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1-49 of 49
- Actor
- Music Department
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Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar (born 22 June 1974), known mononymously as Vijay, is an Indian actor, dancer, playback singer and philanthropist who works predominantly in Tamil cinema and also appeared in other Indian languages films. Referred to by fans and media as "Thalapathy" (commander), Vijay is the highest paid actor in Tamil cinema. He has significant fan following globally. He has won numerous awards, including eight Vijay Awards by Star India, three Tamil Nadu State Film Awards by Government of Tamil Nadu, and a SIIMA Award. He has been included several times in the Forbes India Celebrity 100 list, based on the earnings of Indian celebrities.- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Samantha, an Indian actress, works predominantly in Telugu and Tamil film industries. She was born on 28 April 1987 and grew up in Pallavaram in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Born to Telugu and Malayali parents, she comes from a modest background and started modeling as a part-time job.
She started her career with Gautam Menon's Ye Maya Chesave and went on to make more than 40 movies in 11 years. She is best known for her roles in Eega, Mahanati, Mersal, 24, Dookudu, Rangasthalam, Super Deluxe, Oh! Baby and more. She is a recipient of several awards including four Filmfare Awards, two Nandi Awards, four South Indian International Movie Awards, and three CineMAA Awards. She has recently ventured into pan-Indian content as a part of the second season of the Amazon series, The Family Man.
She is a huge supporter of indigenous talent and homegrown fashion. She is also Telangana's handloom ambassador and promotes the region's weaving industry.
She also runs an NGO, Pratyusha Support, to provide medical support for women and children in 2012 as well as a progressive early learning school called Ekam, Early Learning Center.- Prabhas is an Indian actor who works in Telugu cinema. One of the highest-paid and highest-grossing actor in Indian cinema. Prabhas is hailed as the "First Pan-Indian Superstar". Prabhas was born in a Telugu family to late U. Suryanarayana Raju and Siva Kumari. His family hails from Mogalthur, Andhra Pradesh. He is the youngest of three children and is the nephew of Telugu actor Uppalapati Krishnam Raju. Prabhas did his schooling at Don Bosco Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Chennai, and at DNR High School, Bhimavaram. He then completed his intermediate education from Nalanda College, Hyderabad. He later went on to pursue Bachelor of Technology (BTech) from Sri Chaitanya College, Hyderabad.
Prabhas made his acting debut with drama Eeswar, and later attained his breakthrough with the action romance Varsham. He went on to act in other commercially successful films such as Chatrapathi, Bujjigadu, Billa, Darling, Mr. Perfect, and Mirchi winning the Nandi Award for Best Actor for his performance in the lattermost. He went on to play a dual role in the epic action film Baahubali: The Beginning which received national and international acclaim, and became a record-breaking box office success. He reprised his role in the sequel, Baahubali 2: The Conclusion which rewrote several box office records and emerged as the highest-grossing Indian film at that point, establishing Prabhas as the first pan-Indian star. Commercial success has since varied, with action thrillers Saaho and Salaar: Part 1 - Ceasefire, both of which rank among the highest-grossing Indian films. He is the first Indian actor ever to have four 100+ crore opening films worldwide, a feat unheard of in Indian cinema.
Prabhas is referred to in the media and by his fandom as the "Rebel Star" and "Darling", he has appeared in over 20 films, and earned numerous accolades. He has been featuring in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list since 2015. He was added to the Forever Desirable list of Hyderabad Times in 2019. He was the most searched actor on Google for the year 2019. He is the only actor from south cinema to feature in the magazine Eastern Eye's 2019 listing of the 10 Sexiest Asian Men. He was also featured in the GQ in their listing of the most influential young Indians of 2017. Prabhas stood alone as the only Indian actor in the "Top 10 Most Used Hashtags on Twitter" list in 2023. - Director
- Actor
- Music Department
Venkatesh Prabhu known by his stage name Dhanush, is an Indian film actor, producer, lyricist and playback singer who has worked predominantly in Tamil cinema. In 2011, he won the National Film Award for Best Actor for the Tamil film "Aadukalam" and in the same year, he received international attention for his song "Why This Kolaveri Di", which went on to became the most viewed Indian song in YouTube.As of 2014, he has won five Filmfare Awards.
His first film was "Thulluvadho Ilamai", a 2002 coming-of-age movie directed by his father,Kasthuri Raja.Over the next ten years, Dhanush featured in 25 movies and made his Hindi debut in "Raanjhanaa" in the year 2013.- Suriya was born to actor Sivakumar and his wife Lakshmi in Chennai but brought up in Coimbatore. He is the eldest of three children; his younger brother is actor Karthi Sivakumar and he has a younger sister named Brindha Sivakumar. He attended PSBB School and St. Bede's School in Chennai and graduated from Loyola College with a Bachelor of Commerce degree.
