Richa Gangopadhyay:

Richa Gangopadhyay, a former Miss India USA got introduced to the Kollywood film industry after impressing Telugu audiences in her first few films. She was quickly snatched by Director Selvaraghavan for Mayakkam Enna. The actress quickly impressed with her role and was widely appreciated for performance in the more emotional scenes the film. Her success was soon followed by a role in Simbu's Osthi in which she took a less significant role, but her great looks and personality made sure her presence was felt.

Dheeksha Seth:

Here's another actress who got a taste of Tollywood before she moved to Tamil cinema. Deeksha Seth established herself in films like Vedam and Wanted in Telugu and soon made herself to the cast of Suseendran's Rajapattai opposite Vikram. The film helped her launch herself in Kollywood and she has been signed up for Simbu's next film Vettai Maanan. Deeksha continues to sign up Telugu films as well!

Iniya:

Iniya, who had shot to fame with the critically acclaimed Vaagai Sooda Vaa soon established herself as one of the most prominent upcoming names in the industry. She soon featured on Mounaguru, which became a dark horse and impressed audiences. Next came Ammavin Kaipesi, in which she used her scope in the screenplay well to give our another impressive performance. You better have you eyes on this one!

Bindhu Madhavi:

After a cameo role in Veppam, Bindhu Madhavi soon found herself to be the lead actress in Kazhugu. Showcasing a very different story, she did well in her portraying her innocent character opposite another debut hero. Her subtlety and expressions was spotted by Pandiraj who picked her up to do one of the leads in Kedi Billa Killadi Ranga. The film is all set to release this Pongal and we can see how far her popularity reaches.

Pranitha:

Pranitha was another actor who got roped into Tamil films after making appearances in other southern languages. In fact, she several films to her name, including Kannada and Telugu before she made her way into Kollywood. Her introduction came in the form of Saguni opposite Karthi. In her short role, Pranitha got a credible film to her resume. We will have to wait and see when she will pop-up in Kollywood once more.

Aathmiya:

Aathmiya made her debut in 2012 in Ezhil's Maramkothi Paravai. The romantic drama had Sivakarthikeyan in the lead and included a lot of emotional sequences. Her character showcased a topsy-turvey young girl who was stuck choosing between the love of her life and her family. The film didn't do very well in the market, but will always be remembered for introducing two lead actors to the industry.

Swathi:

Remember Rattinam? The film was directed by K.S.Thangasamy and had Laguvaran and Swathi in the lead. The actress emerged as one of the other new name female leads in 2012, joining the long list. The Malayali actress initially made her debut in Ina in Kerala and was soon praised by several critics from the industry including Director Gautham Menon.

Manisha:

Not many debutantes get a chance to be part of a film that creates history. Manisha Yadav kicked off her career in bright fashion in Vazhakku Enn 18/9, a bilingual that released both in Tamil and Telugu. The Balaji Sakthivel film was shot entirely in a Canon 5D camera and was one of Kollywood's shortlisted submissions to the Oscars. Manisha has then gone on to work with two other projects in Adhalaal Kadhal Seiveer and Jannal Oram. Her future looks pretty bright.

Nisha Agarwal:

Nisha Agarwal, younger sister to popular actress Kajal Agarwal was first introduced to Tollywood in the film Emaindi Ee Vela. Following in the lines of her sister, she quickly shot to fame with two hit movies and landed her first Tamil project, Ishtam. The film being a remake of Emaindi Ee Vela, it was obvious that she would be a good fit for the role. Since then, she has gone on to sign four more films in Tollywood and looks like a promising prospect for the future.

Mansi:

Leelai had been in the making for a long while and it's release was plagued with problems. But once the film released, it had several talking points to offer for the audience. Mansi, it's heroine was one of the most important reasons behind it's success. The story which describes a complicated love affair required a heroine with flare and Mansi impressed in her debut right away. Her character, Karunai Malai, won't be forgotten anytime soon.

Lakshmi Menon:

One of the finds of the year was Lakshmi Menon. Having two films under her belt already before arriving in Kollywood, Lakshmi had all the essentials to be successful. Her debut, Sundarapandian portrayed her as a village girl. As the film rallied to become a blockbuster, she became very popular quickly. By the time her second film, Kumki released, she was very recognizable to the audiences. And it looks like she has two of the biggest hits of 2012 to her name!

Pooja Hegde:

Pooja was crowned as Miss Universe India back in 2010 and she made her way acting in 2012. Her first film Mugamoodi released to much hype and expectation. Pooja was cast opposite to Jiiva who played the role of a kung-fu superhero donning a cape. The film opened well across theatres and Pooja soon attracted many with her charming looks. We might just see the bombshell turn up again in future films.

Gayatri:

We are sure many were impressed after seeing Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kanom. If you had noticed, the movie didn't have just Vijay Sethupathi playing the lead, it also had an upcoming actress in Gayathri playing the heroine. The leading-lady had previously appeared in 18 Vayasu, and is yet another promising star in Tamil cinema. Although not as popular as other names, she might prove to be a dark horse in the upcoming years.

Nandita:

2012 saw several filmmakers shift gears from short-films to mainline cinema. Renjith's Attakathi, which tasted commercial success introduced Nandita to the world. The actress played the role of a girl through her school and college days in the comedy entertainer. Her performance was soon rewarded as she was picked up to play in R.Venkatesan's first film, who happens to be another former associate to Venkat Prabhu. Nandita will also be making an appearance in Dhanush's first home production, Ethir Neechal.

Sharmila:

Another actress who came from the Kannada film industry, Sharmila had several big-name films to her name before her Tamil debut. Her chance in Kollywood came in the form of Mirattal, which had Vinay playing the lead. Directed by Madhesh, the film was a remake of the successful Telugu film Dhee. Her performance was noted quickly and she was offered a chance to work in Tollywood for the first time.