Namitha is an Indian film actress who has predominantly been active in the South Indian film industry. She competed in the Miss India 2001 pageant, before making her film debut through the Telugu romantic film Sontham (2002). In the mid-2000s, she achieved popularity through her glamorous roles in Tamil films and often starred opposite older actors. By the end of the decade, Namitha was amongst the most popular actresses in Tamil cinema and enjoyed a cult-like fan following from audiences across Tamil Nadu. Since 2010, box office success has evaded Namitha, prompting her to appear in less film roles and experience a decline in her fan following.
Starting her career as a beauty pageant contestant, Namitha was crowned Miss Surat during the year of 1998 at the age of 15. She went on to participate in the 2001 Miss India pageant and ended up as the fourth runner-up, while Celina Jaitley was crowned Miss India. The publicity she garnered during the competition prompted her to move to Mumbai and subsequently she did a number of TV commercials such as Himani cream and hand soap, Arun Ice Creams, Manikchand Gutka, and Nile Herbal Shampoo early in her career. Unable to make a breakthrough into the Hindi film industry, she enrolled in an English Literature course and then considered returning to Surat but chose to later accept an invitation to audition for a Telugu film. After being selected, she consequently made her acting debut in Sreenu Vaitla's coming-of-age romantic film, Sontham (2002), where she played the love interest of two characters in a love triangle. Her next film, Saran's big budget action film Gemeni (2002) opposite Venkatesh, garnered her further attention and her portrayal of a Marwardi girl won critical acclaim. She had also briefly given herself the stagename of "Bhairavi" for the film, but later reverted back to her original name.