Shwetha Menon


Shwetha Menon is an Indian actress, model, television anchor and beauty pageant titleholder. She has won Femina Miss India Asia Pacific 1994. She has predominantly acted in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi films. She won two Kerala State Film Awards for Best Actress and two Filmfare Award South. She participated in Bigg Boss Malayalam Season 1.
Starting her career as an actress in Malayalam feature films in the early 1990s, she ventured into modeling and became noted, after participating and winning at several beauty pageants, which led to her debut in Hindi cinema. It was the film Ishq where she received notable attention as the dancer for the song, "Humko Tumse Pyaar Hai", featuring Aamir Khan and Ajay Devgn and also in Bandhan. Following appearances in over 30 Hindi films, in which she generally conveyed a glamorous image, her acting career took a turn by the mid-2000s, with her returning to Malayalam cinema and accepting substantial roles. She received critical praise and several accolades including the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress for her performances in Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha and Salt N' Pepper. In 2018, she contestant in the Malayalam reality TV series Bigg Boss and was eliminated after 36 episodes aired on Asianet, hosted by the veteran actor Mohanlal. She simultaneously appeared in commercial films, television reality shows and parallel films.
Shwetha Menon was elected as president of Association of Malayalam Movie Artists in 2025 and becomes 1st woman president of AMMA.

Early life

Shwetha Menon was born on 23 April 1974 in Chandigarh to Malayali parents T. V. Naranankutty and Sarada Menon who hail from Valanchery in Malappuram district in Kerala. Her father served in the Indian Air Force while her mother remained a housewife. She studied in Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 1, East Hill, Kozhikode.

Career

Films

She started her career as an actress in the Malayalam film Anaswaram, directed by Jomon, playing the female lead opposite Mammootty, after which she focused on modeling. She competed in the Miss India contest in 1994 and finished third runner-up behind Sushmita Sen, Aishwarya Rai and Fransesca Hart. She became the first Gladrags female super model in 1994 and then, Miss Asia Pacific semi-finalist in 1994 in Manila Cebu Island, Philippines. She subsequently made her debut in Hindi cinema and appeared in over 30 films; some of her Bollywood films include Asoka, Maqbool and Corporate.
Menon returned to Malayalam in 2006 with Thantra and then went on to do famous Malayalam films such as Keerthi Chakra and the award-winning Paradesi. Her performance as Sarojini, a middle-class woman who fights against extreme odds, in Madhya Venal earned her a special mention by jury chairman Bahman Ghobadi, a famous Iranian director at the International Film Festival of Kerala. In 2010, she won the Kerala State Government's Best Actress for her portrayal of Cheeru, a village woman in the film Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha directed by Ranjith. She won the Mathrubhumi-Amrita TV Special Jury Award and the Asianet Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for the same film. In 2011, Shweta Menon starred in the remake of Rathinirvedam an Erotic Movie, playing the titular character, originally played by Jayabharathi. In the same year, she got the Kerala State Award for Salt N' Pepper. For her next movie, Naval Enna Jewel, Shweta Menon has undergone a remarkable makeover as an elderly man.
In 2010, Menon approached a local court and the Women's Commission in Kerala after the distributor of her movie tied up with Musli Power, a sex stimulant drug, to jointly promote the movie. "Met with Women's Commission regarding the Kayam ad and they offered me full backing. Thank you all and I hope justice will be done," she tweeted.

