Tamilo.com Tamil Actor Profile

Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar is an Indian film actor. Vijay began his career doing minor roles as a child artist in the Tamil cinema industry, while also attending a theatre for stage plays, to follow his dream to act.

After five years of minor and unnoticed roles in Tamil language films, he gained Indian cinema’s attention in 1996 by playing the role of Raja in Poove Unakkaga. His first blockbuster and since then Vijya has acted in over forty Indian films, with his main intention being Tamil language ventures, earning him the prestigious title of Ilayathalapathy in 1996.

 The title name is now mentioned in the credits of all his projects. Vijay is currently the third most popular Indian actor of Tamil origin in the world after, senior actors, Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth.

He comes from a family which has strong experience in the film industry. S. A. Chandrasekar, his father, is a popular director and mother Shobha is an accomplished playback singer. He performs predominantly in leading roles in high-budget and major studio films, ranging from romantic comedies and drama to science fiction and action thrillers.

His most popular films include Poove Unakkaga in 1996, Kadhalukku Mariyadhai in 1997, Ghilli in 2004, and Pokkiri in 2007. Vijay made his debut as a child artiste in the film, Vetri. His first film, as hero, was Naalaya Theerpu. Vijay hit films like Poove Unakkaga, Love Today, Nerrukku Ner, Once More, Kadhalukku Mariyadhai, Ninaithen Vandhai, Endrendrum Kadhal and Thulladha Manamum Thullum have, one after the other, helped him to establish himself as the next Tamil Super Star.

Vijay has also appeared in several commercials like Coca-Cola & Sunfeast Milky Magic Biscuit. Vijya is the youngest actor to have won the MGR award from the Tamil Nadu Government and Kalaimamani award. Vijya latest hits include Khushi, Priyamanavale, Madhurey, Ghilli and Vijyas last venture Pokkiri, directed by Prabhu Deva, is declared a blockbuster in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Rajinikanth was born on December 12 1949 in Karnataka, India. He was the fourth child to his parents, Jija bai and Ramoji Rao Gaekwad. His original name was Sivaji Rao Gaekwad. He lost his mother at the age of five.

He had his schooling at the Acharya Patasala in Bangalore and then at the Vivekananda Balak Sangh, a unit of the Ramakrishna Mission. His mother tongue is Marathi, though he has not done many films in it. 

There is a famous saying about Rajinikanth in southern part of India, recited as “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Rajini is a Super Star. Before starting his career in the film industry, he had to take up all sorts of odd jobs.

He served as a bus conductor for Karnataka state transport corporation in Bangalore. It was during this time that he nurtured his acting interests by performing in various stage plays.A friend helped him to join the Madras Film institute where Rajinikanth completed basic acting course in 1974 at the age of 25.

He started his acting career in Kannada in the movie Kathaa Sangama, directed by Puttanna Kanagal, in 1976.

In Tamil, he started with playing supporting roles, beginning as a cancer patient in Apoorva Raagangal (1975), directed by K. Balachander, who assigned him his stage name Rajnikanth. After several villainous roles, his first positive role was Bhuvana Oru Kelvikkuri (1979), in which Rajnikanth played a failed lover in the first half and a do-gooder in the second.
 

After several films in the Eighties, he played a Hindu saint in his 100th movie, Sri Raghavendra. Many others followed, among them dramas, comedies (notably Thillu Mullu, a remake of Amol Palekar’s Golmaal) and, at the end of the eighties, action-oriented family entertainers like Velaikkaran and Manidhan.Annamalai, which released in 1992, was the first Rajini film to gross almost Rs. 100 million at the box office.

Unlike the eighties, several movies during his nineties were successful, like Muthuor Basha. At 53, his Baba released amid fanfare. Although the film grossed enough to cover its budget, it was viewed as a miserable showing and fell short of market expectations accumulating heavy losses for the distributors. Rajnikanth himself returned the losses back to the distributors who had immense faith in him. The whole affair cost him dear in terms of repute of making a comeback.
 

