# Sshivada
**Sshivada** (ശിവദ നായർ; born 1986) is an Indian film actress who works in Malayalam and [Tamil cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/tamil-cinema). Her birth name is Sreelekha Nair, and she is also credited as K. V. Srilekha Nair.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5615167/bio/) She entered films with a small role in the 2009 Malayalam anthology *Kerala Cafe*, became a lead actress with Fazil's *Living Together* (2011), and built her reputation through Tamil films such as *Nedunchalai* (2014) and *Adhe Kangal* (2017) before returning to prominent Malayalam roles.[2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnwHh0Oclx8) • [3](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/stories/interviews/2017/Aug/16/directors-trust-me-sshivada-1648.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1986, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu; family moved to Angamaly, Kerala, when she was in the fifth standard[4](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/celebs/sshivada-nair.html) |
| Screen name | Sshivada, the stage name of Sreelekha Nair (K. V. Srilekha Nair)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5615167/bio/) |
| Debut | Small role in the Malayalam anthology *Kerala Cafe* (2009); female lead in Fazil's *Living Together* (2011)[2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnwHh0Oclx8) |
| Tamil debut | *Nedunchalai* (2014), opposite Aari Arujunan[3](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/stories/interviews/2017/Aug/16/directors-trust-me-sshivada-1648.html) |
| Awards | Ananda Vikatan Cinema Award and SIIMA award for *Adhe Kangal* (2017); Kerala Film Critics Award for Best Actress (2023, shared with Zarin Shihab) for *Jawanum Mullappoovum*[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5615167/bio/) • [5](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/i-want-to-always-be-associated-with-some-form-of-art-sshivada/articleshow/111652618.cms) |
| Education | Bachelor's degree in Computer Science Engineering, Adi Shankara Institute of Engineering and Technology, Kerala[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5615167/bio/) |
| Personal life | Married Malayalam actor Murali Krishnan in 2015; the couple has a daughter, Arundathi[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5615167/bio/) • [5](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/i-want-to-always-be-associated-with-some-form-of-art-sshivada/articleshow/111652618.cms) |
## Early life and education
Sshivada was born in [Tiruchirappalli](https://www.edgepedia.org/tiruchirappalli), Tamil Nadu, in 1986. When she was in the fifth standard, her family moved from [Tamil Nadu](https://www.edgepedia.org/tamil-nadu) to Angamaly in Kerala, and she has described herself as comfortable speaking Tamil because she studied in Chennai until that age.[4](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/celebs/sshivada-nair.html) • [2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnwHh0Oclx8) She attended Viswajyothi CMI Public School in Angamaly and earned a [Bachelor's degree](https://www.edgepedia.org/bachelors-degree) in Computer Science Engineering from the Adi Shankara Institute of Engineering and Technology.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5615167/bio/) In a 2017 interview she said she had received job offers from at least two top companies but chose to follow acting instead.[3](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/stories/interviews/2017/Aug/16/directors-trust-me-sshivada-1648.html)
## Career
**Beginnings.** Sshivada's first screen appearance was a small role in *Kerala Cafe* (2009), a Malayalam anthology film in which she played a writer's former lover in one segment.[2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnwHh0Oclx8) • [6](https://www.thenamesdictionary.com/references-for/sshivada) The role did not bring her wide recognition, and she spent the following years working as a television presenter on channel programs. Malayalam director Fazil then cast her as the female lead in *Living Together* (2011), her first film as a heroine.[2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnwHh0Oclx8) • [4](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/celebs/sshivada-nair.html)
**Tamil breakthrough.** Her Tamil debut came with *Nedunchalai* (2014), directed by N. Krishna, in which she played Manga, a Malayalam village girl who runs a dhaba; the critic site Sify wrote that the "new find Shivada... steals the show".[2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnwHh0Oclx8) She followed it with *[Zero](https://www.edgepedia.org/zero-2016-film)* (2016), *Adhe Kangal* (2017), and *Chanakya Thanthram* (2018), among other Tamil films.