Anna Ben

Four rounds of auditions stood between Anna Ben and the part of Baby, the female lead of Kumbalangi Nights (2019). The film was her debut and did well with critics and audiences alike. Born in 1995, she grew up in Kochi, the daughter of screenwriter Benny P. Nayarambalam, studied at Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Vaduthala, and graduated in fashion and apparel design from St. Teresa's College, Kochi. Malayalam cinema is where most of her work sits. The title role in the survival drama Helen (2019) came next, then the lead in Kappela (2020), and later the Tamil drama Kottukkaali (2024). These performances have won her two Kerala State Film Awards and a Filmfare Award South. In the Telugu science-fiction hit Kalki 2898 AD (2024) she played Kyra, a rebel from Shambhala, in a supporting part that brought her the SIIMA Award for Best Supporting Actress – Telugu. She has also featured in music videos. Ahead is the Tamil romantic comedy Coimbatore Mappillaii, with a Christmas release date, in which she plays Kanagavalli. She is also set to star opposite Chidambaram in debutant Vysakh Reetha's romantic comedy-drama, due to start filming in January 2027.