Karthi | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Karthi in 2017 | |
| Born | Karthik Sivakumar (1977-05-25)25 May 1977 (age 47) Madras,Tamil Nadu, India |
| Education | |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Father | Sivakumar |
| Relatives | |
Karthik Sivakumar (born 25 May 1977), known professionally asKarthi, is an Indian actor who is known for his works inTamil Cinema. The youngest son of veteran actorSivakumar and the younger brother of actorSuriya, he began his career with roles in films such as an uncredited cameo role inAayutha Ezhuthu (2004). He then achieved his breakthrough role in his debut filmParuthiveeran (2007). After a three-year hiatus from acting, he then return to star in films such asAayirathil Orvuan,Paiyaa andNaan Mahaan Alla, all three of which were released in 2010. He then continued to star in films such asSiruthai (2011),Saguni (2012),Alex Pandian (2013),All In All Azhagu Raja (2013) andBiriyani (2013).
Karthi has starred in several well-known Indian films, portraying an impulsive and short-tempered working-class man inMadras (2014), a paroled convict-turned-caretaker in Tamil-Telugu bilingual comedy-drama filmOopiri / Thozha, and in dual roles as the titular protagonist and the antagonist Raj Nayak inKaashmora (both in 2016). He also starred as Theeran Thumiran inTheeran Adhigaaram Ondru (2017), for which he was earned for aFilmfare Award South award, asDilli inKaithi (2019), asVallavaraiyan Vandiyadevan inPonniyin Selvan: I (2022) and itssequel (2023), and in the spy-thriller filmSardar (2022).
When Karthi returned to Chennai, he met directorMani Ratnam and got a chance to work as an assistant director inAayutha Ezhuthu, because he wanted to become a film director and preferred directing to acting,[1] though he did appear as an extra inAayutha Ezhuthu.[citation needed] He continued to receive acting offers and his father convinced him to take up acting, telling him " ... one can always direct films, but one will not get a chance to act once you grow older".[2] He accepted his first acting assignment withPriyamani as female lead in April 2005.[citation needed] When directorAmeer approached him to play the titular character in the filmParuthiveeran, he accepted the offer because the film was " ... so compelling".[1] The filming started in July 2005 and experienced financial difficulties,[citation needed] and was almost abandoned by mid–2006.[citation needed] It was released in January 2007, to critical acclaim and became commercially successful.[3]
Critics unanimously praised Karthi's portrayal of a careless village ruffian.Sify said: "It's hard to believe that it is Karthi's debut film as he is just spectacular. His expressions, anger, laughter and anguish are all so realistic that you can feel the fire in him."[4]Rediff called his performance "excellent",[5] and " ... one of the top performances of 2007".[6] Karthi received several accolades for his performance, including theFilmfare Award for Best Actor in Tamil.[7]
In October 2006, Karthi signed his second project underSelvaraghavan's direction,[8]Idhu Maalai Nerathu Mayakkam, which was supposed to be a romance film,[9] featuringSandhya as the female lead.[10] Karthi's character was a " ... sophisticated upmarket stylish guy ... ".[11] Selvaraghavan abandoned that project and in July 2007, he announced the production of an action-adventure film titledAayirathil Oruvan, with Karthi in the lead role.[12] Filming began later that year and was expected to be completed by February 2008. The producers planned to release it in mid-2008,[13] but production was delayed and filming continued until early 2009.[14] He had agreed to play the lead character inLinguswamy's next filmPaiyaa, in September 2007.[citation needed] Because of the slow progress ofAayirathil Oruvan,Paiyaa was postponed several times.[15] He later said that he became anxious because he received several film offers, but could not work on them because he needed to maintain the continuity of his looks.[16] During the filming ofAayirathil Oruvan, producer R.Ravindran complained that Karthi was trying to change his look and move on toPaiyaa before finishing his commitments.[17]
Aayirathil Oruvan was released in early 2010. Karthi's portrayal of a chief coolie was often compared to that in his debut film.[18]Sify called Karthi's performance " ... a scream.", and said, "Right from his introduction scene till the end, he is lovable and provides humour.", and that he had " ... made a sensational comeback ... ".[19]
In April 2010, Linguswamy'sPaiyaa released. A romantic road-trip film, featuring analbum byYuvan Shankar Raja,[20] it was very successful.[21][22] For the first time, he enacted a character that lives in an urban area.[23] He said that he accepted the film because he desperately wanted to play a cool dude on screen.[23] Karthi's performances inAayirathil Oruvan andPaiyaa earned him further nominations at the58th Filmfare Awards South in theBest Actor category.[citation needed] Both films were dubbed intoTelugu asYuganiki Okkadu andAawara, respectively, and were successful.[citation needed]
Karthi's third film in 2010 wasSuseenthiran's action thrillerNaan Mahaan Alla, in which he played a middle class youth from Chennai whose life is disrupted when his father is targeted by a gang of killers. It received good reviews, was very popular,[citation needed] and Karthi's performances was praised by critics.[24] Sreedhar Pillai wrote for Sify: "[Karthi] nails the character to perfection" ... He is one good reason to see the film."[25] Bhama Devi Ravi ofTimes of India wrote: " ... what a pleasure to see Karthi deliver his best performance to date ... ".[26]Rediff wrote that "Karthi has simply had a ball ... " and "It's been a long time since you saw an actor who can be as convincing in sadness and rage, as in happiness."[27]Naan Mahaan Alla was dubbed into Telugu and released asNaa Peru Shiva in 2011; it was very successful and earned Karthi some Telugu film offers.[28][29]
