There is no greater happiness for an actor to be called the number one in an industry. When it comes to male artistes, the trend is such that one actor dominates the industry for decades. MGR and now Rajinikanth have been 'Kings of Tamil Cinema' for entire generations. But the leading ladies of Tamil Cinema have a completely different ball game.

With much lesser 'market time' and that too scarred with the prospects of getting married and bidding adieu totally to films the 'throne' at times finds no takers. Such is the scenario in Tamil films now after both Simran and Jyothika got married. Though Simran has made a comeback, her initial charm has withered a bit after marriage.

So, who would be the proud owner of the much coveted throne? The contenders probably are Nayantara, Asin, Trisha and Shriya though Tamanna and Kajal Agarwal could give stiff competition in the future.

With Asin being in demand all over India and her foray into Hindi films with actors Aamir Khan and Salman Khan, her concentration in Tamil films could diminish that much. Trisha, the reigning queen of the Telugu film industry also has two industries to manage.

Nayantara's exotic appeal is fast catching with Tamil youth and this is reflected in the kind of movies she is working in. Her stylish demeanor had been captured rather ravishingly in ‘Billa’. After that, the floodgates have literally opened.

She considered her being cast opposite superstar Rajinikanth a benediction. But then, to be cast once again with the 'style king' in ‘Kuselan’ is sheer ecstasy. This could give her the much needed edge on her peers.

She is also being paired for the very first time with Vijay in 'Villu'. Vijay fans are of the strong opinion that the choice has been excellent and are looking forward to seeing both sizzle together on screen. This expectation has risen owing to a song sequence in 'Sivakasi' that had the pair sway together in a fast paced song.

And then there is 'Aegan' with Ajith. Yet another big boost for the damsel from Kerala. In 'Sathyam' Nayantara has been assigned the role of a daring reporter and interestingly 'punch dialogues' have been written for her character. The movie has Vishal playing a cop for the first time.

With these releases the throne might very well belong to Nayantara very soon and fill the void that Simran and Jyothika had created with their marriages.

Diana Kurien (Nayanthara's real name) has indeed come a long way from where she began.