Chandramukhi, a remake of the Malayalam movie Manichitrathazhu. Chandramukhi was claimed as one of the most successful Tamil films ever as it ran in theatres (particularly in one theatre in Mount Road, Chennai) for over 600 days since release and still running. His next film, Sivaji: The Boss, directed by S. Shankar will be released in 2007.Apart from Tamil, Rajnikanth has acted in over 160 movies, including Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi and Bengali. He has also acted in a Hollywood movie Bloodstone in 1988.
 

Rajnikanth was awarded the Padma Bhushan award in the year 2000 and was rated as one of the most influential persons in South Asia by Asiaweek. Rajnikanth has won the Filmfare Best Actor Award, South on 2 occasions.

He is the highest paid actor in India and the second highest paid actor in Asia after Jackie ChanRajinikanth was requested by his fans for many years to stand in the State election of Tamil Nadu, but has consistently resisted entering politics directly. But he did some indirect attempts in politics by announcing support to a Political Party in Tamil Nadu.

Saravanan Sivakumar  popularly known as Surya is an Indian actor in the Tamil film industry.

Surya is the son of Tamil actor Sivakumar and is married to Jyothika, a popular Tamil actress. Surya is well-known for trying out off-beat roles in different films.

He is also the brand ambassador for large brands like Himani Navratna Oil, Emami Fair & Handsome, Pepsi, TVS and Sunfeast Biscuits.  Surya studied at PSBB and St. Bede’s, Chennai and he completed his commerce graduation from Loyola College, Chennai. Surya was employed in a garment manufacturing company in Ambattur, Chennai. A notable point is Vijay, Yuvan Shankar Raja, Karthik Raja-both Ilayaraaja’s sons, Vishnuvardhan and Surya were all class mates during their studies. Surya then ventured into the cinefield to become one of the top reigning stars of the Tamil film industry. He also has various fan bases throughout the world Surya’s father is actor Sivakumar. Surya is the eldest son in the family with one younger brother Karthik and younger sister Brindha. He married actress Jyothika on September 11, 2006. Surya’s debut film, Nerrukku Ner (1997) with Vijay was a big hit but all his succeeding films did not do well. His first reasonable success was in the movie Poovellam Kettuppar (1999). His next movie with Vijay, Friends was an average hit, but he did not get any big breaks and his career seemed to be stalled until director Bala approached him for a role in his next venture titled Nandha. This was Surya’s first blockbuster. The film grossed Rs.50 million at the box office.

Based in the south Indian film industry Kamal Haasan is a highly acclaimed and highly versatile Indian film actor.

He entered the film world as a child actor at the tender age of 6 in the film Kalathur Kannamma and has been associated with the film world since then.  Kamal Haasan learnt the fine arts in his early years instead of school work.

When he was a teenager, he started working as an assistant choreographer in movies and it was during this time that his long and fruitful association with notable Tamil film director, K. Balachander began.
Kamal’s acting career spreads over four decades.  Kamal is known in the Indian film industry for his talent and versatility he has capably played a diversity of characters in his films. Kamal has appeared in movies made in six languages, including the four major South Indian languages - Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. Kamal other forays were into the North Indian movie indusrty via Hindi and Bengali films. He is also an actor, director, producer, screenplay writter, lyricst, comedian, dancer, singer. Kamal acted in commercialised films for a major portion of his career, but then moved away from the purely commercial ventures. Kamal is also a trained playback singer and sometimes pens the lyrics for the soundtracks of some of his recent films. He is also an able performer of the Bharatanatyam dance form. Kamal had assisted in choreography early in his career and he is easily the greatest actor Tamil cinema has ever produced.He is a three-time winner of the National Film Award for Best Actor for the films Nayagan, Moondram Pirai, and Indian.

Kamal also won the national award for Best Child Actor for his performance in Kalathoor Kannamma. Kamal has also received the best actor award at the Asian Film festivals held in 1983 and 1985 for Saagara Sangamam and Swathi Muthyam respectively. Six of Kamal movies have been sent as India’s official entry to the Oscars-

The only actor to achieve this feat in the sub-continent. He has won the Filmfare awards 18 times. Kamal was awarded the fourth highest recognition given to Indian civilians - the Padmashri in 1990. Kamal was conferred an honorary doctorate by Sathyabama Deemed University, Chennai in 2005.

