Sai Pallavi

Sai Pallavi Senthamarai Kannan (pronounced [saɪ paˈləvi]; born 9 May 1992) is an Indian actress who primarily works in Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam films. Known for her portrayals of strong women, Pallavi has received numerous accolades, including a Tamil Nadu State Film Award, six Filmfare Awards South and three SIIMA Awards. One of South India's highest-paid actresses, She was honoured with Kalaimamani in the year 2021 by the Government of Tamil Nadu.

Pallavi's acting journey began with uncredited roles and dance show appearances, but her breakthrough came as Malar in the 2015 Malayalam film Premam. While a medical student, her acclaimed performance earned her a Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut – South, launching her into the South Indian film industry. In 2017, she ventured into Telugu cinema with Fidaa, winning the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu.

Pallavi has starred in the films Kali (2016), Middle Class Abbayi (2017), Maari 2 (2018), Paava Kadhaigal (2020), Love Story (2021), Shyam Singha Roy (2021), Gargi (2022), Amaran (2024) and Thandel (2025).

Her song "Rowdy Baby" is the first South Indian video song to reach one billion views on YouTube. Her performances in Gargi and Love Story earned the Filmfare Award for Best Actress in Tamil and Telugu, respectively, while her work in Shyam Singha Roy and Virata Parvam (2022) gained her the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress – Telugu. She was featured by Forbes magazine as one of India's 30 Under 30 in 2020.

Sai Pallavi was born on 9 May 1992 in a Badaga family in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Her hometown is Kotagiri in the Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu. Born to Senthamarai Kannan and Radha, she has a younger sister, Pooja Kannan, who has also worked as an actress.

Pallavi was raised and educated in Coimbatore, doing her schooling at Avila Convent School. Despite completing her medical studies in 2016 from the Tbilisi State Medical University, which is recognised by the Medical Council of India, she has not yet registered as a medical practitioner in India. She took her Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) on 31 August 2020 in Trichy. Besides Badaga, Pallavi is fluent in Tamil, English, Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, and Georgian.

Pallavi said in an interview that though she was not a trained dancer, she always wanted to do something that involved dancing. She participated in several cultural events at school, and then participated in the dance reality show Ungalil Yaar Adutha Prabhu Deva on Vijay TV in 2008, and was a finalist in Dhee Ultimate Dance Show (D4) on ETV in 2009. Pallavi has appeared in uncredited roles as a junior artist in Kasthuri Maan (2005) and Dhaam Dhoom (2008) and also appeared in few advertisements.

In 2014, while she was studying in Tbilisi, Georgia, film-director Alphonse Puthren had approached her six years before, through clippings from a reality show which she had participated, showcased in Facebook. Alphonse initially gave her an offer to act in his film which she refused, and after six years, he phoned to Pallavi, in which she thought him as a stalker and wanted to lodge a police complaint on him. But later misunderstood after Alphonse forcibly introduced himself. Then, She accepted the role of Malar in his film Premam. She shot the film over the holidays and, after the shooting finished, returned to her studies. She went on to win several "Best Female Debut" awards that year, including the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. Years later, in an interview, Alphonse revealed that Asin was initially considered for the character Malar, played by Pallavi, following a fan's request.