Karthi's next film was the action–masalaSiruthai (2011), a remake of the 2006 Telugu filmVikramarkudu. He played two roles; a thief and a police officer.[citation needed] Karthi's performances received favourable reviews. Malathi Rangarajan ofThe Hindu wrote: "Karthi looks and performs better with every film.Siruthai exemplifies the observation".[30] Pavithra Srinivasan ofRediff wrote: "But the film belongs to Rocket Raja (Karthi), the sort of adorable ruffian Tamil cinema has been missing for a while. He picks pockets, slices off handbags, charms women and even bashes (!) them up without a single jolt to his conscience."[31] Despite gaining mixed critical response, the film achieved financial success, becoming one of the highest-grossing Tamil films of 2011.[32][33] In 2011,Siruthai became Karthi's biggest commercial success,[33] cementing his position in the Tamil film industry.Sify said that Karthi had become " ... one of the hottest stars inKollywood".[33] He made a special appearance in a song inK. V. Anand'sKo (2011), alongside other prominent actors from Tamil cinema (Incl. his brotherSuriya).[34]
In May 2011, Karthi began working in the political comedy filmSaguni, directed by Shankar Dayal and featuring him amongst an ensemble cast of supporting actors.[35] He played Kamalakannan in the film, a villager who comes to the city to save his palatial house inKaraikudi from being destroyed for a politician's personal gain and unknowingly transforms to become akingmaker in Tamil Nadu politics. The film opened to mixed reviews from critics, and became a box office failure.[36] Karthi dubbed for himself for the Telugu version ofSaguni (2012) and his since dubbed for the Telugu dubbed versions of all of his films and for one character inBrothers, the dubbed version of his brotherSuriya'sMaattrraan (2012).[37][38] He later appeared in the 2013Pongal releaseAlex Pandian, oppositeAnushka Shetty, which also opened to negative critical response upon release.[39][40]
Karthi's next release wasRajesh M'sAll in All Azhagu Raja, which featured him oppositeKajal Aggarwal andSanthanam. The film was released onDiwali 2013, and received mostly negative reviews from critics.[citation needed] He also sang the song "Mississippi" underYuvan Shankar Raja's direction.[41][42] In 2014, Karthi appeared inPa. Ranjith'sMadras, a critical and commercial success.[citation needed] His next release was the 2015 action dramaKomban.[43] His first release in 2016 was the Telugu-Tamil bilingual filmOopiri /Thozha. The film received positive reviews.[citation needed] Karthi's performance was praised, withBaradwaj Rangan ofThe Hindu stating (in his review of the Tamil versionThozha), "At a time every leading man (including Karthi) seems to be participating in a game-show titledWho Wants To Be The Next Rajinikanth?, here's a simple 'buddy movie' (in the Hollywoodian sense), with no punch dialogues, no action sequences, with just one duet (with Tamannaah, who plays Vikram's secretary; her romance with Seenu is strangely unresolved). We see, all the time, character actors striving to become larger-than-life heroes. For a change, here's a hero scaling himself down to play a life-sized character."[44] Later that year, Karthi appeared in directorGokul'sKaashmora. Though the film received mixed reviews, his performance was praised.[45]
Karthi'sKaatru Veliyidai, was directed and produced byMani Ratnam. The film met with mixed reviews and became a failure.[46] Karthi'sTheeran Adhigaaram Ondru was directed byH. Vinoth and produced byDream Warrior Pictures. It received critical acclaim and Karthi received aFilmfare Award South for theBest Actor – Critics for his performance. The film became a huge success at the box office.[47] Right afterTheeran Karthi acted inKadaikutty Singam portrayed the role of a farmer directed byPandiraj which has been produced by this brotherSuriya which has gained the highest footfalls in the year 2018 in Tamil Nadu.[48] His next film wasDev, produced by Lakshman Kumar, under Prince Pictures, directed by debutante director, Rajath Ravishankar, music composed byHarris Jayaraj, and cinematography byR. Velraj. Upon release, it received negative reviews from both the critics and audience, alike. It was a huge commercial failure.[49]
His next release in the same year,Kaithi, was a blockbuster hit and collected more than₹100 crores at the box office. It became the highest-grossing film of his career.[citation needed] He was next seen inSulthan, directed byBakkiyaraj Kannan, ofRemo fame. It starredRashmika Mandanna alongside him. It opened to mixed reviews from both the critics and audience, alike. It became a decent box-office success.[50]
Next, he was seen in the rural family drama,Viruman, directed byM. Muthaiah, his second collaboration with him afterKomban. It too turned out to became commercially successful. PostViruman, he was seen in the magnum opuses,Ponniyin Selvan: I (2022) andPonniyin Selvan: II (2023), directed byMani Ratnam. He essayedVallavaraiyan Vandiyadevan in the films, in which his performances received several accolades. In between the two films, he also played a dual role, as a father and son inSardar, which released in 2022. It opened to generally positive reviews from both the critics and audience, alike. It was a huge commercial success, becoming the highest-grossing film of his career (solo).