He has won a total of 171 awards which is more than any other actor in the world living or dead. Kamal was named as kalaignani meaning - an idiol of art, by M. Karunanidhi for his classical work towards tamil cinema.

In Kamal upcoming film Dasavatharam, he is playing 10 different roles, an act which is the second of its kind in the world, after the Tamil movie Dambachari (1936). Kamal  was married to Vani Ganapathy and later married Sarika with whom he has two daughters (Shruthi and Akshara) and with whom he is now separated.

Chiyaan Vikram, born in Paramakkudi, Ramnad district,TN as Kennedy, is an Indian born actor who has starred in a number of top-grossing Tamil films and is currently one of the reigning heroes of Tamil Film Industry (aka Kollywood).

His screen name is Vikram in Tamil. Vikram is also affectionately called as Kenny in close circles. With numerous blockbusters to his credit, he has carefully inched a place for himself on the silver screen.

The film that gave him the star status include Sethu, Dhill, Kasi, Dhool, Saamy, Gemini, Pithamagan and Anniyan. After the success in the film Sethu, Tamil Nadu gave him the title or prefix honour of being addressed as Chiyaan , named after his character in the film, hence, the name Chiyaan Vikram.

Vikrm won the prestigious National Film Awards of India for his performance as an undertaker in Pithamagan, 2003. The move Sedhu, which released in 1999, was Vikram’s first blockbuster though he made his debut almost a decade earlier, grossed over Rs.50 million at the box office. Vikram shared a good rapport with its director Bala.

Vikram’s second blockbuster, Dhill, came in 2001. The film grossed over Rs.100 million at the box office and the director Dharani was a school-time friend of Vikram. Vikram’s third blockbuster Gemini came the next year in 2002. It grossed over Rs.200 million at the box office but by then, the trade began comparing him with long established superstar Rajnikanth.

His fourth blockbuster Dhool and fifth blockbuster Saamy both came in 2003. The film Saamy, grossed over Rs.300 million at the box office and the film prompted director Shankar to notice his rising graph and booked him for his mega project Anniyan.

Vikram’s latest blockbuster Anniyan released in 2005. The film played for 150 days in Kollywood and 240 days in Tollywood and it grossed over Rs.500 million at the box office

Being the middle son of three children, Ajith was boron, to Sindhi mother and Palghat Tamil lyer father. He dropped out of Asan Memorial Sr. Sec.

School in 1986, to become a 2/4 wheeler mechanic, part-time and garment exporter, full-time.Since then gradually working his way into modeling for advertis due to Business exigencies and print media and into Tamil films. After the surgery for his broken vertebra he lost feeling in his legs. Then he recovered and walked all the way form his home in Madras to the Balaji Shrine in Tirupathi in Andhra Pradesh.

In Hyderabad India, where he began his career doing various jobs while attending a theatre for stage plays in Andhra Pradesh. Ajith hit big in move Aasai in 1995 after three years of acting in minor roles and small-budget ventures in Indian films.

After his first blockbuster, he as acted in over forty Indian films, with his main option being the Tamil Cinema industry earning him the prestigious title of Ultimate Star in 1999 Ajith is now one of the most popular actor in South India with fan bases worldwide beating the number of fans for Rajinikanth. He is now married to Shalini who is also a Indian actress.

One of Ajith hobbies is motor car racing, before retiring in 2005,  he took part in Formula 3 championship for the minor outfit, Mango Racing.  He as India’s third best friver after Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandok in 2004.

As a celebrity and an accomplished dramatic actor he won several awards at a regional award including State Awards from Tamil Nadu. He performed predominantly in leading roles in high budget and major studio films after that.

He was now for movies ranging from romantic comedies and drama to science fiction and action thrillers.

Silambarasan Rajendran is a prominent Tamil film actor, film director, playback singer and song writer.

