Madhavan history

R. Madhavan (Tamil: ர.மாதவன்,[1] born 1 June 1970 as Madhavan Ranganathan) is an Indian actor who has appeared in Indian films in seven languages, predominantly Tamil and Hindi. Unlike other prominent actors in India, Madhavan began to appear in films after marriage, at the age of twenty-nine, and his career has seen performances in diverse roles. He has received several Filmfare Awards in various categories.

Madhavan's first major film appearance was in 2000s romantic film, Alaipayuthey, in which he played a husband going through the trauma of marriage. In the 2002 blockbuster Kannathil Muthamittal, he portrayed a father of an orphaned child alongside Simran. He then played the role of an action hero, for the first time in the successful project, Run (2002) and, the year after, won critical acclaim as a henchman in Mani Ratnam's film, Aayutha Ezhuthu. In 2007, Madhavan set up his own production company, Leukos Films, which will distribute several of his forthcoming films. In recent years, Madhavan has also appeared in Hindi films appearing in three blockbusters, Rang De Basanti, Guru and 3 Idiots amongst other critically acclaimed films.

Madhavan, a Tamilian, has taken an activist role in supporting various political and social causes. He appeared in PETA advertising, campaigning against cruelty towards animals, and has promoted vegetarianism causes.


Early life and education
Madhavan was born in Jamshedpur, India, to a senior management executive with Tata Steel, Ranganathan and a manager with the Bank of India, Saroja. Devika Ranganathan, Madhavan's sister, is a software engineer settled in London, United Kingdom.[2] In 1988, Madhavan was chosen to represent India as its cultural ambassador from his college to Canada after his graduation. At 22, he was awarded the Maharashtra Best Cadet, allowing him to make a trip with three others as NCC Cadets to England. Because of this honour, he received training with the Royal Army, the Navy and the Air Force, which he previously planned to join.[3] However he was rejected from the opportunity, as he missed the age cut-off by six months. After he lost out on the place, he began taking courses in public speaking which eventually helped him venture into the film industry. He won the Indian Championship for Public Speaking and was subsequently selected to represent India at the Young Businessmen Conference in Tokyo, Japan in 1992.[4]

Early career
In early 1997, Madhavan did a sandalwood talc advertisement for Santosh Sivan, who later recommended him to Mani Ratnam for a screen test for a role in Iruvar. Later in the same year, Mani Ratnam called Madhavan for the screen test, but left him out of the project citing that he thought his eyes looked too young for a senior role.[5] As his film career, failed to take off, Madhavan reverted to act in Hindi television serials. He appeared in major roles in serials titled Saaya, Sea Hawks, Banegi Apni Baat, Tol Mol Ke Bol and Ghar Jamai.[6]

In 1998, Madhavan appeared in his first film role as an Indian police officer in Fred Olen Ray's Inferno alongside Don Wilson.[7] His first chance in Indian movies came in the form of Shanti Shanti Shanti, a Kannada film, in which he acted in the second lead role to Abbas, an established actor. However, the film failed to make an impact, and went unnoticed.[8]

Bollywood director, Vinod Pandey launched Madhavan as a Bollywood hero, with a project titled Lakheli, however the film was abandoned by the producers soon after production began and the film was cancelled.[9]

Critical success

Alaipayuthey marked Madhavan's big break in cinema. The project directed by Mani Ratnam, became a critical and commercial success.Alaipayuthey, Madhavan's second Indian film became a blockbuster upon release and earned positive reviews from critics.[10] In Alaipayuthey, paired with Shalini Kumar, he portrayed to role of "Karthik", a husband experiencing difficulties with his marriage. Madhavan's performance was well-received by critics and the film became a cult hit, leaving way to several spoofs of his character. A critic, Balaji Balasubramaniam of BBreviews.com claimed that "Madhavan is promising in his debut feature and his character is designed to set hearts aflutter", praising Madhavan and his characterization.[11] After the success of his first Tamil film, the producers of his previous Kannada film, Shanti Shanti Shanti, dubbed the film into Tamil and released it as Relax, to capitulate on Madhavan's new found success.[8] Madhavan's second lead role was in Ennavale, a film ignored by critics and audience alike. Madhavan's choice to be a part of this film, was unappreciated and one critic claimed, "With Madhavan being hot property in Kodambakkam ever since Alaipayuthey, his second movie was highly anticipated. But unless he selects stories and scripts that are much better than Ennavale, his stay might be a short-lived one".[12] Madhavan had more success starring opposite Reema Sen in Minnale, which was later remade into Hindi as Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein marking Madhavan's debut in Bollywood; he also played in Madras Talkies' Dumm Dumm Dumm with Jyothika Saravanan. Both films became successes and Madhavan became established as a bankable actor in South India.[13] Madhavan later starred in Parthale Paravasam, the hundredth venture of veteran director, K. Balachander. Madhavan, in the film, acted as a husband in troubling marriage, again, after Alaipayuthey. Despite being highly anticipated, the film flopped at the box-office, with critics labelling that Madhavan looked "rather bored" with the proceedings.[14]

Following Parthale Paravasam, Madhavan starred opposite Simran Bagga in his third Mani Ratnam production, Kannathil Muthamittal. He portrayed the role of a father of an adopted child, who wishes to return to her native homeland amid a civil war. The film, became a trend-setting film in Tamil cinema and managed to win six National Awards as well as over ten awards at various International Film Festivals around the world. Madhavan gained a particular praise for putting in a mature display.[15] Madhavan's next large success came in Run, a film recognized for its screenplay, Madhavan appeared as an action hero for the maiden time in his career.[16]

The success of Run, became Madhavan's final major hit for a while, several films of his were critically acclaimed but failed to perform commercially. Anbe Sivam, co-starring Kamal Haasan, was critically praised but failed to become a grosser. Several critics claimed that Madhavan's performance as a frustrated ad-maker, lived up to the title role of Kamal Haasan's.[17] Kamal Haasan's home production, Nala Damayanthi and Vikraman's Priyamana Thozhi, failed to live up to their anticipated values but Madhavan's performance in the films were appreciated.[18] A guest role followed in Lesa Lesa, and two more average films in Jay Jay and Aethiree followed. Madhavan's career as an actor, became even more distraught after his English film, Nothing But Life, also failed to become a grosser.[19]

Aayutha Ezhuthu and the future
2004, despite starting poorly, was a very prolific year for Madhavan, who starred in the films Aethiree, Nothing But Life, and the critically acclaimed Aayutha Ezhuthu. After Aethiree failed, Madhavan banked upon Nothing But Life, an English film, to divert him back into a career of stardom. But it also failed, leaving Madhavan offerless. However, Mani Ratnam selected Madhavan to play a lead role in his forthcoming bilingual. The film was made as Aayutha Ezhuthu in Tamil and Yuva in Hindi, with only Esha Deol reprising her role in both versions. Apart from Deol, others in the multi-starrer were also actors who had been going through a rough patch. Surya Sivakumar, Siddharth Narayan, Meera Jasmine and Trisha Krishnan made up the rest of the cast. His character, Inba Sekhar, was a hitman living in the slums of Chennai, who eventually went on to help a politician gain power. However, Inba Sekhar's wife, Sasi, desperately tried to claw him away from his profession only to be beaten, thrown out and then come back crawling again.

Madhavan has stated that the role he played, was the role which he had experienced and enjoyed the most.[20] He received praise from critics, claiming he outplayed Abhishek Bachchan's interpretation of the character in the other version, Yuva.[21] Madhavan won the South Indian Filmfare Award for the Best Supporting Actor.[22]

Priyasakhi followed in 2005, co-starring Sadha - with the pair playing an estranged husband and wife. The film received praise for the lead actors and became the first Tamil language to be dubbed into Zulu.[23] Ramji Londonwaley, the remake of Nala Damayanthi was released in Bollywood and became an average grosser.