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5615167/bio/) Although she grew up largely in Kerala, she has dubbed for all of her Tamil films herself; for *Adhe Kangal* she completed the dubbing in a single day.[3](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/stories/interviews/2017/Aug/16/directors-trust-me-sshivada-1648.html)
**Malayalam work.** In Malayalam she played Kalyani, a speech therapist, opposite [Jayasurya](https://www.edgepedia.org/jayasurya) in *Su Su Sudhi Vathmeekam* (2015), a role that made her popular with Malayali audiences, and she appeared again with Jayasurya in *IDI: Inspector Dawood Ibrahim* (2016).[4](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/celebs/sshivada-nair.html) • [7](https://malayalam.samayam.com/malayalam-cinema/celebrity-news/actress-sshivada-opens-up-about-her-comeback-after-postpartum-depression-and-her-latest-films/articleshow/92650633.cms) Later Malayalam films include *Shikkari Shambhu* (2018), in which she played a butcher, *Lucifer* (2019), *[12th Man](https://www.edgepedia.org/12th-man-film)* (2022), *Meri Awas Suno* (2022), *Jawanum Mullappoovum* (2023), and *Secret Home* (2024).[4](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/celebs/sshivada-nair.html) • [8](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/stories/interviews/2018/Jan/15/i-was-waiting-for-a-meaty-role-4054.html) • [9](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Sshivada/filmography) In Tamil she appeared in *Maara* (2021), *Nitham Oru Vaanam* (2022), *Theera Kaadhal* (2023), and the action thriller *Garudan* (2024), whose cast also included Soori, M. Sasikumar, and [Unni Mukundan](https://www.edgepedia.org/unni-mukundan).[10](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/shivada) • [5](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/i-want-to-always-be-associated-with-some-form-of-art-sshivada/articleshow/111652618.cms)
**Recent and upcoming work.** In 2024 she appeared in *Anand Sreebala*, *Oru Anveshanathinte Thudakkam*, *Garudan*, and *Secret Home*, and in 2025 in *Sumathi Valavu* and *L2: Empuraan*.[11](https://cinegraph.org/people/sshivada-nair) In May 2026 it was announced that she would play the female lead opposite [Fahadh Faasil](https://www.edgepedia.org/fahadh-faasil) in director C Prem Kumar's Tamil thriller, tentatively titled Production No. 32, produced by Vels Film International with music by [Govind Vasantha](https://www.edgepedia.org/govind-vasantha); the film is set for a December 2026 theatrical release and marks Fahadh's first Tamil film as a solo lead.[12](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/tamil/news/2026/May/16/its-official-fahadh-faasil-sshivada-join-hands-for-c-prem-kumars-next) • [13](https://www.sacnilk.com/news/fahadh-faasil-and-meiyazhagan-director-premkumars-emotional-thriller-locks-december-2026-theatrical-release) She completed dubbing for the film in September 2026.[14](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/malayalam/news/2026/Sep/30/sshivada-completes-dubbing-for-film-with-c-prem-kumar-and-fahadh-faasil) She has also said that a Tamil web series with [Sathyaraj](https://www.edgepedia.org/sathyaraj), Bhagyaraj, and Aishwarya Lekshmi is awaiting release.[15](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/134671493.cms)
## Awards and recognition
For playing the villain in *Adhe Kangal* (2017), she won both the Ananda Vikatan Cinema Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Villainous Role and a South Indian International Movie Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Tamil).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5615167/bio/) • [16](https://healthyceleb.com/sshivada/) In 2023 she shared the Kerala Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress with Zarin Shihab for *Jawanum Mullappoovum*.[6](https://www.thenamesdictionary.com/references-for/sshivada) • [5](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/i-want-to-always-be-associated-with-some-form-of-art-sshivada/articleshow/111652618.cms) She also received the Asianet Comedy Award for Most Promising Actress for *Achayans* (2017).[16](https://healthyceleb.com/sshivada/)