Later in 2023, Karthi have his second release of the year withJapan.[51]
Karthi was born as Karthik Sivakumar on 25 May 1977 inMadras (nowChennai),Tamil Nadu, India to actorSivakumar and his wife Lakshmi. He has two siblings; an elder brother,Suriya, who was already an established actor at the time of Karthi's film debut, and a younger sister,Brindha, who is a singer inTamil cinema. Tamil film actressJyothika is Karthi's sister-in-law.[52]
He completed his elementary and secondary school education atPadma Seshadri Bala Bhavan andSt. Bede's Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School, Chennai.[53] He gained a bachelor's degree inmechanical engineering fromCrescent Engineering College, Chennai.[54] After graduation, he worked as an Engineering consultant in Chennai and considered higher studies abroad. "I was earning about₹ 5000 per month and found the work monotonous. That was when I thought, I should do something more", he recalled in an interview.[53] Karthi got a scholarship for his higher studies in the United States,[55] and enrolled atBinghamton University,New York, where he earned hisMaster of Science inindustrial engineering.[56] While pursuing his master's degree, he also took elective courses on filmmaking.[53]
During his stay in New York, Karthi worked as a part-timegraphic designer. He then decided to pursue a career in filmmaking;[56] he attended two courses in basic filmmaking atState University of New York.[55][56] He stated: "I always knew I wanted to be in films, but I did not know exactly what I wanted to do. I loved movies and watched a lot of them. But my father insisted that I get a good education before I joined the film industry".[55]
On 3 July 2011, Karthi married Ranjani Chinnasamy,[57][a] who graduated with a master's degree in English literature fromStella Maris College, Chennai.[59] They were engaged on 29 April 2011 at Ranjani's native village,Goundampalayam inErode district,[57] and the wedding was held in a traditional Kongu culture at the CODISSIA Trade Fair Complex inCoimbatore.[60] The wedding wasarranged by the elders of the family.[61] They have two children, a daughter and a son.[62]
Karthi has been involved in several charities and social service activities. On his 31st birthday, he inaugurated theMakkal Nala Mandram,[63] in order to encourage his fans to become involved in welfare activities.[64] During the event, Karthi donated blood, donated bicycles to handicapped people, sewing machines to women and schoolbags to children. He presented a cheque of₹ 50,000 toYR Gaitonde Centre for AIDS Research and Education, which helpsAIDS affected children.[64] In 2011, Karthi became a cause ambassador for promoting awareness oflysosomal storage disease.[citation needed] He had also adopted awhite tiger cub atVandalur Zoo and contributed₹ 72,000 to protect and preserve the animal.[citation needed] On his birthdays, Karthi visits orphanages and donates funds to them.[65]
In September 2010, Karthi signed a contract withBharti Airtel to become its brand ambassador in South India and appear in its "Indraikku enna plan" advertising campaign.[66] He has also appeared in advertisements for Bru Instant Coffee along withKajal Aggarwal, who had earlier acted opposite him inNaan Mahaan Alla andAll in All Azhagu Raja.[citation needed]
In 2015, Karthi joined fellow actorsVishal,Nassar,Karunas andPonvannan to campaign against the concurrent office bearers of theNadigar Sangam, led byR. Sarathkumar andRadha Ravi. He was successful in the election, becoming the association's treasurer.[citation needed] After starring inKaatru Veliyidai, he expressed his interest in learning to fly.[67]
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
| Year | Film | Song | Language | Composer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Paruthiveeran | "Oororam Puliyamaram" | Tamil | Yuvan Shankar Raja |
| 2012 | Saguni | "Kandha Kaara Vadai" | G. V. Prakash Kumar | |
| 2013 | Biriyani | "Mississippi" | Yuvan Shankar Raja | |
| 2017 | Magalir Mattum | "Gubu Gubu Gubu" | Ghibran | |
| 2018 | Party | "Cha Cha Chare" | Premgi Amaren, Unreleased film | |
| 2022 | Oke Oka Jeevitham | "Maaripoye" | Telugu | Jakes Bejoy |
| Kanam | "Maaripocho" | Tamil | ||
| Sardar | "Yerumayileri" | G. V. Prakash Kumar | ||
| 2023 | Japan | "Touching Touching" | ||
| Japan(D) | Telugu |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
