Nithya Menen (born 8 April 1990 as N. S. Nithya) is an Indian actress and singer who predominantly works in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada films. With a career spanning over 59 films, she is celebrated for her strong and versatile performances. Menen has received several prestigious accolades, including a National Film Award, four Filmfare Awards South, and two Nandi Awards, making her one of the most acclaimed actresses in South Indian cinema.

Menen began her acting journey as a child artist in the French-Indian English film Hanuman (1998), where she played the younger sister to Tabu’s character. She made her lead screen debut in the Kannada film 7 O’ Clock (2006). Her breakthrough came with the Telugu romantic film Ala Modalaindi (2011), which won her the Nandi Award for Best Actress. She continued her success with acclaimed performances in films like Ishq (2012), Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde (2013), Malli Malli Idi Rani Roju (2015), Rudhramadevi (2015), Janatha Garage (2016), Awe (2018), and Bheemla Nayak (2022).

In Tamil cinema, Menen established herself as a leading actress with O Kadhal Kanmani (2015). She further starred in commercially successful films such as Ustad Hotel (2012), Bangalore Days (2014), 100 Days of Love (2015), Kanchana 2 (2015), 24 (2016), Mersal (2017), and Thiruchitrambalam (2022). Her role in Mersal earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Tamil, while Thiruchitrambalam won her the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress – Tamil and the National Film Award for Best Actress. Menen also ventured into Hindi cinema with Mission Mangal (2019), a science drama that became her highest-grossing release.