Shanoor Sana Begum also popularly known by her mononym stage name Sana is an Indian actress, television personality and model, who predominantly works in Telugu cinema.[1] She has acted mostly in Telugu films alongside few Kannada and Tamil films. Sana has acted in over 200 films mostly in supporting roles.[citation needed]
She was born to a Christian father and Muslim mother in the Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad. She was married to Sadath at her teenage even before completing her studies.[2] Her son Syed Anwar Ahmed is a filmmaker and her daughter-in-law Sameera Sherief is a television actress.[3]
She initially pursued her career in modelling. She got the opportunity in film acting from director Krishna Vamsi while she was busy with television and modelling assignments. Director Krishna Vamsi was in search for a suitable actress to play the supporting role in his 1996 film Ninne Pelladatha and signed Sana to play the supporting role and it eventually marked her acting debut.[4] The film was acclaimed and was a successful venture at the box office which starred Nagarjuna in the lead role.[citation needed]
Since then she appeared mostly in Telugu films as supporting actress. Her performance was praised in the role of Kaikeyi in the 2011 film Sri Rama Rajyam and was also critically acclaimed for her performance for the negative role in the 2011 film Rajapattai. In 2016, she played a vamp in the Kannada film Silk Sakkath Maga.[5] In 2018, she made her television acting debut with Tamil soap opera Ponmagal Vanthal.[6]
In May 2020, she started her own YouTube channel teaching cooking methods along with her daughter-in-law Sameera Sherief.[7]