Before his career in films, Suriya worked at a garment export factory for eight months. To avoid nepotism, he did not reveal himself to his boss as Sivakumar's son, but his boss ultimately learned the truth himself. He was initially offered the lead role by Director Vasanth in his film Aasai (1995), but he rejected the offer citing a lack of interest in an acting career. He later debuted in Vasanth's own 1997 film Nerrukku Ner, produced by Mani Ratnam when he was 22 years of age. The stage name Suriya was bestowed on him by Ratnam to avoid a clash of names with established actor Saravanan. Vijay, who would also go on to become a leading contemporary actor in Kollywood, co-starred with him in the film. This was followed by a series of roles in commercially unsuccessful films in the late 1990s. In 2001, he starred in Siddique's comedy film Friends, also co-starring Vijay, which became a super hit. His major break in acting came in the form of Nandha, which was directed by Bala. Playing the role of an ex-convict who is very attached to his mother, he received a Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor. His next venture was Vikraman's Unnai Ninaithu followed by Mounam Pesiyadhe directed by debutant Ameer Sultan, which became a hit film & a cult classic.
In 2003, he starred in Gautham Menon's Kaakha Kaakha, a film about the life of a police officer. The film opened to positive reviews and became a Blockbuster at the box office. Suriya also received an ITFA award for Best Actor for his role in the film. Next, his portrayal of a happy-go-lucky village crook with a comic touch in Bala's Pithamagan, along with Vikram, won him the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. In 2004, he played dual roles in Perazhagan, as an aggressive boxer and a handicapped phone booth keeper. Suriya's performance won positive reviews from critics. The film became a successful venture at the box office, and Suriya won his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor. The same year, he portrayed the role of a student leader in Mani Ratnam's political drama Ayitha Ezhuthu along with Madhavan and Siddarth which received highly critical acclaim and became a commercial success.
Suriya signed on to feature in the psychological thriller, Ghajini directed by A. R. Murugadoss in November 2004; he played the role of a patient suffering from short-term memory loss. Ghajini was released in late 2005 and became a Blockbuster and was the third highest-grossing film of that year in Tamil. Suriya's role was unanimously praised. Later he worked in Hari's action film Aaru and the film received a positive response at the box office.
Suriya's 2006 release was N. Krishna's Sillunu Oru Kaadhal. He acted opposite his wife Jyothika Saravanan in the film, which took a good opening but became an average grosser. In 2007, Suriya's solitary release was Vel, which became a hit at the box office. His next release was Vaaranam Aayiram, a collaboration with Gautham Menon, after the success of Kaakha Kaakha. Playing dual roles for the third time in his career, Suriya appeared as father and son, portraying scenes as a 16-year-old and as a 65-year-old. Suriya described the project as "unique" and "straight from the heart", describing the physical hardships he endured during the making. He lost weight and prepared a six-pack for the film through an eight-month fitness regime without steroids, with the movie being a trendsetter for other leading actors from South India. The film became commercially successful at the box office upon release and received positive reviews from film critics, with Suriya's performance being lauded. His portrayals also fetched him several notable awards, including the Filmfare Award for Best Actor, a Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor by the jury and the Vijay Award for Best Actor in 2008. The film also went on to receive a National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil in 2008.
In 2009, Suriya's first release was K. V. Anand's action-thriller Ayan, which went on to become the highest-grossing Tamil film of the year. Upon release, the film won positive reviews and Suriya's performance was again acclaimed. He found himself nominated for leading awards and won the Vijay Award for Entertainer of the Year. The film's success saw Suriya emerge as the most profitable leading actor in Tamil films, following a hat trick of large commercial hits. Following Ayan, his next film, K. S. Ravikumar's action entertainer Aadhavan also achieved commercial success, while Suriya's depiction of a hitman was praised.
In 2010, he had his 25th release with Singam directed by Hari, in which he played the role of 'Durai Singam', a police officer from a small village going to work in the city. The film received positive reviews and became a huge commercial success. The film won Suriya the Vijay Award for Best Entertainer again and subsequently went on to become the second highest-grossing film of the year. He made his Bollywood debut in Ram Gopal Varma's two-part political drama Rakta Charitra in 2010 which was released to highly critical acclaim and became an average success. His only release in 2011 that featured him in a starring role was A. R. Murugadoss's science fiction thriller 7aum Arivu. Suriya played dual roles in the film, as a circus artist and as the Buddhist monk, Bodhidharma, who lived in the 6th century. The film met with mixed reception but was a commercial success. His only 2012 release was the K. V. Anand-directed film Maattrraan in which he played the role of conjoined twins, Vimalan and Akhilan. The film received mixed reviews, and, ended up being an average grosser while Suriya's performance was praised. In January 2012, Suriya was named as the official host of the new game show to be presented on STAR Vijay, Neengalum Vellalam Oru Kodi, the Tamil version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, which began airing on 27 February 2012 and ended on 12 July.
