Venkat Prabhu
Prabhu in 2025
Born	Venkat Kumar Gangai Amaran (1975-11-07)7 November 1975 (age 49) Madras, Tamil Nadu, India
Occupations	Film director Actor Playback singer
Years active	1997–present
Spouse	Rajalakshmi ​ (m. 2001)​
Children	2
Father	Gangai Amaren
Relatives	Premgi Amaren (brother) Ilaiyaraaja (uncle) Yuvan Shankar Raja (cousin) Bhavatharini (cousin) Karthik Raja (cousin)

Venkat Kumar Gangai Amaren (born 7 November 1975), better known by his stage nameVenkat Prabhu, is an Indian film director, actor and playback singer inTamil cinema.^[1] In addition, he also worked inTelugu Cinema. After completing his education, he began pursuing an acting career, with his first three ventures featuring him in a starring role, failing to release, following which he began appearing incharacter roles.

He entered the spotlight for the first time when he turned director with the summer hitChennai 600028 (2007).^[2] He achieved further commercial successes with his subsequent directorialsSaroja (2008),Goa (2010),Mankatha (2011),Biriyani (2013),Masss (2015), andMaanaadu (2021). His fatherGangai Amaren is a film director and music director.^[3]

Following his return to India, Prabhu began singing fordemos by his cousins,Yuvan Shankar Raja andKarthik Raja,^[4] and started his career as a playback singer in the film industry. In 1996, he, his brotherPremgi Amaren and his childhood friendS. P. B. Charan set up a music band called Next Generation,^[2] which also featuredYugendran andThaman as members,^[5][6] and did several stage performances. The following year, Prabhu played the lead role oppositeSangeetha in a film titledPoonjolai directed by his fatherGangai Amaren,^[7] but the film was cancelled in mid-production and attempts to revive and release the film by the late-2000s were unsuccessful. Prabhu starred in two more ventures, alongside his friends S. P. B. Charan and Yugendran;Wanted, directed by Premgi Amaren,^[8][9] andAgathiyan'sKadhal Samrajyam,^[10][11] both failing to release as well. Venkat Prabhu was then approached to essay supporting roles, withApril Maadhathil (2002) becoming his first release. He went on to play character roles in nearly ten films, the most notable ventures beingN. Linguswamy'sJi, starringAjith Kumar, and thePerarasu-directedSivakasi, featuringVijay in the lead role. In 2008, he worked inSeeman'sVaazhthugal alongsideMadhavan in his last credited appearance to date. He also played lead roles inSamuthirakani's directorial debutUnnai Charanadaindhen andGnabagam Varuthey (2007), both co-starring Charan.

In 2007, Venkat Prabhu ventured into film directing with the sports comedy filmChennai 600028, produced by S. P. B. Charan, that revolved around astreet cricket team from a suburban area in Chennai, with its players being portrayed by 11 newcomers, including his brother Premgi. The film emerged as asleeper hit,^[12][13] garnering high critical acclaim and becoming labelled a "cult classic" in the following years,^[14] which led to the lead cast growing in popularity. He next directed the comedy thriller filmSaroja (2008), the title being derived from a hit number fromChennai 600028,^[15] which also featured anensemble cast including Charan and Premgi. The film followed the journey of four young men who, by taking a diversion off the main road, land into the hands of a kidnapper gang; it received positive response from critics and at the box office as well. He followed it up withGoa (2010), a full-length comedy film, which received mixed response and did fairly well at the box office. In 2011, he directed his biggest project to date, the action thrillerMankatha, featuringAjith Kumar in the lead role and was later a blockbuster.^[16]

His next project,Biriyani (2013), starredKarthi andHansika Motwani. After, Venkat Prabhu directedMassu Engira Masilamani (2015), withSuriya andNayanthara in the lead role.^[17]He directedChennai 600028 II, the sequel of the 2007 blockbusterChennai 600028, and it was released on 9 December 2016 to positive reviews.^[18]Two years later he began working onMaanaadu (2021) starringSilambarasan andS. J. Suryah in lead roles. The film was released on the 25th November 2021 to positive reviews from critics.^[19][20]The action thrillerThe Greatest of All Time, starringVijay and music byYuvan Shankar Raja, was officially announced in May 2023. The film is bankrolled byAGS Entertainment, which marks their second collaboration with Vijay.^[21] The Film was released on 5th September to mixed reviews from critics.^[22]

Venkat Prabhu is the son of director-turned-music-directorGangai Amaran and older brother to actor, singer and music directorPremgi Amaran. His uncle is the music directorIlayaraaja and his cousins are the music composersYuvan Shankar Raja,Karthik Raja and singerBhavatharini.^[23] S. P. B. Charan, producer of Prabhu's first directorial ventureChennai 600028, is his very close friend and they both have worked together on several projects.^{[citation needed]}

He did his schooling at St. Bede's school in Chennai. On 11 September 2001, Venkat Prabhu married Rajalakshmi, the daughter of dance teacher K. J. Sarasa, and now has a daughter named Shivani. Shivani has already sung a song for the albumThaaaii when she was 5 years old.^{[citation needed]}

Venkat Prabhu frequently works with the same actors and crew members, most prominently Premgi Amaren, Yuvan Shankar Raja, cinematographerSakthi Saravanan, and editorPraveen K. L.^[24][25][26]

Only people that have worked in three or more of his films are listed.

Collaborator	Chennai 600028 (2007)	Saroja (2008)	Goa (2010)	Mankatha (2011)	Biriyani (2013)	Massu Engira Masilamani (2015)	Chennai 600028 II (2016)	Live Telecast (2021)	Maanaadu (2021)	Manmadha Leelai (2022)	Custody (2023)	The Greatest of All Time (2024)	Party (Unreleased)
Ajay Raj		(Cameo)	(Cameo)
Anjena Kirti										(Cameo)
Aravind Akash		(Cameo)			(Cameo)					(Cameo)
Ashwin Kakumanu					(Cameo)
Badava Gopi		(cameo)
Jai		(Cameo)			(Cameo)	(Cameo)
Jayaprakash
Jayaram
Mahat Raghavendra					(Cameo)				(Cameo)
Nithin Sathya		(Cameo)
Praveen K. L.
Premgi Amaren										(as a music composer)			(as a music composer)
Ravikanth
Sakthi Saravanan
Sampath Raj
Shanmugasundaram		(Cameo)
Shiva
Subbu Panchu		(Cameo)
Vaibhav					(Cameo)	(Cameo)				(Cameo)	(Cameo)
Vijay Vasanth		(Cameo)		(Cameo)	(Cameo)	(Cameo)
Vijayalakshmi		(Cameo)
Y. G. Mahendran												(Cameo)
Yuvan Shankar Raja											(1 song & score)

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• Idho Boopalaam
• Kundakka Mandakka
• Thedathey Tholaindhu Povai
• Kollywood Kings^[33]
• ARUN KUMAR

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