Top 30 Most Underrated Actors in India of All Time

Tottempudi Gopichand is an Indian film actor and producer who primarily works in Telugu films. Born to the late T. Krishna, a Telugu filmmaker who wrote, edited, and directed numerous movies like Neti Bharatam (1983), he was not focused on acting at an early age.

Gopichand did his schooling at the Ramakrishna Mission School in Chennai. Later, he moved to Russia to complete his degree in mechanical engineering. Around this time, his older brother, who was working as an associate director under Muthyala Subbaiah, died in a car accident. He decided to extend his father's legacy and pursued a course in dialogue modulation. From there on, he started focusing more on the film industry.

Gopichand made his acting debut in 2001 with the Telugu film Tholi Valapu (2001), in which he played the role of the protagonist, Prem. The film did not fare well at the box office.

He went on to play the antagonist in three Telugu movies, Jayam (2002), Nijam (2003), and Varsham (2004). His performance in Jayam was especially well-received critically and commercially.

Gopichand's debut in Tamil cinema happened in 2003 with the film Jayam (2003), in which he reprised his role from the original Telugu version. He continued to star in several successful Telugu films, including Yagnam (2004), Ranam (2006), and Lakshyam (2007).

Gopichand is known for his action and drama roles. Despite playing the role of a protagonist in most of his movies, he has won awards in the 'Best Villain' category four times and has been nominated for the same once. He played notable antagonist roles in films like Jayam, Nijam, and Varsham and won the CineMAA, Filmfare, and Nandi Awards for 'best villain' in all these movies.

In 2013, Gopichand married Reshma, the niece of Telugu actor Meka Srikanth. Gopichand and Reshma are blessed with two children, Virat (born in 2014) and Viyaan (born in 2018).

Apart from his film career, Gopichand is also involved in philanthropic work. During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, he donated Rs. 10 lakhs to the Corona Crisis Charity.

He starred as a child star in his father's production. Audiences remember him as the cute boy who brought an estranged father and son together in "Suryavamsam". His real name is Amar Chowdary. He has 4 brothers, Suresh, a joint producer at Super GOOD films, Jeevan, who has his own business and Ramesh, another new Teenybopper Tamil Hero. Jeeva is the youngest and inarguably the cutest with the boyish charms and killer smile that made people stand up to notice in his debut film "Aasai Aasaiyai" itself. His father, R B Chowdry produced numerous films, introduced now-famous directors and heroes and is a noted south Indian film producer despite having Hindi as mother tongue and hailing from Rajasthan, a north Indian state.

Shiva was born on 10 December 1982 in Udumalpet, Tamil Nadu, India. He is an actor, known for Kalakalappu 2 (2018), Chennai 600028 (2007) and Ko (2011). He is married to Priya.

Sai Dharam Tej was born on 15 October 1986 in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. He is an actor, known for Pilla Nuvvu Leni Jeevitham (2014), Virupaksha (2023) and Republic (2021).

Nithiin (born Nithin Kumar Reddy) is an Indian film actor and producer known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema. Nithin Reddy was born to noted film producer Sudhakar Reddy, and Vindhya Reddy. He has an elder sister Nikitha Reddy. Nitin started his career with the movie Jayam in 2002 directed by Teja. He acted in the film Dil directed by V.V. Vinayak. This film is produced by Raju who got the title "Dil raju" after this film. Later in the same year Nithiin acted in the film Sambaram directed by Teja. In 2004, Nitin starred in Sri Anjaneyam directed by Krishna vamsi. Nithiin later acted in the film Sye directed by S.S. Rajamouli's in the same year which stood a block buster at the Tollywood box office.

In 2012 he acted in the film Ishq, Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde (2013) Chinnadana Nee Kosam directed by purijaganath, Heart attack directed by Puri jaganath, Courier Boy Kalyan (2015) produced by Gautham Menon. Nithiin acted in the film A Aa in 2016 written and directed by Trivikram Srinivas The film became a biggest grosser in Nithin's career. Nithiin produced the films Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde and Chinnadana Nee Kosam, The film Akhil: The Power of Jua (2015)

He won Filmfare Best Male Debut (South) for Jayam (2002) and Santosham Film Awards as Young best performer for the movies Sri Anjaneyam and Sye (2004).

