Sj Surya

S. Justin Selvaraj is an Indian film director, writer, actor, and producer in Kollywood, the Tamil film industry. His screen name is S.J. Surya. He is known for his outspoken attitude and broad outlook. SJ Surya is also known to portray roles which are considered totally inappropriate for family audiences, especially his roles in Anbe Aruyire, New and Kalvanin Kadhali. In these movies he plays the stereotyped role of a person, who is either being seduced by women or is a playboy/casanova kind of a protagonist and these movies feature explicit soft porn scenes. Surya has carved a niche for himself not only as a director but also as a storyteller and actor.

Suryah's style of film making is unique, taking the viewer in to the plot itself with a fantastic narrative of the story. His first film, Vaali with Ajith as the hero in Tamil, was a huge runaway hit playing for 270 days. It had an adult theme and went off well with the audience.

Suryah followed that with the multi-lingual, Khushi which was a huge money-spinner in Tamil and Telugu but did not fare too well in Hindi. After a hiatus for nearly 2 years, he came up with another blockbuster, New in which Suryah played the lead role apart from directing and producing the film. The film's opening is considered to be one of the biggest in Tamil cinema in recent years, with over Rs.1.1 crore being collected on the first day at the box-office. The film's music by noted composer A. R. Rahman had created waves in the audio market. However, the movie was banned by the Madras High Court in August 2005, a year after it collected huge revenues in the box office. His fourth venture in Tamil as a director was "Anbe Aaruyire" which was initially titled "Best Friend". Though this movie wasn't as big a hit as Vaali and Khushi, his fans enjoyed the movie. Currently he is ready to start his next directorial venture in telugu titled "PULI" which will be a political thriller. PULI is said to release for Summer 2008.

Director turned actor S J Suryah’s next film is Vil which will be directed by Prabhakar where he plays the role of a physically challenged man. Though initially skeptical about featuring in this movie, S J Suryah eventually agreed after watching the way the trailer of Vil was shot by the talented director.

As regards the heroine, many ladies were considered but the director was keen to have Bhavana as the leading actress and approached her. However, she had also declined the offer at the outset but the director had goaded her to see the trailer of the film and then to make her decision later. Heeding to him, Bhavana watched the trailer and as expected by Prabhakar, has instantly accepted the offer to feature as S J Suryah’s heroine in Vil. So, this magical trailer has certainly helped Prabhakar to tilt the balance in his favor.

Shyam

Shaam Sudeen is a Tamil Muslim model turned actor in Kollywood. His screen name is Shaam. His acting career began with a cameo in SJ Suryah's Khushi as a friend of Vijay. His first proper film was 12B (a knockoff of the British film, Sliding Doors) 12B was also the directorial debut for the director Jeeva, who then was a leading camera man. In 12B, his co-stars were Simran and Jyothika, the two leading actresses at that time. The movie had an average gross though the music by Harris Jeyaraj received critical acclaim.

Shaam's film Iyarkai, directed by debutant S. P. Jananathan and ably supported by cinematographer, N. K. Ekambaram, won the National Best Picture Award (Tamil, 2003) with its unique storyline and departure from cliched Tamil film romances. The shoestring budget film, a realistic portrayal of seafarers in between commission, through its excellent camerawork and music score by Vidyasagar added to the stature of the film's cast and crew but due to its delayed release was under-appreciated at the box office.

His later films showed promise but were yet to make the box-office. Shaam, after an effort to make better story selections, improved his image as his films got better returns at the box-office and helped him maintain his reputation. His recent movie Ullam Ketkumae was a commercial success. He was also a part of Mani Ratnam's stage show, Netru, Indru, Naalai. Shaam is married to his friend and college sweetheart, Kashish. When he was a model, Shaam nursed Bollywood dreams, but he got his first big break in Tamil cinema.He made his debut in 2000 with 12B, the debut directorial venture of well-known cinematographer Jeeva, co-starring Jyothika and Simran. It was a dream debut. Shaam was hailed as the next big thing in Tamil cinema. But somewhere along the way, his magic waned. A big box-office hit eluded him till Ullam Ketkume happened recently -- once again a Jeeva film -- a film that had to wait for a year to see the light of day. Now, Shaam is back with ABCD. And, he is nervous. Reviewers have given him the thumbs up, but the box-office verdict is not yet in. How do you describe your journey from 12B to ABCD? As an actor, I have grown. From the 10 films I have done so far, I have learnt a lot and gained in experience. For a person with no formal training, these films have been a tremendous learning experience. Is formal training necessary for an actor? To a great extent. If you can afford it, it's very good. But when I was trying for films, I didn't have the money to go and train myself in fights or dance. I did a course on diction, dialogue delivery in Hindi, etc in Bombay because I was trying for a break in Hindi. I feel if you are looking at acting as a full-fledged career and if you have the money, training is absolutely essential before you come into films.

Sundar C

Sundar C is a Tamil language director who has recently gone on a sabbatical in order to become an actor. He had directed 28 films in the Tamil language film industry and has acted in one project but has signed up for six more. He is married to popular actress Kushboo and has two daughters.

In the past, directors made a token appearance in their films. It was limited to one or two scenes. Then, came directors who could also act well. Therefore, K. Bhagyaraj, Parthiban, Pandiarajan and Cheran became popular. The latest director to join the club of actors is Sundar C. Acknowledged as a master of slapstick comedies, Sundar is busy taking lessons necessary to be a good actor. Best of luck, mate!