His next film was Singam 2, a sequel to his 2010 film Singam, that released on 5 July 2013 to positive response from the public. The film received a huge opening, becoming the highest-grossing Tamil film of the year and emerged as one of the highest-grossing Tamil films of all time, collecting more than 100 crores worldwide. His next film Anjaan directed by N. Lingusamy was released on 15 August 2014 to negative reviews. The film had one of the biggest openings ever in Tamil Cinema and Suriya's best but became a below-average venture at the box office. His next release was Venkat Prabhu's film Masss, which was released to mixed reviews. His only film in 2016 was his home production 24 directed by Vikram Kumar which hit the screens on 6 May 2016. The film, based on the concept of time travel, featured Suriya in triple roles. The film met with unanimous critical acclaim, and became a commercial success, grossing more than 100 crores worldwide. Suriya's performance, especially the character 'Athreya' was much praised. His first release in 2017 was Singam 3, the sequel to his earlier films Singam & Singam 2. The film was released on 9 February 2017 to mostly positive reviews from the public. It had one of the biggest worldwide openings for a Tamil film, and Suriya's biggest yet, and eventually grossed 100 crores worldwide in just 6 days of its release. Suriya's next film in 2017 is with director Vignesh Shivan for Thaanaa Serndha Koottam. Thaana Serndha Kootam was released at the beginning of 2018. Followed by this, Suriya also did a Cameo in his brother, Karthi's film - "Kadaikutty Singham". In 2019, he partnered with Selvaraghavan for NGK - a political drama that received mixed reviews from the public and critics. His next release was Kaapaan, an action thriller, in which he shared the screen with Arya and Mohanlal. The movie was a commercial success and the final directorial venture of K.V. Anand before the filmmaker's demise on 30th April 2021.
2020 and 2021 marked the years Suriya worked on "Soorarai Pottru" and "Jai Bhim" with Sudha Kongara and T. J. Gnanavel respectively. Both these films were produced by his production banner 2D Entertainment. Soorarai Pottru was praised by the public, critics and film people. The movie went on to bag 5 awards at the 68th National Awards for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actor (Suriya), Best Actress and Best Original Score. Jai Bhim was lauded for its craftsmanship and the message it delivered to the society. In addition to bagging multiple awards, Jai Bhim which spoke about police brutality and bias towards Irular community, created a huge social impact. Jai Bhim was made available for screening at the 96th Academy Awards. In 2022, Suriya had his 1st theatrical release in 3 years with Etharkkum Thunindhavan collaborating with director Pandiraj. The film opened to mixed reviews and went on to be a success at the Box Office. The same year, he stepped into a new character called "Rolex" who appeared as a cameo in Vikram (2022) and this character became a fan favourite in no time. He also did a Cameo in R. Madhavan's, "Rocketry - The Nambi Effect"
Suriya is now working on Kanguva directed by Siva and is slated for release in 2024. Suriya has joined hands once again with Sudha Kongara and G V Prakash Kumar for his 43rd movie. The film team released a motion poster revealing only a part of the movie title.
Suriya is married to actress Jyothika, with whom he worked with in as many as seven films. The couple, after being together for several years, got married on 11 September 2006. They have two children, a daughter named Diya and a son named Dev.
In 2008, Suriya began the Agaram Foundation, working to help children who drop out of school early in Tamil Nadu. Suriya revealed that he was inspired to begin the movement as a result of his father's organisation, Sivakumar Educational Trust, which had been operating similar benefits on a smaller scale since the 1980s. With the Ministry of Education in Tamil Nadu, he created a short commercial video outlining child poverty, labour and lack of education, titled Herova? Zerova?. The film was written and produced by Suriya and also starred Vijay, Madhavan and Jyothika. Agaram sponsored 159 underprivileged students in 2010 for their higher education in various disciplines and has continued to provide free seats and accommodation for pupils. With the firm belief that the educated mind can not only eliminate social evils but also aid in the socio-economic upbringing of society, the Agaram Foundation works towards providing appropriate learning opportunities to the rural populace who do not otherwise have access to quality education. Through the foundation, he has also set up a platform for students to participate in workshops and improve communication skills, teamwork, goal setting and leadership.
Suriya and his family have also extended help towards the education of Sri Lankan Tamil children on behalf of the Sivakumar Charitable Trust. He is also an active participant in other humanitarian works such as the "Save The Tigers" campaign, which aids in the protection and preservation of Tigers in India, and "REACH", a non-profit that cures TB patients for free using supervised medication programs. The actor celebrates every birthday by doing charity work across Tamil Nadu. - Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Konidela Ram Charan is an Indian actor, producer and entrepreneur who primarily works in Telugu cinema. He is one of the highest-paid actors in Indian cinema and has featured in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list since 2013. Ram Charan is the recipient of several National & International awards. Ram Charan was born in a Telugu family to influential Indian Telugu film actor Chiranjeevi and his wife Surekha. Ram Charan's family hails from Andhra Pradesh. Ram is an equestrian has learnt horse-riding in his childhood. In September 2011, he started his own polo team Ram Charan Hyderabad Polo Riding Club.
Ram Charan made his acting debut with the action film Chirutha (2007), a box office hit, winning the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut - South. He rose to prominence starring in S.S.Rajamouli's fantasy action film Magadheera (2009), the highest-grossing Telugu film of all time at the time of its release. Charan achieved further commercial success with the blockbusters Rangasthalam (2018),Telugu, and RRR (2022), which currently ranks as the third-highest-grossing Indian film of all time and his highest grosser. Charan emerged as a Pan-Indian star with RRR and earned international recognition, including a nomination at the Critics' Choice Super Awards for Best Actor.
In 2016, Charan launched his own production house Konidela Production Company. Beyond his film career, he owns the polo team Hyderabad Polo and Riding Club and was a co-owner of the Airline service TruJet.