Sanya Malhotra was born on February 25, 1992 in Delhi. She is an Indian actress and a trained contemporary and ballet dancer. She is recognized for her noteworthy debut as Babita Kumari in a sports biopic film 'Dangal (2016)' starring alongside Aamir Khan and Fatima Sana Shaikh which ranks among the highest-grossing Indian films. Malhotra has also choreographed Khan in the song 'Sexy Baliye' from the film 'Secret Superstar (2017)'. (This is a lesser known fact)

Sanya's performance in Vishal Bhardwaj's drama 'Pataakha (2018)', Ritesh Batra's 'Photograph (2019)', and Amir Sharma's 'Badhaai Ho (2018)' was highly appreciated. She was also seen in 'Shakuntala Devi (2020)', 'Ludo (2020)' in the year 2020, both of which had an OTT release. Her work in the latest Netflix release 'Pagglait (2021)' garnered a lot of compliments across the film industry and among the viewers. Her upcoming projects include a Netflix original, 'Meenakshi Sundareshwar (2021)' starring opposite Abhimanyu Dasani and 'Love Hostel (2022)' alongside Vikrant Massey and Bobby Deol.

Ashika Ranganath was born on 5 August 1996 in Hassan, Karnataka. She is an actress, known for Madhagaja (2021), Crazy Boy (2016) and Raambo2 (2018).

Riteish Deshmukh is an Indian actor, producer and architect who appears in Bollywood films. He is the son of Late. Vilasrao Deshmukh, the former Union Minister for Science, Technology and Earth Sciences, Government of India, and the former Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Riteish debuted with K. Vijaya Bhaskar's Tujhe Meri Kasam (2003) with his later to be wife Genelia D'Souza, but it was not until 2004 that he achieved success, when he appeared in the commercially successful comedy, Masti and the critically acclaimed Bardaasht. His work in Masti was nominated for several awards, including the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor category. He later starred in successful films such as Heyy Babyy, Dhamaal, House Full. Double Dhamaal, Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya and Housefull 2, Humshakals and Ek Villian.

In January 2013, Riteish made his debut as an film producer with the Marathi success Balak Palak, directed by Ravi Jadhav. The following year he made his acting debut in Marathi cinema with the action film Lai Bhaari.

Hariprriya is an actress, known for Ugramm (2014), Neer Dose (2016) and Ranathanthra (2016). She known by her stage name Hariprriya, is an Indian film actress and model who predominantly works in Kannada and Telugu films.She has also appeared in a number of Tamil, Malayalam and Tulu industries.She gained wide acclaim for her role in Ugramm which fetched her a lot of appreciation and awards and also for her performances in Ranna, Ricky, Neerdose, Bharjari, Samhaara, Jai Simha, Bell Bottom, Soojidara and D/O Parvathamma.

Vijay Antony was born on 24 July 1975 in Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, India. He is a composer and actor, known for Naan (2012), Vettaikaaran (2009) and Pichaikkaran 2 (2023). He is married to Fatima Vijay Antony.

Bhumi Pednekar is a renowned Bollywood actress born to late Satish and Sumitra. Her father was a former 'Maharashtra home and labor minister' while her mother worked as an activist fighting for the anti-tobacco regime after her husband passed away suffering from oral cancer.

Pednekar worked at Yash Raj Films as a casting director for six years before making her acting debut in Sharat Katariya's My Big Fat Bride (2015), in which she played the obese wife of Ayushmann Khurrana's character. She was widely appreciated for her performance in the movie and won the Filmfare Award, Screen Award, and International Indian Film Academy Award for Best Female Debut for her work.

She was cast in the satirical film Toilet: A Love Story (2017) opposite Akshay Kumar as a young lady in rural India who campaigns to enhance sanitation conditions, especially in rural areas. It grossed over 3 billion (about US$38 million) worldwide, making it one of the year's highest-grossing films and Pednekar's highest-grossing film overall.

Pednekar's first nomination for Filmfare Award for Best Actress was in the same year for her performance opposite Ayushmann Khurrana in the comedy Shubh Mangal Savdhan (2017), which revolved around male impotence in India.

In 2018, Pednekar played a maid in a relationship with her boss on the Netflix anthology series Lust Stories (2018). Her first film of 2019 was the Abhishek Chaubey-directed criminal thriller Sonchiriya (2019). She co-starred as a young housewife on the run with the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput and Manoj Bajpayee in the rural region of Chambal. In Saand Ki Aankh (2019), which came out the next year, she played Chandro Tomar, a sharpshooter in her 70s. Her sister-in-law, Prakashi Tomar, was played by Taapsee Pannu. Pannu and Pednekar spent a lot of time with the two women and shot a lot of targets for practice.

