Female Lead Squared - A look at dual roles played by female actors in Tamil cinema
25 years ago this month, the Urvashi starrer Mayabazar released. It featured her in dual roles - the innocent Suji and the fake godwoman Mayamma. Let's look at other heroines who did dual roles!
The latest female actor to do dual roles was Trisha who did it for the first time in her career in the 2018's horror film Mohini where she played a chef and a spirit
Nayanthara gave a shot with dual roles in horror flicks too. After playing a second role for just the last frame in Maya (2015), she played full-fledged double action in 2019's Airaa
Samantha tried her hand with dual roles in the 2015 film 10 Endrathukulla where she played two contrasting characters -- a gullible girl named Shakeela and Gadgi Moi, a cruel leader in Uttarakhand
The 2014 neo-noir mystery film Sarabham had Salony Luthra play dual roles as twin sisters Shruti Chandrasekar and Sanjana Chandrasekar. Incidentally, it's her only Tamil film
It's a bit of a drag, but technically speaking, Sanchita Shetty played dual roles in 2013's hit Soodhu Kavvum. One was Das' imaginary girlfriend Shalu and a minister's daughter named Shalini Gupta
While Anushka was seen in two roles in Bhaagmathie, her tryst with multiple roles began in 2013's Irandaam Ulagam where she played Ramya, Varna and a third world girl. That's right, triple action!
National Award-winning actor did not resort to regular dual roles when she did the horror-thriller Chaarulatha in 2012 where she played conjoined twins
The 2009 horror film Pournami Nagam saw Mumaith Khan playing the roles of Honey, a model and a female snake. The film is a Tamil-Telugu bilingual
Asin played two distinct women from two different times in the Kamal Haasan starrer Dasavathaaram back in 2008. She essayed the roles of Kodhai Radha and Andal
Not many know that Aditi Rao Hydari made her Tamil debut back in 2007 with a film named Sringaram. The actor essayed dual roles in the film too - as women from two different times
Jyotika's dual role in the 2004 Perazhagan set up the perfect canvas to portray her acting prowess as two women from different backdrops. And unsurprisingly, she aced in both
Sneha tried dual roles in 2003's Parthiban Kanavu where director Karu Pazhaniappan used the dual characters as the driving point for the plot itself
The 2001 film Chocklet saw Mumtaj play dual roles -- the heroine's friend Nirmala and another role named Bhama. Nirmala a.k.a Nimmi was a famous character thanks to the chartbuster Malai Malai track
Unlike many films in this list, Simran's first and only dual role film Kanave Kaliyadhe (1999) is a romance drama. It had her play a Punjabi girl named Amritha as well as a Tamilian named Saradha
Aishwarya Rai's debut film Iruvar (1997) had her do two roles - one as the village belle Pushpavalli who ends up as the first wife of Anandan (Mohanlal) and another as actor Kalpana
Meena played both the dotting mother and modern daughter in the Sarath Kumar starrer Nadodi Mannan in 1995 before playing the role of a god and her devotee in 2002's Padai Veetu Amman
Unlike many films in this list, Sithara's tryst with dual roles was in a comedy film titled Pondattiye Deivam (1994) where she played twin sisters Parimala and Shyamala
While we're at twins, let's not forget the lovely performance of Bhanupriya as the sisters Priya and Saradha in 1992 family drama Kaviya Thalaivan also starring Vijayakanth
The 1991 film Marikozhundhu had Aishwarya star as the titular character as well as her daughter Chithra. The film's plot was Chithra discovering the legacy of her dead mother
Nadhiya has the unique distinction of playing dual roles in two films in the same year. 1986 saw her doing double action in Mandhira Punnagai and Nilave Malare
1985's Paartha Gnabagam Illayo, which was Nagesh's only directorial venture had Ramya Krishnan play dual roles, following which she did it again in Annai Kaligambal (2003)
Sridevi gave dual roles a shot in 1978's Vanakkatukuriya Kathaliye where one of the characters has the ability to predict future events. The film also starred Rajinikanth
The 1976 romantic thriller Vazhvu En Pakkam had Lakshmi in dual roles -- a simpleton named Saraswathy and Usha the nurse. Starring R Muthuraman, the film was directed by Krishnan Panju
Vanisri played dual roles in 1971's Irulum Oliyum followed by the titular roles in the 1974 Vani Rani which later became the name of a soap opera that starred Radhika as twins
Jayalalithaa seems to have played the most number of dual roles. Starting with Yaar Nee? in 1966, she had done the same in films like Shakthi Leelai and Vandhale Magaraasi
The 1965 remake of the Marathi film Pathlaag, Idhaya Kamalam had veteran actor KR Vijaya play twin sisters, Kamala and Vimala who lead drastically different lives
The thriller Puthiya Paravai (1964) saw Sowcar Janaki play dual roles for the first time. She pulled it off once again in K Balachander's 1970 film Kaaviya Thalaivi
Legendary actor Savitri gave dual roles a shot in 1962's Kathiruntha Kangal in which she played twin sisters who were separated at birth due to poverty
Rajasulochana played double action in the 1962 film Kavitha where she played the titular character as well as a lookalike named Ponnamma
The 1961 Bhimsingh directorial Palum Pazhamum is the only film in which Saroja Devi played dual roles. The film also starring Sivaji Ganesan, had Saroja Devi play the roles Shanthi and Neela
In Chandirani (1953), Bhanumathi played Chandi Rani and Champa Rani, twins separated at birth. Ten years later she played dual roles in Kalai Arasi, Tamil cinema's first alien film
1936's Kuchela saw SD Subbulakshmi in a double role -- as a male (Lord Krishna) and a female (Susheela, Kuchela's wife). This one of its kind casting gave way to many more dual roles by female stars
