
Alappuzha, Kerala, India
Sheela better known by her stage name Saranya is an Indian film actress who has predominantly appeared in Tamil language films. Saranya made her debut in a lead role in Mani Ratnam's Nayagan and went on to play lead roles in a few films during the late 1980s. Following an eight-year sabbatical, she returned to feature films as a character artiste, essaying supporting roles, particularly playing mother characters to lead artists. For her performances in films including Raam (2005), Thavamai Thavamirundhu (2005), Em Magan (2006) and Kalavani (2010), she has received notable critical praise and several accolades, including three Filmfare Awards for Best Supporting Actress, while her performance in Thenmerku Paruvakaatru fetched her the National Film Award for Best Actress in 2011.Saranya is the daughter of Malayalam film director A. B. Raj. She is married to a fellow actor, Ponvannan.

as Ponni

as Varalakshmi
2019

as Manohar's Mother
2009

as Ponni
2025

as Vaavamani
2025

as Bhuvana
2017

2023

as Pechi
2011

as Kosalai
2022

as Seetharamudu's Mother
2014
as Seema
1988

as Neela
1987

as Junga's mother
2018
as Lalitha
2025

as Padmamma
2026

as Vaavamani
2025

as Lalitha
2025

as Ponni
2025

as Hemamalini
2024

as Burma's Mother
2024

as Lakshmi
2023

2023

2022

2022

as Mrs. Menon
2022

as Muthulakshmi
2022

as Kosalai
2022

as Rasaathi
2021

as Arjun's mother
2021

2021

as Bhoominathan's Mother
2021

as Varalakshmi
2019

2019

as Chembammal
2018

as Aiyappan's Mother
2018

as Kokila's Mother
2018

as Junga's mother
2018

as Inbaa
2018