In Bala (2019), Pednekar reprised her role as a headstrong small-town teen. This was her third time working with Khurrana; in this film, she played a woman with a dark complexion who faced prejudice. And in Pati Patni Aur Woh (2019), a remake of the 1978 film, she played the role of a housewife whose husband was having an affair.

Alankrita Shrivastava directed Dolly Kitty and Those Twinkling Stars (2019), which had its world premiere at the 24th Busan International Film Festival in 2019 and was released on Netflix in 2020. After that, she played a small role in the comedy-drama Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (2020) and the horror movie Bhoot: Part One - The Haunted Ship (2020).

Pednekar appeared in Durgamati: The Myth (2020), the Hindi version of the horror film Bhaagamathie (2018). After a year from the silver screen, Pednekar and Rajkummar Rao starred in the comedy-drama Badhaai Do (2022) as homosexuals in a lavender marriage.

Her appearance with Akshay Kumar in Aanand L. Rai's Raksha Bandhan (2022), a family comedy, has also been immensely praised. She next appeared in the Disney+ Hotstar comedy-suspense film Govinda Naam Mera (2022) with Vicky Kaushal and Kiara Advani, directed by Shashank Khaitan.

Her first movie My Big Fat Bride (2015) got her seven awards. She also won Zee Cine Awards for her movie Bala (2019) as the best supporting actress in 2020. Later in the same year, she was awarded the best actress award (critics) for her movie Saand Ki Aankh (2019) by Screen Awards, which was shared with Taapsee Pannu as well. Another Best actress (critics) award came her way in 2020 for her role in Sonchiriya (2019).

Pednekar also appeared in four episodes of Man's World (2015), a satire on YouTube made by Y-Films about what would happen if women treated men the way men treat women.

In 2020, she collaborated with MTV India on the Nisedh campaign that aimed at increasing young people's understanding of women's health care.

Harish Kalyan, is an Indian actor, recognized primarily for his contributions to Tamil cinema. He did his schooling at Balalok Matriculation School,Chennai & Bachelors degree in Visual Communication at Annamalai University, Chennai.

He commenced his acting journey with the film "Sindhu Samaveli" (2010), where he portrayed the challenging role of Anbu. His breakthrough came with "Poriyaalan" (2014), where critics lauded his performance as a young civil engineer embroiled in a real estate scandal.

Following this success, Harish starred in "Vil Ambu" (2016), produced by Suseenthiran, where his portrayal garnered praise for its charm and clean-cut appeal.He then appeared on the debut season of Tamil reality show "Bigg Boss," hosted by Kamal Haasan, finishing as the second runner-up. Subsequently, he starred in Elan's romantic comedy "Pyaar Prema Kaadhal" (2018) alongside fellow contestant Raiza Wilson. Harish received glowing reviews, and the film was both a critical and commercial hit. A Critic from the Indian Express wrote Harish "comes up with a performance that he can be proud of", while the Deccan Chronicle also praised the lead pair, noting Harish "looks good and plays his boy-next-door character with utmost ease", while "his flair for comedy also comes to the fore".

In subsequent years, Harish showcased his versatility in roles such as the aggressive youth in "Ispade Rajavum Idhaya Raniyum" (2019) and a superstitious character in "Dhanusu Raasi Neyargale" (2019). He also had a cameo role in the Telugu movie "Jersey," which was a major blockbuster. His role in "Dharala Prabhu" (2020), a remake of "Vicky Donor," was also well-received.

Harish's career continued to thrive with films like "Kasada Thapara" (2021) and "Oh Manapenne" (2021), the latter being a successful remake. In 2023, Harish starred as the lead in a film titled "Let's Get Married," which was produced by Dhoni Entertainments, a company owned by M.S. Dhoni. His recent film "Parking" (2023), co-starring M.S. Bhaskar and Induja Ravichandran, earned widespread acclaim, with its screenplay even made it to the Oscar library.

Looking ahead, Harish Kalyan is set to appear in upcoming films including "Nooru Kodi Vaanavil," "Diesel," and "Lubber Pandhu," continuing to expand his versatile roles in Tamil cinema.