He is known fondly by his fans as Simbhu and Little Super Star. Simbhu was a popular face in Indian television even before he made his maiden film debut.

He acted in Tamil films as a junior artist in projects like Monisha En Monalisa, Shabash Babu, Rajadi Rajavan, and Thiruvalla in minor roles. Simbhu’s debut in movies as a hero came in the form of Kaadhal Azhavitazhallai, a Tamil language movie also debuting Charmi, a popular Telugu actress.

The film, Kaadhal Azhavitazhallai, was highly hyped but the film flopped at the box-office and it was followed by Dhum and Kuthu with Rakshitha and Ramya respectively. These films also flopped at the box-office and criticism was heaped on Simbhu for his self-acclaimed title of Little Superstar and his deliberate copying of actions which were normally used by the Tamil superstar, Rajinikanth.

The move Alai with Trisha Krishnan followed, it became his first film to run over 50 days at a cinema but once again he faced controversy due to some scenes between Trisha Krishnan and himself. Simbhu next film, Kovil with Sonia Agarwal was an average grosser at the box-office. He then took a year’s break to concentrate on Manmadhan project, which he wrote the screenplay for.

This move starred Jyothika, Mandira Bedi and Yana Gupta opposite him and the film became a runaway triumph at the box-office breaking many records especially in Madurai and it ran for 275 days in Kollywood.

The move earned rave reviews and changed many peoples minds about Simbhu’s career. Simbhu next film, Thotti Jaya also was a big hit, in which he had paired with Gopika.

For Thotti Jaya Simbhu sported a black beard in the role of an orphaned gangster who finds love.
Saravana was released in 2006 and after the success of Manmadhan, he paired up with Jyothika to act in the film directed by K.S. Ravikumar. The film was a hit despite being released with Paramasivan and Aadhi, which it eventually ran for 100 days. Simbhu decided to turn director in Vallavan, which has become the most anticipated film of the year of 2006 and it was released on Diwali 2006 and stared Nayantara, Reema Sen and Sandhya alongside himself. Simbhu has also written the screenplay and has also sung 2 songs in the film.

Simbhu will act in Aezhumazhai vs Chitra with Asin Thottumkal in a forthcoming project in 2007. Simbhu was also a part of Mani Ratnam’s stage show, Netru, Indru, Naalai alongside many other co-stars.

Simbu as shown in the wallpaper for the film, Manmadhan Simbu Silambarasan was born to a famous Kollywood couple, T. Rajendar and Usha, they were both actors. Simbu’s has a younger brother, Kuralarasan who appears as a child actor in several films. Simbu’s sister, Illakya, is a college student at Loyola College, where he had also completed his education.
At Ashram school, Simbu studied with the Tamil actor, Rajinikanth’s daughter, Aishwarya. Both were rumoured to be in an affair before she disbanded with him.

Aishwarya later married, rival actor, Dhanush. Simbu was apparently not invited to the wedding and was left fuming over this. Manmadhan dealt with the story of lovers cheating and Simbu refused to deny claims that it was based around his childhood love, Aishwarya and no comment was made from either side.

During the first photo shoot of Vallavan, there was another controversial picture of Simbu biting Nayantara’s lips. Since then, they confirmed on several interviews they are in love with one another, but on November 20, 2006 she stated their separation for personal reasons.

Simbu also in Vallavan decided to give much more scope and praise to Nayantara than to Sandhya or Reema Sen. Reema Sen has recently criticized Simbu for favoring Nayantara during film shootings, and she has also revealed that the project, Vallavan had stopped her from signing other projects.

R. Madhavan, also called Maddy is a prominent regional Indian film actor, a game show host, a mobile game character and an active PETA campaigner. Madhavan started to act in Hindi television serials and appear in advertisements and commercials before he started his film acting career.

He also currently acts in regional industries across India with the Tamil film industry being his main focus. Madhavan has acted in Hindi films, English films, Telugu films, Malayalam cinem, the Kannada film industry and the Bengali film industry.

