Nayanthara is gearing up for the release of two films in the same week. While Yash-starrer Toxic released on August 26, her romantic drama Hi, opposite Kavin, is set to hit screens on August 28.
During the promotions of Hi, Nayanthara opened up about her early days in the entertainment industry and revealed how much she earned from her first job.
In a conversation with Pearle Maaney, Nayanthara was asked about her first job and first salary.
The actress said she began as a model and recalled that one of her earliest assignments was for a Vanitha magazine cover shoot or fashion programme.
She revealed that she was paid around Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 for the assignment.
Pearle Maaney responded with a funny personal story, saying she once received Rs 500 for cutting her father’s nails.
Nayanthara began her film career in 2003 with the Malayalam movie Manassinakkare. Filmmaker Sathyan Anthikad reportedly noticed her photograph in Vanitha magazine and offered her a role.
Though she had initially been interested in modelling and had no major plans to enter films, the success of Manassinakkare brought her attention in the industry.
She later appeared in films such as Vismayathumbathu and Natturajavu before making her Tamil debut with Ayya in 2005.
Her role opposite Rajinikanth in Chandramukhi became a major turning point and helped establish her as one of the leading actresses in South Indian cinema.
Over the years, Nayanthara went on to take up several performance-driven roles in films such as Billa, Yaaradi Nee Mohini, Sri Rama Rajyam, Raja Rani, Maya, Naanum Rowdy Dhaan, Aramm and Kolamaavu Kokila.
She later made her Bollywood debut opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Atlee’s Jawan in 2023.
In Toxic, Nayanthara plays the character Ganga. She had also recently spoken about why she generally stays away from promotional events and why she made an exception for the film.
Her other release, Hi, is a Tamil romantic drama directed by debutant Vishnu Edavan. The film stars Kavin alongside Nayanthara and also features Prabhu, Radhika Sarathkumar, K. Bhagyaraj and Poornima Bhagyaraj in important roles.
From earning just a few thousand rupees as a model to becoming one of the biggest stars in Indian cinema, Nayanthara’s journey has certainly come a long way.