Rachita Ram, born in Bangalore, Karnataka, India, is a versatile and accomplished actress in the Indian film industry. With her charismatic presence and acting prowess, she has carved a niche for herself in the highly competitive world of cinema.

Rachita's journey in the world of entertainment began when she decided to pursue her passion for acting. Her debut in the Kannada film industry marked the beginning of a successful career that has seen her deliver stellar performances in various genres. Known for her captivating on-screen presence and expressive acting skills, Rachita has won the hearts of audiences and critics alike.

One of her notable films is "Ranna" (2015), where she shared the screen with leading actors, showcasing her ability to hold her own amidst seasoned performers. The film's success catapulted her into the limelight, and she continued to build on this success with subsequent projects.

In "Ayushmanbava" (2019), Rachita once again demonstrated her versatility by taking on a diverse role, proving her ability to adapt to different characters with ease. Her nuanced performances have contributed significantly to the success of the films she has been a part of.

"Ayogya" (2018) is another feather in Rachita's cap, showcasing her ability to choose projects that resonate with the audience. Her dedication to her craft and commitment to delivering compelling performances have made her a sought-after actress in the Kannada film industry.

Beyond her acting talent, Rachita Ram has also garnered admiration for her grace and poise, both on and off the screen. With each project, she continues to evolve as an actress, earning accolades and establishing herself as a prominent figure in the Indian film fraternity.

As Rachita Ram continues to captivate audiences with her captivating performances, her journey in the world of cinema unfolds, promising more memorable roles and contributions to the ever-evolving landscape of Indian cinema.

Agerwal was born in Hyderabad and brought up in Bangalore. Born into a Hindi-speaking Marwari family, she can understand as well as speak Telugu, Tamil and Kannada. Her schooling was at Vidyashilp Academy and Vidya Niketan School. She holds a graduation in Business Management from Christ University, Bengaluru. She is well trained in ballet, kathak and belly dance. In 2016, director Sabbir Khan confirmed that Agarwal was signed as the lead in his film Munna Michael.

Sibiraj was born on 6 October 1982 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. He is an actor, known for Ranga (2022), Sathya (2017) and Beware of Dags (2014).

Iswarya Menon was born on 8 May 1995 in Erode, Tamilnadu, India. She is an actress, known for Spy (2023), Namo Boothatma (2014) and Bhaje Vaayu Vegam (2024).

He is known as a non-conformist, and created his own style of film making. Most of his movies show very little influence of other directors. Notable aspects of his film making include a curious combination of close-ups, abrupt fast-cuts and innovative camera angles. He is renowned in the Kannada film industry for his understanding of the technical aspects of cinema. His movies are lavish and stand out for superior production values distinguished for cinematography, sound, lighting, music and special effects. Even acclaimed directors of the industry have learned technical aspects from his films. A distinct directorial feature is his innovative shooting of songs. Song cinematography in movies that Ravichandran has directed often involve elaborate and richly mounted settings.

Teja Sajja is a former child artist turned actor known for his works in the Telugu Film Industry. Teja entered the film industry at a very young age and has acted in many successful films. Teja made his debut as a child artist at the age of two in Megastar Chiranjeevi's Choodalani Vundi and acted in about fifty other films alongside leading actors from the industry. Besides Tollywood, Teja also starred in some notable Kollywood and Hollywood movies. He made his debut in 2019 with the super hit film Oh! Baby. He is expected to be launched as the lead actor in his upcoming projects which include a film titled Zombie Reddy directed by Prasanth Varma and another fantasy flick directed by Mallik Ram.

In addition to his acting career, Teja also endorses a leading Indian brand.

Arjun Kapoor is an Indian actor who has worked in many Bollywood films. Kapoor got his early education in the Arya Vidya Mandir in Mumbai.

Before working as an actor in the film industry, Kapoor worked as an assistant director. He worked alongside Nikkhil Advani as an assistant director for his film Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), starring Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Preity G Zinta. In addition to this, he also assisted Nikkhil Advani in Salaam-E-Ishq (2007), starring Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Anil Kapoor.

Kapoor also worked as an associate producer for two of his father Boney Kapoor productions -No Entry (2005) and Wanted (2008).

Kapoor made his acting debut in the Bollywood movie Ishaqzaade (2012) alongside Parineeti Chopra. Ishaqzaade (2012) was a Yash Raj Film directed by Habib Faisal. The story revolves around the love story of two people from rival political families and communities. The film did well at the box office and was a commercial success.

