Dhanya Mary Varghese (ധന്യ മേരി വർഗ്ഗീസ്) is an Indian actress, model, dancer, and anchor born on 17 September 1985 in Edayar, Koothattukulam, near Muvattupuzha, Kerala, into a Syrian Christian family. Her father is VP Varghese and her mother is Sheeba Varghese; her younger brother Dixon Paul Varghese works as a Station Master in Southern Railway. She attended Little Flower Girls High School (Vadakara), St. Joseph's Higher Secondary School (Piravom), and MKM Higher Secondary School (Piravom), and earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from St. Teresa's College, Kochi. She trained in dance and performing arts at Kalabhavan, a renowned performing arts institution in Kochi. She began her career as a junior background dancer in 2003 with the film Swapnam Kondu Thulabharam and made her Tamil film debut in Thirudi (2006). Her Malayalam acting debut came with Nanma (2007), directed by Sharath Chandran Wayanad. Her most acclaimed film performance was in Thalappavu (2008). She also appeared in Vairam: Fight For Justice, Kerala Cafe, Veeramum Eeramum, and Nayakan. On television, she debuted with Deivathinte Swantham Devootty and gained wide recognition through the popular serial Seetha Kalyanam (Asianet), winning the Asianet Television Award for Best Star Pair (2019) with Anoop Krishnan. She co-anchored the Vanitha Asianet Film Awards (2009) and served as a guest judge on Idea Star Singer (2010). She married John Jacob (winner of the Tharolsavam show on Kairali TV) on 9 January 2012; they have a son, Johan, born 13 July 2013. After marriage she took a break from the industry, returning in 2017. She won the adventure reality show Bhayam on Zee Keralam in 2022. In November 2024, the ED attached 13 properties linked to her husband's flat fraud case under PMLA. In March 2022, she entered Bigg Boss Malayalam Season 4, finishing as the fourth runner-up (fifth place) at the grand finale on 3 July 2022, where she received a special Award for Punctuality.
Film Thalappavu (2008); Seetha Kalyanam (Asianet serial, winning Asianet Television Award for Best Star Pair 2019 with Anoop Krishnan); winning the adventure reality show Bhayam (Zee Keralam, 2022); finishing as fourth runner-up on Bigg Boss Malayalam Season 4 (2022).
