From Jyotika’s 36 Vayadhinile to Nayanthara in Raja Rani, 5 powerful comebacks in Tamil by actresses

While it is a common trend for female actors to quit the cinema industry after a point, there have been several actors from down south, especially from Tamil who have proved their mettle with strong comebacks, stronger than their previous roles. The yesteryear heroines, in their second innings, have not only aced their roles like no other, but also set the trend to play women of age gracefully.

From Jyotika’s 36 Vayadhinile to Nayanthara in Raja Rani, 5 powerful comebacks in Tamil by actresses

Sardar - Laila - Aha Tamil

Sardar is a spy action thriller film which released in 2022 and directed by PS Mithran. The film stars Karthi in the lead role, and marks Laila comeback to cinema after a gap of 16 years. In the film, Laila played a social activist who fights against a corporate company. Sardar also features Raashii Khanna, Rajisha Vijayan, Chunky Pandey and others. With a sequel in making, Laila is not expected to return, but the actor has went on to appear in films like GOAT and Sabdham.

36 Vayadhinile – Jyotika – Aha 

Actor Jyotika starred in a few films like Mozhi and Manikanda, before going on a break and coming back after a hiatus of eight years with 36 Vayadhinile. The 2015 comedy drama is directed by Rosshan Andrrews and is an adaptation of Malayalam film How Old Are You. The success of 36 Vayadhinile paved way for Jyotika to take up more acting roles, and subsequently made a strong second innings by doing versatile characters, OTT debut and Hindi films. 36 Vayadhinile is a about a middle-aged woman whose mundane life turns youthful and full of energy after she begins to discover life and explore in the aftermath of her husband and daughter leaving to Ireland.

M. Kumaran Son of Mahalakshmi – Nadhiya – SunNXT

M. Kumaran Son of Mahalakshmi is a 2004 sports drama starring Ravi Mohan, Nadhiya, Asin, Prakash Raj, Vivek and others. A remake of Telugu film Amma Nanna O Tamila Ammayi, the film marks Nadhiya's comeback to acting after 10 years. M. Kumaran Son of Mahalakshmi is directed by Mohan Raja and revolves around a single mother and her son who aspires to be a boxer. However, the sudden death of the mother makes the son discover about his father and his whereabouts.

Raja Rani – Nayanthara – JioHotstar

Nayanthara made the headlines when she said her 2011 mythological film Sri Rama Rajyam will be her final acting stint after which she will quit and settle to marry. However, the actor made a strong in Tamil with 2013 Raja Rani, a romantic drama directed by Atlee. Starring Arya, Nazriya Fahadh, Jai and others, Raja Rani won much praise and reiterated Nayanthara's strong hold in Tamil cinema.

Test – Meera Jasmine – Netflix

Test is a 2025 sports drama starring Meera Jasmine, Nayanthara, Madhavan, Siddharth and others. Directed by Sashikanth, the film marked Meera Jasmine's return to Tamil cinema after 11 years since the release of the 2014 film Vingyani. While Meera played a supporting character in Test, the actor exhibited her acting prowess as a helpless actor-turned-housewife whose son is kidnapped.