Ram Charan takes part in the 41-days-long Ayyappa Deeksha (Vratham), which is done on a yearly basis in Sabarimala. He started this practice in 2008. Charan stated that "this spiritual living is like a detox holiday for him to de-stress, take healthy and simple food and maintaining inner peace from his chaotic shooting schedules and uncertain mundane things" and said that his father Chiranjeevi had inspired him in following the Deeksha.- Actor
- Music Department
- Producer
Allu Arjun nicknamed Bunny was born on April 8, 1980. His father, Allu Aravind, is a famous producer and his uncle, Chiranjeevi is one of the top actors in the Telugu industry. Also, he is the grandson of late comedian Padmashree Allu Ramalingaiah. He is well-known as stylish star for his unique way of acting and dancing. He is also known for changing his hair and body for each movie that he does. He has starred in 21 movies so far and most of them are super hits. His Acting In The Movie Pushpa Is His Best And Gave Him A National Award and As Of Now Pushpa 2-The Rule Is The Highest Grossed Film In India An All Time Blockbuster Besides being a illustrious actor and Best Dancer In Telugu Film Industry, Allu Arjun gives back to his community and shows to be a successful role-model. Every year on his birthday, April 8th, he donates blood and attends functions for physically and mentally challenged kids. Allu Arjun Has The Highest Fan Base In Telugu Film Industry.- Actor
- Music Department
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Karthi, born Karthik Sivakumar, is an Indian actor known for his work in Tamil cinema. He is the younger son of veteran actor Sivakumar and Lakshmi Sivakumar. Karthi holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Crescent Engineering College in Chennai and a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from Binghamton University in New York.
During his time in New York, Karthi took a few lectures on films at New York State University, which sparked his curiosity in filmmaking. Upon his return, Karthi was offered a role in Mani Ratnam's film Aayitha Ezhuthu (2004), which he declined.
Karthi made his acting debut with the Tamil film Paruthiveeran (2007), starring Priyamani and Saravanan. He won several awards, including the Filmfare Award for Best Actor, the Vijay Award for Best Male Debut and Tamil Nadu State Film Special Prize for his performance.
Karthi received Best Actor nominations at the 58th Filmfare Awards South for his roles in Ayirathil Oruvan (2010), where he played a chief coolie alongside Reema Sen, and in Paiyaa (2010), where he portrayed an urban character alongside Tamannaah Bhatia and Milind Soman.
In 2010, Karthi starred in Naan Mahaan Alla (2010), a successful thriller directed by Suseenthiran. He also starred in Siruthai (2011), an action-masala film remake of the Telugu film Vikramarkudu (2006). In this movie, he played two roles, a thief, and a police officer, and received positive reviews. The film became one of the highest-grossing Tamil films of 2011 and cemented Karthi's position in the Tamil film industry.
Between 2011 and 2016, many of Karthi's films, including Saguni (2012), Alex Pandian (2013), All in All Azhagu Raja (2013), Oopiri (2016), and Kaashmora (2016), received mixed reviews. However, there were a few exceptions, Biriyani (2013), Madras (2014), and Komban (2015), which were critically acclaimed and were box office hits.
Karthi again partnered with Mani Ratnam, this time staring in his film, Kaatru Veliyidai (2017). His subsequent film Theeran Adhigaram Ondru (2017), directed by H. Vinoth, was an enormous success. Karthi received a Filmfare Award South for Best Actor - Critics for his performance in the film.
Right after Theeran Adhigaram Ondru (2017), Karthi acted in Pandiraj's successful film Kadaikutty Singam (2018), produced by his brother Suriya. He then starred in Dev (2019), directed by Rajath Ravishankar.
His next two films, Kaithi (2019) and Sulthan (2021), were box-office successes. In terms of box office performance, Kaithi (2019) was a major commercial success, grossing over Rs. 100 crores worldwide. He also starred in the commercially successful Viruman (2022), directed by M. Muthaiah.
Karthi was also a part of Mani Ratnam film Ponniyin Selvan: Part I (2022), where he plays Vallavaraiyan Vandiyadevan in his first Pan-Indian film. The movie also starred Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Ravi Mohan, Trisha Krishnan and Sobhita Dhulipala. His next movie Sardar (2022) Sardar (2022), saw him playing a double role.
Karthi married Ranjani Chinnasamy on July 3, 2011, in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. The couple has two children, a daughter named Umayaal (born in 2013) and a son named Kandhan (born in 2020).- Producer
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Padma Lakshmi was born on 1 September 1970 in Madras, Tamil Nadu, India. She is a producer and actress, known for Star Trek: Enterprise (2001), Glitter (2001) and Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi (2020). She was previously married to Salman Rushdie.- Actor
- Stunts
- Producer
Ghattamaneni Mahesh Babu is an Indian actor, producer, media personality, and philanthropist who works mainly in Telugu cinema. He was born on 9 August 1975 in a Telugu family in Madras (now Chennai), India. One of the most popular & one of the highest-paid Indian film actors. Referred to in the media and by his fans as "Superstar". In addition to being an actor, he is a humanitarian & philanthropist - co running the charitable trust and non-profit organisation "Heal A Child". Mahesh Babu gives 30% of his annual income to charities, and most of his philanthropic activities are unpublicised because he prefers them to be so.
He is the fourth of the five children of Legendary Telugu actor Krishna and his wife Indira. Their family hails from Burripalem in Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh. He was educated at St. Bede's Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School, Chennai. He obtained a bachelor's degree in commerce from the Loyola College, Chennai.
