Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil

The Filmfare Best Actress Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Tamil (Kollywood) films. The awards were extended to "Best Actress" in 1972.^[2][3] The year indicates the year of release of the film.

Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil
The 2023 recipient: Nimisha Sajayan[1]
Awarded for	Best Performance by an Actress in a leading role in Tamil films
Country	India
Presented by	Filmfare
First award	J. Jayalalithaa, Pattikada Pattanama (1972)
Currently held by	Nimisha Sajayan Chithha (2023)
Website	Filmfare Awards

Superlatives

Superlative	Recipient(s)	Record
Most wins	Sujatha, Radhika Sarathkumar, Revathi, Nayanthara	3
Most consecutive wins	Sujatha	3
Most nominations	Jyothika	16
Most consecutive nominations	Jyothika	8
Most nominations without a win	Khushbu Sundar	7
Youngest winner	Sridevi	18
Youngest nominee		14
Oldest winner	Trisha Krishnan	36
Oldest nominee	Revathi	55

• Actresses Sujatha won the most awards in the 1970s with three. Saritha and Radhika Sarathkumar won the award two times in the 80s, and Revathi won three times in the 1990s for the most in that decade. Laila had two wins in the 2000s, while Nayanthara has won the most in the 2010s with three wins.
• Shoba, Archana and Priyamani have won Filmfare award for Best Actress Tamil and National Film Award for Best Actress for their performances in Pasi (1979), Veedu (1988) and Paruthiveeran (2006) respectively.
• Jyothika and Trisha Krishnan are the two actress to win both Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil and Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress.
• Radhika Sarathkumar, Simran and Jyothika have won awards in 2 different categories other than this category.^[4][5] Radhika Sarathkumar won the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014 and the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award in 2015. Simran has won both Debut award in 1997 and Best Supporting Actress Award in 2008, while jyothika won Debut award in 1999 and Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress – South in 2015.^[6][7]
• J. Jayalalithaa, Revathi and Samantha Ruth Prabhu are the only three actresses to win both Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil and Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu in the same year for their performances in the year 1972, 1992 and 2012 respectively. Lakshmi and Poornima Bhagyaraj won Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil and Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Malayalam for their performances in the same year(1974 and 1982 respectively).
• Eight actresses have won for their debut Tamil films, in chronological order Manisha Koirala (1995), Shruti (1996), Sandhya (2004), Bhavana (2006), Parvathy Thiruvothu (2008), Malavika Nair (2014), Ritika Singh (2016) and Nimisha Sajayan (2023).

Multiple wins

The following individuals have received multiple Best Actress awards:

Wins	Actress
3	Sujatha, Radhika Sarathkumar, Revathi, Nayanthara
2	J. Jayalalithaa, Lakshmi, Saritha, Laila, Anjali

Multiple nominations

The following individuals have received multiple Best Actress nominations:

Nominations	Actress
16	Jyothika
11	Revathi
8	Saritha, Radhika Sarathkumar
7	Lakshmi, Sridevi, Khushbu Sundar, Nayanthara, Trisha
6	Asin, Sujatha, Meena, Sneha

Winners and nominees

Table key

‡	Indicates the winner

1970s

Year	Photos of winners	Actress	Film	Role(s)	Ref.
1972 (20th)		J. Jayalalithaa ‡	Pattikada Pattanama	Kalpana	[8][9]
1973 (21st)			Suryagandhi	Radha	[10]
1974 (22nd)		Lakshmi ‡	Dikkatra Parvathi	Parvathi
		Sujatha	Aval Oru Thodar Kathai	Kavitha
		Sumithra	Avalum Penn Thaane	Sita
1975 (23rd)		Sujatha ‡	Uravu Solla Oruvan	Sumathi	[11]
		K. R. Vijaya	Aayirathil Oruthi	Janaki
		Srividya	Apoorva Raagangal	Bhairavi
1976 (24th)		Sujatha ‡	Annakili	Annakili	[12]
		Aalam	Manmadha Leelai	Rekha
		J. Jayalalithaa	Chitra Pournami	Rani
		Rani Chandra	Bhadrakali
		Sridevi	Moondru Mudichu	Selvi
1977 (25th)		Sujatha ‡	Avargal	Annakili	[13][14]
		Lakshmi	Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal	Ganga
		Sridevi	16 Vayathinile	Mayil
		Sripriya	Aattukara Alamelu	Alamelu
		Sumithra	Bhuvana Oru Kelvi Kuri	Bhuvana
1978 (26th)		Latha ‡	Vattathukkul Chaduram	Anu	[15]
		Lakshmi	Oru Nadigai Natakam Parkiral	Kalyani
		Radhika Sarathkumar	Kizhakke Pogum Rail	Panchali
		Sridevi	Sigappu Rojakkal	Sharada
		Sripriya	Aval Appadithan	Manju
1979 (27th)		Shoba ‡	Pasi	Kuppamma	[16]
		Ashwini	Uthiripookkal	Lakshmi
		Jaya Prada	Ninaithale Inikkum	Sona
		Sridevi	Pagalil Oru Iravu	Bindhu
		Sripriya	Neeya?	Naga Rani