Sundar C is certainly a happy man these days. What with this film, Thalainagaram, creating a niche for itself in the list of successful films, Sundar C has truly arrived!

Sources reveal that Sundar C has done a good job for a debut film as an actor (his earlier avatars include direction), which is probably one of the reasons for the high success rate, not to forget Vadivelu’s comedy track.Sundar says, “I was quite excited to take up the challenge of acting in a film, and now, with the film being a declared a hit, the experiment has paid off and am happy for its success.” Though he is quick to add, “Perhaps not as happy as the sweet taste of victory that comes with working as a director.”

For most actors, it is the directorial debut that remains a distant dream. Save for directors-turned-actors like S J Suryah, Cheran, etc, a new trend is emerging.

But Sundar, however, is quick to clarify that his passion remains direction. “There are quite a few offers that are coming my way for acting, and I do spend sometime listening to the various scripts. But, I have not yet committed myself to another project. My choice will always remain direction though,” he says.

While the industry talk might speculate his next venture as an actor, this director is already in the process of directing his next film. “My next film is with Madhavan.”

If he were given an ultimatum to either act or direct, Sundar is quite clear that he would choose direction anyway. And for the question on whether we will someday see him share screen space with his wife, Kushboo, we only get an enigmatic smile in return. That, is perhaps, left to our own imagination!

Prabu

Prabhu Ganesan (Tamil : பிரபு) is a famous Indian actor. A native of Tamil Nadu, he is the son of actor Dr. Sivaji Ganesan and was born on December 31st. The last few films he starred in were Thamirabharani, Kusthi, Pasa Kiligal, and Chandramukhi.

Prabhu has appeared in over one hundred films. After his debut in the film Sangili (1982), he made several hit films during the '80s. He has acted in several types of roles, including comedic roles (Kanni Raasi) and villains.

He received a Best Actor Award in 1991. His film Chinna Thambi broke existing box office records in 1991. He also appeared in multi-starrers Chandramukhi and Suyamvaram.

It's a wide angle shot. A man is seen opening a gate, dressed in rags and smoking a beedi. A terminally ill disease writ large on his face. Precisely on that frame appears the Sanskrit term shruthi bedham, coupled with an off screen voice, an undoubtedly inauspicious start to any debutante's first screen appearance, especially in the maiden frame.

The film was Apoorva Raagangal (1975). The film itself was thick in controversy, and nobody took notice of the young newcomer, who was on screen barely for fifteen minutes, muttered a few apologetic words to the wronged woman and ultimately died an unsung, unheroic death.

No one in the audience, even in his wildest imagination, would have thought this nondescript man, who had won the least attention in the film would ever win over millions of hearts in Tamil Nadu. Or ride the state like a colossus. Or even that his sway over the masses would be so intense that he could rewrite the fate of Tamil Nadu politics, exactly two decades after the release of his first film.

K Balachander, the director who has an uncanny knack of creating stars, first met Rajnikant at the film institute, where he was a student. Balachander glanced at the dark young man and crisply asked him to meet him in his office the next day. When Rajnikant walked into his office gingerly, Balachander informed him he was going to act in his next film. Overwhelmed by the sudden offer from a big director, Rajnikant just could not believe his ears. It's a feeling Rajni still recounts whenever in the mood of reminiscence.

Later, Balachander confided in his close friend and associate Ananthu, Watch out! There is a fire in the young man's eyes. One day he will take Tamil Nadu by storm. How true the prediction turned out!

A bit of a recluse, he may be at heart, but everyone who's had the privilege of a darshan with the thalaivar has come away with a spring in his step, and a warm glow in his heart. Warm, friendly and affable, he's the sort who deserves all the superstardom he's earned. Such men, indeed, are rare.

Jeeva

Jeeva is an upcoming actor. He is the son of known Indian film producer, R B Choudary. Jeeva debut performance as a film hero was his father’s 50th production, Aasai Aasaiyai. Jeeva 2^nd film Thithikuthe, a Tamil remake of Uday Kiran’s Telugu film Manasanta Nuvve, was also from his father’s banner, Super Good Films. Jeeva has three older brothers: B.Sursh is the joint producer in ‘Super Good Films’. Another brother Jeevan is a business magnate. Next is Ramesh.

Jeeva is also an actor, now known as Githan Ramesh. Jeeva started off as a child star in 2 of his father’s film productions, one of them being the Sarath Kumar blockbuster Sooryavamsam. Audiences remember Jeeva as the cute boy who brought an estranged father and son together in Sooryavamsam.He 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. Jeeva’s father, R B Choudary, 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.

After Aasai Aasaiyai and Thittikudhey, which were romantic Tamil flops, he found himself in a spot of bother, with no good film offers coming his way. Then in 2005, he came back with the mega blockbuster Raam which put him in contention with other young actors in Kollywood like Jayam Ravi, Bharath and Silambarasan. Raam was a one-of-a-kind Tamil movie by critically acclaimed director of the 2002 sleeper hit Mounam Pesiyathe, Ameer Sultan; it falls in the genre of a murder mystery thriller, yet it is primarily a character study.