Mahesh made his debut as a child artist at the age of four in a cameo role in Needa (1979) and acted in eight other films as a child artist. He made his debut as a lead actor with Rajakumarudu (1999) which won him the Nandi Award for Best Male Debut.[3] Babu achieved his breakthrough with the supernatural drama Murari (2001), and the action film Okkadu (2003). He went on to act in other commercially successful films such as Arjun (2004), Athadu (2005), Pokiri (2006), Dookudu (2011), Businessman (2012), Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu (2013), Srimanthudu (2015), Bharat Ane Nenu (2018), Maharshi (2019), Sarileru Neekevvaru (2020) and Sarkaru Vaari Paata (2022). Pokiri held the record of being the highest-grossing Telugu film, Maharshi won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film.- Actress
- Music Department
- Composer
Shruti Kamal Haasan is an India Film actress and singer and the daughter of legendary actor Kamal Haasan and Sarika Thakur. She has studied at Abacus in Chennai, until 10th grade, when she moved to Mumbai to study psychology at St Andrew's College.
She debuted as a child artist in "Hey Ram" in the role of a daughter of Sardar Vallab Bhai Patel. After that she was appeared in "Luck" as a lead actress.
Apart from acting, she is an amazing singer and sung as a playback singer in many films including Thevar Magan (1992), Chachi 420 (1997), Hey Ram (2000), Luck (2009) etc.- Actor
- Producer
- Music Department
Vishal Krishna Reddy, popularly known as Vishal, was born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. He was born to G. K. Reddy, a granite businessman and Janaki Devi. Actor and producer Vikram Krishna is his brother.
Vishal was a student of Don Bosco Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Chennai. He completed a degree in Visual Communications at Loyola College, Chennai.
Vishal started his journey in the film industry as an assistant director to Arjun Sarja. His career took a new turn when one of the producers noticed him while working on the sets of Arjun Sarja's directorial venture Vedham (2001) and offered him an acting role.
To hone his acting skills and prepare for his debut, Vishal joined the Tamil theatre group Koothu-P-Pattarai.
Vishal began his acting career with A.R. Gandhi Krishna's directorial debut, Chellame (2004). His portrayal of Raghunandhan, an income tax officer, got positive reviews from critics.
He next played the lead role in Sandakozhi (2005), an action film directed by N. Linguswamy. He played the role of an engineering student standing up against a local gangster.
The film became a big hit at the box office and was screened for more than 200 days in Chennai. It marked the beginning of his evolution into an action hero.
Following a cameo appearance in Dishyum (2006), Vishal played the leading man in Thimiru (2006), an action entertainer made under the direction of Tarun Gopi. He received praise for his powerful acting in the movie as a student with a troubled past.
The film proved to be another big success at the box office. It went on to complete 100 days of screening at the theatres. Thimiru further established Vishal's image as an action hero in Tamil cinema.
In the same year, Karu Pazhaniappan's film Sivappathikaaram (2006) was released, which belonged to the political action genre. Vishal portrayed the character of an angry young man in the film who fights against the current political system due to its shortcomings.
Vishal was next seen in Karu Pazhaniappan, a family action drama directed by Hari that once again proved his potential as an action hero. The film completed 100 days in the theatres and gained considerable success at the box office.
Later that year, he played the lead role in Boopathy Pandian's action movie Malaikottai (2007), co-starring Priyamani. The film received mixed reviews.
His next releases included Sathyam (2008) and Thoranai (2009). He was the leading man in Theeradha Vilaiyattu Pillai (2010), which marked his first collaboration with director Thiru.
In Avan Ivan (2011), directed and written by Bala, Vishal ventured into the realm of dark comedy and portrayed a rural actor with a squint. His performance received significant acclaim, earning him the Special Jury Award at the 2012 Norway Tamil Film Festival Awards.
The following year, he was seen playing the lead role in films like Samar (2013) and Pattathu Yaanai (2013), both of which belonged to the action genre. Samar (2013) was Vishal's second collaboration with Thiru.
Pandiya Naadu (2013), an action drama released towards the end of the year, showcased the transformation of an average young man into an enraged one after his family was harmed. The film also marked Vishal's debut in production under his banner, Vishal Film Factory.
He bagged the SIIMA Award for Best Debutant Producer in 2014 for this film.
Following Pandiya Naadu, Vishal starred in Naan Sigappu Manithan (2014), a revenge action thriller in which he portrayed a character afflicted with narcolepsy, a rare neurological condition. This marked his third collaboration with Thiru. Vishal conducted extensive research by studying documentaries and literature to prepare for the role, which was well-received by critics.
For his next film, Poojai (2014), Vishal collaborated with Hari for a second time.
Over the years, Vishal continued to appear in a wide variety of films, such as Aambala (2015), Paayum Puli (2015), Kathakali (2016), Thupparivaalan (2017), Sandakozhi 2 (2018), Ayogya (2019), Chakra (2021), and Veerame Vaagai Soodum (2022), among others.
His last appearance was in Laththi (2022), an action thriller directed by A. Vinoth Kumar.