1980s

Year	Photos of winners	Actress	Film	Role(s)	Ref.
1980 (28th)		Saritha ‡	Vandichakkaram	Vadivu	[17]
		Lakshmi	Avan Aval Adhu
		Sridevi	Varumayin Niram Sigappu	Devi
		Sripriya	Avan Aval Adhu
		Suhasini	Nenjathai Killathe	Viji
1981 (29th)		Sridevi ‡	Meendum Kokila	Kokila	[18]
		Saritha	Thanneer Thanneer	Sevanthi
		Suhasini	Palaivana Solai	Geetha
1982 (30th)		Poornima Bhagyaraj ‡	Payanangal Mudivathillai	Radha	[19]
		Saritha	Agni Sakshi	Kannamma
		Sridevi	Moondram Pirai	Bhagyalakshmi / Viji
		Sripriya	Vazhve Mayam	Radha
		Suhasini	Gopurangal Saivathillai	Arukkani
1983 (31st)		Lakshmi ‡	Unmaigal		[20]
		Revathi	Mann Vasanai	Muthupechi
		Saritha	Malaiyoor Mambattiyan	Kannaathaa
		Sujatha	Sumangali	Thulasi Vedarathnam
		Urvashi	Mundhanai Mudichu	Parimala
1984 (32nd)		Saritha ‡	Achamillai Achamillai	Thenmozhi	[21][22]
		Lakshmi	Sirai	Bhagirathi
		Nalini	Nooravathu Naal	Devi
		Revathi	Pudhumai Penn	Seetha
		Sujatha	Alaya Deepam
1985 (33rd)		Radha ‡	Muthal Mariyathai	Kuyil	[23][24][25]
		Kalpana	Chinna Veedu	Bhagyalakshmi
		Nadhiya	Poove Poochooda Vaa	Sundari
		Revathi	Kanni Rasi	Dhanalakshmi
		Saritha	Kalyana Agathigal	Ammulu
		Suhasini	Sindhu Bhairavi	Sindhu
1986 (34th)		Radhika Sarathkumar ‡	Dharma Devathai	Jhansi Rani	[26][27]
		Amala	Mythili Ennai Kaathali	Mythili
		Lakshmi	Samsaram Adhu Minsaram	Uma
		Nadhiya	Nilave Malare	Janaki / Sheela
		Radha	Amman Kovil Kizhakale	Kanmani
		Revathi	Mouna Ragam	Divya
1987 (35th)		Radhika Sarathkumar ‡	Neethikku Thandanai	Chithra	[28]
		Amala	Vedham Pudhithu	Vaidehi
		Archana	Rettai Vaal Kuruvi	Tulasi
		Nadhiya	Anbulla Appa	Radha
		Radha	Enga Chinna Rasa	Rukmini
1988 (36th)		Archana ‡	Veedu	Sudha	[29]
		Radhika Sarathkumar	Poonthotta Kaavalkaaran	Sivagami
		Saritha	Poo Potha Nandavanam
		Shobana	Idhu Namma Aalu	Banu
		Suhasini	En Bommukutty Ammavukku	Lakshmi
1989 (37th)		Bhanupriya ‡	Aararo Aariraro	Meenakshi	[30][31][32]
		Radhika Sarathkumar	Thendral Sudum	Radhika
		Geetha	Pudhu Pudhu Arthangal	Gowri
		Kanaka	Karakattakkaran	Kamakshi
		Seetha	Pudhea Paadhai	sita