He played Ramakrishna, an autistic schoolboy, desired by the rich girl next door and later accused by her father for murdering his own mother. Jeeva hardly talked throughout the movie, letting his body language demonstrate his character. The movie was one of the highest grossing movies of the year, it was screened at Indian Panorama and later at the Cyprus International Film Festival(CIFF), where it won two awards - the Best Actor award for Jeeva and the Best Musical Score Award for its Music director Yuvan Shankar Raja. For 22-year old, it was not only the first International Award he received, but also his first ever acting award.

The only other time a Tamil actor received an international award was when Legendary actor Sivaji Ganesan received the Best Actor Award for his film in 1959, Veerapandiya Kattabomman, at the Afro-Asian International Film Festival in Cairo, Egypt in 1960. Thanks to Raam and Jeeva, this was indeed an honour for Kollywood in 21st century. From then onwards, he has had a successful stint in Dishyum with Kaadhal actress, Sandhya, proving a musical hit. Jeeva played another different role in Dishyum, that of a stuntman in films, this role was different from usual heroic roles in Tamil Cinema. Although the title Dishyum gave viewers the impression of an action-packed film, Dishyum was predominantly a romance between that of a cocksure stuntman and a practical arts student. This film won accolades due to the remarkable acting and an impressionable direction by Sasi, director of former hits such as Sollamalae and Roja Kootam.

Among his films, Raam, Dishyum, Keerthi Chakra and E are the ones that have done well at the box office. Jeeva’s flops include Aasai Aasaiyai, Thittikudhey, and Pori. Hence, his hits and misses are balanced. Aran was not a flop it was considered a success and his upcoming films are Thamizh MA, Thenavattu and Rameswaram. Jeeva is considered a better actor than his brother Ramesh.

Vishal

Vishal is the son of ace producer G.K.Reddy and, after 3 superhits, is touted to be the next "Ilayathalapathy". He is a graduate of Visual communication. He did his graduation in Loyola College and started his career as assistant director. His role model is Bollywood director Ram Gopal Varma.

He has worked as assistant director with Arjun for the movies Vedham and Ezhumalai. In the shooting spot of Ezhumalai producers Gnanavel and Jeya Prakash asked him to play the lead role in their movie Chellame . Vishal made his debut as the leading man in the movie Chellame which turned out to be a superhit film and a chart buster. His next 2 films, Sandakozhi and the new Thimiru too are big hits, placing Vishal firmly in the top slot of young, rising actors.

Vishal seems to be overwhelming with joy as his Pongal release Thaamirabharani is drawing good revenue. In spite of tough competion with Pokiri and Alwar. Thaamirabharani has managed to draw crowd. Vishal has already given remarkable movies like Chellame, Sanda kozhi, Sivapadhigaram.

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 canceled 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 G.J. 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. The rest is history as Vishal became the leading young action hero of Tamil Cinema. He had 3 back-to-back hits with Chellamae, Sandakozhi and Thimiru which all became dubbed in telugu. This was a feat indeed as few actors actually score a first-time hat-trick in Cinema history. His father G.K. Reddy was one of the veteran producers of Tamil films, having made quite a few films with top actors like Sivaji Ganesan in 'Poo Parikka Varugirom', though he quit production after that due to failure in the business. 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, to be dubbed in Telugu as Barani. His next film will be a Tamil-Telugu bilingual, titled 'Sathyam' in Tamil, which had a soft launch in Chennai on July 2007, and 'Salute' in Telugu, which had a big launch on August 15, Indian Independence Day in Hyderabad.

Bharath

Bharath (born July 21st, 1983) is a brilliant Kollywood actor. A trained dancer by profession, his luck brought him into movies. He debuted in Boys directed by S. Shankar. The film was a musical hit and it fared well in box-office. He then acted in the remake of the Malayalam film 4 the people, 4 Students which was a musical hit and was a blockbuster in Kerala. One of his recent movies Kaadhal by a debutant director (assistant of S. Shankar) and Produced by Shankar was a blockbuster of the year. Kaadhal was well received everywhere and his performance as the naive but sweet lover was highly praised. His film Pattiyal, brought him even more great recognition for playing a dumb and deaf lover. His latest releases are Chennai Kadhal and Veyil both released on December 8, 2006. He has received great accolades and the film is a hit. He was also a part of Mani Ratnam’s stage show, Netru, Indru, Naalai.

His next projects are Killadi directed by Salem A. Chandrasekharan , Nepali, directed by Dhurai, and an untitled movie with director Ravikumar. Bharath’s forthcoming Tamil release Khilladi is going to be dubbed in telugu too.His movie Veyil has been selected for screening in the ’Tous les Cinemas du Monde’ (All the Cinemas of the World) section at Cannes Film Festival. The movie was screened at 6.30 pm on May 19.

Actor Bharath is one of Kollywood's newest heartthrobs. Starting with his part in director Shankar's `Boys' to the latest `Em Magan', he has done a variety of roles in Malayalam and Tamil. The dancing hero talks about his entry into films, his experiences after he entered the field, and forthcoming ventures.I am a fun loving person. My motto in life is `Live for today, work for today and be happy.' I studied in DAV School and did B.Com in New College, Chennai. I wanted to do higher studies in dance, or if that was not possible I wanted to join an MBA course. Everything changed when director Shankar saw my dance at Music Academy. I must thank B.R. Prassana Kumar of Swingers, who made me dance in that show. I was selected to act in `Boys'. I was happy to be launched by him, but after that I knew I must take care of my own career.

