Dr. Vidya Pradeep (born 13 April 1990) is an Indian actress and scientist.[1] Her films include Saivam (2014), Pasanga 2 (2015), and Thadam (2019)

Vidya Pradeep
Vidya Pradeep during Thadam audio launch
Born	(1990-04-13) 13 April 1990 (age 32) Alappuzha, Kerala, India
Other names	Vidya Gopakumar,[1] Dhyana[2]
Occupation	Actress, scientist[1]
Years active	2010–present

Career

Film career

After completing her Master of Science degree in Biotechnology, Vidya Pradeep completed her PhD in Stem Cell Biology at an eye hospital in Chennai. She works on ocular stem cells, and her works are published in "International Journal of Cornea" and "International Journal of Cell Therapy".[3][1][4]

She practiced Bharatanatyam during her childhood.[2] While pursuing her PhD, Vidya worked as a model and appeared in several print and television advertisements. Vidya says that her break in to the world of Ads and movies were accidental. She also appeared in the music video for A. R. Rahman's "Aa Bhi Jaa" from his studio album Raunaq alongside Yami Gautam and several other models. Vidya was signed to play a role in a film by Lohithadas, but the film didn't materialise. She was subsequently signed to play a supporting role in Aval Peyar Thamizharasi (2010) and debuted under the name Dhyana. Her next film was Virunthali (2010), where she played the heroine.[2] She was spotted by director A. L. Vijay, who cast her in his successful family drama film, Saivam (2014) to portray Sara Arjun's mother. For the film, she reverted to her original name and put on weight to portray a middle-aged woman. The film and the ensemble cast won positive reviews for its portrayal of a family. She then featured in the action drama, Adhibar (2015) as the lead actress opposite Jeevan.[5][6] Pradeep then worked on Pandiraj's Pasanga 2 (2015) portraying the mother of a small child.[7] Critics noted that Pradeep added "solidity to the film by coming up with a credible performance" and that she did "commendably well".[8][9] She worked on the psychological thriller Onnume Puriyala (2016), which made the headlines for becoming the first Tamil film to be remade in German, and played a cameo in Achamindri (2016).[10][11]

Pradeep made her debut in Kannada with Bangara s/o Bangarada Manushya (2017) opposite Shivarajkumar, and the film opened to very positive reviews.[12][13][14][15] Vidya was highly appreciated by the critics for her acting skills and screen presence.[13][14][12] The New Indian Express noted that "Vidya Pradeep doesn’t stay a glam doll instead proves her talent in acting when called for", while the Deccan Herald says that it is a "fortuitous debut for Vidya Pradeep".[13][14] In March 2019, she appeared in Thadam with Arun Vijay. Times of India said "Vidya's performance stands out" and The Indian Express stated that "Vidya Pradeep needs a special mention and manages to hold your attention undivided right through as Malar".[16][17]

Filmography

This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (July 2022)

Key

Denotes films that have not yet been released

Year	Film	Role(s)	Notes
2010	Aval Peyar Thamizharasi	Dancer	Debut film ; Credited as Dhyana
	Virunthali	Archana	Credited as Dhyana
2013	Proprietors: Kammath & Kammath	Radhika	Malayalam film ; Cameo Appearance
2014	Saivam	Thenmozhi
2015	Adhibar	Suganthi
	Pasanga 2	Divya
2016	Achamindri	Shruthi
2017	Bangara s/o Bangarada Manushya	Nayana	Kannada film
2018	Iravukku Aayiram Kangal	Anitha
	Kalari	Mallika
	Maari 2	Kalai's Wife
2019	Thadam	Malarvizhi
2020	Ponmagal Vandhal	Shakthi Jothi (Psycho Jothi)	Cameo Appearance
2021	Kasada Thapara	Vaanathi	Anthology Film; Segment: Thappattam
	Thalaivii	Actress	Cameo Appearance
	Chithirai Sevvanam	Lakshmi
2022	Selfie	Mona
	Ward 126	Yamini
	Yenni Thuniga	Teja
	Othaikku Othai	Anitha	Post-production
	Asurakulam	Priya	Post-production
	Aval Kangalai Kondu Ennai Moodinaal	TBA	Post-production
	Yaadhum Oore Yaavarum Kelir	TBA	Filming
	Infinity	TBA	Post-production
	Echo	Nila	Post-production
	Powder	TBA	Post-production
	Kannagi	TBA	Post-production
	Striker	TBA	Post-production
	The Book	TBA	Filming

Web series

Television series

References

External links

• Vidya Pradeep at IMDb