1990s

Year	Photos of winners	Actress	Film	Role(s)	Ref.
1990 (38th)		Radhika Sarathkumar ‡	Keladi Kannmanii	Sharada	[33]
		Gautami	Namma Ooru Poovatha	Poovatha
		Revathi	Anjali	Chitra
			Kizhakku Vaasal	Thaayamma
		Urvashi	Michael Madana Kama Rajan	Thiripurasundari
1991 (39th)		Gautami ‡	Nee Pathi Naan Pathi	Nivedha	[34]
		Bhanupriya	Azhagan	Priya Ranjan
		Heera	Idhayam	Geetha
		Jayabharathi	Marupakkam	Janaki
		Khushbu Sundar	Chinna Thambi	Nandhini
1992 (40th)		Revathi ‡	Thevar Magan	Panchavarnam	[35][36]
		Khushbu Sundar	Rickshaw Mama	Bhuvana
		Madhoo	Roja	Roja
		Sukanya	Chinna Gounder	Deivaanai
		Vijayashanti	Mannan	Shanthi Devi
1993 (41st)		Revathi ‡	Marupadiyum	Thulasi	[36]
		Bhanupriya	Gokulam	Mary / Gayathri
		Khushbu Sundar	Jaathi Malli	Sriranjini
		Meena	Yajaman	Vaitheeswari Vaanavarayan
		Priya Raman	Valli	Valli
		Radhika Sarathkumar	Kizhakku Cheemayile	Virumaayi
1994 (42nd)		Revathi ‡	Priyanka	Priyanka	[37][38]
		Khushbu Sundar	Nattamai	Lakshmi
		Nagma	Kadhalan	Shruthi
		Rajashree	Karuthamma	Karuthamma
		Sukanya	Mahanadhi	Yamuna
		Urvashi	Magalir Mattum	Janaki
1995 (43rd)		Manisha Koirala ‡	Bombay	Shaila banu	[39][40]
		Kalpana	Sathi Leelavathi	Leelavathi
		Khushbu Sundar	Kolangal	Ganga
		Meena	Muthu	Ranganayagi
		Radhika Sarathkumar	Pasumpon	Nachiyar
		Suvaluxmi	Aasai	saraswathi
1996 (44th)		Shruti ‡	Kalki	Kalki	[41]
		Devayani	Kadhal Kottai	Kamali
		Meena	Avvai Shanmugi	Janaki
		Sangita	Poove Unakkaga	Priyadarshini
		Suvaluxmi	Gokulathil Seethai	Nila
		Urvashi	Irattai Roja	Uma
1997 (45th)		Meena ‡	Bharathi Kannamma	Kannamma	[42]
		Devayani	Surya Vamsam	Nandhini
		Khushbu Sundar	Paththini
		Meena	Porkkaalam	Maragadham
		Shalini	Kadhalukku Mariyadhai	Mini
1998 (46th)		Kausalya ‡	Pooveli	Mahalakshmi	[43]
		Khushbu Sundar	Simmarasi	Sivagami Jayanthi
		Rambha	Ninaithen Vandhai	Swapna Gokula Krishnan
		Revathi	Thalaimurai	Nachiyar
		Roja	Unnidathil Ennai Koduthen	Radha
1999 (47th)		Ramya Krishnan ‡	Padayappa	Neelambari	[44]
		Abitha	Sethu	Abitha Kujalambal
		Devayani	Nee Varuvai Ena	Nandhini
		Simran Bagga	Vaali	Priya
		Vindhya	Sangamam	Abhirami