Madhavan is known by his fans as the Chocolate Hero Madhavan’s breakout role as a leading actor came two years later after his film career began with 2000’s Alaipayuthey by director, Mani Ratnam, which he became a pin-up boy after Madhavan’s performance as Karthik.

The film, gave him a solid foundation to build his career and several other films he has starred in, have become blockbusters in South India, due to this he also built up a prominent market for Madhavan’s films in Bollywood and in overseas markets.

As a seasoned actor, he began to take on more varied roles and projects, including another Mani Ratnam film, Aayitha Ezhuthu where he portrayed the gangster, Inba. While filming for Ramji Londonwale, he caught the eye of UTV, and became a game host in, Deal Ya No Deal, but it only lasted for one series. R. Madhavan is a prominent figure in India’s entertainment business.
Madhavan’s parents are Ranganathan and Saroja and his sister named Devika . his father, Ranganathan is an ex-army man. Madhavan’s mother, Saroja Ranganathan is a homemaker. Madhavan’s youngest sister, Devika is an aspiring model. In 1988, Madhavan was chosen to represent India as its cultural ambassador from his college to Canada after his graduation.
At the age of 22, Madhavan was awarded the Maharashtra Best Cadet enabling him to make a trip with three others as MCC Cadets to England, because of this honour, Madhavan received training with the Royal Army, Navy and the Air Force but it was to no avail.
Madhavan then initiated a ten-day crash course on Public Speaking course; this is where he met his future wife Saritha. Madhavan is married to Saritha, a former air hostess whom he married after 3 years of courtship. Madhavan and Saritha have a son Vedaant who was born in 2006. Madhavan who is a self-confessed animal lover and an advertiser for PETA, personally owns two dogs, named Simbha and Princess and he also owns a parrot.
 Madhavan has recently moved property near the Boat Club area of Chennai from his rented house in Kilpauk.Madhavan shares great rapport with several experienced actors in the industry especially Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan whom both have worked with Madhavan in several projects each.Madhavan is well known for his vegetarianism and has advertised several brands.

Venkat Prabhu is a popular Indian actor who appears in Kollywood films under the screen name Dhanush.

This movie was a surprisingly huge success and started his career in the industry. This was followed by Kadhal Kondein and Thiruda Thirudi (2003), both of which turned out to be successful at the box office.

With these continuous string of blockbuster his salary skyrocketed to Rs.30 million per film.

However succeeding films tumbled one by one and his career seemed to be have come to a standstill until the release of Pudhupettai. His action venture Sullan (2004) started good but then turned out to be a box office failure. His other films Pudhukottaiyill Irindhu Saravanan, Dreams (2004), Adhu Oru Kana Kaalam (2005) did poorly at the box office.

After a long spell of low budget films, he came back with the Pudhupettai (Dhoolpet in Telugu) which was again directed by his brother but that flopped. However he came back with a blockbuster in 2005 with, Thiruvilayadal Arambam.

His upcoming films are Parattai alias Azhagu Sundaram and Desiya Nedunchalai.

Jamshad popularly known as Arya , (born 11 December 1980) is a Malayalee-born Indian movie actor who has appeared in Tamil films.

Arya started off as a computer engineer,his passion for filming brought him to modelling before debuting in Jeeva’s Ullam Ketkumae which also marked the debuts of Asin Thottumkal and Pooja Umashankar.

The film also starred Laila and Shaam, but the film was delayed only releasing after Arinthum Ariyamalum. In Arinthum Ariyamalum, Arya played as son to Prakash Raj in a critically acclaimed role which won him Best New Male Face Award at the Filmfare Awards.Arinthum Ariyamalum and Ullam Ketkumae both made it large at the box-office.

Oru Kalluriyin Kathai also made it big at the box-office and Arya was touted as the next pin-up boy of Kollywood. His next, Kalabhak Kadhalan was an average grosser in Kollywood as it shared a striking resemblance, with the Kollywood’s all time best thriller.

His forthcoming projects are: Oram Poo and Xerox with Pooja Umashankar, and Naan Kadavul with Bhavana Balachandran.