Vishal made his debut on TV in 2018 with the talk show "Sun Naam Oruvar" (2018), which he hosted on Sun TV.- Actor
- Music Department
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ravi was born to Tamil parents, editor Mohan and Varalakshmi Mohan. He has two siblings, his elder brother M. Raja is a noted film director, with most of his films featuring Ravi in the lead role, while his sister, Roja Mohan, is a dentist. He completed his schooling at Jawahar Vidyalaya in Ashok Nagar, Chennai. He studied dancing under the bharatnatyam dancer Nalini Balakrishnan and performed his arangetram at the age of 12. After completing his degree in Visual communication from Loyola College, Chennai,he decided to get into the film industry. He has also undergone training in acting at the Kishore Namit Kapur Institute in Mumbai. He is a martial arts expert and a trained bharatanatyam dancer. Prior to acting, Ravi had been an assistant director to Suresh Krishna in the 2001 film Aalavandhan.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Ramya Krishnan is a versatile Indian actress who has appeared in over 260 Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, and Hindi films. She is the niece of the Late Cho Ramaswamy, a Tamil film actor and former member of the Rajya Sabha.
In her early years, Krishnan received formal training in western, Bharathanatyam, and Kuchipudi dance forms and appeared in several stage performances.
She got her first acting break in 1983 in the Malayalam film Neram Pularumbol (1986) when she was only 13. However, the film's release was delayed. This made Vellai Manasu (1985), a Tamil film starring Y.G. Mahendran her first official movie appearance in 1985.
Krishnan continued working in Tamil cinema and was featured in supporting roles in films like Padikkathavan (1985) with Rajinikanth in the lead role and Per Sollum Pillai (1987) with Kamal Haasan as the lead.
Some of her notable Telugu performances include films like Madana Gopaludu (1987), Aasthulu Anthasthulu (1988), BhamaKalapam (2022), and Bava Marudula Sawal (1988).
Krishnan appeared in various Malayalam movies, like Orkkappurathu (1988), Aryan (1988), and Anuragi (1988), in 1988. That year, she also featured in some successful Kannada movies, like Krishna Rukmini (1988). She made her debut in Hindi movies by playing a small role in the film Dayavan (1988), featuring actors Feroze Khan and Vinod Khanna.
Krishnan enjoyed her first blockbuster in 1990, with K. Viswanath's Sutradhaarulu (1990), which fetched the movie a National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu. After the film's success, she was offered lead roles in the Telugu film industry.
Krishnan's subsequent hit performances and box-office successes included Alludugaru (1990), Allari Mogudu (1992), Major Chandrakanth (1993), and Allari Priyudu (1993).
Her next major blockbuster was with Nagarjuna in the movie Annamayya (1997). She also gave another stellar performance as the lead in Kante Koothurne Kanu (1998), for which she was awarded the Nandi Award for Best Actress.
During this time, Krishnan essayed some supporting role performances in famous Hindi movies like Parampara (1993), Khalnayak (1993), Chaahat (1996), Banarasi Babu (1997), and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998).
She took a break from Tamil cinema for four years, after which she returned in 1999, playing an antagonist in Padaiyappa (1999), starring Rajinikanth. She has also been applauded for her performances in devotional films like Ammoru (1995) and Annai Kaligambal (2003).
Krishnan married Telugu film director Krishna Vamsi in 2003. They have a son together.
Besides movies, Krishnan has appeared in TV serials like Thangam (2009), Rajakumari (2013), and Vamsam (2013) on Sun TV. She served as the host of Big Boss Telugu Season 3 after Nagarjuna Akkineni, the main host, had to fly to Spain. In November 2021, when host Kamal Haasan was diagnosed with COVID, Krishnan took over Bigg Boss Tamil Season 5, becoming the first woman to host the show.
One of Krishnan's biggest box-office successes, highest-grossing movies, and most critically acclaimed performances came from her role as Rajamata Sivagami Devi in S.S. Rajamouli's movies, Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017). After Bahubali, she went on to give solid performances in Mama Manchu Alludu Kanchu (2015) and Soggade Chinni Nayana (2016).
Krishnan was felicitated with a special award by Vice President Venkaiah Naidu at the 30th Ugadi Celebrations & Puraskar Presentation in 2018.
She ventured into the realm of web series in 2019 with Queen (2019), playing Jayalalithaa, the former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. She also made her OTT debut in 2022 as a judge for the show Dance Ikon, streaming on AHA.- Actor
- Producer
Actor, producer and entrepreneur, Rana Daggubati enjoys a very unique fandom from across the world. Perhaps best known as the vicious antagonist 'Bhallaladeva' from the record-breaking Indian franchise, Baahubali, Rana, however, began his mainstream film career as the producer of the National Award-winning film Bommalata (2004).
In 2005, he set up Spirit Media, a company that specialized in VFX and animation. He thus went on work on over 70 films as a VFX co-coordinator.
In 2010, he marked his acting debut with Leader (2010), which established him as a bankable actor in the Telugu film industry. He then went on to foray into Hindi cinema, or the popular Bollywood, with Dum Maaro Dum (2011). He subsequently acted in several Telugu and Hindi films, before his role as the lead antagonist in the 2015 film, Baahubali: The Beginning (2015), catapulting him to new heights of stardom. The sequel, Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017), became the first Indian film to hit the 1000-crore mark in box office collections. The phenomenal success of the film wasn't limited to the BO numbers, but has grown into a universe much larger than cinema, with games, manga comics, merchandising and more still in high demand.