He was next seen in another Yash Raj Film - Aurangzeb (2013). It was an action thriller film directed by Atul Sabharwal. The movie, however, received a lukewarm response from the audience and did not perform that well at the box office.

In 2014, Kapoor starred in a Yash Raj Film again-Gunday (2014), a crime action film starring Ranveer Singh and Priyanka Chopra Jonas. The film was a massive hit and gained commercial success.

Since Gunday, he has starred in several other successful films, including 2 States (2014), a film adaptation of Chetan Bhagat novel, 2 States: The Story of My Marriage. Kapoor played the role of Krish Malhotra opposite Alia Bhatt in the movie.

Kapoor was also a part of the Indian English-language movie Finding Fanny (2014), directed by Homi Adajania, starring Deepika Padukone, Dimple Kapadia, Naseeruddin Shah and Pankaj Kapur.

Kapoor was next seen in Tevar (2015), an action thriller, alongside Sonakshi Sinha. Tevar was adapted from the Telugu film Okkadu (2003) and was produced by Sanjay Kapoor.

Since Tevar, Kapoor has been a part of many movies, including Ki & Ka (2016), Mubarakan (2017), Half Girlfriend (2017), Namaste England (2018), India's Most Wanted (2019), Panipat (2019), Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar (2021), and Sardar Ka Grandson (2021).

Kapoor has also played small roles in movies like Bhavesh Joshi Superhero (2018) and Zero (2018) (2018).

Along with working in movies, Kapoor hosted the seventh season of the Colours TV reality show Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi (2008) in 2016.

In 2021, he starred in a horror comedy film Bhoot Police (2021), directed by Pavan Kirpalani and starring Saif Ali Khan and Yami Gautam. The film, unfortunately, did not perform well commercially as well as critically.

In 2022, Kapoor starred in Mohit Suri's Ek Villain Returns (2022) alongside Tara Sutaria, John Abraham, and Disha Patani. In 2023, he was seen in Aasmaan Bhardwaj's Kuttey (2023), where he was cast along with Tabu and Naseeruddin Shah.

Kapoor has been nominated for several awards, including the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut in 2013, the Zee Cine award for best male debut in 2013, the Stardust Awards for Superstar of Tomorrow in 2013, and the Big Star Entertainment Award for the most entertaining actor in a romantic role and many others.

Kapoor has not only been nominated but also won many awards. For his movie Ishaqzaade (2012), he won the Most Entertaining Actor (Film) Debut - Male award at the BIG Star Entertainment Award, the Best Male Debut award at the Zee Cine Awards and the Superstar of Tomorrow - Male award at the Stardust Awards.

For his movie Gunday (2014), he won the Most Entertaining Actor in an Action Film - Male award at the BIG Star Entertainment Award.

Atharvaa Murali was born on 7 May 1989 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. He is an actor and producer, known for Baana Kaathadi (2010), Paradesi (2013) and Gaddalakonda Ganesh (2019).

Allu Sirish was born on 30 May 1987 in Madras, Tamil Nadu, India. He is an actor and producer, known for Ghajini (2008), Okka Kshanam (2017) and Buddy (2024).

Kollywood star, Sathyaraj, might have been the very first screen villain to have impressed Tamil audiences by being a cultured, flamboyant antagonist, and it was the audiences' liking for him that eventually led him to becoming one of the leading heroes of Tamil cinema like Rajini Kanth and Kamal Hassan.

Sathyaraj hailed from a well-to-do landlord family. He finished up to tenth standard in his high school education, and passed S.S.L.C., scoring first rank marks in history and geography at his school level. He joined Government Arts College and completed B.Sc. in botany.

However, acting was in Sathyaraj's blood and he got his first acting part in the film, 'Kodugal Illaatha Kolangal'. He earned his image as an actor with the film, 'Nooraavathu Naal', and gradually weaned his way in a successful manner as villains opposite protagonists in movies. He made his debut as the hero in the movie, 'Saavi', and from 'Iravu Pookkal' onwards, he was a regular protagonist in motion pictures.

Vishal Kudawla, professionally known as Vishnu Vishal, is an actor and producer in the Tamil film industry. Born in Vellore, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, he completed his schooling in Tiruchirappalli and went on to get an MBA in Marketing.