Madhavan on the sets of Guru En Aalu (2008)In 2006, Madhavan recorded three commercial successes with Rang De Basanti, Thambi and Rendu. His appearance in vital cameo role, in Rang De Basanti, was appreciated by film critics, earning him his first major hit in Bollywood.[3] Thambi was shot for over a year and was badly delayed, however despite a poor opening, the film managed to make a remarkable comeback and prove to be a big hit in town and village centres.[24] Madhavan's portrayal of the do-gooder, received mixed reviews from critics.[25][26] In Rendu, Madhavan appeared in his first dual role in his career. The film became one of Madhavan's biggest successes.[27] Guru, Madhavan's fifth film under Mani Ratnam's production, saw him in the role of real-life journalist S. Gurumurthy. Guru, which was one of Bollywood's biggest hits of 2007, was a bio-pic of the life of business tycoon, Dhirubhai Ambani.[28] After playing a guest role as himself in Delhi Heights, his first Tamil release of the year, Aarya received mixed reviews, though it became a success at the box-office. Throughout the last quarter of 2007, Madhavan along with his co-stars of Evano Oruvan, toured the world promoting the film, which therefore became the first Tamil film to be screened abroad prior to release in India. Madhavan later bought the film, with his new production company, Leukos Films. Evano Oruvan released in December 2007 to average collections at the box-office, where as critics such as The Hindu dubbed the film as "Madhavan's best performance".[29]

Madhavan's first release of 2008, was in Seeman's Vaazhthukal with Bhavana, which went on to become Madhavan's biggest failure. This was followed with a cameo appearance with other prominent actors in the documentary film, Herova? Zerova?. Madhavan's final release of the year was the docudrama Mumbai Meri Jaan, again by Kamath, based upon the 2006 Mumbai Bombings. The film, which pitted him with Soha Ali Khan, Irrfan Khan and Kay Kay Menon, became a critically acclaimed venture with Madhavan's portrayal of a man with a post-traumatic stress disorder being appreciated. Madhavan secured his first individual success for the first time in three years with Vikram Kumar's bilingual horror film, Yavarum Nalam. The film, which became a commercial and critical success upon release won Madhavan plaudits, with Times of India reviews claiming that "he carried the film on his shoulders".[30] His next, the romantic comedy Guru En Aalu, became an average grosser, whilst his subsequent Hindi release, Sikandar, in which Madhavan essayed a supporting role of an army officer also met with a similar fate. Madhavan's final release of the decade was the Aamir Khan starrer, 3 Idiots, in which he had portrayed a supporting lead role. The film upon release became a critical and commercial blockbuster, becoming the highest grossing Indian film of all time, with Madhavan's portrayal of Farhan Qureshi being appreciated by critics as well as earning him award nominations.

Madhavan has five films in 2010 with the earliest being, the long-delayed Naan Aval Adhu, while his Hindi film, Teen Patti portrays him as a professor in roles alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Ben Kingsley. The third film, is another much delayed Hindi-Bengali bilingual Sunglass, directed by Rituparno Ghosh, Tanu Weds Manu with Kangana Ranaut is also in production. The fifth being Yavarum Kaelir, alongside Kamal Hassan for the second time after Anbe Sivam. Several other long pending films have been announced by Madhavan, including a bio-pic of painter, Raja Ravi Varma;[31] a sequel to his bilingual 13B and an English film with Deepa Mehta as director.[32]

Personal life
Family
Ranganathan and Saroja, parents of Madhavan, disliked their son's foray into teledramas and adverts, however were forgiving after his selection in Mani Ratnam's Alaipayuthey. Despite Madhavan's ambition of wanting to join the army, his parents insisted he went to management school and pursue a degree in electronics.[2] After completing the degree, he went on to teach communication and public speaking at workshops around India. At the Maharashtra workshop, he encountered his wife, Sarita Birje, an air hostess, whom he married in 1999.[6]

Their first son, Vedant was born on 21 August 2005, which eventually led to relocating towards to the boat-club area in Chennai from Kilpauk. Madhavan's parents lived with him as did his parents-in-law.[33] In 2009, he relocated to Kandivali, Mumbai with his wife and son, as he pursued a career in Hindi films ahead of films in the South Indian industries.[34]

Relationships
Madhavan, despite coming into the film industry after marriage, has a huge following of female fans. However, he constantly confirms his love and passion for his wife, Sarita.[35]

After having his first on-screen kiss in Guru with Vidya Balan. Originally she was first picked for Madhavan's Run, only to be turned away for Meera Jasmine. After establishing herself as a leading actress, she starred opposite Madhavan in Guru. Other films such as Suryamukhi, Stella, Once More and Oru Naal Podhuma were announced with the pair of them in the lead roles only to cancelled or for either actor to be replaced.[36] Neither have them have denied it, however Madhavan has claimed that the kiss will be his first and last on-screen.[37] The couple, later appeared in an advertisement for Airtel, with their on screen chemistry being praised.

Another actress, Bhavana Balachandran, is a self acclaimed fan of Madhavan's. Despite making a statement that she will refuse to act with the same actor twice to avoid romantic links, she has signed up two films with Madhavan.[38] He is also known for his recommendations of other actresses to directors, referring Reema Sen[39] and Sadha.[40]

PETA and other interests
PETA
Madhavan, who is a vegetarian, endorses the brand, PETA.[41] Since joining them after starring in his first film, he has appeared voluntarily in several advertisements and released an E-Card for the brand. In July 2006, Madhavan was voted the "cutest male vegetarian" by an online poll conducted by the NGO, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), while Kareena Kapoor won the female award respectively.
Despite winning the public-voted poll, Madhavan was then questioned at his home for keeping an African parrot as a pet. The pet was not confiscated, with Madhavan labelling as himself as an animal lover with two dogs and a parrot, which he claimed was like his "second son".

Mobile gaming
In July 2006, Paradox Studios Limited launched a new game compatible with mobile phones, with Madhavan as the lead character.

The company released two mobile game titles featuring Madhavan as their lead character. Madhavan attended

The first of the two games, Madhavan's MIG, featured the actor making a reprise of his Rang De Basanti pilot's role. In the other game titled Madhavan, the player had to help the actor get to the premiere of his latest movie evading the paparazzi.[44]

Game show hosting
Madhavan was announced as the host of Sony Entertainment Television's Deal Ya No Deal, the Indian version of the American game show Deal Or No Deal, in October 2005.

However Madhavan quit as the lead anchor of the game show, Deal Ya No Deal in January 2006. Madhavan claimed he was "unhappy with the way the shoot schedules were handled by the production house". According to the actor, when he took on the show, he had "made it clear that he would continue with his South film assignments, and as the show was being filmed in Mumbai, he had found it hard to keep travelling throughout India from Chennai to film the ten days a month he had signed up for". The ever-changing look of the show meant Madhavan had to constantly rehearse. Madhavan also added that he was restricted by the producers to spend one day rehearsing technically, which left him with fatigue.

There were also some times, like when he shot for the show immediately after the funeral of his grandfather, when there was a celebrity special. Mandira Bedi replaced Madhavan as the anchor in February for Series 2 of the game show. Since then she has also left the set-up for personal reasons. He has also been a guest judge, in the Indian television show, Fame Gurukul

Karunaas history

Karunaas (born 21 February 1970 as Karunanidhi) is a Tamil comedic film actor in the Tamil film industry. He has acted with many prominent actors and starred in successful films. Appearing mostly in supporting roles and providing comical relief, he also played lead roles in Dindigul Sarathy and the forthcoming Ambasamudram Ambani. Apart from acting, Karunas is known as a musician and singer as well

Early life
Karunas was born as Karunanidhi in Pudukkottai, Tamil Nadu, India. He did his schooling at Palangudi Bharathi School and later studied at Nandanam Arts, Presidency College. Karunas began his career as pop singer and dancer. He became a popular singer of 'Gaana' or Tamil Folk Music. He then gradually appeared in films as a comedian.

Film career
Karunas is a modern day comedian and has done good comic roles. His main comedy style like popular comedian Vivek is satire which he usually diverts in the direction of College romances or stuck up snobbish beauties.

His funniest tracks include April Maathathil and Pudukotayil Saravanan where he plays a spoof of the famous hit film 'Vaali'.

As of February 2008, Karunas has appeared in 72 films.[2]
Personal life
Karunas is married to pop and playback singer Grace. He has two children, a daughter and a son.

Harikumar history

Harikumar is a Tamil film actor, who has appeared in Tamil films. He is probably best known for his utter flop performance in Madurai Sambavam.[1][2] Moreover he has appeared as a choregrapher in over 100 films.

Name: Hari Kumar
Star Name: Hari Kumar
Eye Color: Black
Facts: He worked as an assistant dance director in some of the films like Devar Magan, Mahanadi etc.
Facts: He has choreographed more than 100 films in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam.
Hair Color: Black
Debut Movie: Tamil - Thoothukudi (2006)

Jeeva history

Amar Choudhary (born 4 January 1983), better known by his stage name Jiiva (Tamil: ஜீவா), is an Indian film actor, who has predominantly appeared in Tamil-language films. Son of well-known film producer R. B. Choudhary, he started his career as a child artiste in his father’s films in 1996. His professional career began seven years later with the film Aasai Aasaiyai. Since, he has worked in a number of critically and commercially successful films and has established himself as one of the leading young actors in Tamil cinema.

He had his first major success with Ameer's Raam (2005), for which he won the Best Actor Award at the Cyprus International Film Festival.[1] His commercially successful films, apart from Raam, include E (2006), Thenavattu (2008) and Siva Manasula Sakthi (2008).

