When Diana Mariam embraced Hinduism in 2011

She was born as Diana Mariam Kurian into a Syrian Christian family in Kerala. After making a foray into movies, the actress realized the need for a captivating name to earn fame and chose the sobriquet Nayanthara. Can't argue with the choice as her fledgling career ship-shaped dramatically.

After some eight long years in business, the actress achieved peak stardom and was the most sought-after name in the industry. On one fine morning in 2011, she reached Arya Samaj Temple in Chennai, to convert to Hinduism. She even worked on procedures to retain the name Nayanthara.

During the time, the actress denied any comments to media but industry people said that the move was personal. Some others viewed it as a first step towards marriage with her then-flame, actor Prabhudeva. Despite the relationship collapsing soon, Nayanthara remained steadfast in her belief and chose not to return to her old roots.

In Nayanthara’s latest Netflix documentary, the actress’s mother Omana Kurien recounts the emotional turmoil she faced during her daughter’s relationship. Reflecting on that period, she said:

‘We have Chettikulangara Amma. Every morning, I would go to the temple and pray. I also prayed to Jesus. Amma gave me back my daughter. There were times when I thought she was slipping away from us. I prayed for strength and for my daughter to return to us. I knew no harm would come to her because God is with us. He gave us the courage to overcome those challenges.’

'Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairy Tale', the documentary now streaming on Netflix has turned into a talking matter in the cine world. In the last two days, dozens of articles have reached people elucidating the feud between the actress and Dhanush. Now, more sneak peeks from the documentary have started appearing on news portals.