Till now I have done a dozen films, including Malayalamfilms: `Boys', `4 The People', `Chellame', `Yuvaseena' in Telugu, `Kadhal', `February 14', `Azhagai Irukkirai Bayamai Irukkirathu' and `Pattiyal' to name a few. I have acted for Sathya Jothi films in `Em Magan', which is running successfully in theatres now, and for Deepavali it is going to be `Chennai Kadhal', directed by Vikraman. I am happy that my career is shaping up, and that I am moving in the right direction. `Boys' gave me a name, and the people know Bharath from the Tamil film `Four Students' (`4 the People' in Malayalam) through my dance movements in the movie and mainly because of the songs `Lajjavathiye' and `Annakkili'. `Chellame' showed my acting talent, and `Kadhal' is a milestone in my career. The last film showed that as a single hero I could carry off a film on my own. And now, `Em Magan' has proved that I can be a part of a big family-oriented movie and pack a powerful performance. I do not want to leave out my other films as they too showed my skill.

My forthcoming films are `Chennai Kadhal' and `Veiyil'. I am doing a different role in `Chennai Kadhal'. In fact, it is a totally different film, not only for me but also for director Vikraman. He is known for his family dramas. But, `Chennai Kadhal' is an out-and-out action film. The next release will be `Veiyil'. I want to act in good and successful films and prove that Bharath can give box office hits. Among actors I like Vijay and Ajith as they are commercial heroes. I have a soft corner for Ajith, as he has had no godfather in the film industry like me and has still managed to come up in an amazing way. He is an inspiration not only to me but to others as well. , I also like Simran and Jyotika. As an upcoming hero, I would like to do four to five films a year. This would mean that one of my films would be released every third month. I will then remain permanently in the minds of the people. I thank all my producers, directors and technicians who gave me an opportunity to work with them.Success makes me truly happy. But, I also have a fear, and keep asking myself, "What is the next [movie], and will it click with the audience?" I have taken acting as my career and I need to stay here permanently. I have always wanted to be a producer's hero, or shall we say director's actor.

Vivek

Vivekanathan is a Tamil film comedian from India. In contrast to other comedians in Tamil cinema, Vivek is more of a satirist than a slapstick comedian. His movies draw humor from scenes of daily life in Tamil Nadu (especially Chennai) and the surrounding regions. His jokes often relate to serious subjects, such as bribery, over-population, and political corruption among other things.
He is more conscientious and his comedy has more serious undertones than that of his contemporaries. He often targets hypocrisy in Indian society and politics and uses satire well to point out contradictions which are often taken for granted by people. He is also well known for his readiness to spoof almost any celebrity. He is mostly popular with urban people as his comedy is of more immediate relevance to them.

In rural areas, he is less popular than other comedians such as Vadivelu, Senthil, and Goundamani. He has starred in numerous films since the early 90s as a supporting actor and now as a main comedian. He has entertained many in his most noted films such as Run, Namma Veetu Kalyanam, Dhool, M. Kumaran son of Mahalakshmi, and many others.

He is famously called as “Chinna Kalaivanar” for his message-oriented comedies.

Vivek will appear in other films to come. He is most expected in the upcoming film Sivaji starring Rajinikanth and Shriya Saran. Vivek is playing the lead in the movie “Solli Adippen”.Recently the CD release for Solli Adippen was held and Superstar Rajnikanth, Director Shankar, Director K. Balachander presided the function.

Vadivelu

Vadivelu (sometimes Vadivel) is a leading comedian in the Tamil movie industry. 2000 he has dominated the movie scene in Kollywood, along with comedian Vivek. Born in the southern city of Madurai, Vadivelu is nicknamed

Vaigai puyal (the Vaigai storm, after the river Vaigai, which flows through the city). Starting as a sidekick to the famed Goundamani-Senthil comedy duo, he rose to prominence after his role in Kadhalan. His accent which resembles the Tamil spoken in southern Tamil Nadu landed him roles in Tamil movies with a village background.

In most movies, he plays a simpleton with good intentions but lands in trouble because of the circumstances or the eccentricities of the people he comes across. These roles involve heavy use of slapstick and puns, which has lead him to being typecast. However, recently, he has transitioned his comedy to suit urban audiences too, playing more varied characters..His performances in Bharathi Kannamma, Vetri Kodi Kattu and Winner have brought him laurels and accolades from all quarters. He does sing for some songs in his movies. Some of his popular songs are “Vandhutan Vandhutan” and “Frea vudu frea vudu”.

Vadivelu is opted to play the role of Spiderman in the film Vyapari directed by Shakthi Chidambaram

Prasath

Prashanth, born in Chennai, India, to Thiyagarajan, an actor and director, and his wife Shanti. He has a sister, Preeti, and got married to Grihalakshmi on September 1, 2005. Prashant studied Computer Graphics and Multimedia and went to Trinity College of Music in London before embarking on an acting career. Prashanth was studying 11th standard at Madras Christian College Higher Secondary School when he joined filmdom.