Career
He started his career as a child actor in two of his father's productions. His debut film as a lead was Aasai Aasaiyai. The films Thittikudhey and Raam followed, the latter being a major financial success. It was screened at Indian Panorama and later at the Cyprus International Film Festival, where it won two awards - the Best Actor award for Jiiva and the Best Musical Score Award for its music director, Yuvan Shankar Raja.[2]

Later on Jiiva appeared in other hit films such as Aran where he acted alongside Mohanlal as an Indian army soldier. He also made his debut in Malayalam cinema with Keerthi Chakra, the original version of Aran. His 2006 release E was also a critically acclaimed film. His 2007 film Kattradhu Thamizh received highly positive reviews and met with universal critical acclaim upon its release was registered as the "Performance of his lifetime" in his establishing acting career.[citation needed]

His latest releases are Thenavattu and Siva Manasula Sakthi. The former is an action entertainer while the latter is a breezy romantic film. Siva Manasula Sakthi is probably Jiiva's biggest hit after Dishyum. He is currently working on the films Kacheri Arambam and Singam Puli.
Personal life
Jiiva was born to noted film producer R. B. Choudhary and Mahjabeen on 4 January 1984 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu as the youngest of four sons. His eldest brother B. Suresh is the co-producer in their home banner Super Good Films, second comes Jeevan, a well established entrepreneur in the steel industry. His third brother is Githan Ramesh, who is also a well-known actor in the Tamil film industry. On 21 November 2007, Jiiva married his childhood friend Supriya in New Delhi.

Ameer history

Ameer Sultan (born 2 April 1966 in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India) is an acclaimed Tamil film director and actor. Based in the Chennai film industry in Tamil Nadu, he has directed three Kodambakkam films in the Tamil language, his latest one being the multi-award winning film Paruthiveeran released in 2007. Currently he is working on the film Yogi, in which he makes his debut as an actor and which is to be released in May 2009.

Early life and career
Ameer Sultan was born on 2 April 1966 in Madurai, Tamil Nadu India. He initially studied economics and worked as an entrepreneur before starting to work as an assistant director to Tamil filmmaker Bala on his award winning film Sethu in 2002. Shortly after, he directed his first film, Mounam Pesiyadhe, and began his own production company, Teamwork Production House. He later directed Raam and received critical acclaims and awards for the film at the Cyprus International Film Festival. In 2007, he directed Paruthiveeran starring Karthik Sivakumar and Priyamani. The film found international success, winning the Best Film Award at the Osian's Cinefan Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema, A Netpac Award - Special Mention at the Berlin International Film Festival and numerous awards at the Filmfare Awards South including Best Movie and Best Director. It opened well at several world film festivals.

Cheran history

Cheran is a Tamil film director and actor, who has a reputation for directing and producing culturally strong films. His movies are characterised by their realism and the strong social messages that they convey. He has won the National Award thrice, one for Vetri Kodi Kattu (which won Best Film of 2000 dealing with social issues) and one for Most Entertaining Film in 2004 (for Autograph) and one for "Thavamai Thavamirundhu" (2005) grabbed the national award for best film on Family Welfare. It's told that Actress Meena is a lucky mascot for him as this movie has fetched him several renowned awards and at the same time it was a run away box office hit.

Early life
Cheran was born on 12th December, 1964 at Pazhaiyurpatty, near Melur in Madurai district, Tamil Nadu. His father was a cinema (machine) operator and his mother was a nursery school teacher. Cheran nurtured his acting skills by the stage dramas enacted in those days during local festival seasons. He went on grooming himself and his dreams by undergoing self-designed rehearsals by himself standing in front of the mirror, speaking out the film dialogues of Sivaji Ganesan, which he carried out with the accompanying acting gestures.

He was worn out after he ran away from home to Chennai with dreams of becoming an actor. As his endless chasings after people and cinema studios for getting cinema chances proved to be failures, his hopes were shattered. At last, putting an end to his day-dreaming of becoming a film actor, he succeeded in turning his attention towards the other sides of film-making. He learnt the art of film direction under the mentorship of director K.S. Ravikumar

Career
Cheran began his career as an assistant to K.S. Ravikumar. The young man caught the attention of the film producer, Henry. Henry was the producer of the Malayalam film 'Yavanika' directed by K.G. George. Consequent to the success of that movie,he made his entry into Tamil Cinema with 'Kolangal', a subject based on a girl rescued from the red light area in Mumbai who faces social problems back home in Chennai. Henry insisted that the film should not only be commercial but also have a strong social theme.

Sivaji history

In this Indian name, the name "Viluppuram Chinnaiahpillai" is a patronymic, not a family name, and the person should be referred to by the given name, "Ganesan".

Viluppuram Chinnaiahpillai "Sivaji" Ganesan (Tamil: சிவாஜி கணேசன்) (October 1, 1928 - July 21, 2001) was an Indian film actor and one of the first method actors in India, active during the latter half of the 20th century. His fame came from his versatility and expressive prowess in Tamil cinema. He was the first South Indian film actor who won a best actor award in an international film festival, the Afro-Asian Film Festival held in Cairo, Egypt during 1959. Sivaji's legacy of acting is still admired today, also being an influence to many other Indian film actors. Many contemporary actors in South India have confirmed that their acting styles were influenced by Ganesan.

Acting career
Debut as a lead artist
Apart from his immense success and reception in Tamil cinema, he has also acted in Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Bengali, and Kannada-language films. Ganesan's first film was the Tamil film Parasakthi in 1952, co-starring actress Pandari Bai. The script for the film was written and directed by the now-Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M. Karunanidhi. He took his stage name from Emperor Shivaji, one of the roles he had once enacted.[citation needed]

Donning versatile roles

Ganesan (right) with N. T. R., M. G. R., Gemini Ganesan and film director Sridhar.In most of Ganesan's films, he played multiple roles, commercial roles, and roles of a Hindu deity specially the Lord Shiva role. The portryal of Lord shiva in the movie Thiruvilayaadal won him lot of accolades in and around the film industry. In the film Navarathiri (1964), Ganesan donned nine different roles that represented the nine emotional states of a person. Hindi actor, Sanjeev Kumar, was inspired by this film and reprised the nine roles in Naya Din Nayi Raat in 1974. Ganesan could strike a balance between commercial cinema,Mythological cinema and experimental cinema. Sivaji was always unique when compared to other actors in India during his generation. Expert analyst from cinema admitted the three best versatile actors from India at that time were Shivaji, Dr.Rajkumar and N. T. Rama Rao. He experimented in films like Thiruvilayaadal, Thiruvarutselvar, Thirumal Perumai, Karnan, Veerapandiya Kattabomman, Thillana Mohanaambal and Raja Rishi. His role in the film Veerapaandiya Kattabomman made him the first South Indian actor recognized outside India in the Afro-Asian film Festival at Egypt. He was also applauded for his acting in the film Aalyamani which was remade later by N. T. Rama Rao.

Appealing to the masses
Sheer variety of Ganesan's roles gave him much acclaim and honour. He co-starred with his counterpart, M. G. Ramachandran in one film, which was Koondukkili. He has worked with many of the leading actresses of his time, including Savithri, Padmini, B. Sarojadevi, K. R. Vijaya and J. Jayalalitha. He also co-starred with other lead actors such as Gemini Ganesan, Muthuraman, M. R. Radha, and many more.

Though he accumulated awards throughout the '50s and '60s, it was in 1972 that Ganesan delivered his first all-time blockbuster Vasantha Maaligai. In 1979, he delivered his second and final all-time blockbuster Thirisoolam, adapted from the Kannada film Shankar Guru in which Dr Rajkumar had played the lead role. After this, Sivaji Ganesan began acting in supporting roles.Due to his popularity and his rival MGR's success in politics Shivaji entered politics and had to face big setback as he lost consecutive elections. But due to his proximity with the then prime minister Indira Gandhi he was made the member of rajya sabha in 1983. Indira Gandhi's death in 1984 also brought Sivaji's political career to an end.

Nearing retirement
In the 1990s, as Ganesan was aging, he co-starred with several other actors. His notable films supporting roles were Veerapaandiyan, Jalli Kattu, Pudhiya Vaanam, Thevar Magan, Pasumpon and En Aasai Raasaave. His last film before his death was Padayappa in 1999 which was also a blockbuster.

Apart from his numerous roles as a single star on screen, Ganesan has acted in supporting roles with many leading actors from different eras. Ganesan has co-starred with M. G. Ramachandran, M. N. Nambiar, Gemini Ganesan, Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth, Prabhu Ganesan, Sathyaraj, Vijayakanth, Mohanlal, Ramarajan, Y. G. Mahendran, Sivakumar, K. Bhagyaraj, Karthik Muthuraman, Arjun Sarja, Joseph Vijay and Abbas. He has also worked with a vast amount of directors and producers. His legacy continues to be remembered today and is looked upon by many leading film actors.[citation needed]

Death
Suffering from respiratory problems, Ganesan was admitted to the Apollo Hospital in Chennai on July 21, 2001. He also had been suffering from a prolonged heart ailment for about 10 years. He died at 7:45pm (IST) on July 21, 2001 at the age of 73. A documentary, Parasakthi Muthal Padayappa Varai was made to commemorate Sivaji Ganesan's legacy. His funeral was attended by thousands of viewers, polititians and personalities from the South Indian film fraternity.

Legacy

Ganesan with M. G. Ramachandran at the Annai Illam.[edit] Statue
A statue was erected in Chennai, Tamil Nadu to honour the actor in 2006. It was unveiled by the Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi.

Actors' Day
The former South Indian Film Artistes' Association president Vijayakanth declared that October 1, the birth day of Ganesan, would be observed as Actors' Day in the Chennai film industry.

