Janani Iyer (born as Janani, without the Iyer surname after 2014) is an Indian actress and model born on 31 March 1987 in Kathivakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, in a Hindu Brahmin (Iyer) family. She studied at D.A.V. Boys Senior Secondary School, Gopalapuram, and graduated with a B.E. in Computer Science and Engineering from Saveetha Engineering College, Chennai. She was offered a seat at the University of Wollongong, Australia after her graduation but chose acting instead. She began modeling during college, appearing in over 150 TV commercials. She first worked as a background model in Thiru Thiru Thuru Thuru (2009) and as assistant director on Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa (2010) before landing the lead in Bala's Avan Ivan (2011), playing a police constable. She subsequently appeared in multiple Tamil and Malayalam films including Paagan (2013), 3 Dots (2013, Malayalam debut), Thegidi (2014), 7th Day (2014), Koothara (2014), Mosayile Kuthira Meenukal (2014), Balloon (2017), Adhe Kangal (2017), and Koorman (2022), Vezham (2022), Bagheera (2023). In 2018, she participated in Bigg Boss Tamil Season 2, serving as house captain and finishing as the fourth-place runner-up. She later dropped Iyer from her professional name in 2014 citing caste-related reasons. She got engaged to long-time partner Ashwin Kannan in 2024.
Tamil film Avan Ivan (2011, director Bala) as Constable Baby - won Film Fans Association Award for Sensational Debut Heroine; Thegidi (2014); Tamil-Malayalam crossover films 7th Day (2014), Koothara (2014, with Mohanlal and Bharath); Adhe Kangal (2017); appeared in over 150 TV commercials; third runner-up on Bigg Boss Tamil Season 2 (2018).