Boyish Prashant has got a special tag attached to his screen persona. The title cards of his movies proclaim him as ‘Kathal Ilavarasan’ (the prince of love), largely due to his image as a romantic hero. He made his debut a decade back, in 1990, when he starred in 'Vaigasi Poranthachu', a rehash of ‘Alaigal Oivathillai’ and the film fared well at the box office. 'Chembaruthi', directed by Selvamani, followed and that film gave a strong footing to Prashant in Tamil filmdom. 'Vanna Vanna Pookal' by Balu Mahendra won the best regional film award at the national level and Prasanth came into reckoning thereafter.

Suddenly the young actor was booked in a series of films. But the films he had worked in during this phase did not help him much to stabilize himself. Sathya Movies 'Enga Thambi', Thirupur Mani's 'Unakkaha Piranthen', Manivannan's 'Raasa Maghan', Manoj Kumar's 'Senthamizh Selvan' and Selvamani's 'Kanmani'. All of these films proved to be duds at the box office. The bombing of these movies put Prashant in a fix. Mighty man Manirathinam pulled out the sinking Prashant from the quagmire and cast him as his hero in 'Thiruda Thiruda'. Alas, the well made romantical, with starling visuals, flopped to the dismay of the director.

Prashant saved his career by acting in an offbeat Malayalam film 'Perunthachan', which won the best film award in Kerala and he started to appear in Telugu films like 'Tholi Muddu' (Divya Bharathi), 'Prema Vijayam', 'Prema Sikaram', 'Premapattam', 'Allariprema' as well as in Hindi films like 'I Love You' and 'Anto Ka Prem Yudh'.

Sensational Shankar picked him up for his multi-lingual 'Jeans' and for three years Prashant had not signed any other film. Though he had put all his eggs in one basket nothing untoward happened to him. The shrewd career decision paid off and the film 'Jeans' celebrated 100 days run in Singapore and Malaysia and silver jubilee runs in ten theatres in Chennai. Prashant was catapulted to the big league. Today, he has turned down directors like Rajiv Menon and Manirathnam because he does not like their stories. His 'Kathal Kavithai' has also become a hit.

Prashanth has filed a divorce petition in court. Prasanth had given 29 complaints about his wife Grihalakshmi. Including her sister in law’s relationship with Ajith’s brother. He has also made allegations about his wife’s drinking habits. Recently, Prashanth has filed a petition in court to allow him to see his new born baby.

At the age of 17, he made his debut in 1990, in Vaigasi Poranthachu. The film fared very well at the box office. Several successful movies in several languages followed, among them Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi. Since his debut, he as worked with many well-known directors, aming them Mani Rathnam, Balu Mahendra, S. Shankar, R.K. Selvamani, Agathiyan and Vasanth.

Arjun

Arjun is one of the todays,leading action actor in South Indian Cinema. Actor cum director Arjun was born in an family of film personalities. Arjun has acted in over 100 films. He has acted in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films. He is an action hero and is popularly called as Action King Arjun. A few years before he started producing and directing films. His hits include Shankar Guru, Gentleman, Sevakan, Gokulam, Prathap, Sadhu, Kuruthipunal, Jai Hind, Karna, Kondattam, and Thaiyen Manikodi.

Actor Arjun is a patriot among the film folks who constantly spin out some mindless masala with unremitting regularity from their stables. 'I feel proud of being an Indian' says the actor and it is not an empty boast or publicity stunt. His films ring with a patriotic purpose and he adds some spice by way of injecting a dose of songs and comedy in order to give the audience a 'feel at home' factor. His films are the proverbial sugarcoated pills.

The actor has a sentimental reason for being a sworn patriot; his birthday falls on 15th August. His father Sakthi Prasad was himself an actor. He has acted in many Kannada films! His mother is Lakshmi Devi. His elder brother Kishore is a popular director in Kannada.

Once through with the university degree course in Bangalore, Arjun turned his eyes to acting in movies. He made his debut in films with "Singakkutty 1, 2, 3", a multilingual production in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. Thanks to Rama Narayanan he acted in a film "Nandri".

Having done a handful of films in Tamil, and still not getting the real break made Arjun feel sorry for himself. "Sankar Guru" proved to be his lifeboat, which saved a sinking career. He has done so far over a hundred films in all the four Dravidian languages and a lone film in Hindi. A string of flops after "Sankar Guru" made him reset his priorities. Close to two years he languished at home with no fruitful offers coming his way. "Arjun is down and out," cried the gossipmongers. But the actor had the last laugh when he acted and directed a patriotic flick titled "Sevagan". It is said, Arjun, with his mother's blessing, mortgaged all his property and produced the film, which proved to be a box-office hit.

"Gentleman" re-launched him as a great commercial hero. Subsequently, he produced "Padichcha Pullae" and "Pratap". He wielded the megaphone and acted in "Pratap", "Jai Hind" and "Thaayin Manikkodi". When he was teamed up with actress Neethu in a particular film, they fell victims to the darts of the winged cupid. And they tied the knot with out losing any time. The couple is now blessed with two daughters, named Aiswarya and Anjana. Arjun, a loving father takes pleasure in playing the chauffeur to his daughter every morning when she goes to school.On one of his birthdays, Arjun's wife casually made a request that he should quit smoking. As a real hubby would, he kicked the habit right then and there.