Domestic popularity
Sivaji Ganesan has remained as the most popular Tamil actor with the most of number of fans. This fact has been confirmed by many independent surveys conducted.

The popular Tamil magazine Kumudam conducted a survey in 1990. Sivaji Ganesan was voted as the most popular actor with (35%) votes followed by M. G. Ramachandran (30%), Rajinikanth (20%) and Kamal Haasan (15%). Though the survey was conducted in 1990, when Sivaji Ganesan had almost retired from acting and Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan were rising stars in Tamil cinema.

Popularity in the US
During a visit to the U.S. in June 1995, Sivaji Ganesan found himself in Columbus, Ohio. Mayor Greg Lashutka named him honorary citizen of Columbus at a special dinner.

In 1962, Ganesan toured the U.S., where he was given the honour of being the mayor of Niagara City for one day. He along with the former Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru were the only two Indians to be honoured this way.

When actor Marlon Brando visited India, he was shown film footage of Sivaji Ganesan. From then on Brando admired Sivaji Ganesan for his acting style. He also stated that "Sivaji Ganesan may act like me but I cannot act like Sivaji Ganesan."[citation needed]

Awards and honours
Légion d'honneur
Sivaji Ganesan's most prestigious award was the 'Chevalier' in 1995, awarded by the National Order of the Legion of Honour in France. This is one of the main decorations of the French Republic which is conferred to honour the most original and talented personalities, for their remarkable contributions in the field of Arts and Literature in France and all over the world. On April 22, 1995, at a ceremony held at the MAC Stadium, Chennai, Sivaji Ganesan was presented the Chevalier title and medallion by the French Ambassador to India, Philip Petit. J. Jayalalitha, the entire Tamil film industry and representatives of all other Indian regional film industries were present at the ceremony.

Other awards
Afro-Asian Film Festival Best Actor Award, 1959
Padma Shri, 1966
Padma Bhushan, 1984
National Film Award - Special Jury Award for Thevar Magan, 1993
Chevalier (Knight of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France), 1995
Dadasaheb Phalke Award, 1996
Kalaimamani, 1997
NTR National Award, 1998
Honourary doctorate

MGR history

Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran (Tamil: மருதூர் கோபாலன் இராமச்சந்திரன்) (January 17, 1917 – December 24, 1987), popularly known by his initials MGR (Tamil: எம்.ஜி.ஆர்), was an Indian film actor, producer and politician. Well known as a Tamil activist, he served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu from 1977 until his death in 1987.


Early life and background
MGR was born in Nawalapitiya near Kandy, British Ceylon (present day Sri Lanka), to immigrant Keralite Nair parents — Gopala Menon and Maruthur Satyabhama. (Nairs are traditionally matrilineal, hence he shares his matrilineal family surname "Maruthur"). His family was originally from Vadavannur, Palakkad, Kerala, but his father had migrated with his family to Ceylon.[1][2]

MGR was a Hindu and portrayed himself as a devotee of Lord Murugan, as is common practice for many Hindus in Sri Lanka.[3] This was during his early days. Later, when he joined the DMK,a pro-rationalist party,he followed the rationalist ideology, though not appearing very aggressively atheistic.However,in later days after he founded his own party following his expulsion from the DMK, he seems to have shown some leaning towards religious faith. He had asked his followers to pray for the success of his AIADMK party.[4]

His followers even prayed for him when it was determined that he had a kidney illness.[5] After his demise, his wife opened up a temple in his name.

After his father's death, he joined a drama troupe called Original Boys. Later, he entered the world of cinema, becoming an actor, and later a director, producer, and editor.He also had affair with actress jayalalita, MGR married Bargavi also known as Thangamani who died early due to illness. He later married Sathanandavathi who also died soon due to Tuberculosis. M. G. R. married V. N. Janaki a former Tamil film actress as his third wife after the death of his second wife. Janaki divorced her husband Ganapati Bhat, to marry MGR.

Acting career

MGR with Janaki Ramachandran.Making his film debut in 1935, in the film Sati Leelavati[6], directed by Ellis Dungan, an American born film director[7], MGR dominated Tamil cinema during the Fifties and Sixties with multiple blockbusters. Generally starring in romance or action films, MGR got his big breakthrough in the 1947 film Rajakumaari, written by M. Karunanidhi. He rose to super-stardom in 1954 after Malai Kallan. Later, this film was used as a template for other films by playing roles that portrayed him as the saviour of the poor and the oppressed.

He had the maximum number of all-time blockbusters to his credit at that time viz. Nadodi Mannan, Enga Veetu Pillai and Adimai Pen. He was shot by fellow actor Mohan R. Radha, affecting his ability to speak clearly. He won the National Film Award for Best Actor for the film Rickshakaran. His film Nadodi Mannan, which was produced and directed by himself and released in 1956, was re-released in 2006 and ran to full houses.He also got Bharata ratna.

Political career
M. G. Ramachandran
Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
Constituency
Andipatti

Political party
ADMK

Dravidian movement
Periyar E. V. Ramasamy
Rise of Dravidian parties
Anti-Hindi agitations
Cinema in Dravidian politics


Defunct Dravidian parties

Justice party
Tamil National Party
Thazhthapattor Munnetra Kazhagam
Makkal Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Thamizhaga Munnetra Munnani
Thayaga Marumalarchi Kazhagam

Contemporary Dravidian parties
Dravidar Kazhagam
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
All India Latchiya Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam


Chief Ministers from Dravidian parties
C. N. Annadurai
V. R. Nedunchezhiyan
M. Karunanidhi
M. G. Ramachandran
Janaki Ramachandran
J. Jayalalithaa
O. Panneerselvam

MGR was a member of the Congress Party till 1953 and he used to wear Khādī. In 1953 MGR joined the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) with the help of M. Karunanidhi. He became a vocal Tamil and Dravidian nationalist and prominent member of the DMK] ("Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam" aka Dravidian Progressive Federation). He added glamour to the Dravidian movement which was sweeping Tamil Nadu. He became a member of the state Legislative Council in 1962. He was first elected to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly in 1967. After the death of his mentor, Annadurai, MGR became the treasurer of DMK in 1969 after Karunanidhi became the chief minister.

In January 1967, he was shot in the neck by fellow actor M.R. Radha. The bullet was permanently lodged in his neck and his voice damaged. Within hours of the shooting, some 50,000-odd fans had gathered at the hospital where MGR had been taken. People cried in the streets; shops closed. For six weeks, he lay in the hospital as fans awaited each report of his health. He was visited by a steady stream of commoners and luminaries of film industry, polity and bureaucracy. The shooting was supposed to be conspired by his unannounced political rival, M.Karunanidhi. From his hospital bed, he conducted his campaign for Madras Legislative Assembly. He won twice the number of votes polled by his Congress rival and the largest vote polled by any candidate for the Assembly.[8]

In 1972, DMK leader Karunanithi started project his first son M.K.Muthu in a big way in film industry and also in politics. Understanding the tactics played by Karunanithi to corner him, MGR started to claim that corruption had grown within the party after the demise of Annadurai and in a public meeting asked for the financial details of the party to be publicized which enraged the leadership of DMK. Consequently, as expected, MGR was expelled from the party, and floated a new party named Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK), later renamed All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), the only powerful opponent of the DMK. He became Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in 1977, remaining in office till his death in 1987. In 1979, members of his party Satyavani Muthu and Aravinda Bala Pajanor, became the first non-Congress politicians from Tamil Nadu to be ministers in the Union Cabinet. The AIADMK won every state assembly election as long as MGR was alive. Although Anna Durai as well as Karunanidhi had acted in stage plays in trivial roles, in their younger days, before becoming chief minister, MGR was the first popular film actor to be a Chief Minister in India.

Once he became Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, he placed great emphasis on social development, especially education. One of his most successful policies was the introduction of the "Mid-day Meal Scheme" introduced by the popular Congress Chief Minister and Kingmaker K Kamaraj to a nutritious Mid-day Meal Scheme in the Government-run and aided schools in Tamil Nadu, which encouraged underprivileged children to attend schools. He also introduced Women's Special buses. He set up a free school for the Cinema Technicians children in Kodambakkam called MGR Primary & Higher Secondary School which provided Free Mid-Day meals in the 1950s.

His was instrumental in setting up the Tamil University, the Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University and the Mother Theresa Women's University in Tamil Nadu.[citation needed


Awards
National Film Award for Best Actor for the film Rickshakaran in 1972
Honorary doctorate received from University of Madras and The World University (Arizona)
Bharat Ratna was conferred by the Government of India (posthumous)for his reformation activities and support from Tamil Nadu
One famous incident was that MGR was nominated for the Padmashree award from the Government of India but he refused to accept as the wording was in Hindi and not in Tamil in 1960.