He briefly played cricket and participated in the TNCA league games but had to stop when he became bedridden due to a leg injury.

In 2009, Vishal made his acting debut in the sports movie Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu (2009). He received the Edison Award for Best Debut Actor for this movie and was nominated for the Vijaya Award for Best Debut Actor.

Vishal received acclaim for his role as a fisherman in the movie Neerparavai (2012) (2012). The film did well at the box office. For his role in the film, Vishal was nominated under the category of Best Actor for the SIIMA Award.

His next film was a political comedy named Velainu Vandhutta Vellaikaaran (2016) (2016) which was his first movie as a producer.

Vishal rose to fame with Raatchasan (2018) (2018), a psychological thriller that received many positive reviews. The film won four awards at the Los Angeles Film Awards, including Best Picture, Best Thriller, Best Score, and Best Actor. It also won two awards, the Best Music Score, and the Best Action Feature Film, at the Los Angeles Theatrical Release Competition & Awards (LATCA) in 2019

Vishal has also acted in films like Bale Pandiya (2010) (2010), Kullanari Koottam (2011) (2011), Mundasupatti (2014) (2014), Jeeva (2014) (2014), Maaveeran Kittu (2016) (2016), Silukkuvarupatti Singam (2018) (2018), Kaadan (2021) (2021), FIR (2022) (2022) and more.

He was last seen in the light-hearted rural film Gatta Kusthi (2022) (2022).

Vishal was married to Rajini Natraj, who is the daughter of actor K. Nataraj, for eight years before they parted ways in 2018. They have a son, Aryan, and he remarried the famous badminton icon Jwala Gutta later.

Sarathkumar Ramanathan is an Indian film actor, producer, and politician who has made a significant impact on the South Indian film industry.

Ramanathan studied at the Raja Muthiah High School in Chennai. Later, he went to the Central School in IIT Madras and completed his further studies at St. Patrick's Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School.

He was quite interested in sports; he played cricket, football, and hockey, even representing his school and college in numerous tournaments. He also joined the NCC and became an Air Wing Cadet. Ramanathan completed his pre-university education at Loyola College. He then pursued a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from The New College in Chennai.

In 1974, Ramanathan became a bodybuilder and earned the title of Mr Madras University. Later, he moved to Bangalore to work for Dinakaran, a Tamil newspaper. While he started off as a newspaper distributor, he went on to become a reporter for Dinakaran. He then shifted back to Chennai and opened a travel agency, where he met Kannadasan, who encouraged him to become a film producer.

Ramanathan then transitioned to acting and made his debut in the film industry in 1986 with the Telugu film Samajamlo sthree (1986). He was supposed to play the lead role in Chinna Poove Mella Pesu (1987) but was replaced by Prabhu. In 1988, he produced and acted in the Tamil film Kan Simmittum Neram (1988). One of his first major roles was in the movie Pulan Visaaranai (1990), where he played the role of a villain.

Soon after, he started getting more offers, which led to him acting in films like Mr. Karthik (1990), Pudhu Padagan (1990), Velai Kidaichiruchu (1990), Raja Kaiye Vacha (1990) and Urudhi Mozhi (1990). He also worked in several Telugu films, including Magaadu (1990) and Balachandrudu (1990). Following this, he essayed supporting roles in many Tamil films, such as Salem Vishnu (1990), Sirayil Sila Raagangal (1990), and Mounam Sammadham (1990).

In 1991, he featured in twelve Tamil films and three Telugu movies, mostly in supporting roles. The same year, he appeared in lead roles in films like Kaaval Nilayam (1991) and Cheran Pandian (1991), which were quite successful commercially.

His major breakthrough role came in the 1992 film Surieyan (1992), considered a trendsetter for Tamil action films. In addition to positive reviews, this role got him the Cinema Express Best Actor Special Award. He also worked on other films in 1992, including Thai Mozhi (1992), Ellaichami (1992), Samundi (1992), and Natchathira Nayagan (1992).

In 1993, Ramanathan acted in films like Aadhityan (1993), Dasarathan, Vedan (1993), Band Master (1993), and Moondravathu Kann (1993). In 1994, some of his projects included Aranmanai Kaavalan (1994), Captain Shiva (1994), Raja Pandi (1994), and the critically-acclaimed Nattamai (1994), for which he won the Best Actor award at the Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, Filmfare Awards, and Cinema Express Awards.

