Having made her debut with the Mani Ratnam film Nayagan in 1987, Saranya Ponvannan is a Tamil film actress. She, after being a part of a number of hit Tamil movies, went on an eight-year sabbatical after which she made a comeback to movies in 2003 with the movie Alai. Her performance in the 2005 movie Thavamai Thavamirundhu won her the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. After making a comeback, the actress primarily played supporting roles. However, it was her role in the 2011 movie Thenmerku Paruvakaatru that won her the National Film Award for Best Actress. Some of her notable works include Raam (2005), Thavamai Thavamirundhu (2005), Em Magan (2006), Kalavani (2010), Kodi (2016), Velai Illa Pattathari 2 (2017), Mannar Vagaiyara (2018), Oru Kuprasidha Payyan (2018), Inba Twinkle Lilly (2018), Marainthirunthu Paarkum Marmam Enna (2018), Kolamaavu Kokila (2018) and The Villain (2018). Her other releases include Gang Leader and Bhoomi