Philanthropy
He personally offered relief in disasters and calamities like fire, flood, drought, and cyclones. He was the first donor during the war with China in 1962, donating Rs. 75,000 to the war fund. He was the founder and editor of THAI weekly magazine and ANNA daily newspaper in Tamil. He was the owner of Sathya Studios and Emgeeyar Pictures (willed to charity) which produced many of the films he acted in. He gifted golden sword weighing half a Kilogram to Mookambika temple in Kollur,Udupi district.[1]

Death
In October 1984, MGR was diagnosed with kidney failure and rushed to the Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, United States for treatment, undergoing a kidney transplant. MGR died on December 24, 1987 after his prolonged illness. His death sparked off a frenzy of looting and rioting all over the state of Tamil Nadu. Shops, movie theatres, buses and other public and private property became the target of violence let loose all over the state. The police had to resort issuing shoot-at-sight orders, something seldom seen or heard of in democratic India.[citation needed]Tamilians from Bangalore rushed to Madras in trains to see the mortal remains of MGR. Govt had announced free train facility for this visit. The violence during the funeral alone left 29 people dead and 47 police personnel badly wounded. [2],[3] This state of affairs continued for almost a month all over the state of Tamil Nadu. Around one million[4] people followed his remains, around 30 followers committed suicide and people had their heads tonsured. After his death, his political party, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, split between his wife Janaki Ramachandran and his political protégé, J. Jayalalithaa; they later merged in 1988. In 1989 Dr. M. G. R. Home and Higher Secondary School for the Speech and Hearing Impaired was established in the erstwhile Residence MGR Gardens, Ramavaram, in accordance with his will dated January 17, 1986. His official residence at 27, Arcot Street, T.Nagar is now MGR Memorial House and is open for public viewing.

Sarathkumar history

Sarathkumar Ramanathan (Tamil: சரத்குமார் ராமநாதன்) (born July 14, 1954) is an Indian film actor, politician, body builder and he receives Mr.Madras, and also he has Pilot license and the current president of South Indian Film Artistes Association. He started his career in Tamil cinema playing negative roles, and later played minor roles in other movies. He was first chosen for the lead role in Suriyan which was a success at box-office. He mainly played the role of an honest cop. He also floated a new political party in Tamil Nadu to carry out the ideals of K. Kamaraj.

Biography
Personal life
Sarathkumar was born on July 14, 1954 in New Delhi to M. Ramanathan and Pushpa Leela. He also has a sister named Mallika Kumar. His native place is Thalakavur in Sivaganga district near Karaikudi. He graduated with his B. Sc. in Mathematics from The New College, Chennai.

He served as a DMK member of parliament in Rajya Sabha. He also serves as the current president of the South Indian Film Artistes Association, organizing several industry-based events. He currently acts in films.

Relationships
Sarathkumar is married to actress Raadhika Sarathkumar. His first wife was Chaya Sarathkumar, with whom he has two daughters named Varalaxmi Sarathkumar and Pooja Sarathkumar. He is married to Raadhika Sarathkumar since 2001 and they have a son named Rahul, who was born in 2004. Sarathkumar is also the stepfather to Raadhika's daughter Rayanne.[1]

Acting career
Sarathkumar has acted in six regional languages including English, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada. He has received critical acclaim for his roles in the films Pulan Visaranai, Sooriyan, Naataamai, Suryavamsam, Natpukkaga and Cheran Pandian ,Pazhassi Raja

Political career
Sarathkumar joined DMK in the year 1996. DMK fielded him in Tirunelveli Loksabha Constituency during 1998 parliamentary elections and he lost by small margin. In 2002,DMK made him a Rajyasabha member. He left DMK before 2006 Assembly elections owing to differences with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi's family members. He joined AIADMK along with his wife Radhika and campaigned vigorously for that party.

His wife Radhika Sarathkumar was dismissed from AIADMK for anti party activities in October 2006. He also quit from AIADMK in November 2006 quoting his workload in Cine industry as a reason.

On 31 August 2007, Sarathkumar floated a new party named ['Akila Indiya Samathuva Makkal Katchi' He has vowed to bring back Kamarajar rule in Tamil Nadu. His party was humiliated with less than 1% votes in the Thirumangalam [Tamil Nadu,India] by-election.

He joined DMK in 1996 in order to defeat Jayalalitha. In 1998, Kalaignar asked Sarathkumar to contest Lok Sabha elections from Tirunelveli. In the election DMK lost very badly and the alliance could muster only 9 seats compared to the 40 seats it swept in 1996.Even though DMK lost badly in many constituencies, Sarathkumar was defeated by Kadambur.R.Janarthanan by a margin of only 6000 votes.

He also had rivalry with Rajinikant the Superstar of Tamil cinema and boasted him as Supremestar,He had challenged rajinikant in film industry but his films failed miserably in the box office. Later both have become friends

Bharath history

Bharath Niwas (Tamil: பரத்; born 21 July 1981) is an Indian actor, who has predominantly appeared in Tamil films. He is probably best known for his critically acclaimed performances in Chellamae, Kaadhal, Pattiyal, Veyil, Nepali and Kanden Kadhalai.

Career
Bharath was born in Trichy into a Tamil family, but later moved to Chennai when he was one month old since his father got a job here. A trained dancer by profession (joined Swingers International Dance club when he was 11 years old), his luck brought him into movies. He entered the film industry when he was doing his graduation at The New College, Chennai.

He made his acting debut in the 2003 Tamil film Boys directed by S. Shankar. The film was a musical hit and fared well in box-office. He then acted in the Malayalam film 4 The People, which was a musical hit as well and became a blockbuster in Kerala. Thanks to its success, the film was subsequently dubbed into Tamil (as 4 Students) and Telugu (as Yuvasena). His first solo lead role happened in the 2004 film Kaadhal directed by Balaji Sakthivel and produced by Shankar. The drama film received critical acclaim and became the blockbuster of the year. Also his performance as the naive but sweet lover was highly praised. His 2006 film Pattiyal, brought him even more great recognition for playing a dumb and deaf lover. Later that year, he starred in the films Em Magan, Chennai Kadhal and Veyil. He has received great accolades for Veyyil and the film was declared as a hit. The film was even selected for screening at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.[1] Koodal Nagar, in which he starred alongside Bhavana and Sandhya, with whom he had earlier paired in Kaadhal, was the only release in 2007. He portrayed a dual role in the film, which, however, was a box office flop.

In 2008 he appeared in Perarasu's Pazhani, which was a commercial success, following which Nepali, directed by Dhurai was released.[2] Though the film is considered a box office bomb, Bharath received rave reviews for his performance. That year he had two more releases, Muniyandi Vilangial Moonramandu, directed by Thirumurugan of Em Magan fame again, and Hari's Seval, none of which succeeded.

In 2009 he acted in Arumugam, directed by Suresh Krishna and Kandein Kadhalai, the Tamil remake of the 2007 Hindi blockbuster Jab We Met. The latter is currently running successful in theatres. His forthcoming projects include Thambikku Indha Ooru and Thiruthani for which he teams up with director Perarasu once again.

Prasanna history

Prasanna (born 28 August 1982) is a Tamil film actor.

Personal background
His father was an employee in BHEL and his mother is a housewife. Prasanna was really good at doing mimicry and acting, when he was in school and college. This quality of our young star got him the first opportunity. He was still a student of engineering (Saranathan College of Engineering) when he responded to an open audition for actors in Susi Ganesan's Five Star. An unusual and refreshing film dealing with friendship, Five Star marked Prasanna's film debut. The film was produced by Mani Ratnam's Madras Talkies; it was well received by critics and performed modestly at the box office.

Film career
Prasanna's next two films, however, did not fare well commercially. After Five Star, his noteworthy performance came in Azhagiya Theeye. The film, involving an ensemble cast, was produced by Prakash Raj's Duet Films and directed by Radhamohan. It was once again with a Prakash Raj production - Kanda Naal Muthal - that Prasanna tasted true commercial success. The film was directed by Priya V. and costarred Laila and Karthik Kumar. His role of a modern day Villain was a huge hit in Mysskin's movie Anjathey. His negative role was praised by the audience. His film Achchamundu Achchamundu with actress Sneha was very well received internationally and praised a lot for its bold theme of Pedophiles.

Srikanth history

Srikanth (born 28 February 1979) is a South Indian Actor film actor basically from Andhra Pradesh. He debuted in the 2002 Tamil film Roja Kootam. He is credited as Sriram in Telugu films.
Career
Srikanth is debuted in the film Roja Kootam which was a blockbuster. The film was directed by Sasi and the music was scored by Bharathwaj. Srikanth then starred in April Madhathil alongside Sneha. April Madhathil was directed by S. S. Stanley with music scored by Yuvan Shankar Raja. Srikanth has also starred in Telugu films, with the screenname Sriram. He is the grandson of the famous Algae scientist M. O. P. Iyengar.

Personal life
He married Vandana in November 2007, a Puducherry girl who completed MBA in Australia. The couple had a baby boy on 28 February 2009.

Dhanush history

Prabhu Kasthuriraja (25 February 1978), professionally known as Dhanush,[1] is a Tamil film actor and playback singer in Chennai, India. His filmography includes the critically acclaimed films Thulluvadho Ilamai, Kadhal Kondein and Pudhupettai.[2] His commercially successful films include Thiruda Thirudi, Thiruvilayadal Arambam, Polladhavan, Yaaradi Nee Mohini and Padikathavan. He is the son of film director Kasthuri Raja.
Acting career
Early work, 2002
Following his upbringing as the son of a noted director, Dhanush debuted under the direction of his arima Kasthuri Raja in the Thulluvadho Ilamai with fellow debutant, Sherin. Upon release, the film fetch up big reviews and was a blockbuster, following the story of his character, Mahesh,[3] and how his friends help him elope with his girlfriend .