Ramanathan continued to be incredibly prolific; he featured in various films over the years, like Veluchami (1995), Coolie (1995), Ragasiya Police (1995), Mahaprabhu (1996), Nethaji (1996), Aravindhan (1997), Suryavamsam (1997), Janakiraman (1997), Moovendhar (1998), Natpukkaga (1998), Chinna Durai (1999), Maayi (2000), Rishi (2001), Vinnukum Mannukum (2001), Samudhram (2001), Thenkasi Pattanam (2002), Paarai (2003), Chatrapathy (2004), Aai (2004), etc.

In 2005, he acted in Ayya (2005), which was successful and received positive reviews. He also appeared in guest roles in Bunny (2005) and Jithan (2005). In 2006, he directed and acted in Thalaimagan (2006), which was a commercial failure. He appeared in several other films, including Pachaikili Muthucharam (2007), Nam Naadu (2007), and Vaitheeswaran (2008), which received mixed to negative reviews.

In 2009, Ramanathan debuted in Malayalam cinema through Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja (2009). He won the Vanitha Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role. He also appeared in Jaggubhai (2010), Kola Kolaya Mundhirika (2009), Oridathoru Postman (2010), The Metro (2011), and Christian Brothers (2011).

In 2011, he played a transgender person in Kanchana: Muni 2 (2011), which was a commercial success. He appeared in Achante Aanmakkal (2012) and Myna (2013). In 2014, he appeared in Nimirndhu Nil (2014), Janda Pai Kapiraju (2015), and Kochadaiiyaan (2014). In 2017, he made a comeback in Tamil cinema with Chennaiyil Oru Naal 2 (2017).

Besides his career in the entertainment industry, Ramanathan has been actively involved in politics. He joined the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party in 1996 and launched the All India Samathuya Makkal Kathci (AISMK) party in 2007. He is also a former Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Tenkasi Constituency and served for three terms as the president of the Nadigar Sangam from 2006 to 2015.

Ramanathan has received numerous awards for his outstanding contributions to the film industry. His accolades include the Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, such as the M.G.R. Award in 1996 and the Best Actor Award for Natpukkaga and Simmarasi in 1998. He has also won multiple Filmfare Awards South, including Best Tamil Actor Awards for Suryavamsam in 1997 and Natpukkaga in 1998.

In addition, he received several Cinema Express Awards, including the Best Villain Award for Pulan Visaranai in 1990 and the Best Actor Award for Suryavamsam in 1994. He was honoured with the Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan Award in 2000 and the Sivaji Ganesan Award in 2005.

Ramanathan was also felicitated with the Asianet Special Jury Award, the Jai Hind Patriotic Pride Award, and the Incisive Charisma Award by WE Magazine.

Vivek Oberoi was born on the 3rd of September,1976 and attended Mayo college in Ajmer. At an actors' workshop in London he was spotted by none other than the director of NYU who (unsurprisingly) whisked Vivek off to New York, where he completed his Masters Degree in film acting. Back home in India Vivek worked as scriptwriter and bought his first car with the money he made from that.

But the charmer's big break came when noted filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma offered Vivek a role in his gangster flick, Company (2002). Quite an unusual entrance for a debutant in Bollywood, because the norm for young actors is to play good lover boys till their place in Filmdom is secure. Not Vivek. Apparently, Ram Gopal Varma was having second thoughts about casting Vivek in Company because he thought Vivek looked too cute for a gangster - and told him so. Vivek, not to be outdone, went to the slums of Mumbai and did his homework and a couple of weeks later barged into Varma's office dressed as Chandu the gangster, swung his feet up on the table, and landed the contract pronto.

From there the road went uphill. Vivek's immaculate performance in Company - in which he starred opposite Bollywood Big Bad Boy Ajay Devgn, Miss Bolly Manisha Koirala and the granddaddy of Malayalam Cinema, Mohanlal - was more than enough to get the media singing Oberoi's praises. Next in line was the psycho-thriller Road (2002) (opposite Company co-star and co-newcomer Antara Mali), Dum (2003) (which sank without a trace - opposite Dia Mirza) and the next big catch, Saathiya (2002), opposite Rani Mukerji.

He recently got engaged to, and then broke up with longtime girlfriend Gurpreet, and is currently linked with Rani Mukherjee and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Recently he got himself into the headlines for a public outburst (i.e. press conference) against Salman Khan.