy Is One of Tamil Cinema's Most Promising Young Stars, FilmiBeat](https://www.filmibeat.com/top-listing/why-sanjana-krishnamoorthy-is-one-of-tamil-cinemas-most-promising-young-stars-5-8958.html)
7. [Sanjana Krishnamoorthy on the DC movie, TV9 Tamil News](https://www.tv9tamilnews.com/entertainment/sanjana-krishnamoorthy-shared-something-about-the-dc-movie-she-starred-in-with-lokesh-kanagaraj-80274.html)
8. [Lubber Pandhu review, The News Minute](https://www.thenewsminute.com/flix/lubber-pandhu-review-a-nuanced-drama-unfolding-on-the-canvas-of-a-sports-film)
9. [Lubber Pandhu Movie Review, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/lubber-pandhu-movie-review-sports-spice-and-everything-nice-perfectly-come-together-in-this-riveting-family-drama-9576922/lite/)
10. [Lubber Pandhu Review, Lensmen Reviews](https://lensmenreviews.com/lubber-pandhu-tamil-movie-review-2024/)
11. [Rising star Sanjana Krishnamoorthy, India Today](https://www.indiatoday.in/visualstories/entertainment/rising-star-sanjana-krishnamoorthy-241891-13-06-2025)
12. [Sanjana Krishnamoorthy filmography, StudioFlicks](https://www.studioflicks.com/person/sanjana-krishnamoorthy/)
13. [Sanjana Krishnamoorthy's Journey in Tamil Cinema and OTT, thedigitalcraft](https://saurav350.wordpress.com/2026/10/01/sanjana-krishnamoorthys-journey-in-tamil-cinema-and-ott/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of South Asia › Indian screen actors, 2000s onward › Surnames H to K*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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