Arya

Jamshad popularly known as Arya , (born 11 December 1980) is a Malayalee-born Indian movie actor who has appeared in Tamil films.Arya started off as a computer engineer,his passion for filming brought him to modelling before debuting in Jeeva's Ullam Ketkumae which also marked the debuts of Asin Thottumkal and Pooja Umashankar. The film also starred Laila and Shaam, but the film was delayed only releasing after Arinthum Ariyamalum. In Arinthum Ariyamalum, Arya played as son to Prakash Raj in a critically acclaimed role which won him Filmfare Best Debut Award South and Best New Male Face Award at the Filmfare Awards. Arinthum Ariyamalum and Ullam Ketkumae both made it large at the box-office.

Oru Kalluriyin Kathai also made it big at the box-office and Arya was touted as the next pin-up boy of Kollywood. His next, Kalabha Kadhalan was an average grosser in Kollywood as it shared a striking resemblance, with the Kollywood's all time best thriller, Vaali. Pattiyal with Bharath broke records in B and C centre all over Tamil Nadu. He played the role of an underworld hit man in the film.

His forthcoming projects are: Oram Poo and Xerox with Pooja Umashankar, and Naan Kadavul.After Naan Kadavul, Arya has allotted bulk dates to work with director Vishnuvardhan. Arindhum Ariyamalum and Pattiyal are their early movies togther.He graduated with an engineering degree from Crescent Engineering College, based at Vandalur, Chennai under the auspices of the famed University of Madras in India.

Arya is a bit upset. Vattaram did not do too well and if Naan Kadavul, the current project he's working in materialises itself, he will be grateful. Kalaaba Kaadhalan was one of the films that got Arya good reviews. It was directed by Igor, who is now busy with his next script.

Kalaaba Kaadhalan starring Renuka Menon and Akshaya received good response from the public for its novel script. Igor is now evolving an action packed script, with Arya in mind and the actor has agreed to the offer. After the disappointment of Vattaram, Arya is determined to do good films only. Naan Kadavul is presently being shot in Varanasi. Even though the film started with delay, it is said Bala should be completing it in about 4 months.

Vijayakanth

Vijayaraj (popularly known as Vijaykanth , born on August 25, 1952),a Tamilian, is a popular Tamil actor and politician. Born as Vijayaraja on August 25 1952 in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. His parents are K.N.Alagaswami and Aandal. He married his wife Premalatha Vijayakanth on January 31, 1990 and has two sons with her, Vijay Prabhakar and Shanmuga Pandian. He is nicknamed 'Captain', as he has starred in a popular movie called "Captain Prabhakharan". "Captain Prabhakharan" was a Blockbuster of the year 1992 & Vijayakanth's 100th film.

Recently having entered the world of Tamil politics he has tried to change the political scene of TN, which is famous for either only having the ADMK or DMK in power. His DMDK party is remarkable for the fact that it did not align with any other party during elections.

This is not about any political move of the so-called 'Karuppu MGR', but about the next film in which is Vijaykanth is going to act.According to sources, titled MGR, the next movie of Captain will be directed by Madhesh, director of Vijay starrer Madhurai and an one time associate of director Shankar.Interestingly, MGR will be the 150th movie of Vijayakanth. Circles close to the actor-politician say that the film will carry strong political messages, reflecting the title.

Fans and political-followers of 'Captain' Vijayakanth come together to celebrate his birthday on Saturday as 'Poverty Alleviation Day'.

Born as Vijayaraj in Madurai, Vijayakanth made his debut with Thoorathu Idi Muzhakkam. Affectionately called as Captain after his blockbuster film Captain Prabhakaran, Vijayakanth has acted in 149 films and his 150th film Arasangam is all set to hit the floors very soon.

He made a successful foray to politics and his newly-floated Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam managed to make an impact in the last Assembly elections. He won from Vridhachalam constituency which was considered a PMK stronghold. His party was able to secure around 8 per cent votes in its first election and in Local Election DMDK secured 17 per cent votes.

His DMDK party is remarkable for the fact that it did not align with any other party during elections.

Winner of several awards including Best Actor Filmfare Award for Amman Koyil Kizhakalae (1986), Best Actor Cinema Express Award (Poonthotta Kavalkaran), Kalaimamani Award by Tamilnadu Government (2001), Vijayakanth is a great philanthropist.

He has been involved in several charity works. Vijayakanth served as the President of Nadigar Sangam before entering politics and was instrumental in holding star nite shows in Dubai and Malaysia. He bailed out Nadigar Sangam from huge debts during his tenure.

Sarath Kumar

Sarath Kumar an actor and a politician. He has good reputation as actor in Kollywood, and also is the present president of South Indian Film Artistes Association. Sarath Kumar started his career in Kollywood as a villain, and slowly transformed to second hero in Vijaykanth movies and after few movies as second hero, KS Ravikumar launched him as lead hero in his project which was a success at Box-office. After that KS Ravikumar worked with him in several projects which were box-office hits, and also promoting him as one of the leading heroes in Kollywood in late 90’s. He mainly plays the role of a honest cop out to cleanse the society.

Sarath was born in Delhi, his traditional village being 'Thalakkavoor', which nestles near Karaikkudi, in south Tamilnadu. His father M. Ramanathan had worked for All India Radio and then in Press Trust of India (P.T.I.).

