Nivetha Pethuraj

Biography

Nivetha Pethuraj (born 30 November 1991) is an Indian actress who appears in Telugu and Tamil films. She made her acting debut with the Tamil film Oru Naal Koothu (2016). She then made her Telugu debut with Mental Madhilo (2017) and received SIIMA Award for Best Female Debut – Telugu nomination.

Nivetha was born on 30 November 1991 in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. Her father has a mixed Tamil and Telugu ancestry while her mother is Tamil.  After her birth, her family moved to Kovilpatti, where she did completed her early schooling. 

At the age of 11, she relocated to Dubai with her parents and studied at Crescent English High School. She lived in Dubai for about 10 years. She obtained her management degree from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.

In 2015, Nivetha was crowned Miss India UAE and went on to participate in Miss India Worldwide 2015, where she became a finalist and finished in the top 5.

Nivetha made her acting debut with the Tamil film Oru Naal Koothu in 2016, where she portrayed an IT professional opposite Dinesh. Hindustan Times termed her performance as "engaging", while Times of India noted, “Nivetha is impressive in her debut.”

In 2017, she appeared in two films. 

First, she starred in Podhuvaga Emmanasu Thangam opposite Udhayanidhi Stalin. Deccan Chronicle commented that “Nivetha Pethuraj looks good, but hardly makes an impact in a poorly etched character.” She then made her Telugu debut with Mental Madhilo, where she portrayed a straightforward girl opposite Sree Vishnu, a successful venture.

 Firstpost noted, “A terrific actress, Nivetha Pethuraj easily gives one of the best performances of the year. She becomes the voice of reason in the film and anchors the whole film with her verve.”

Nivetha had two releases in 2018. She first portrayed an army official alongside Jayam Ravi in Tik Tik Tik, which was a commercial success at the box office. Hindustan Times said, "Nivetha Pethuraj as Captain Swathi is one positive in the film". 

She then appeared as a Sub-Inspector opposite Vijay Antony in Thimiru Pudichavan. Cinema Express said, “Nivetha Pethuraj pulls off the Madras slang and seems to handle comedy well.” However her next film Party, despite having completed filming, remains unreleased.