Kaali Venkat | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Venkat (1982-11-16)16 November 1982 (age 42) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Spouse | |
Kaali Venkat (born 16 November 1982) is an Indian actor who mainly appears inTamil language films in supporting roles.[1]
Venkat hails from Kudaiyadevanpatti[2] a village nearKovilpatti.[3] Venkat used to act in dramas during his school days. With an ambition to act in films he moved from his village toChennai in 1997 to enter theTamil film industry.[2] In Chennai, he was doing jobs like selling groceries in order to survive until he met director Vijay Prabakaran. Prabakaran, who Venkat considers hisguru, coached and taught him "everything I know about cinema today".[2]
Venkat got married Janani on 30 October 2017 in Chennai and has a son.[4]
Before entering films, he worked in theatre.[5] The first film Venkat acted was also by Vijay Prabhakaran,Thasaiyinai Thee Sudinum. The film failed to release but Venkat decided to keep his character name in it, Kaali, as hisscreen name after everybody on the set was calling him by that name.[3] He then acted in various short films made for the Kalaignar TV showNaalaya Iyakkunar and won the Best Actor in a Series Award in Season 3 of the show.[2][3] After a series of small roles in various feature films, he first gained attention with his role in the action dramaThadaiyara Thaakka. The short films fetched him small roles in bigger projects likeKalakalappu andUdhayam NH4.[3] He played a substantial role in mystery thrillerThegidi, which went on to become asleeper hit and Venkat stated that he was flooded with friend requests on Facebook post the film's release.[2]
Venkat has acted in a number of films, includingMundaasupatti (2014),India Pakistan (2015),Urumeen (2015),Eetti (2015) andKaathadi (2018).[3]Mundaasupatti, based on the same-titled short film which Venkat was also part of,[3] will see him playing the role of an assistant photographer called Azhagumani.[2] In 2016, Kaali portrayed a drunkard father inIrudhi Suttru and a loyal friend of a politician inKodi. In 2020, he appeared inSuriya'sSoorarai Potru.[6] Kaali Venkat bagged the award for his role inGargi (2022).[7][8][9]
In 2024, he has been on a roll this year with memorable performances in films likeCaptain Miller,Kurangu Pedal andLubber Pandhu, among others.[10] He played the lead inDhonima. His character is a flawed alcoholic who brings nothing but trouble to his family.[11]
| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Platform | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Vella Raja | Pugazhendi | Amazon Prime Video | [16] |
| 2019 | Thiravam | Sengi | ZEE5 | [17] |
| 2022 | Paper Rocket | Francis | ||
| 2024 | Parachute | Charles | Disney+ Hotstar |