Television

Besides working in films, she has anchored several TV, stage and film awards shows. Menon rose to popularity after presenting the musical programme, Star Wars on Kairali TV in 2008. She won the Asian Television Award for Best Anchor for the same program. In Hindi, she hosted the group band based show, Razzmatazz on Zee TV with actor Arshad Warsi. The next television show she did was Dancing Queen in 2008 on Colors. In 2010, she anchored the Malayalam reality show, Honeymoon Travels on Surya TV. The show became an instant hit for Shwetha's accented Malayalam and her attempts to read from the original script without a formal learning in the language. Recently, she appeared as a contestant with her father in the game show, Deal or No Deal on Surya TV. She was the anchor of the family-based reality show Veruthe Alla Bharya on Mazhavil Manorama. She has participated in the popular game show Ningalkkum Aakaam Kodeeshwaran on Asianet. She was running popular comedy reality show Minto Goal Comedy Stars on Asianet in 2015. She has acted in many advertisements. She was a contestant in the season 1 of the reality TV show Bigg Boss aired on Asianet, from which she was eliminated after 36 episodes. In 2019 she made her TV comeback as the host for a family talent hunt show on Mazhavil Manorama titled Kusurthi Kudumbam.

Personal life

Shwetha was married to Bollywood model, Bobby Bhonsle, but it ended up in divorce. On 18 June 2011, she married Sreevalsan Menon, a native of Thrissur, who works in Mumbai. The ceremony took place at the Neythalappurath Sastha Ayappa temple, Valanchery, Kerala. She has a daughter, whose delivery was recorded on camera as part of the film Kalimannu.

Controversies

Shwetha Menon was charged with insulting the Indian flag at a fashion show on 5 January 2004. The show was organized by NIFD at a resort, where Menon walked the ramp allegedly with the tricolour wrapped around her body.
In 2011, she filed a case against Kunnath Pharmaceuticals' managing director K. C. Abraham for misusing stills from her film Kayam for promoting their Ayurvedic aphrodisiac Musli Power Extra. The Ernakulam Central Police arrested Abraham.
Shwetha allowed her delivery to be recorded for Blessy's film Kalimannu. The act was condemned for commercializing the most private affair of a woman by the Kerala Film Exhibitors.
On 4 November 2013, she filed a case against N. Peethambara Kurup of the Indian National Congress in a groping incident. Shweta later dropped her complaint against Kurup, saying the 71-year-old leader tendered a "personal apology" to her hours after she lodged the FIR against him.

Awards

;Kerala State Film Awards
  • 2009 – Best Actress – Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha
  • 2011 – Best Actress – Salt N' Pepper
;Filmfare Awards South
;South Indian International Movie Awards
  • 2012 – SIIMA Award for Actress – Special Appreciation – Rathinirvedam
  • 2013 – SIIMA Award for Best Supporting Actress – Ozhimuri
;Other Awards

