Sai Pallavi Senthamari Kannan is an Indian actress known for her work in Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam films. Regarded as one of the finest performers of her generation, she is known for her natural looks, portrayal of strong women, and outstanding dancing skills. 

Some of her most notable works include Premam (2015), Fidaa (2017), Maari 2 (2018), NGK (2019), Love Story (2021), Shyam Singha Roy (2021) & Amaran (2024). She was last seen in Amaran (2024), a biographical film starring Sivakarthikeyan in lead role. Directed by Rajkumar Periyasamy and produced by Kamal Hassan under Raj Kamal Films International, the film was a major commerical success. Additionally, she has signed in for a film starring Naga Chaitanya, titled Thandel, bankrolled by Geetha Arts, directed by Chandoo Mondeti.

Early Life

Pallavi was born on May 9, 1992 (32 as of January, 2025), in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Her mother tongue is Badaga, a language spoken in Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu. Born to Senthamari Kannan, a police officer, and Radha, a homemaker, she has a younger sister, Pooja Kannan. She did her schooling at Avila Convent School, Coimbatore, and received her MBBS from Tbilisi State Medical University, Georgia. Besides her mother tongue, she is fluent in Tamil and English; she learned Telugu to dub for her role in Fidaa (2017).

Though it is hard to believe, Pallavi has no formal training in dance but has been a passionate dancer since childhood. She participated in the reality shows Ungalil Yaar Adutha Prabhu Deva (2008) and Dhee Ultimate Dance Show (2009). She appeared in Kasthuri Maan (2005), Dhaam Dhoom (2008), and a few advertisements as a child actress.

Career

Pallavi made her acting debut with the Malayalam film Premam (2016). The film received critical acclaim and was a huge commercial success, running over 175 days in Kerala. In the following year, she was paired opposite Dulquer Salmaan in the action thriller Kali (2016). Impressed by her performance as Malar in Premam (2016), Shekhar Kammula cast her in the Telugu romantic comedy Fidaa (2017). The film opened to positive reviews, with critics praising Pallavi’s performance in Telangana dialect, a dialect that is left unexplored in Telugu cinema. The film went on to become one of the biggest hits of the year. In the same year, she was paired opposite Nani in MCA (2017). Despite the mixed reception, the film was a commercial success.

She faced a brief setback in her career following a string of failures like Diya (2018), Padi Padi Leche Manasu (2018), and Maari 2 (2018). The Dhanush-starrer Maari 2 (2018) is noted for the dance number ‘Rowdy Baby’, the only song from South India with more than one billion views on YouTube. In 2019, she starred in the critically acclaimed Malayalam film Athiran (2019) and Selvaraghavan’s political thriller NGK (2019). She made her TV debut with the Netflix anthology Paavi Kadhaigal (2020). In 2021, she starred in the box-office hits Love Story (2021) and Shyam Singha Roy (2021). She garnered praise for her portrayal of a young woman from rural Telangana in Virata Parvam (2022). She was also seen in the Tamil film Gargi (2022), which opened to positive reviews from critics.

In 2024, she was cast opposite Sivakarthikeyan in Amaran, a biographical film produced by Kamal Hassan. Directed by Rajkumar Periasamy, it was a major commerical success. Pallavi will be next seen in the romantic drama Thandel, starring Naga Chaitanya in the lead role.

Rejections

Pallavi was the first choice for the female lead in Bharat Kamma’s Dear Comrade (2019). She rejected the project, citing kissing scenes between the lead pair. She was also offered to play Chiranjeevi’s sister in Bhola Shankar (2023), a Telugu remake of Vedalam (2015). Following a thumbs-down from her, the role went to Keerthy Suresh. In 2023, in an interview with Film Companion, she stated that she’d choose scripts only if her role held significance in the plot or if she was the plot. Though not explicitly stated, it was clear that she wouldn’t play the typical hero-worshipping roles.

Media Image

Pallavi is particularly noted for breaking all the mainstream heroine stereotypes such as fair skin, thick hair, and model-type body measurements. In 2019, she rejected a brand endorsement of a fairness cream brand worth 2 crore rupees. Praising her move, actor-director Sukumar termed her ‘Lady Pawan Kalyan’. She learned Telugu in the Telangana dialect to dub for her role in Fidaa (2017). Following the film’s success, K. Chandrasekhar Rao, then Chief Minister of Telangana, watched and appreciated the film.

Note: This section is heavily inspired from Wikipedia.