But Dhanush's breakthrough film was in his brother Selvaraghavan's debut directorial venture, Kadhal Kondein. The film portrayed Dhanush as a mentally-disturbed youth, Vinodh, who yearned for the love of his friend, played by Sonia Agarwal, eventually turning possessive over her. Upon release, the film won critical acclaim and became a commercial success, capitulating Dhanush into the main foray of actors in Tamil films.[2][4] Furthermore his next film, release dlater in 2003, Thiruda Thirudi became a blockbuster. Appearing in his first hero-centric film, Dhanush earned rave reviews for his portrayal opposite debutant Chaya Singh.[5] Furthermore, his performance in the song, Manmadha Rasa, was appreciated, subsequently earning the song cult status.

Despite achieving three profitable ventures in his first three films, Dhanush's following films all failed, damaging his status as a lead actor in Tamil films. The first failure was his first action film, Pudhukottaiyilirundhu Saravanan opposite Aparna Pillai, which despite receiving a Telugu dubbing,[6] was lamented by critics as a "poor film".[7] This was followed by Ramana's Sullan, which received negative reviews cliaming that Dhanush could not fit into the mould of an action hero due to his slim physique.[2][8] However the film, which had Sindhu Tolani as the lead heroine, was dubbed into Telugu as Maurya.[6] The third and most-criticized failure was Dreams alongside two new heroines.[9] The film directed by his father, like their previous venture was released with reviews claiming it was another adult film.[10] This hampered the film's progress, and the film remains Dhanush's biggest failure til date.

In 2005, Dhanush had two average grossers in Devathaiyai Kanden and the much-hyped Balu Mahendra's Adhu Oru Kana Kaalam. The former was a commercial venture, directed by debutant Boopathy Pandian, which despite receiving average reviews on Dhanush's performance,[11] was dubbed into Telugu.[6] Balu Mahendra's film featured Dhanush opposite Priyamani in an off-beat venture. The film received rave reviews but failed to succeed at the box-office.[12]

Recent work, 2006 - present
Dhanush's biggest film, in terms of budget, til date is the 2006-released Pudhupettai. The film, re-united him with his brother after their successful previous venture, pitted him against two prominent heroines Sneha and Sonia Agarwal.[13] The movie is about the rites of passages in the life and times of an everyday-man who ends up as a dreaded gangster, 'Kokki' Kumar, the role portrayed by Dhanush. A critic praised Dhanush's relaistic portrayal, claiming that "as the innocent boy who transmogrifies into a bloody criminal, Dhanush is utterly believable. The subtle changes in his body language and his ability to give every expression a deeper meaning make the character more interesting. This is certainly one of his better performances."[14] The film which became universally critically praised, failed to relate to Tamil Nadu audiences and ended up being an average grosser at the box-office, despite the positive reviews. The film fared marginally better, in the Telugu dubbed version, titled Dhoolpet.[6] Dhanush achieved his first hit in three years with the commercial entertainer Thiruvilayadal Arambam, alongside Shriya Saran and Prakash Raj. The comedy film, showed the relationship between a poor man who loved the sister of a businessman. The film was well-received by critics and audiences alike.[15][16]

Dhanush's first release of 2007, Parattai Engira Azhagu Sundaram, flopped at the box-office, gaining negative reviews in the process.[17] The film, which was a remake of the successful Kannada language film, Jogi, starred him opposite Meera Jasmine[18] However, his second film released during Diwali 2007,[19] became a blockbuster at the box office, in which his performance was raved. Polladhavan, based on 1948-Italian neorealist The Bicycle Thieves, featured Dhanush opposite Divya Spandana,[19] and the film's "fresh screenplay" by director Vetrimaran helped the film become a super hit.[20]

The remake of a successful Telugu film directed by his brother, was the plotline for Dhanush's first 2008 release. Directed by debutant M. Jawahar, Yaaradi Nee Mohini with Nayantara[21] became a big blockbuster at the box-office. He later appeared in a cameo appearance, for his father-in-law Rajnikanth's venture, Kuselan, being portrayed as himself in a song sequence. His latest venture was in Suraj's Padikathavan opposite Tamanna Bhatia which had a January 2009 release.[22] His performance was praised, with Sify.com citing that "Dhanush is in top form in his dance" and "has improved a lot in action", with claims that the climax fight featuring him was "outstanding" and the film has become a super hit giving Dhanush a "hatrick successes".[23] His forthcoming ventures include a collaboration with his brother in Idhu Maalai Nerathu Mayakkam alongside Andrea Jeremiah as well Kutty opposite Shriya Saran. He is also acting in the film Aadu Kalam directed by Vetrimaran. He will also act in the remake of his father-in-law's yesteryear 1989 comedy flick Mappillai which has been given the same title.[24] A film with Hari has also been announced, which is said to launch in July 2010.[25]

Personal life
Dhanush was born to film director Kasthuri Raja.[26] Dhanush is married to actor Rajinikanth's daughter Aishwarya Rajinikanth[1]. They have a son named Yathra born in 2006. The couple are now expecting their second child. He had passed out from St. John's School, Alwarthirunagar. His brother, the director Selvaraghavan is married to Sonia Agarwal, who has acted opposite Dhanush in two films. Furthermore, Dhanush has two elder sisters.

Facebook Account
In August 2009, Dhanush publicly announced that an account on Facebook under the name "Dhanush Kastoori Raja" was not him and was a fake user, taking his identity. The account had nearly 4000 friends added, which the actor claimed were mostly global fans of his. He ordered the user to deactivate the account immediately, before any intentions of tarnishing his image, while he takes up the issue with cyber-crime authorities.[27]

Vishal history

He was born to G. K. Reddy, a Tamil film producer in Andhra Pradesh. He and his family later moved to Chennai, where he grew up. He obtained his education from Don Bosco School and Loyola College, Chennai.

Vishal Krishna Reddy (born 29 August 1977), mononymously known as Vishal, is an Indian film actor, who has acted in a number of Tamil films in the lead role.

Vishal Krishna, popularly known as Vishal, son of noted producer GK Reddy is a popular Tamil film actor. Born and brought up in Andhra Pradesh, he later moved to Chennai and made a name for himself in Kollywood.

Vishal's strong passion for direction got him an apprenticeship with Ram Gopal Varma, just after he completed Visual Communication at Loyola College, Chennai. But for his parent’s desire to have him closer to home, he cancelled his flight ticket to Mumbai and headed to the decks of actor-director Arjun’s production house.

Vishal’s tenure as assistant to Arjun for the films Vedham & Ezhumalai exposed him not only to the nuances of direction but also aspects for excellence in the performing branch. A chance encounter with GJ team had his providence rewritten on a different path. Their offer to cast him as the protagonist in their venture Chellamae was accepted by Vishal after a careful consideration. With his zeal and sincerity, he did not land directly on the sets, rather took up a three-month acting lessons from a Koothupatrai troupe.

He had three back-to-back hits with Chellamae, Sandakozhi and Thimiru, which were all dubbed in Telugu. This was a feat indeed as few actors actually score a first-time hat trick in cinema history.

His brother, Vikram Krishna Reddy, who was formerly an actor under the name 'Ajay' and acted with Sivaji in Poo Parikka Varugirom, took off from where his father left and produced two films, Sandakozhi and Thimiru, starring Vishal.

His 4th film, Sivappathigaram was an average grosser while his 5th film Thamiraparani with popular director Hari achieved enough box-office success after it opened in Pongal 2007, and dubbed in Telugu as Barani. His next film Malaikottai was also a hit.

His other films include the Tamil-Telugu bilingual Sathyam (made as Salute in Telugu) and Thoranai (being simultaneously made in Telugu as Pistha).

Vikram history

Vikram John Kennedy Vinod (born 17 April 1966), better known by his mononymous stage name Vikram (Tamil: விக்ரம்), is an Indian film actor, playback singer, voice actor and film producer in Tamil cinema. He made his debut in the 1990 film En Kadhal Kanmani, which was followed by a series of low-budget Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films throughout the early decade. After the critical and commercial success of Sethu (1999) he has been part of numerous other commercially successful films and has earned major critical acclaim for many of his performances. During his years in the Indian film industry, he has won three Filmfare Awards, as well as securing India's most prestigious film award, by achieving, and being nominated for, the National Film Award for Best Actor.

While some of Vikram's best-known films, Dhill (2001), Gemini (2002), Dhool (2003) Saamy(2003) and Kanthaswamy (2009) [2] remain some of Tamil cinema's biggest hits, performances in films like Sethu (1999), Kasi (2002), Pithamagan (2003) and Anniyan (2005) have won him critical acclaims and awards, making Vikram one of the more successful actors of Tamil cinema, both critically and commercially.
Biography
Vikram was born at Paramakudi in 17 April 1966. Vikram did his schooling at Montfort School, Yercaud. The school which emphasises extra curriculum honed multiple skills in sports, music and theatre, where his love of drama and pursuit of a dream was nurtured. His parents wanting him to do his graduation after finishing his final high school year, he completed his graduation in English from Loyola College, Chennai and followed with an MBA degree.