## Public statements and personal life
Sshivada married the Malayalam actor Murali Krishnan in 2015, and their daughter Arundathi was born a few years later.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5615167/bio/) • [5](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/i-want-to-always-be-associated-with-some-form-of-art-sshivada/articleshow/111652618.cms) In 2022 she spoke publicly about experiencing postpartum depression after the birth, saying she discussed it so that other women would understand the condition.[7](https://malayalam.samayam.com/malayalam-cinema/celebrity-news/actress-sshivada-opens-up-about-her-comeback-after-postpartum-depression-and-her-latest-films/articleshow/92650633.cms) In 2023 she said she had lost roles solely because she was a mother.[17](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/features/sshivada-opens-up-about-losing-roles-only-because-she-is-a-mother-093489.html) In interviews she has described being typecast as a "girl next door" in both industries and has said she deliberately works at a slow pace, choosing roles with potential; she is also a trained [Bharatanatyam](https://www.edgepedia.org/bharatanatyam) dancer.[5](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/i-want-to-always-be-associated-with-some-form-of-art-sshivada/articleshow/111652618.cms) • [3](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/stories/interviews/2017/Aug/16/directors-trust-me-sshivada-1648.html)
Some databases list her birthday as 1986, while Filmibeat, IMDb, and TamilMDb give 23 April 1986.[10](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/shivada) • [4](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/celebs/sshivada-nair.html) • [18](https://www.tamilmdb.com/crew/8282/sshivada)
## References
1. [Sshivada – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5615167/bio/)
2. [Shivada Exclusive Interview | Meri Awas Suno, Milestone Makers (YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnwHh0Oclx8)
3. [Directors trust me: SShivada, Cinema Express (17 August 2017)](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/stories/interviews/2017/Aug/16/directors-trust-me-sshivada-1648.html)
4. [ശിവദ നായർ (Sshivada): മൂവീസ്, പ്രായം, ജീവചരിത്രം, Filmibeat Malayalam](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/celebs/sshivada-nair.html)
5. [I want to always be associated with some form of art: Sshivada, The Times of India (11 July 2024)](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/i-want-to-always-be-associated-with-some-form-of-art-sshivada/articleshow/111652618.cms)
6. [Reference for SSHIVADA, The Names Dictionary](https://www.thenamesdictionary.com/references-for/sshivada)
7. [Actress Sshivada opens up about her comeback after postpartum depression, Samayam Malayalam (4 July 2022)](https://malayalam.samayam.com/malayalam-cinema/celebrity-news/actress-sshivada-opens-up-about-her-comeback-after-postpartum-depression-and-her-latest-films/articleshow/92650633.cms)
8. ['I was waiting for a meaty role', Cinema Express (15 January 2018)](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/stories/interviews/2018/Jan/15/i-was-waiting-for-a-meaty-role-4054.html)
9. [Sshivada Filmography, The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Sshivada/filmography)
10. [Sshivada Movies List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/shivada)
11. [Sshivada, Cinegraph](https://cinegraph.org/people/sshivada-nair)
12. [It's official: Fahadh Faasil, Sshivada join hands for C Prem Kumar's next, Cinema Express (16 May 2026)](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/tamil/news/2026/May/16/its-official-fahadh-faasil-sshivada-join-hands-for-c-prem-kumars-next)
13. [Fahadh Faasil and Meiyazhagan Director Premkumar's Emotional Thriller Locks December 2026 Theatrical Release, Sacnilk (3 September 2026)](https://www.sacnilk.com/news/fahadh-faasil-and-meiyazhagan-director-premkumars-emotional-thriller-locks-december-2026-theatrical-release)
14. [Sshivada completes dubbing for film with C Prem Kumar and Fahadh Faasil, Cinema Express (30 September 2026)](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/malayalam/news/2026/Sep/30/sshivada-completes-dubbing-for-film-with-c-prem-kumar-and-fahadh-faasil)
15. [When I do a Malayalam film again, I want it to be a comeback: Sshivada, The Times of India (4 October 2026)](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/134671493.cms)
16. [Sshivada Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics, Biography, HealthyCeleb](https://healthyceleb.com/sshivada/)
17. [Sshivada Opens Up About Losing Roles Only Because She Is A Mother, Filmibeat Malayalam (29 April 2023)](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/features/sshivada-opens-up-about-losing-roles-only-because-she-is-a-mother-093489.html)
18. [Sshivada, TamilMDb](https://www.tamilmdb.com/crew/8282/sshivada)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Film people and crafts › Film actors and performers › Indian and South Asian film actors by industry and language › Malayalam film actors › Surnames S to W*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license