Happy birthday Ramya Krishnan; here’s her best villain act as the iconic Neelambari

Ramya Krishnan is one of the most popular and versatile actors in the South. Spanning a career of more than three decades, the talented actress has delivered several great performances and continues making eclectic choices. However, if there is one role she is remembered for then it definitely is Neelambari, her villain act opposite Rajinikanth in Padaiyappa. On Ramya Krishnan’s birthday, let’s take a look at the negative role in Padaiyappa which is considered as one of the greatest villains played in the last few decades.

Back in the 90s, when antagonists were all men, Ramya came as a force to reckon with and broke every glass ceiling with antagonist performance so impactful that it is etched in the memory for years. Her performance as minacious Neelambari, who is madly in love with Rajinikanth in the film is a treat to watch. Her dialogue delivery, looks, and dance prowess created something which was never seen before. Many villains came and went from 1999, but something about Neelambari always stood out. Even today, it is one of the classic characters, which is cherished by every movie buff. Ramya Krishnan as Neelambari is irreparecable.The jaw-dropping performance earned the actress a Filmfare and Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actress.

The impact of the role and the performance has been such that even Rajinikanth considers it as one of the two most powerful antagonists he has faced over time. At the audio launch, Rajinikanth said, “In my decades-long acting career, I found only two antagonists to be formidable and powerful. One is Antony from Baashaa and another is Neelambari from Padayappa.”

The film, KS Ravikumar’s second with the superstar after the success of Muthu in 1995, received a much-coveted box-office date – a day before the Tamil New Year – and went on to become the highest-grossing Tamil film at that point.