Films

YearTitleRoleLanguageNotes
1991AnaswaramCatherineMalayalam
1992Welcome to KodaikanalKavithaMalayalam
1992NakshthrakoodaramNirmala S. MenonMalayalam
1993KoushalamSashikalaMalayalam
1995Desa DrohuluAnuTelugu
1997PrithviLuckyHindi
1997IshqDancerHindiSpecial appearance
1998BandhanVaishaliHindi
2000ShikariTania JacobsHindi
2000SnegithiyePolice Inspector, JayashreeTamil
2000Sandhitha VelaiDancerTamilSpecial appearance
2001AsokaNandaneshwariHindi
2001AnandamDancer in songTeluguSpecial appearance
2001Khatron Ke KhiladiDancerHindi
2001KakkakuyilDancerMalayalamSpecial appearance
2001DubaiDancerMalayalamItem Dance
2002KaabooDancer/SingerHindiSpecial appearance
2002Haan Maine Bhi Pyaar KiyaHindi
2002VadhHindiCameo
2002AnnarthKhatunHindiCameo
2002Ab Ke BarasChembakamHindi
2002Anokha BandhanHindi
2003Koi Hai...LizaHindi
2003Tu Bal Bramhachari Main Hoon Kanya KunwariRaniHindi
2003Dhund: The FogTanya KhuranaHindi
2003Pran Jaye Par Shaan Na JayeSheelaHindi
200388 Antop HillTeestaHindi
2003Kahan Ho TumSanthaliHindi
2003MaqboolMohiniHindi
2003MarketIshaHindi
2003Mission MumbaiHindi
2003JuniorsTeluguCameo
2003HungamaHindi
2004The Killer – Ek QatilHindi
2004OmkaraKannadaCameo
2004RunGanpat's wifeHindi
200430 DaysParo/ShaluHindi
2004Bazaar: Market of Love, Lust and DesireHindi
2004ShikaarRama SahayHindi
2005Mera YudhHindi
2005Bad FriendHindi
2005VardiHindi
2005ToplessHindi
2005Fresh LimeHindi
2005DhamkeeChandniHindi
2006CorporateArchanaHindi
2006SandwichMaggieHindi
2006Keerthi ChakraAathiraMalayalam
2006PakalLatha MohankumarMalayalam
2006ThanthraSwethamukhiMalayalam
2007RaakilipattuJayasreeMalayalam
2007Nehlle Pe Dehlladancer/singerHindiCameo
2007Aur Phir Ek DinHindi
2007ParadesiAaminaMalayalam
2007Rock n' RollMeenakshiMalayalam
2007Abraham & LincolnLuluMalayalam
2008Summer 2007D.S.P KeertiHindiSpecial appearance
2008LaptopMotherMalayalam
2008Aakasha GopuramAliceMalayalam
2008SamayamManikyamMalayalam
2009Kisse Pyaar KaroonChameli / JulieHindi
2009Naan Avanillai 2NishaTamil
2009Madhya VenalSarojiniMalayalam
2009Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte KathaCheeruMalayalam
2009Kerala CafeDeviMalayalamsegment "Aviraamam"
2010ChaseKareena ChopraHindiCameo
2010Pokkiri RajaDancerMalayalamSpecial appearance
2010PenpattanamSuharaMalayalam
2010SadgamayaJyothiMalayalam
2010T. D. Dasan Std. VI BChandrikaMalayalam
2010ValiyangadiLakshmiMalayalam
2010KadakshamRevathyMalayalam
2011KayamThamaraMalayalam
2011August 15Dr. FaridaMalayalam
2011City of GodLiji PunnoseMalayalam
2011RathinirvedamRathiMalayalam
2011Salt N' PepperMaya KrishnanMalayalam
2011RajannaDorasanniTelugu
2012UnnamSereenaMalayalam
2012AravaanRajaambaalTamilSpecial appearance
2012Thalsamayam Oru PenkuttySareenaMalayalam
2012No. 66 Madhura BusRita MammenMalayalam
2012Ivan MegharoopanMaya MaheswariMalayalam
2012Ithra MathramSumithraMalayalam
2012OzhimuriKaliammaMalayalam
2012ParudeesaThresiaMalayalam
2012AakasmikamAnithaMalayalam
2013Mumbai PoliceDr. Tanuja NairMalayalam
2013KalimannuMeeraMalayalam
2013CareebeyansCatherineMalayalam
2014100 Degree CelsiusNilaMalayalamAlso playback singer
2015Thunai MudhalvarThangamaniTamil
2015Appavum VeenjumDr.NayanaMalayalam
2015RudrasimhasanamUmayammaMalayalam
2015Akeldamayile PennuAgnesMalayalam
2015MaayamalikaManikyamMalayalam
2015HaramHerselfMalayalam
2016DhanayathraVijilaMalayalam
2017InayathalamHelenTamil
2017Naval Enna JewelChachuMalayalam
2018Kammara SambhavamMalayil MaheshwariMalayalam
2018PremanjaliSubhadraMalayalam
2018Oru Kuprasidha PayyanDr. Renuka SubramanianMalayalam
2019Fancy DressPriyaMalayalam
2021Black CoffeeMaya KrishnanMalayalam
2023PallimaniLillykuttyMalayalam
2023Queen ElizabethDr. Shanti KrishnaMalayalam
2024BadalNaxalite ReenaMalayalam
2025JangarMalliMalayalam
2025KaramDr. Nandita BoseMalayalam