I thought I lost my daughter once, but Chettikulangara Devi protected her: Nayanthara’s mother

Superstar Nayanthara who started her career in the Malayalam movie industry in Sathyan Anthikad’s ‘Manasinakkare’ rose to prominence as a leading heroine in South India with her sheer hard work and passion. Her mother Omana Kurien, who appeared in the documentary 'Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale' spoke fondly about Nayanthara and said the actor was a dutiful daughter who makes time for her family, despite her hectic schedule. Omana said Nayanthara unexpectedly got the chance to act in movies. “Her father Kurien used to accompany her to the sets in the initial days. However, things turned upside down when he became ill. Even though Nayanthara was worried about her father’s health condition, she made sure to provide him good care by arranging ICU facilities at home," she said in the documentary.

“Nayanthara wanted to pursue CA after completing degree. Her father and I would drop her at CMS College in Kottayam and wait outside in the car until her classes got over. She got the offer to act in movies while she was doing good in studies. We got the call from Sathyan Anthikad while she was sitting at home and writing her assignment. He liked her on the cover of Vanitha magazine. However, I was worried about my relatives’ reaction. Although we didn’t mind her acting in movies, our close relatives including my cousins opposed it. The three of us thought about it a lot and then prayed at the Parumala Church before taking the decision to act in the film. We had decided that she could continue her studies after doing a few movies. But, her studies stopped after that,” recalls Omana.

In the initial days, both Omana and Kurien used to accompany Nayanthara to the sets. Later, it was only her father who went with her. Nayanthara was only three Tamil films old when the family began observing changes in Kurien’s health. “It became difficult for him to eat food and gradually he started forgetting things. It’s been nearly 15 years now and Kurien still continues to suffer from neurological problems,” said Omana, who also has a son who is settled in Dubai.

“Nayanthara calls me at least three or four times in a day, no matter how busy she is. She asks whether I and achan (father) are fine. I am the first person she reaches out to when she is upset. She has arranged ICU facilities at our house for her father. Now, I am his primary care giver. Despite her hectic schedule, she takes good care of both of us. We are extremely fortunate to have a daughter like her. Besides, I got a perfect son- in-law. I have always prayed that she gets a husband who loves and understands her,” Omana noted.

In the documentary, Omana Kurien spoke about the difficult times when Nayanthara was in a relationship with a famous actor. “Chettikulangara temple is near our house. I go to the temple every morning to pray; I also pray to Jesus Christ. It was Chettikulangara Devi who gave me my daughter back. There was a time when I thought that I had lost her. I was really sad then. So, I prayed to the goddess to return my daughter and nothing else. I know my daughter really well. I understand her deeply, after God. I know that nothing bad would happen to her. She always tells that God has given us the courage to live,” said Omana.