Brawny Sarath Kumar, lovingly called as "Supreme Star", has come to stay as an actor who appeals to the imagination of the urban and the rural film buffs alike. His career graph peaked phenomenally with super duper hits like “Nattamai” and “Suryavamsam”. If he has seen the flow of his career the ebb also followed with he accepting and acting in mediocre films.

Ramanathan practiced law prior to his switch over to journalism. Sarath was the third son of Ramanathan-Leelavathy couple. After completing his bachelors in Maths in New College, Chennai, Sarath started dreaming about his imminent entry into films. He started his film career as a producer. With actor Karthik as the hero, he plunged into the production of "Kan Simittum Neram" and "Mister Karthik". He put up a brief appearance as a police officer in "Kan Simittum Neram". But before all that, the actor, thirsting to make an impact, ran from pillar to post to get a foothold in films. But his efforts bore no fruits. Tenacious by nature, he didn't budge and never retrieved a step from achieving his avowed goals, set in cinema.

Struggling and sustaining over a period of time, Sarath got his tryst with destiny. In the climax scene of "Pulan Visaaranai", he clashed with Vijayakanth, exhibiting his enviable biceps. “ Who is this handsome, macho man?’ exclaimed the audience. It is rumoured that when Sarath Kumar and Vijayakanth were actually doing this scene both indulged in exchanging real blows, in order to give the scene a real feel. The scene was well-conceived and well shot by Selvamani and it gave a grand finale to a well-scripted film. At last, Sarath the actor has arrived.

Next, came "Suryan". In this Sarath appeared with tonsured head. He had sacrificed his shack of hair for the role. The film set the box-office on fire and Sarath turned into a dependable actor. Films such as "Kattabomman", "Cheran Pandian" and "Naattaamai" made him a darling of the women. The chart-busting "Suryavamsam" that came to screen in 1997, broke all the records in box-office collections throughout Tamilnadu.

Sarath Kumar has so far completed 75 films. He appears as a gold hearted, altruistic gentleman in most of his films. He practices charity in real life too. Through a trust founded in the memory of his father, he extends help in the areas of medi-care and education. He has also associated himself in sports promotion.The benevolent actor built a hospital, with modern amenities, in Coimbatore to serve our fellow impoverished citizens. Sarath Kumar came, saw and conquered. His nervous energy took him to heights in a very brief period. It is his fan’s heartfelt wish that he shouldn’t meddle in muddy politics and spoil his film career. Devoting time to hand picked good scripts like “Sooryavamsam” would certainly take him again to the top.

Jeyam Ravi

Jayam Ravi is a Tamil Cinema actor. He is the upcoming star of Tamil Cinema. He debuted with “Jayam” released in 2002 produced by his father editor Mohan and directed by his brother M. Raja. Jayam Ravi is a martial arts expert and a trained dancer. After completing his degree in Visual Communication from Loyola College Chennai, Jayam Ravi decided to get into the acting industry.

Jayam Ravi father is Mohan, an editor, his mother is Varalakshmi. Jayam Ravi has one brother, M. Raja, who is a successful director, and a sister, Roja, who is a dentist. Ravi was first schooled at Jawahar Vidyalaya in Ashok Nagar, Chennai and later at the Loyola College, Chennai and earned a Bachelor degree in Visual Communications.

Jayam Ravi studied dancing with the Bharatnatyam dancer Nalini Balakrishnan and performed his arrangetram (debut) when he was twelve years old. Jayam Ravi has also undergone training in acting with Kishore Namit Kapur Institute, Mumbai.He is a martial arts expert and a trained dancer. After completing his degree in Visual Communication from Loyola College Chennai, he decided to get into the acting industry.

He is one hero who has the conventional good looks and has undergone all formal training to become an actor. Jayam Ravi debuted with Jayam, a remake of the Telugu movie Jayam released in 2002 produced by his father Editor Mohan and directed by his brother M. Raja. (Hence, the name ‘Jayam’ Ravi.) Jayam Ravi’s next venture was M. Kumaran son of Mahalakshmi, a remake of the Telugu movie Amma Nanna O Tamila Ammayi in 2004.

Then came Daas,Mazhai, a remake of the Telugu movie Varsham and Idhaya Thirudan. Something Something … Unakkum Enakkum , the remake of the Telugu hit Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana which hit the screens in July 2006 is also a big hit. Trisha Krishnan has reprised her role in the Tamil version along side him in the film. With the magical combination of the director-brother duo,the success has been repeated.

Jayam Ravi latest film actress Bhavana in the film titled Deepavali directed by Ezhil and the film was produced by the successful director Lingusamy, it currently after release, has fetched good reviews.

Surya

Saravanan Sivakumar popularly known as Surya is an Indian actor in the Tamil film industry. Surya is the son of Tamil actor Sivakumar and is married to Jyothika, a popular Tamil actress. Surya is well-known for trying out off-beat roles in different films. He is also the brand ambassador for large brands like Himani Navratna Oil, Emami Fair & Handsome, Pepsi, TVS and Sunfeast Biscuits.

