She made an enviable debut opposite Malayalam cinema’s heartthrob in hit film, but left without a second outing: ‘People forgot such a person existed’

Don’t Miss | Mohanlal rose to superstardom with a film that was rejected by Mammootty; it was shot in 32 days on a Rs 40 lakh budget

Helmed by Sanal, Priyam introduced a new heroine to Malayalam cinema, Deepa Nayar. Although the movie became a hit and her performance impressed everyone, the audience never saw her again, much to everyone’s dismay. But where is she now? And why has she not appeared in a single movie since then? Deepa herself has broken the silence and disclosed why she stepped away from the limelight despite receiving an enviable debut.

What happened to Priyam actress Deepa Nayar?

Revealing why she bid adieu to Tinseltown after her debut movie, Deepa shared in a video posted on her Instagram handle, “Many people ask why I quit acting after just one film. They wonder if it was because my experience on the set was bad. Not at all. The set of Priyam was amazing. It was incredibly fun, especially with all the kids around. If I were to explain what happened… my entry into the cinema was as unexpected as my exit…” Hailing from Thiruvananthapuram, Deepa is also a talented dancer and initially gained attention through programmes on the Asianet channel. She was a student when she acted in Priyam.

ICYMI | Malayalam cinema’s most iconic father-son tale redefined on-screen masculinity, minted Rs 12.85 cr against Rs 75 lakh budget, won Mohanlal Best Actor award

She continued, “I received two or three offers after Priyam. I was a student back then. Those offers weren’t good enough to justify dropping out of my engineering studies to go and act. Hence, my parents and I decided that I complete my studies first. But after that, no more offers came. Social media wasn’t as active as it is today, right? People simply forgot that such a person existed. That’s what happened. This was also the period when talented female actors like Navya Nair, Meera Jasmine and Bhavana were slowly making an impression in the industry.”

Deepa added, “After my studies, I wanted to go abroad. Thus, I moved to Melbourne University for my Master’s, and then I got busy with my career. That’s how I completely left the movie world.” She now works as a software engineer and is married to Rajeev Nair, who also works in the same field. The couple is settled in Melbourne, Australia, where they live with their daughters.