Nayanthara, Rajinikanth, Mammootty: 5 South Indian actors who quit their previous jobs for acting

South Indian actors, including Superstar Rajinikanth and Lady Superstar Nayanthara, have been prominent figures in the industry for over a decade now. Fans and viewers are always eager to learn about the other pursuits these actors are passionate about beyond acting. Many of these actors have left previous occupations to fully dedicate themselves to their acting careers. Here's a glimpse of South Indian actors and their former professions.

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Lady superstar Nayanthara was a model before stepping into the movie industry. She also hosted some reality shows and events at the early stage of her career. Nayanthara made her acting debut with the Malayalam film Manassinakkare in 2003 alongside actor Jayaram. Her 75th movie, ‘Annapoorani’, hit theaters on December 1, 2023.

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Superstar Rajinikanth worked as a bus conductor before entering the film industry. He has appeared in around 169 films. He made his debut in K. Balachander's 1975 Tamil movie ‘Apoorva Raagangal’. The actor has collaborated with his daughter, Aishwarya Rajinikanth, in the latest film ‘Lal Salaam’, which was released in theaters on February 9, 2024.

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Mollywood actor, superstar Mammootty used to practice law before becoming an actor. He made his debut in the Malayalam film Anubhavangal Paalichakal in 1971. He has appeared in more than 400 films. The actor is gearing up for his upcoming horror film ‘Bramayugam’, which will hit theaters on February 15.

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The actor-turned-filmmaker Rakshit Shetty was a software engineer before entering the film industry. He debuted with the film ‘Namm Areal Ond Dina’ in 2010. His last film ‘Sapta Saagaradaache Ello – Side A’ garnered a huge fanbase for his work. He also owns his own production house.

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The Mollywood actor Nivin Pauly was working as a software engineer before venturing into films. He was cast in Vineeth Sreenivasan's directorial debut ‘Malarvaadi Arts Club’ in 2009 and achieved breakthrough success with the film ‘Thattathin Marayathu’ in 2012. His upcoming film is ‘Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai’, directed by Ram, featuring Anjali and Soori.

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