Surya studied at PSBB and St. Bede’s, Chennai and he completed his commerce graduation from Loyola College, Chennai. Surya was employed in a garment manufacturing company in Ambattur, Chennai. A notable point is Vijay, Yuvan Shankar Raja, Karthik Raja-both Ilayaraaja’s sons, Vishnuvardhan and Surya were all class mates during their studies. Surya then ventured into the cinefield to become one of the top reigning stars of the Tamil film industry. He also has various fan bases throughout the world. Surya’s father is actor Sivakumar. Surya is the eldest son in the family with one younger brother Karthik and younger sister Brindha. He married actress Jyothika on September 11, 2006.

Surya’s debut film, Nerrukku Ner (1997) with Vijay was a big hit but all his succeeding films did not do well. His first reasonable success was in the movie Poovellam Kettuppar (1999). His next movie with Vijay, Friends was an average hit, but he did not get any big breaks and his career seemed to be stalled until director Bala approached him for a role in his next venture titled Nandha. This was Surya’s first blockbuster. The film grossed Rs.50 million at the box office.

Surya’s next venture was with Vikraman in the movie Unnai Ninathu and the movie was able to record good collections, which was followed by Mounam Pesiyadhe which also did decently well. Surya’s second blockbuster was Kaaka Kaaka, a movie about the life of a police officer. The film grossed almost Rs.100 million at the box office. Also Pithamagan alongside Vikram was a big hit, Surya was appreciated for being a very different character.

In the movie Perazhagan, he acted in two roles, one as a boxer and the other as a handicapped but a confident phone booth keeper. Surya’s role as the handicapped was praised by critics, and he received a Filmfare Award for Best Actor for his performance. His role in Aayitha Ezhuthu as a student leader was also favoured by the critics. Surya’s movie Chennaiyil Oru Mazhaikkalam was dropped due to financial problems.

In 2005, he delivered more successful films in the form of Maayavi, Aaru, Ghajini - afterwards he set up a production company called Studio Green which distributed the movie in the Chennai district. Ghajini was one of the most sensational hits of 2005, with him playing a short term memory loss patient, for which he even tonsured his head. The film was Surya’s third blockbuster and grossed over Rs.200 million at the box office and then, trade began comparing him with long established superstars Vijay, Ajith and Vikram.

His recent release is N. Krishna’s Sillunu Oru Kaadhal and he acted opposite his real-life partner Jyothika in the film. The movie released on September 8 2006. The movie was an average grosser. Up next, Surya has signed up to an untitled A. R. Murugadoss film and a film with Gautham Menon, Vaaranam Aayiram directed by Gautham Menon. Surya also dubbed Abhishek Bachchan’s role in the Tamil version of Guru.Surya is also brand ambassador for various products.

Vikram

Vikram, born in 1966 in a small place called Paramakudi, in Ramnad district, Tamilnadu is versatility personified. His original name is said to be John Kennedy and affectionately called as Kenny by his close folks. He did his schooling in Mount Fort School, Yercaud. Acting was his passion from his school days. That very passion for acting might have been the base for his versatility in acting. Vikram was not one among the few whom success crowned readily. He had to work his way through to bag a good movie and prove himself.

Vikram's initial movies did not produce him to the world as a successful star. It was a long and tiresome wait. But this did not deter him from pursuing his passion for movies. He got himself equipped for his chosen career by attending dance classes and opting to act out different characters amidst a small group of friends. His patience was well paid off when his movie 'Sethu' went for a soaring victory crowing the glory of both Vikram and the director Bala. Each and every frame of 'Seth' speaks of his dedication and hard work. Vikram is now affectionately addressed as 'Chiyaan' by his fans after the name of his character in 'Sethu'.

It is a glorious period of victory for Vikram as he ventures into different roles switching between commercial as well as heavy roles. This keeps him away form getting into particular groove of image. His hunger for playing different role is that which enables him to choose demanding roles. His strenuous efforts for the efficient portrayal of his characters find expressions in all his performances. Playing the role of a blind singer in the movie 'Kaasi', the character is presented very naturally. It is said that Vikram got himself involved by strenuously taking his eyeballs up thereby presenting the character like that of a natural blind man. This later is said to have resulted in blurredness in his vision for some days after the movie was completed.

The movie Pithamagan fetched him the National award for his stupendous performance as an uncivilized, mute gravedigger with dirty coloured teeth and discoloured, shabby hair. He has also won the Filmfare award(2005) for his splendid performance in Aniyan.Vikram is extremely cautious about all the aspects that went into the presentation of a character like the built of his body and his make up etc. This formula is followed in all his movies with heavy homework from his side with regards to his role. Anniyan is yet another feather in his cap where he has excelled in portraying three totally different persona. It is a must watch movie that sets one to decide about the absence of a second person to present the characters effeciently like him. His versatility is at its best with the deft he has played the roles in the movie directed by Shanker. 'Gemini', 'Dhil', 'Dhool' and 'Sammy' are commercial blockbusters that set him on the commercial track with ease as well.

Not only skilled in handling his roles, he is an adept in handling his fame as well from not creeping into his personality to mar his down to earth nature. His simplicity finds expression in his love for children, his favourite food, Pazaya saadham(porridge) and karuvaattu kuzumbu(dried fish) and his liking to fit himself into a dirty pair of jeans, T shirt and Hawaii slippers. His performance is capable of drawing a person not interested in watching films to the portals of the theatre. A Tamil movie watcher can always expect something different in the story as well as a different Vikram in all his movies. His yet to release movie 'Bheema' is sure to satisfy the above criterion and all his yet to be made commitments as well.