Vikram's father, Vinod Raj, is also a film actor. The two had starred in the same film for the first time in Kanthaswamy. Vikram's mother, Rajeshwari, is a retired sub-collector. Vikram married Shylaja, a psychologist, in 1992. They have two children, a daughter named Akshitha and a son named Druv.

Film career
Vikram started his career in 1990 with En Kadhal Kanmani which did not do well.Then went on to do more than a dozen movies which did not do well in box office. He starred in Ullasam along Ajith Kumar.This film was produced by Amitabh Bachchan. Still to taste success he acted in 1999 movie Sethu directed by first time director Bala which turned out to be a hit and his acting won him critical acclaims. After few films not making much impact. He then acted in 2001 movie Dhill directed by his friend Dharani which did well commercially. In 2002 he started with a Malayalam remake Kasi,which won him Filmfare Best Tamil Actor Award and did well at box office. He then acted Gemini produced by AVM Productions which became a blockbuster.Later that year he acted in Samurai and King. Both did not do well at box office.

In 2003 Vikram acted in Dhool again with Dharani which was a blockbuster. He then acted in a family drama Kadhal Sadugudu which did not do well followed by Saamy directed by Hari where he palyed a cop turned another blockbuster for him.This film was produced by K. Balachander. Later that year he starred in Pithamagan directed by Bala which won him both Filmfare Best Tamil Actor Award and National Film Award for Best Actor. This film did well at the box office. In 2004 he acted in Arul directed by Hari who gave saami. This movie did not do well at box office.

In 2004 it was announced that Vikram act in Anniyan directed by S. Shankar which released in 2005 was the most expensive then. In this film he played a person suffering from dissociative identity disorder as he plays three different personalities. This film was both critical and commercial success. He then did a family drama Majaa which did not do well. In later that year he announce his next film Bheema which was started on April 2006 but due to lack of funds the movie postponed and released in January 2008. Bheema became a commercial hit at the box office.[3]

In 2008 he started acting in Kanthaswamy directed by Susi Ganesan and produced by Kalaipuli Thanu. This movie was released on 21 August 2009. This movie was one of the highest grossers of the year. He is at present doing bi-lingual Raavana by Mani Ratnam which is set to be released in 2010. He is also currently signed up for Boopathy Pandian's Raja Vesham, an untitled film with Selvaraghavan, and a Indo-Japanese high-budget film to be made in both Tamil and Japanese, titled The 19th Step, which has been shelved until further notice.
Awards
Tamil Nadu State Film Special Jury Award for Best Actor for Sethu (1999)
Filmfare Award for Best Actor for Kaasi (2001)
ITFA Best Actor Award for Gemini (2003)
Filmfare Award for Best Actor for Pithamagan (2003)
Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor for Pithamagan (2003)
National Film Award for Best Actor for Pithamagan (2004)
Filmfare Award for Best Actor for Anniyan (2005)
Asianet Special Honour Jury Award (2005)

Sathyaraj History

Rangaraj (born 3 October 1954), professionally known by his stage name Sathyaraj (Tamil: சத்யராஜ்), is a Tamil actor and film personality in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.[1] A Tamil activist and political influence, he has acted in over 100 films, ranging from action and drama to comedy. In 2007, he played the award-winning role of Periyar E. V. Ramasamy in the Tamil Nadu government-sponsored film Periyar. As of 2007, he has produced one film, which was Lee, starring his son Sibiraj. He claims to be an atheist, but puts all his attacks only on Hindus and Hinduism but not any others.

Early life
Sathyaraj completed his primary school education in Tamil at St Mary's Convent, Coimbatore. He completed the equivalent of the tenth standard in a suburban high school, Ramnagar, Coimbatore. He joined the Government Arts College, Coimbatore and completed a Bachelor of Science degree in botany. Tamil actor/director Manivannan was a co-student in PUC (Class 12 Junior college), and the two began a friendship while there.[1]

Career
Entry into films
Sathyaraj went to see the shooting of the film Annakkili, where he met actor Sivakumar and producer Thiruppur Manian He joined the drama troupe of Komal Swamynathan.

Early career
Sathyaraj's first film was Kodugal Illaatha Kolangal. Then he worked as production manager for the film Kannan Oru Kaikkuzhanthai. In addition to his managerial role, he also had a small acting part in the film. On the title credits of this film, his name was shown on screen with the description: "Aluvalaga Nirvaagam (Official Management): S.N. Rangaraj, B.Sc." and later still in the credits as "Sathyaraj" for his minor acting role.

Director Santhana Bharathi says that he was the person who introduced Sathyaraj as a hero in the film Kadamai Kanniyam Kattuppadu. It was a film produced by the veteran actor Kamal Hassan. Kamal Haasan had faith in Sathyaraj which made him to introduce him as a hero for his home production."[2]

Prabhu Deva History

Prabhu Deva (Kannada: ಪ್ರಭು ದೇವ, Telugu: ప్రభు దేవ, Tamil: பிரபு தேவா) (born 3 April 1973) is an Indian dancer, choreographer, actor and film director. He has been called "India's Michael Jackson" for his fast-paced dance movements,[1] though he has given performances in a wide range of dancing styles.

While he is mainly involved in Tamil cinema, he has also contributed to filmmaking in other Indian film industries, including Telugu cinema, Kannada cinema, and Hindi cinema. He has won a number of awards for his elaborate dance sequences, including two National Awards for Best Choreography (holding the record for the most Best Choreography awards alongside Saroj Khan), a Filmfare Best Choreography Award, and a Filmfare Best Choreography Award (Telugu). Prabhu deva recently ventured as a director for the movie Wanted and received critical acclaim for his work.

Personal life
Prabhu Deva was born in a Kannadiga family[2][3][4] in Mysore, Karnataka on 3 April 1973 and grew up in Alwarpet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He was inspired by his father, Mugur Sundar(Well known as Sundaram Master), who was a dance master for popular South Indian movies. He took dancing as his career and passion, by learning Indian dances such as Bharatanatyam as well as Western dance styles. His brothers Raju Sundaram and Nagendra Prasad are also established South-Indian choreographers. From choreography he went on to establish himself as an actor. His dance steps helped him become a star in Kollywood (the Tamil film industry). His first movie as a dance director was Vetri Vizha. He has since choreographed over 100 movies. Before starting as a full time actor, he appeared as a background dancer for a song in the Tamil Film Agni Natchathiram. His first movie as a hero was in Indhu (1994) with actress Roja. Deva's success resulted largely from his dancing. In 1999, Deva, Shobhana and A. R. Rahman performed with a Tamil cinema dancing troupe at the "Michael Jackson and Friends" concert in Munich, Germany. He has a significant fan following in the Tamil, Telugu and Kannada film industry. He acted alongside his brothers in the movie 123.

Prabhu Deva is married to Latha and they have three sons - Vishal Deva (born as Basavaraju), Rishi Raghavendra Deva and Aditya Deva.

Deva's 12 year old son Vishal Deva died on 4 December 2008.[5] He was suffering from cancer for a long time. Vishal originally named as Basavaraju, was the eldest amongst the three siblings.

Other appearances
Prabhu Deva was also noticed when he made brief appearances in solo items such as Rajathi Raja in Agni Natchathiram (1988), April Mayile in Idhayam (1991), Lallaku Doldapi Ma in Suriyan (1992), Chinna Rasave in Walter Vetrivel (1993), and Chikku Bukku Raiyle in Gentleman (1993).
He danced with Madhuri Dixit for the song Que Sera Sera in the movie Pukar.
He acted along with Lawrence Raghavendra in the hit movie Style.
He has danced with Apache Indian in the song No Problem in the film Love Birds.
He made a special appearance in Pokkiri (which was directed by himself) with Vijay in the song Aadungada.
He also danced in the film Abra Ka Dabra for the song Om Sh.
He also danced in the Nana Patekar - Karisma Kapoor film Shakti for a song.
He danced with Vijay in Villu movie for the song Hey Rama. This was a guest appearance. Villu was also directed by him.
He appeared in a song sequence with superstar Rajnikanth in the Tamil movie 'Baba'.
Awards
He is a two-time winner of the National Film Award for Best Choreography for his work on the film Minsaara Kanavu (1997) in Tamil and Lakshya (2004) in Hindi, as well as a Filmfare Best Choreography Award (Telugu) for the Telugu film Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana (2005).
In 2001, he was nominated for the Star Screen Award for Best Choreography, for choreographing the dance sequences in the Hindi film Pukar (2000).
In 2005, he won the Star Screen Award for Best Choreography, the Filmfare Best Choreography Award, and the National Film Award for Best Choreography, for choreographing the dance sequences in the Hindi film Lakshya.
In 2007, he won a Best Director award for the film Pokkiri.
He has been honoured with the life membership of International Film And Television Research Centre of Asian Academy Of Film & Television by Sandeep Marwah.
Benny Lava
Kalluri Vaanil

The Tamil song became widely known to the English internet audience for its phonetic lyrics.