2000s

Year	Photos of winners	Actress	Role(s)	Film	Ref.
2000 (48th)		Jyothika ‡	Kushi	Jennifer / Selvi	[45]
		Devayani	Bharathi	Chellamal Bharathi
		Meena	Rhythm	Chitra Srikanth
		Shalini	Alai Payuthey	Dr.Sakthi
2001 (49th)		Laila ‡	Nandha	Kalyani	[46][47]
		Devayani	Aanandham	Bharathi
		Jyothika	Poovellam Un Vaasam	Chella
2002 (50th)		Simran ‡	Kannathil Muthamittal	Indira Thiruchelvan	[48]
		Nandita Das	Azhagi	Dhanalakshmi aka Dhanam
		Soundarya	Ivan	Dikshanya
		Sneha	April Maadhathil	Shwetha
2003 (51st)		Laila ‡	Pithamagan	Manju	[49][50]
		Jyothika	Dhool	Eeswari
			Kaakha Kaakha	Maya Anpbuselvan
		Sneha	Parthiban Kanavu	Sathya and Janani
2004 (52nd)		Sandhya ‡	Kaadhal	Aishwarya	[51]
		Asin	M. Kumaran S/O Mahalakshmi	Mythili
		Jyothika	Perazhagan	Priya / Shenbagam
			Manmadhan	Mythili
		Reema Sen	Chellamae
2005 (53rd)		Asin ‡	Ghajini	Kalpana	[52]
		Asin	Majaa	Seetha Lakshmi
		Jyothika	Chandramukhi	Ganga Senthilnathan
		Meera Jasmine	Kasthuri Maan	Umashankari Vetrivel
		Sadha	Anniyan	Nandhini
2006 (54th)		Bhavana ‡	Chithiram Pesuthadi	Charu	[53]
		Jyothika	Sillunu Oru Kaadhal	Kundavi Gowtham
			Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu	Aaradhana
		Sandhya	Dishyum	Sindhya
		Sneha	Pudhupettai	Krishnaveni
2007 (55th)		Priyamani ‡	Paruthiveeran	Muththazhagu	[54][55]
		Archana	Onbadhu Roobai Nottu	Velayi
		Asin	Pokkiri	Shruthi
		Jyothika	Mozhi	Archana
		Nayanthara	Billa	Sasha
		Tamannaah Bhatia	Kalloori	Shobana
2008 (56th)		Parvathy Thiruvothu ‡	Poo	Maari	[56]
		Asin	Dasavathaaram	Andal
		Genelia D'Souza	Santosh Subramaniam	Hasini
		Nayanthara	Yaaradi Nee Mohini	Keerthi
		Sneha	Pirivom Santhippom	Visalatchi
		Swathi Reddy	Subramaniapuram	Thulasi
		Trisha Krishnan	Abhiyum Naanum	Abi
2009 (57th)		Pooja Umashankar ‡	Naan Kadavul	Hamshavalli	[57]
		Padmapriya Janakiraman	Pokkisham	Nadhira
		Sneha	Achchamundu! Achchamundu!	Malini Kumar
		Sriya Reddy	Kanchivaram	Annam
		Tamannaah Bhatia	Kanden Kadhalai	Anjali

