Meera Jasmine

Date of Birth :15 February, 1984

Meera Jasmine, talented  actress with a beautiful smile, is one of the hottest stars in South Indian Films. She started her film career from a  Malayalam movie ‘Sootradhaaran’ directed by Lohithadas. Though the film flopped, her subsequent films showcased her talents as an actress. Meera was snapped up by prestigious film makers all over the South. Her debut film in Tamil is Run which became the the biggest commercial success of the year and in Kannada her first film is Gudumba Shankar.  She is a successful actress in Telugu Film Industry too. She won India’s National Film Award for Best Actress in 2004 for her role in 2003 Malayalam film Paadam Onnu: Oru Vilaapam.

Family Matters

Jasmine Mary Joseph was born on 15 February, 1984 to Joseph Philip and Aleyamma in Kuttappuzha, Tiruvalla, Pathanamthitta District, Kerala, India. She is a Syrian Christian by birth.She has two sisters and two brothers. She currently lives in Panampilly Nagar in Kochi.She  did her schooling in Mar Thoma Residential School in Tiruvalla.

 

Starting of Film career

It was destiny that brought Jasmine Mary Joseph from a small town called Kuttapuzha in Tiruvalla to the world of cinema. She was just an ordinary girl who wanted to study and become a doctor. She never entertained dreams of becoming a film star. She did not even consider herself beautiful or attractive. But that was not what director Lohitadas thought when he saw her. Jasmine Mary Joseph had gone to see the shooting of a film along with a group of school friends. The only reason they went was because the shoot was taking place in their small town. As she watched the lights and the stars, the director noticed the girl and felt that there was something special about her. When he asked her whether she would be interested in acting as the heroine in his next films, she was shell-shocked. Thus Jasmine Mary Joseph became Meera Jasmine.

Professional Career

Meera Jasmine made her debut in Lohithadas’s Sossthradharan in 2001. Her hero in the film was Dileep. Soothradharan did not do well at the box office. However, she continued to receive offers from Malayalam and Tamil film-makers, including the 2002 Tamil films Run and Bala. Run, directed by Lingusamy, became a huge hit in Tamil Nadu and Meera Jasmine became a sought-after actress.Though the films that followed Run did not fare as well, she was noticed by none other than Mani Ratnam who also felt there was something special in her. The ace director offered her a role opposite Madhavan in Aayutha Ezhuthu. Suddenly filmmakers started looking at Meera Jasmine with a lot more respect. As the film had sync sound, Meera, who did not know Tamil at all, worked hard on her diction, and delivered all her dialogues herself She entered Telugu cinema in 2004 with Ammayi Bagundi and Gudumba Shankar. She also entered Kannada cinema in 2004 with the film Mourya, in which she co-starred with Puneet Rajkumar. Her latest Kannada film, Arrasu, was also a success. After making her entry into all four South Indian languages, she has acted concurrently in Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu films. Her successful movies include Achuvinte Amma (Malayalam), Bhadra (Telugu), Swapnakoodu ( Malayalam) Perumazhakaalma( Malyalam)  and Rasatantram (Malayalam). Her 2005 Tamil film Sandakozhi completed 200 days at the box office. Even as she continued acting in all the South Indian languages, all of them commercial ventures, Meera decided to act as Shahina in T V Chandran’s Paatham Onnu Oru Vilaapam. The film is about a young Muslim schoolgirl who is married off to a man who already has a wife. Meera Jasmine’s mind-blowing performance in the film won her theNational Film Award for Best Actress in 2004 Her 2007 movie Vinodayathra(Malayalam)  is a huge hit. Being one of the most promising new faces of Malayalam cinema, it is only too likely that the new century would prove fruitful to Meera and bag her more roles – both meaningful and commercially successful ones. Today she is the highest-paid actress in the Malayalam film industry. Controversy : She has filed a complaint with the Ernakulam Women Police DIG Shrilekha stating that her parents and sister possess all the money and property that she had made in films. She has sought police help to retrieve them. Despite being a Christian by birth, Meera Jasmine is known for visiting Hindu temples.

Awards

Filmfare Award For Best Female Debut Actress – Run Dinakaran Award For Best Female Debut Actress – Run •    Lux – Asianet Film Award for Best Actress -Kasthoorimann •    Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Padam Onnu: Oru Vilaapam •    Mathrubhumi – Medimix Award for Best Actress – Padam Onnu: Oru Vilapam •    Lux- Asianet Film Award for Best Actress – Padam Onnu: Oru Vilaapam •    2004    State Film Award for the Best Actress     – Paadam Onnu: Oru Vilapam •    2004    National Film Award for Best Actress     – Paadam Onnu: Oru Vilapam •    Vanitha-Chandrika Film Award For Best Actress – Perumazhakalam •    Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Achuvinte Amma •    Lux – Asianet Film Award for Best Actress – Achuvinte Amma

Filmography

Tamil Films •    2007 Nepali (filming) •    2007 Parattai Engira •    2007 Thirumagan Ayyakka •    2006 Mercury Pookkal •    2005  Sandakozhi •    2004  Kasthuri Maan •    2004  Aayitha Ezhuthu’ •    2004  Joot •    2003  Anjaneya •    2003  Pudhiya Geethai •    2002  Bala •    2002  Run

Malayalam Films

•    2007 Calcutta News (Announced) •    2007 Ore Kadal  (filming) •    2007  Vinodayathra •    2007  Rathri Mazha •    2006  Rasathanthram •    2005  Achuvinte Amma •    2004  Perumazhakkalam •    2003  Chakram •    2003  Padam Onnu Oru Vilapam •    2003  Swapnakoodu •    2003  Kasthoorimaan •    2003  Gramaphone •    2001  Soothradharan Telugu Films •    2007   Yamagola Malli Modalayindi (Filming) •    2006   Maharadhi •    2006   Raraju •    2005   Bhadra •    2004   Gudumba Shankar •    2004   Ammayi Bagundi Kannda Films •    2006 Ar asu •    2004 Maurya FACTS ABOUT MEERA •    Nickname: Jas •    She is a self-confessed fan of Tamil cinema’s composer Ilayaraaja. •    Considers director Ambazhathil Karanakuran Lohithadas to be her mentor. •    Was ‘discovered’ while a first year student working on her Home Science degree. She had gone to see the shooting of a film along with some school friends that was taking place in their small town, when Lohithadas noticed her and asked her to star in one of his films. •    Has starred in hit movies in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. Meera Jasmine became a force to be reckoned with and she was assured a place in the hearts of not only the youth but the whole of south Indian cinema-goers.