On the back of the phenomenal success of the Baahubali franchise, Rana went to earn another first with India's first underwater film, The Ghazi Attack (2017), which was a commercial success and garnered him another prestigious National Award.
Known for his off-beaten-path approach to stories, Rana's repertoire is an interesting mix of everything from playing an upright Naval officer to fantastical villain. Also a dubbing artiste, Rana is the voice behind the super villain Thanos in the Telugu Avengers version.
Hailing from a family of filmmakers and storytellers, Rana Daggubati also oversees the operations of one of South India's leading production houses, Suresh Productions. When he is not busy shooting, Rana Daggubati is a thorough entrepreneur and businessman who has business interests spread across the spectrum of media an entertainment.
In 2018, Rana entered into a joint venture with one of India's leading entertainment agencies, Kwan Entertainment. He also partnered with Anthill Ventures, an investment and scaling platform for early growth stage start-ups, to launch Anthill Studio, a start-up accelerator program focused on technologies such as AI, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR/VR), Blockchain, Visual Effects (VFX), Cloud Rendering, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data and Analytics. A comic book geek, Rana also bought a stake in the one of India's leading comic book companies, Amar Chitra Katha in 2019.
While his passions, interests and endeavors many seem varied, there is one thread that seems to define everything that drives Rana Daggubati - the power and glory of storytelling - a love that he has confessed to many times.- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Arvind Swamy was born in Chennai, India. His parents were V.D.Swami and Vasantha Swami. V.D.Swami was a freedom fighter and an industrialist and Vasantha Swami was an accomplished Bharatanatyam Dancer. Arvind did his schooling in Sishya School and Don Bosco School in Chennai. He went to Loyola College in Chennai for his undergraduate studies and to Wake Forest, n.c. for his Master's program. Arvind's first film was 'Thalapathi' directed by Mani Ratnam. He went on to do many hit films like 'Roja', 'Bombay', 'Minsara Kanavu', 'Devaragam', 'Puthayal', 'En Swasa Katre', 'AlaiPayuthe' etc. In spite of his many successful movies, many awards and a lot of critical acclaim, he left the movies in 2000 and focused on his business and family. He was the President of InterPro Global and is the Chairman of Talent Maximus, a leading company in India engaged in Payroll Processing, Staffing and HR services. In 2012, he has returned to the movies with Mani Ratnam's 'Kadal', the shooting of which is still in progress.- Actor
- Music Department
- Producer
Puneeth Rajkumar colloquially known as Appu, King Appu, and Power Star was an Indian actor, playback singer, television presenter, philanthropist, and producer who worked in Kannada films.
At the age of six months, Rajkumar was seen on the big screen as a child artist in the thriller Premada Kanike (1976). The film's director, V. Somasekhar selected him for a role, with his father playing the male lead. The following year, when Rajkumar was just one year old, he was cast in Sanadhi Appanna (1977), another film featuring his father in the lead role, alongside Jaya Prada and T.N. Balakrishna.
Between 1976 and 1989, Rajkumar featured in multiple films and established himself as a successful child actor. In 1981, he acted and recorded his first hit song "Baana Daariyalli Soorya" in the film in the film Bhagyavantha (1981). The song was composed by T.G. Lingappa.
Rajkumar was awarded the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Child Actor (Male) for his performance in Chelisuva Modagalu (1982). He also received his second Karnataka State Film Award in the same category for his role in Eradu Nakshatragalu (1983).
Rajkumar's biggest breakthrough as a child actor came with the film Bettada Hoovu (1985). which was adapted from the novel "What Then, Raman?" by Shirley L. Arora. He was honored with the award for Best Child Artist at the 33rd National Film Awards.
During his early teens, Rajkumar acted in Shiva Mecchida Kannappa (1988) along with his father and sibling Shivarajkumar. His last role as a child actor was in Parashuram (1989), where he shared screen space with his father.
In 1994, Rajkumar joined his family's production house Vajreshwari Combines, as a manager.
As a lead, Rajkumar made his debut in Appu (2002) opposite Rakshitha. The film was a box office success. Following this, Rajkumar appeared in many commercially successful films as a lead actor, such as Abhi (2003), Veera Kannadiga (2004), Ajay (2006), Arasu (2007), Vamshi (2008), Jackie (2010), Hudugaru (2011), Rana Vikrama (2015), Raajakumara (2017), Natasaarvabhowma (2019), and James (2022).
Rajkumar's final appearance on the big screen was in Gandhada Gudi (2022), a docudrama in which he played himself. The film was released on October 28, 2022, just a day before his first death anniversary.
Apart from acting, Rajkumar made his mark in professional singing too. He sang for movies like Appu (2002), Lava Kusha (2007), Vamshi (2008), Jackie (2010), Mylari (2010), and Akira (2016).
On the small screen, Rajkumar hosted the game show Kannadada Kotyadhipathi (2012). The show was modelled on the American game show, 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?' He also hosted Family Power (2017), a reality show on Colors Kannada.
In his career spanning three decades, Rajkumar won several awards, including one National Film Award, six Filmfare Awards South, four Karnataka State Film Awards, and five SIIMA Awards.
Rajkumar was awarded an honorary doctorate posthumously by the University of Mysuru (Mysore) (UoM). He was conferred Karnataka Ratna, the highest civilian award in the state, by the Karnataka Government on November 1, 2022.