2010s

Year	Photos of winners	Actress	Role(s)	Film	Ref.
2010 (58th)		Anjali ‡	Angadi Theru	Sermakkani	[58]
		Amala Paul	Mynaa	Mynaa
		Nayanthara	Boss Engira Bhaskaran	Chandrika Shanmugasundaram
		Reema Sen	Aayirathil Oruvan	Anitha Pandiyan
		Tamannaah Bhatia	Paiyaa	Charulatha
		Trisha Krishnan	Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa	Jessy
2011 (59th)		Anjali ‡	Engaeyum Eppothum	Manimegalai Ramasamy	[59]
		Anushka Shetty	Deiva Thirumagal	Anuradha Ragunathan
		Asin	Kaavalan	Meera
		Ineya	Vaagai Sooda Vaa	Madhi
		Richa Gangopadhyay	Mayakkam Enna	Yamini
		Shruti Haasan	7 Aum Arivu	Subha
2012 (60th)		Samantha Ruth Prabhu ‡	Neethaane En Ponvasantham	Nithya Vasudevan	[60]
		Amala Paul	Kadhalil Sodhappuvadhu Yeppadi	Parvathi
		Lakshmi Menon	Kumki	Alli
		Shruti Haasan	3	Janani
		Sunaina	Neerparavai	Esther
2013 (61st)		Nayanthara ‡	Raja Rani	Regina John	[61]
		Parvathy Thiruvothu	Maryan	Panimalar
		Pooja Umashankar	Vidiyum Munn	Rekha
		Sneha	Haridas	Amudhavalli
		Trisha Krishnan	Endrendrum Punnagai	Priya
		Vedhika	Paradesi	Angamma
2014 (62nd)		Malavika Nai ‡	Cuckoo	Sudhanthirakodi	[62]
		Amala Paul	Velaiilla Pattadhari	Shalini
		Catherine Tresa	Madras	Kalaiarasi
		Samantha Ruth Prabhu	Kaththi	Ankitha
		Vedhika	Kaaviya Thalaivan	Vadivambal
2015 (63rd)		Nayanthara ‡	Naanum Rowdy Dhaan	Kadhambari	[63]
		Aishwarya Rajesh	Kaaka Muttai	mother
		Gautami	Papanasam	Rani Suyambulingam
		Jyothika	36 Vayadhinile	Vasanthi Tamizhselvan
		Nithya Menen	O Kadhal Kanmani	Tara Kalingarayar
2016 (64th)		Ritika Singh ‡	Irudhi Suttru	Ezhil Madhi	[64]
		Nayanthara	Iru Mugan	Meera George
		Samantha Ruth Prabhu	24	Sathya
			Theri	Mithra Vijaykumar
		Tamannaah Bhatia	Devi	Devi
		Trisha Krishnan	Kodi	Rudhra
2017 (65th)		Nayanthara ‡	Aramm	Madhivadhani IAS	[65]
		Aditi Balan	Aruvi	Aruvi
		Amala Paul	Thiruttu Payale 2	Agalya Selvam
		Andrea Jeremiah	Taramani	Althea Johnson
		Jyothika	Magalir Mattum	Prabhavathi
		Revathi	Pa Paandi	Poothendral
2018 (66th)		Trisha Krishnan ‡	'96	Janaki Devi	[66]
		Aishwarya Rajesh	Kanaa	Kousalya Murugesan
		Jyothika	Kaatrin Mozhi	Vijayalakshmi Balakrishnan
		Nayanthara	Kolamaavu Kokila	Kokila
		Sai Pallavi	Maari 2	Anandhi

2020s

Year	Photos of winners	Actress	Film	Role(s)	Ref.
2020–2021 (67th)		Lijomol Jose ‡	Jai Bhim	Sengeni Rajakannu	[67][68]
		Aishwarya Rajesh	Ka Pae Ranasingam	Ariyanachi Ranasingam
		Aparna Balamurali	Soorarai Pottru	Sundari "Bommi" Nedumaaran
		Dushara Vijayan	Sarpatta Parambarai	Mariyamma Kabilan
		Jyothika	Ponmagal Vandhal	Venba / Angel / Sakthijothi (imagination)
			Udanpirappe	Maathangi Sargunam
2022 (68th)		Sai Pallavi ‡	Gargi	Gargi	[69][70]
		Aishwarya Lekshmi	Gatta Kusthi	Keerthi
		Aishwarya Rai Bachchan	Ponniyin Selvan: I	Nandini
		Keerthy Suresh	Saani Kaayidham	Ponni
		Kovai Sarala	Sembi	Veerathayi
		Nithya Menen	Thiruchitrambalam	Shobana
		Trisha Krishnan	Ponniyin Selvan: I	Kundavai
2023 (69th)		Nimisha Sajayan ‡	Chiththa	Selvi	[71][72]
		Aishwarya Rajesh	Farhana	Farhana / Isha
		Aparna Das	Dada	Sindhu
		Aishwarya Rai Bachchan	Ponniyin Selvan: 2	Nandini
		Shraddha Srinath	Irugapatru	Mithra
		Trisha Krishnan	Ponniyin Selvan 2	Kundavai
		Bhavani Sre	Viduthalai Part 1	Tamilarasi

Notes

• Ramachandran, T.M. (1973). Film world. Vol. 9.
• Collections. Update Video Publication. 1991.
• The Times of India directory and year book including who's who. Times of India Press. 1984.