The name Benny Lava comes from Sutton's subtitling of the Tamil lead line "Kalluri vaanil kaayndha nilaavo?" as "My loony bun is fine, Benny Lava!" (original meaning: The moon (metaphor for 'babe') that scorched the college campus"). The video led other Youtube users to refer to Prabhu Deva as "Benny Lava". The video was inspired after Sutton watched Moskau by German pop-band Dschinghis Khan.[6] One of Sutton's friends "wished he could understand the song so he could sing along."[6] Sutton thought the real translation would be difficult and instead used English lyrics that replicated the German song.[6] Reception to the video was mixed; Some felt that the video was done in "good fun" while others worried that their culture was being mocked.[6] The video was described by the Philippine Daily Inquirer as a "Catchy melody, a battalion of back-up dancers, colorful costumes, impressive vocal gymnastics, jaw-dropping choreography this music video has it all. And if those arent enough, the person who uploaded this vid also provided subtitles so you can sing along. They arent the real lyrics though, but just what they sound in English, resulting in a lot of nonsense. - [sic]- "[7] The music video was also featured on The Colbert Report on 4 December 2008.

Prabhu History

Prabhu Ganesan (Tamil: பிரபு கணேசன்) (born 31 December 1956) is a Tamil film actor and film producer. He is the son of legendary Tamil thespian Sivaji Ganesan.

Personal lifeA native of Tamil Nadu, he is the son of Sivaji and Kamala Ganesan. He has an elder brother Ramkumar Ganesan who is a film producer and two sisters, Shanthi and Thenmozhi. He did his schooling from Bishop Cotton Boys' School in Banglore. He married Punitha in 1981 and they have a son named Vikram Prabhu and one daughter named Aishwarya Prabhu.

Career
Ganesan has appeared in over 125 films. After his debut in the film Sangili in 1982, he made several films. Apart from taking the lead role, he has acted in several types of roles, including comedian roles and antagonistic roles. Ganesan frequently appeared alongside Rajinikanth, Kamal Hassan, and his father, Sivaji Ganesan during this time period.

He received a Best Actor Award in 1991. He appeared in Suyamvaram. He appeared alongside Rajinikanth in Guru Shishyan and in Chandramukhi in 2005 and in Vetri Vizha and Vasool Raja MBBS with Kamal Haasan.Acted with malayalam super star Mohanlal in the famous movie Kaalapani.

He starred as a cop operating in Malaysia in Billa in 2007. He recently acted in Kuselan, Silambattam and Ayan in supporting roles. His currently acting in several projects, namely Mani Ratnam's Raavana, Maanja Velu and Asal. His dialogue in chandramukhi "Enna kodumai saravanan idhu" has elevated him to a legendary status.

Simbu History

T. R. Silambarasan (Tamil: சிலம்பரசன் ராஜேந்தர்) (born Silambarasan Rajendar on 3 February 1984 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India), is a prominent Tamil film actor, director, playback singer and songwriter. He is also known as Young Super Star or Little Super Star among his fans. Simbhu began his acting career doing many minor uncredited roles as a child artist with his best friend Kabilan Plondran, produced by his father T. Rajendar. He made his debut under his father's direction in 2002 and has since acted in several films in lead roles. He has also directed one film, Vallavan and written two films, Manmadhan and Vallavan'

Personal life
Silambarasan's parents, director, music composer, actor, screenwriter and politician Vijaya T. Rajendar and former actress Usha Rajendar got married on 16 September,1982. Silambarasan Rajendar was born on 3 February 1984. He is the eldest of three children, his younger brother is Kuralarasan Rajendar and he has a younger sister named Ilakiya Rajendar. He attended The Ashram School in Chennai and completed an Audio Engineering Course. Simbhu has also performed for stages programmes like Netru, Indru, Naalai which was conducted by the ace director Mani Ratnam. He was a judge on STAR Vijay's reality dance competition Jodi Number One in its second season with Sundaram and Sangeetha.

Film career
Silambarasan acted on Tamil nearly 19 films as a child artist in his father T. Rajendar's films. A few of them are Thai Thangai Paasam, Oru Vasantha Geetham, En Thangai Kalyani, Enga Veetu Velan, Monisha En Monalisa, Oru Thayin Sabhatham, Samsara Sangeetham, Shanti Enathu Shanti, Pettredutha Pillai, and Sabash Babu. His debut in movies as a hero came in the form of Kadhal Azhivathillai, a Tamil language movie. After his second film Dum, Kuthu[2] was released. It was his first movie which was a hit and that gave him an entry into the Kollywood film industry, which also ran for 100 days.

Followed by Alai and Kovil, Silambarasan then took a year break from acting to concentrated on the filming of Manmadhan, for which he also wrote the screenplay. He has done his first dual role in this movie. Simbhu has worked on story line, screen play and dialogues for the movie. Jyothika Saravanan was cast as the heroine. The movie is about a serial killer of women. The music was scored by Yuvan Shankar Raja. Manmadhan was the most talked about movie and one of the best thrillers in Indian cinema. The movie became the biggest hit of Simbhu's career and ran for 275 days. His next film, Thotti Jaya [3] met up with the expectations at the box-office. For Thotti Jaya he sported a black beard in the role of an orphaned gangster who finds love.

In 2006, Saravana was released. After Manmadhan, he paired up with Jyothika Saravanan to act in the film directed by K.S. Ravikumar. The film turned out to be an average hit. Silambarasan turned director for his next movie Vallavan[4]. It was released on Diwali 2006 and starred him opposite Nayantara, Reema Sen and Sandhya. Fortunately, the movie proved to be a super hit at the box-office. His next release Kaalai was in January 2008, which was a flop at the box-office. But his next movie, Silambattam with Sneha, released in December 2008 ran for 215 days and turned out to be a blockbuster. Then he did voice dubbing for Slumdog Millionaire´s lead hero for the tamil version Naanum Kodeeswaran. In Goa he played a cameo role.

Upcoming movies
The shoot for his 25th film Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa is completed, which will be released on 26 February 2010. After that he will go on with an Untitled Movie to be Directed and Produced By Lingusamy´s production house Tirupathi Brothers and Vaaliban. After finishing these projects, a movie directed by Mani Ratnam and Boopathy Pandian is in discussion.

Vijayakanth History

Vijayaraj Azhagarswami Naidu (born 25 August 1952), professionally known by his stage name Vijayakanth, is a Tamil film actor and politician in Tamil Nadu, India.His origin is from the Telugu speaking Kamma (Naidu) community of Andhra Pradesh.His ancestors migrated to Tamil Nadu during the Vijaynagar period.[1] He is the founder of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam and a Member of Legislative Assembly representing Virudhachalam, Tamil Nadu, India.
Early life
Vijayakanth was born as Vijayaraj Azhagar Swami on 25 August 1952 in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. His parents are K. N. Alagarswami and Aandal Azhagarswami. He married Premalatha on 31 January 1990 and had two sons named Vijay Prabhakar and Shanmuga Pandian. Upon entering the film industry to pursue an acting career, Director Khaja(who directed his first film) changed his name to "Vijayakanth", dropping the "raj" out of his name and suffixing "kanth." He is nicknamed "Captain" which was taken from one of his popular films Captain Prabhakharan.

Career
Acting career
Vijayakanth has starred in various hits such as Amman Koil Kizhakkaley, Vaidegi Kathirundal, Chinna Gounder, Vanathai Pola, Sethupathi IPS, Captain Prabakaran, Ulavu Thurai, Periyanna, Ramana, Neranja Manasu, Sabari. He is instrumental in giving break to actors like Mansoor Ali Khan, Livingston and Sarath Kumar. He enacts the role of a cop in almost every movie of his. He is famous of giving punch and political dialogues in his flicks. In recent years Vijaykanth has become an internet parody in the vein of Chuck Norris for many outlandish scenes in his film usually portraying him as a superhuman. This has resulted in his videos becoming unintentional fodder for comedy.

Politics
Main article: Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam
He formed the center-left winged Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), a regional political party in Tamil Nadu. He formally announced party formation on 14 September 2005 at Madurai. His party contested in all seats in 2006 assembly elections and won one seat contested by him.

Awards and honours
Vijayakanth as been honoured with accolades and awards from associations, such as Filmfare, Cinema Express, Cinema Studio, Malai Malar, Peesum Padam, Dinakaran, Makkal Kural, and the Mathiyalagan Arts Academy. In 2001, he was given the title and award of Kalaimamani from the Government of Tamil Naku.

1986 - Filmfare Best Actor Award for Amman Koyil Kizhakalae
1989 - Cinema Express Best Actor Award for Poonthotta Kavalkaran
2001 - Kalaimamani Award from the Government of Tamil Nadu
2001 - Cinema Express Best Actor Award for Vanathai Pole
2001 - Indian Government's Best Citizen award
2009 - Filmfare Top 10 Legends of Tamil Cinema Award