Rajkumar died on October 29, 2021, in Bengaluru, Karnataka, after suffering a heart attack.- Music Artist
- Actor
- Music Department
Engelbert Humperdinck was born on 2 May 1936 in Madras, Madras Presidency, British India [now Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India]. He is a music artist and actor, known for Game Night (2018), Bullet Train (2022) and You Were Never Really Here (2017). He was previously married to Patricia Healey.- Priya Anand is an Indian film actress and model. She studied Communications and Journalism at University of Albany. She has worked in many commercials like Nutrine Maha Lacto, Prince Jewellery and Cadbury Dairy Milk.
Her first release was a Tamil movie "Vaamanan (2009)", which was an average movie. After that she has acted in another Tamil movie Pugaippadam (2010).
Her role in Telugu movie Leader (2010) gained overwhelming response and she become well known actress in Telugu Cinema. After that she appeared in Telugu movie "Rama Rama Krishna Krishna (2010)" in 2010. - Actor
- Music Department
- Producer
Allari Naresh is an Indian film actor who stars in Tollywood films. He is fluent in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and English. He got the moniker "Allari" after the success of his first film in Tollywood. His debut film in Tamil, Kurumbu, was a remake of Allari. He received Nandi Award for Best Supporting Actor and Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award in 2008 for his performance as "Gali Seenu" in the movie Gamyam.- Writer
- Director
- Actor
Selvaraghavan is an Indian movie director, actor, and screenwriter who predominantly works in the Tamil film industry. He has directed numerous genre films, from romantic to science fiction and fantasy; he has done it all. He also owns a production company named White Elephants, along with Yuvan Shankar Raja and Arvind Krishna.
His brother Dhanush is an acclaimed actor, and his sisters are doctors.
He completed his Bachelor of Engineering in mechanical engineering before he began working in the Tamil film industry since his family insisted that he complete his education before joining the film industry. He also worked several part-time jobs while in college until he found satisfaction as a writer.
Selvaraghavan's debut work as a screenwriter and director was in the Tamil film Thulluvadho Ilamai (2002), which also starred his brother Dhanush and marked his first role.
He also wrote the lyrics of the song Kann Munnae Eththanai Nilavu in the film. Selvaraghavan and his family invested all their savings in this venture. The movie started slowly but picked up pace later and became a sleeper hit at the box office.
He went on to direct films like Kaadhal Konden (2003), which was a romantic thriller and starred Sonia Agarwal, and veteran comedian Nagesh. The film became a blockbuster, giving Dhanush and his career a breakthrough in the Tamil Film Industry. The film was remade across the country in several languages. He directed several movies, including 7/G Rainbow Colony (2004), a juvenile love story, and Pudhu Pettai (2006), featuring Dhanush as the main lead alongside Sonia Agarwal once again.
He then ventured into Telugu films. His first Telugu film as a writer and director is Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule (2007). The film starring Venkatesh Daggubati and Trisha Krishnan explores the themes of romance and drama. He took experiences from friends who were unemployed graduates like the film's protagonist. The film opened with positive reviews and eventually became one of the biggest successes of the Telugu Film Industry that year.
He wrote Yaaradi Nee Mohini (2008) in 2008. Then he went on to direct and wrote Ayirathil Oruvan (2010), where he wrote the lyrics of all the songs except Thai Thindra Mannae and Pemmanae, Mayakkam Enna (2011), which he coproduced with Gemini Film Circuit, Irandam Ulagam (2013), which amounted to Rs. 60 crores was his costliest production, Maalai Nerathu Mayakkam (2016), NGK (2019), where he wrote the song Pothachaalum, Nenjam Marappathillai (2021), and Naane Varuvean (2022).
He started working as an actor in 2022 with the film Beast (2022). And then he went on to act in other films like Saani Kaayidham (2022), which was released on the OTT Platform Amazon Prime Video, Naane Varuvean (2022), which was a cameo appearance, Bakasuran (2023).
Selvaraghavan was nominated for the best director award at Filmfare South Awards in 2004 for Kaadhal Konden (2003), in 2005 for 7/G Rainbow Colony (2004), in 2007 for Pudhu Pettai (2006) and in 2010 for Ayirathil Oruvan (2010). Furthermore, he won the world record film at the Edison Award for the movie Ayirathil Oruvan (2010). He was also nominated at the SIMA Awards in the best film category for the movie Mayakkam Enna (2011).- His first intention was to be a doctor, but finally he decided to be an actor, like his father T. Thiagarajan, also producer and film director (later, Prashanth's manager, too). He debuted in the film "Vaikasi Pranthachu" (1990) at the age of 17. His very first hit was "Thief, Thief" (1993), confirmed finally in 1998 with "Jeans" directed by Shankar.
- Actor
- Producer
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.- Meka Srikanth is an Indian Film actor. He is famous for Sarrainodu (2016), Parthiban Kanavu (2003) and many others. He is popular for his good acting skills and p-performance. He is working in in Telugu cinema. He has received two state Nandi Awards, and one Filmfare Award South.
- Actor
- Producer
- Special Effects
Vishnu Manchu was born on 23 November 1982 in Madras, Tamil Nadu, India. He is an actor and producer, known for Kannappa (2025), Dhee (2007) and Rowdy (2014).