Nikhila Vimal is an Indian actress known for her work in Malayalam and Tamil films. In 2023, she appeared in the Malayalam film ‘Ayalvaashi’ as Celine.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Nikhila Vimal was born on Thursday, 10 March 1994 (age 29 years; as of 2023) in Alakode, Kannur, Kerala. She later moved to Taliparamba with her family when she was very young. She completed her B.Sc. (Botany) from Sir Syed College in Taliparamba in 2016.
A childhood photograph of Nikhila Vimal
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 7″
Weight (approx.): 55 kg
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Family
Parents & Siblings
Her father’s name was M. R. Pavithran; he was a retired officer from the statistical department. He died in 2020 following a cardiac arrest.
Nikhila Vimal with her father
Her mother’s name is Kalamandalam Vimaladevi; she is a dancer.
Nikhila Vimal with her mother
Nikhila Vimal has an elder sister named Akhila Vimal, who is a research scholar in Theatre arts at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi.
Nikhila Vimal with her sister
Husband
She is unmarried.
Career
Film
Malayalam
Nikhila Vimal debuted in the Malayalam film industry with the film ‘Bhagyadevatha’ (2009) in which she played the supporting role of Sali.
Nikhila Vimal (extreme left) in a still from the film ‘Bhagyadevatha’
She played her first lead role in the film ‘Love 24×7’ (2015) opposite the popular actor Dileep. In 2018, she appeared in the film ‘Aravindante Athidhikal’ and received a huge acclamation for her performance in the lead role. In the same year, she appeared in a lead role in the film ‘Njan Prakashan,’ starring Fahadh Faasil, who played the titular role in the film. She has worked in many more Malayalam films including ‘Mera Naam Shaji’ (2019), ‘Anjaam Pathiraa’ (2020), ‘The Priest’ (2021), ‘Jo and Jo’ (2022), and ‘Ayalvaashi’ (2023).
Tamil
She made her Tamil debut with the film ‘Vetrivel’ (2016) in which she played the role of Latha.
Nikhila Vimal in a still from the film ‘Vetrivel’
Before ‘Vetrivel,’ she worked as a lead actress in the film ‘Panjumittai’ and ‘Onbathu Kuzhi Sampath;’ however, the films were released in 2018 and 2020 respectively. Her performance as Chembha in the film ‘Kidaari’ (2016) received an immense appraisal from the audience. She appeared in a lead role opposite Sasikumar in the film. She has worked in a few more Tamil films such as ‘Thambi’ (2019), ‘Ranga’ (2022), and ‘Por Thozhil’ (2023).
Telugu
She made her Telugu debut with the film ‘Meda Meeda Abbayi’ (2017) in which she played the lead role of ‘Sindhu.’
Poster of the film ‘Meda Meeda Abbayi’
In 2018, she appeared in the film ‘Gayatri’ in which she played the titular role.
Television
Nikhila Vimal made her television debut as a child actor with the Malayalam documentary-fiction TV series ‘St. Alphonsa-The Passion Flower’ (2008), aired on Shalom TV. She played the role of Saint Alphonsa in the documentary.
Nikhila Vimal (centre) in a still from the TV series ‘St. Alphonsa-The Passion Flower’
In 2016, she appeared in the telefilm ‘Thapaswini Vishudha Euphrasia’ in which she played the role of Kalyani. She appeared as a host in the cookery show ‘Tharapachakam’ (2016) on Flowers TV. She also made a guest appearance in 2019 in the show ‘Badai Bungalow’ and ‘Comedy Nights with Suraj.’
Controversy
Trolled for a controversial comment
In 2023, Nikhila Vimal attracted controversy after she made a statement on Muslim weddings in Malabar. In an interview, she addressed the traditional practice in Kannur where women are typically served food in the kitchen area during marriage functions in Muslim households. She pointed out that this practice hasn’t seen significant changes. Many netizens considered her comment to be offensive and accused her of targeting one religious community. However, the actress later claimed that her remarks were distorted and made controversial by the media. She further claimed that only a part of her conversation was shared by the media which must not be considered a statement. While talking about this in an interview, she said,
The media made it controversial. I said that during a conversation. How can what someone said during a conversation be considered their statement? No reporter asked me what I said. I know exactly what I said.”
Awards
- In 2017, she was nominated for Best Debut Actress at the 6th South Indian International Movie Awards (SIIMA) for her performance in the film ‘Kidaari.’
- In 2018, she won the Most Popular Actress Award at the Kerala Kaumudi Flash Movies Awards for the film ‘Aravindante Athidhikal.’
- She received an award for Best Star Pair (shared with Vineeth Sreenivasan) at the Vanitha Film Awards 2019 for the film ‘Aravindante Athidhikal.’
- In 2019, she was nominated for Best Actress at the 8th South Indian International Movie Awards (SIIMA) for her performance in the film ‘Aravindante Athidhikal.’
Facts/Trivia
- Nikhila obtained her surname ‘Vimal’ from her mother’s name, Kalamandalam Vimaladevi.
- She is trained in various classical dance forms such as Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, and Kerala Natanam. She also learned mono act during her college days.
- Apart from TV shows and films, she has also appeared in various TV commercials including Rajakumari Gold and Diamonds.
Nikhila Vimal in the advertisement of Rajakumari Gold and Diamonds
- In 2018, she was featured on the cover of Vanitha and Grihalakshmi magazine.
Nikhila Vimal on the cover of Grihalakshmi magazine
- Besides her acting, Nikhila Vimal is also known for voicing her opinions in public. In 2022, she contended in an interview that if animal welfare is a matter of collective concern, then the act of slaughtering any animal should be banned in the country. She further added that there is no specific system to prohibit cow slaughter in India. Nikhila was later trolled by some netizens for her comment after which the senior actress Maala Parvathi wrote a message to support her, which reads,
Those who get annoyed by such comments would unleash their cyber goons against you. However, you need not worry at all. This is Kerala! No matter how much filth they fling at you, the support of those who stand with you is pretty strong. So, my advice, as someone who regularly faces cyber-attack, is not to get upset over this.”
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Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn