Amar Choudary (born 4 January 1984), known professionally as Jiiva, is an Indian actor and film producer who works mainly in
Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema, also known as Kollywood is a part of Indian Cinema; primarily engaged in production of motion pictures in the Tamil language. Based out of the Kodambakkam neighbourhood in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, it is popularly called ''Kollywood' ...
and a few
Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
films. He is the youngest son of film producer
R. B. Choudary
Ratanlal Bhagatram Choudary is an Indian film producer who has worked in several film industries, predominantly in Tamil language, Tamil and Telugu language, Telugu along with a few films in Malayalam language, Malayalam and Hindi language, Hind ...
. He began his career as a child actor in 1991 in films produced by his father. He made his debut as a lead actor in his father's 50th production, ''
Aasai Aasaiyai
''Aasai Aasaiyai'' is a 2003 Indian Tamil-language romance film directed by Ravi Mariya. This film was the debut of famous producer R. B. Choudary's fourth son, Jiiva. The female lead role was done by Sharmelee. The music was composed by Mani Sh ...
'' (2003). After
Sivaji Ganesan
Villupuram Chinnaiya Manrayar Ganesamoorthy, better known by his stage name Sivaji Ganesan, (1 October 1928 – 21 July 2001) was an Indian actor and producer. He was active in Tamil cinema during the latter half of the 20th century. Sivaji Ga ...
, Jiiva is the only Tamil actor to have been awarded at the
Cyprus International Film Festival
The Cyprus International Film Festival (CYIFF) is an annual film festival held in Cyprus. The festival has taken place in Nicosia and more recently in Paphos, in cooperation with Cultural International Festivals.
Description
The International ...
, particularly for his performance in ''
Raam'' (2005).
After this, he has acted in other movies that have been successful, such as ''
E'' (2006), ''
Katradhu Tamizh'' (2007), ''
Siva Manasula Sakthi
''Siva Manasula Sakthi'' () also known by the initialism ''SMS'', is a 2009 Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language romantic comedy film written and directed by debutant M. Rajesh, a former assistant of director S. A. Chandrasekhar. It stars Jiiv ...
'' (2009), ''
Ko'' (2011), ''
Nanban Nanban may refer to: Japan
* Nanban art
refers to Japanese art of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries influenced by contact with the or 'Southern barbarians', traders and missionaries from Europe and specifically from Portugal. It is a ...
'' (2012), ''
Mugamoodi
''Mugamoodi'' () is a 2012 Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language superhero film written and directed by Mysskin. The film stars Jiiva, Narain (actor), Narain, and Pooja Hegde who makes her acting debut through this film. While Nassar (actor), Na ...
'' (2012), ''
Neethaane En Ponvasantham
''Neethaane En Ponvasantham'' () is a 2012 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film co written, co produced and directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon, starring Jiiva and Samantha. This film is a shot simultaneously in Telugu, Yeto Vellipoyindhi ...
'' (2012), ''
Endrendrum Punnagai
''Endrendrum Punnagai'' () is a 2013 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy drama film written and directed by I. Ahmed starring Jiiva, Trisha, Vinay, Santhanam, Andrea, and Nassar. The film has music by Harris Jayaraj and cinematography by ...
'' (2013), ''
Kalakalappu 2
''Kalakalappu 2'' is a 2018 Indian Tamil-language comedy film written and directed by Sundar C and produced by Khushbu. It is a spiritual sequel to the 2012 film ''Kalakalappu''. The film features Jiiva, Jai, Shiva, Nikki Galrani and Catherin ...
'' (2018) and ''
Kalathil Santhippom
''Kalathil Santhippom'' () is a 2021 Indian Tamil language sports action drama film written and directed by N. Rajasekar with dialogues penned by R. Ashok. The film stars Jiiva, Arulnithi, Manjima Mohan and Priya Bhavani Shankar. The film is ...
'' (2021). He made his
Hindi cinema
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
debut with the film ''
83'' (2021), in which he portrayed cricketer
Krishnamachari Srikkanth
Krishnamachari Srikkanth (born 21 December 1959), also known as Cheeka, is a former captain of the Indian cricket team and former chairman of the selection committee. He played a crucial part in India's team batting line up as opener espec ...
.
Early life
Jiiva was born on 4 January 1984 in Chennai to
Rajasthani-origin film producer
R. B. Choudary
Ratanlal Bhagatram Choudary is an Indian film producer who has worked in several film industries, predominantly in Tamil language, Tamil and Telugu language, Telugu along with a few films in Malayalam language, Malayalam and Hindi language, Hind ...
and a
Tamilian
The Tamil people, also known as Tamilar ( ta, தமிழர், Tamiḻar, translit-std=ISO, in the singular or ta, தமிழர்கள், Tamiḻarkaḷ, translit-std=ISO, label=none, in the plural), or simply Tamils (), are a Dravi ...
mother. He is the youngest of four boys; his brothers are Suresh Choudary (co-producer in their home banner, Super Good Films), Jeevan Choudary (entrepreneur of a steel company), and
Jithan Ramesh Choudary (actor and producer). R. B. Choudary is a noted independent south Indian film producer (Super Good Films) who has been a launchpad for now-famous directors and actors.
Jiiva is fluent in Tamil and English, and can also speak limited Hindi.
Career
2003–2008: Debut and breakthrough
Jiiva made his debut in his father's production (
Super Good Films
Super Good Films, also credited as Mega Super Good Films in Telugu cinema, is an Indian film production and distribution company in Tamil cinema. It was established in the 1980s by R. B. Choudary.
History
R. B. Choudary hails from a Rajastha ...
), ''
Aasai Aasaiyai
''Aasai Aasaiyai'' is a 2003 Indian Tamil-language romance film directed by Ravi Mariya. This film was the debut of famous producer R. B. Choudary's fourth son, Jiiva. The female lead role was done by Sharmelee. The music was composed by Mani Sh ...
'', directed by
Ravi Mariya
S. Ravi Mariya (born August 4, 1979) is an Indian film director and actor who works primarily in Tamil cinema. He appears in villain and supporting roles.
Career
Ravi Mariya's directorial debut was meant to be ''Nee Naan Kaadhal'' starring Pras ...
in 2003. The film performed averagely at the box office, but critics felt that Jiiva left an impression.
His second film ''
Thithikudhe
''Thithikudhe'' () is a 2003 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film directed by Brinda Sarathy. It stars Jiiva and Sridevi Vijaykumar in the lead love roles. The film's score and music were composed by Vidyasagar. This film is the Tamil ...
'' (the Tamil remake of
Uday Kiran
Uday Kiran (26 June 1980 – 5 January 2014) was an Indian actor who primarily worked in Telugu cinema. His first three films, ''Chitram'' (2000), ''Nuvvu Nenu'' (2001), and ''Manasantha Nuvve'' (2001) were successful at the box office, earning ...
's Telugu movie ''
Manasantha Nuvve
''Manasantha Nuvve'' is a 2001 Indian Telugu-language romantic drama film directed by V. N. Aditya. This film stars Uday Kiran and Reema Sen in the lead roles. The film was written and produced by M. S. Raju and had music composed by R. P. ...
'') which also released in the same year was also produced by Super Good Films. The film opened to mixed reviews but the actor gained appreciation for his good looks and expressive emotions. It was his third movie,
Ameer's crime thriller,
''Raam'' (2005) that was called a 'dream break' for his calling in the film industry. The racy screenplay and his role of an eccentric 17-year-old gained positive feedback from audience and critics. The movie was screened at the International Film Festival in Goa and later at the
Cyprus International Film Festival
The Cyprus International Film Festival (CYIFF) is an annual film festival held in Cyprus. The festival has taken place in Nicosia and more recently in Paphos, in cooperation with Cultural International Festivals.
Description
The International ...
, where he won the Best Actor award.
Jiiva next starred in ''
Dishyum
''Dishyum'' is a 2006 Indian Tamil-language action-romance film directed by Sasi. Cinematography by Santonio Terzio. The film stars Jiiva, Sandhya, Guinness Pakru, Nassar, and Malavika Avinash. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by ...
'' (2006), opposite
Sandhya of ''
Kaadhal
''Kaadhal'' () is a 2004 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film based on a true story, directed by Balaji Sakthivel, starring Bharath (in his first film as a main lead actor) and Sandhya. It was produced by S. Shankar and featured music co ...
'' fame. "A feel-good movie for youngsters", reviewed various local publications. "Jeeva continues from this point and has matured as an actor. His acting is impeccable and natural; his emoting, expressions, emotions expressed by looks, body-language – all are perfect," remarked ''Galatta.'' The same year, he made his debut as an NSG Commando in Malayalam cinema with
Major Ravi
Major A. K. Raveendran SM (born 13 June 1958) is a retired officer of the Indian Army and former National Security Guard commando. He was awarded the President's gallantry medal in 1991 and 1992 for his contributions in fighting terrorism in P ...
's film
''Keerthi Chakra'' (2006) starring
Mohanlal
Mohanlal Viswanathan (born 21 May 1960), known mononymously as Mohanlal, is an Indian actor, film producer, playback singer, film distributor, and director who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema besides also having sporadically appeare ...
. The movie had a great opening and was one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of the year. Jiiva also won the Best Pair Award along with
Gopika
Girly Anto, credited by her screen name Gopika (born 1 February 1984) is an Indian actress, who has predominantly starred in Malayalam films.Starting her career as a model, she ventured into acting with the Malayalam film, ''Pranayamanithooval'' ...
at
Asianet Film Awards
The Asianet Film Awards is an award ceremony for films presented annually by Asianet, a Malayalam-language television network from the south-Indian state of Kerala. Asianet says that awards ceremony has been instituted to honour both artis ...
. "Jeeva the Tamil actor has a more heroic role which he has done with felicity. The physical energy he imparts to the role has to be seen to be believed," wrote Sify. Later, the movie was dubbed and released in Tamil as ''Aran''. His last movie in 2006 was ''
E'', where he portrayed the role of a slum dweller, opposite
Nayanthara
Diana Mariam Kurian, known professionally as
Nayanthara, is an Indian actress and film producer who is known for her work in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films. She was in the ''Forbes India'' "Celebrity 100" 2018 list, with her total annual ...
.The film received positive reviews and was a commercial hit.
The release of ''
Kattradhu Thamizh
''Kattradhu Thamizh'' (; previously titled is a 2007 Indian Tamil-language psychological thriller film written and directed by Ram, who directs his debut film. Produced by Salmara Mohammad Sharief, it stars Jiiva, Anjali and Karunas. The film ...
'' (2007), which turned out to be a super hit. Jiiva had two more releases after that, ''
Rameswaram
Rameswaram (; also transliterated as Ramesvaram, Rameshwaram) is a municipality in the Ramanathapuram district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is on Pamban Island separated from mainland India by the Pamban channel and is about 40 kilo ...
'' in 2007 and ''
Thenavattu
''Thenavattu'' () is a 2008 Indian Tamil-language action film written and directed by V. V. Kathir, starring Jiiva and Poonam Bajwa, whilst Ganja Karuppu, Ravi Kale, Shafi, Saikumar, and Rajan P. Dev play pivotal roles. The music was composed by ...
'' in 2008.
2009–2014: Commercial success and critical acclaim
Among his releases in the 2000s, Jiiva garnered the most appreciation for portraying various roles that were critically and commercially successful. In 2009, Jiiva experienced major commercial success with Director Rajesh's maiden venture, ''
Siva Manasula Sakthi
''Siva Manasula Sakthi'' () also known by the initialism ''SMS'', is a 2009 Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language romantic comedy film written and directed by debutant M. Rajesh, a former assistant of director S. A. Chandrasekhar. It stars Jiiv ...
'' (2009), opposite
Anuya, still hailed as one of the best romantic comedies of all time and has since become a cult rom-com in the Tamil film industry. In 2010, he signed up with Super Good Films for a movie titled ''
Kacheri Arambam
''Kacheri Aarambam'' () or simply ''Kacheri'' is a 2010 Indian action comedy film written and directed by Thiraivannan, starring Jiiva and Poonam Bajwa, whilst, J. D. Chakravarthy plays a pivotal role. The film was released on 19 March 2010.This ...
'', which was described as entertaining, action-packed and comical by various news channels '
BehindwoodsIndiaglitz''
His next film was ''
Singam Puli
''Singam Puli'' (') is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film written and directed by Sai Ramani. It stars Jiiva in dual roles, co-starring Divya Spandana, Honey Rose and Santhanam. With its release delayed multiple times, the film s ...
'' (2011), where he played dual roles, following which
K. V. Anand
Karimanal Venkatesan Anand (30 October 1966 30 April 2021) was an Indian cinematographer, film director and photojournalist, worked mainly in the Tamil film industry. After a short period as a journalist, he became a cinematographer in the e ...
's political thriller ''
Ko'' (2011) with
Karthika Nair
Karthika Nair (born 27 June 1992) is a former Indian actress who primarily worked down South in all language films. She made her debut in the 2009 Telugu film ''Josh (2009 Telugu film), Josh'', opposite Naga Chaitanya. She rose to fame starring ...
as the lead-role actress and
Piaa Bajpai
Pia Bajpiee is an Indian actress and model who appears primarily in Bollywood and Kollywood films. She is best known for her performances as Roshini in Venkat Prabhu's comedy ''Goa'' and Saro in K. V. Anand's political thriller '' Ko''.
Early li ...
in a supporting role
''Rediff''stated that his role as Ashwin in ''Ko'' was a "cake-walk for Jiiva: he's had a ball with the camera, clicking shots in almost impossible situations and making sure his trademark effervescence is present at all times", while
' said that "with this performance he was going to be a force to reckon with in Tamil cinema". His next films were ''
Rowthiram
''Rowthiram'' () is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language martial arts film written and directed by newcomer Gokul. Produced by R. B. Choudary, the film stars his son Jiiva and Shriya Saran, with Sentrayan, Jayaprakash and Lakshmi Ramakrishnan appearing ...
'' (2011), directed by Gokul, and ''
Vandhaan Vendraan
''Vanthaan Vendraan'' () is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film written and directed by R. Kannan that stars Jiiva, Nandha and Taapsee Pannu in the lead roles. Principal photography began on 27 August 2010, and the film released on ...
'' (2011) by
R. Kannan
R. Kannan (born Rajmohan on 21 July 1971) is an Indian filmmaker. He made his directorial debut with the successful Tamil film ''Jayamkondaan'' starring Vinay Rai and Bhavana in 2008.
Career
Kannan started his career assisting director Manobal ...
, released in quick succession. In fact, in Rowthiram, his agility in action sequences is very impressive."
![From the sets of Nanban](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/From_the_sets_of_Nanban_.jpg)
In 2012, he appeared in
S. Shankar
Shankar Shanmugam (born 17 August 1963), credited as S. Shankar or his mononym Shankar, is an Indian filmmaker who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. He is one of the most prolific and highest paid film directors in India. His films typicall ...
's comedy-drama
''Nanban'' (a remake of the Bollywood blockbuster ''
3 Idiots
''3 Idiots'' (stylized as ''3 idiots'') is a 2009 Indian Hindi-language coming-of-age comedy-drama film written, edited and directed by Rajkumar Hirani, co-written by Abhijat Joshi and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. Adapted loosely from Cheta ...
''). Jiiva reprised the role of Sharman Joshi in the Tamil version as Sevarkodi Senthil and starred alongside
Vijay, and
Srikanth Srikanth or Sreekanth is a common Indian first name.
* Srikanth (Tamil actor, born 1940), Tamil film actor active in films from 1965
* Srikanth (Tamil actor, born 1980), Tamil actor active in films after 2002
* Srikanth (Telugu actor), Telugu acto ...
. At the cost of 550 million (INR), it was one of the most expensive films to be made at that point, and was released on Pongal in 622 screens worldwide. The movie received highly positive reviews and became a blockbuster. Malathi Rangarajan of ''The Hindu'' stated, "As for Jiiva, you give him characters with scope and he delivers".
His next project was
Mysskin
Shanmugha Raja, known professionally as Mysskin, is an Tamil film director, screenwriter, actor, singer, and producer.
He made his directorial debut in 2006 with ''Chithiram Pesuthadi''. His subsequent films ''Anjathe'' (2008), ''Nandalala'' ( ...
's ''
Mugamoodi
''Mugamoodi'' () is a 2012 Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language superhero film written and directed by Mysskin. The film stars Jiiva, Narain (actor), Narain, and Pooja Hegde who makes her acting debut through this film. While Nassar (actor), Na ...
'' (2012), the first ever Tamil superhero movie. Reports claimed that Jiiva underwent special training at Mansuria Kung Fu YMCA, Nandanam, Chennai, the same place where he had trained in Kung-Fu for a few years before venturing into movies. High-end gadgets were used in the film, designed by the
Indian Institutes of Technology
The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are central government owned public technical institutes located across India. They are under the ownership of the Ministry of Education of the Government of India. They are governed by the Instit ...
(IIT), while teams from the
National Institute of Fashion Technology
National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) is an autonomous institute that offers courses in fashion, designing, technology, and management. Its head office is located in New Delhi, India.
History
NIFT was established in 1986 under the M ...
(NIFT) created the costumes and looks of the characters. It is said that Jiiva's super hero costume, designed by Gabriella Wilkins, weighed more than 10 kg.
![Mugamoodi costumer molding session](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Mugamoodi_costumer_molding_session.jpg)
The movie opened to positive reviews, and a few cited it as "different and refreshing". The movie received much attention from children. Jiiva received appreciation from critics for his role as Lee. "The titular role fits Jiiva well, very much like the armour he dons. But your heart goes out to him — performing stunts in a costume that looks unbearably heavy, with a face-mask to boot must have been quite a task," commented ''The Hindu'' review. ''
Firstpost
''Firstpost'' is an Indian online news and media website. The site is a part of the Network 18 media conglomerate owned by Reliance Industries, which also runs CNN-News18 and CNBC-TV18.
The ''Network 18'' group was originally owned by Raghav ...
'' called Jiiva's role a "rewarding performance". "Jiiva has obviously given his best, and his martial arts sequences are worthy of applause," said ''
Rediff
Rediff.com (stylized as ''rediff.com'') is an Indian news, information, entertainment and shopping web portal. It was founded in 1996. It is headquartered in Mumbai, with offices in Bangalore, New Delhi and New York City.
, it had more than 300 e ...
''.
Jiiva's next venture was
Gautham Vasudev Menon
Gautham Vasudev Menon (born 25 February 1973) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer and actor who predominantly works in Tamil cinema, Tamil film industry. He has also directed Telugu cinema, Telugu and Hindi cinema, Hindi films th ...
's ''
Neethaane En Ponvasantham
''Neethaane En Ponvasantham'' () is a 2012 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film co written, co produced and directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon, starring Jiiva and Samantha. This film is a shot simultaneously in Telugu, Yeto Vellipoyindhi ...
'' (2012), starring opposite
Samantha Ruth Prabhu
Samantha Ruth Prabhu (formerly: Samantha Akkineni; born 28 April 1987) is an Indian actress who mainly works in Telugu and Tamil film industries. She is a recipient of several awards, including four South Filmfare Awards, six South Indian I ...
. The film had an average run at the box office. Critics and audiences felt that the actor brought dignity to the screen as Varun Krishnan. After this, he worked on
Bejoy Nambiar
Bejoy Nambiar (born 12 April 1979) is an Indian film director, and screenwriter known for his work in Bollywood. He is mostly known for his critically acclaimed short films, ''Rahu'' and ''Reflections (2005 film), Reflections'', starring Mohanl ...
's
''David'' (2013) alongside
Vikram, which garnered positive reviews, but failed at the box office. His next movie was ''
Endrendrum Punnagai
''Endrendrum Punnagai'' () is a 2013 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy drama film written and directed by I. Ahmed starring Jiiva, Trisha, Vinay, Santhanam, Andrea, and Nassar. The film has music by Harris Jayaraj and cinematography by ...
'', where he was paired with
Trisha
Trisha is a unisex given name, usually derived from the female Latin given name Patricia.
Notable people and characters with the name include:
People
*Trisha (actress), Indian film actress Trisha Krishnan (born 1983)
* Trisha Baptie (born 1973 ...
for the first time. The film, based on friendship, was a commercial success. In 2014, he worked in cinematographer
Ravi K. Chandran
Ravi K. Chandran is an Indian cinematographer and film director known for his works in Hindi, Malayalam, and Tamil-language cinema. He is the founding member of the Indian Society of Cinematographers (ISC). His most recognized works are '' Minsa ...
's directorial debut ''
Yaan
Ya'an (, Tibetan: Yak-Nga ) is a prefecture-level city in the western part of Sichuan province, China, located just below the Tibetan Plateau. The city is home to Sichuan Agricultural University, the only 211 Project university and the largest r ...
''. Despite the pre-release hype, the film received negative reviews and was a box office failure.
2015–present: Challenges and comeback
Jiiva took a break for a year in 2015 and returned with three releases in 2016. He starred in his 25th film
''Pokkiri Raja'', which opened to mixed to negative reviews. His next film was the long delayed ''
Thirunaal
''Thirunaal'' () is a 2016 Indian Tamil-language action drama film written and directed by P. S. Ramnath and produced by M. Senthil Kumar. The film stars Jiiva and Nayanthara in their second collaboration after '' E''. The music was composed by ...
'' in which he united with Nayantara for the second time. He was next seen in a romantic comedy, ''
Kavalai Vendam
''Kavalai Vendam'' () is a 2016 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Deekay. The film stars Jiiva and Kajal Aggarwal, while Bobby Simha and Sunaina play supporting roles. The film, which is said to be an urban r ...
'' (2016), directed by Deekay, where he was paired opposite
Kajal Aggarwal
Kajal Aggarwal (born 19 June 1985) is an Indian actress and model who mainly appears in Telugu and Tamil language films, in addition to a few Hindi films. Aggarwal has worked in more than 50 films and also received two South Indian Internatio ...
. The movie had mixed reviews. "Jiiva seems like the perfect choice for the role, being effortlessly flippant, funny and intensely emotional", said Rediff.com's review.
His 2017 release, ''
Sangili Bungili Kadhava Thorae
''Sangili Bungili Kadhava Thorae'' () is a 2017 Indian Tamil-language horror comedy film written and directed by Ike, and produced by Fox Star Studios and Atlee under his production house 'A for Apple Productions'. The film stars Jiiva, Sri Div ...
'', a horror comedy by debut director Ike, received a mixed reviews to positive reviews and performed well at the box office. His next movie was ''
Kalakalappu 2
''Kalakalappu 2'' is a 2018 Indian Tamil-language comedy film written and directed by Sundar C and produced by Khushbu. It is a spiritual sequel to the 2012 film ''Kalakalappu''. The film features Jiiva, Jai, Shiva, Nikki Galrani and Catherin ...
'' (2018), directed by
Sundar C., released in February. Jiiva was seen alongside
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
,
Jai,
Nikki Galrani
Nikita Galrani (born 3 January 1992) is an Indian actress known for her works in Malayalam and Tamil language, Tamil films. Her commercially successful films include ''1983 (film), 1983'' (2014), ''Vellimoonga'' (2014) and ''Darling (2015 Indi ...
and
Catherine Tresa
Catherine Tresa Alexander (born 10 September 1989) is an Indian actress and model. She has established her career predominantly in Telugu and Tamil films. She made her debut in 2010 in the Kannada film ''Shankar IPS''. Catherine has been nominat ...
. A comedy entertainer, the movie received mixed reviews but performed well at the box office and was a super hit.
Jiiva's next film ''
Kee'', a cyber thriller, released in May 2019 was received with mixed reviews, had an average run at the box-office. Jiiva's next film ''
Gorilla
Gorillas are herbivorous, predominantly ground-dwelling great apes that inhabit the tropical forests of equatorial Africa. The genus ''Gorilla'' is divided into two species: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, and either four or fi ...
'', directed by Don Sandy released in July 2019. This film had a chimpanzee in a key role which was the first ever instance in Indian film history. It was also revealed that the chimpanzee named Kong was hired from the Samut training station of Thailand. Most of the sequences related to the chimpanzee were shot in Thailand and the remaining portions were shot in Chennai.
In 2020, he starred in the action movie ''
Seeru
''Seeru'' () is a 2020 Indian Tamil-language action film written and directed by Rathina Shiva. The film stars Jiiva, Riya Suman, Gayathri Krishnaa and Navdeep in the lead roles, with Varun and Sathish in supportive roles. D. Imman composes m ...
'' followed by the romance ''
Gypsy
The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sign ...
''.
In 2021, he acted in Kabir Khan's film ''
83'', playing the role of
Kris Srikkanth
Krishnamachari Srikkanth (born 21 December 1959), also known as Cheeka, is a former captain of the Indian cricket team and former chairman of the selection committee. He played a crucial part in India's team batting line up as opener espec ...
, and therefore being part of the main ensemble alongside Ranveer Singh.
Other work
Jiiva was a judge on STAR Vijay's reality dance competition ''
Jodi Number One
''Jodi Number One'' is an Indian Tamil-language dance competition reality television show broadcast on Star Vijay and from the year 2006. Its contestants are couples who are generally television stars in their own right, often from the televi ...
'' in its third season along with Sangeetha and Aishwarya Rajinikanth. He was also a judge on ''Astro's Yuttha Medai All Stars'' Grand Finals in Malaysia.
Filmography
*''All films are in Tamil, unless otherwise noted.''
As an actor
, -
! Year
! Film
! Role(s)
! Notes
! class="unsortable" , Ref
, -
, rowspan="2" , 2003
, ''
Aasai Aasaiyai
''Aasai Aasaiyai'' is a 2003 Indian Tamil-language romance film directed by Ravi Mariya. This film was the debut of famous producer R. B. Choudary's fourth son, Jiiva. The female lead role was done by Sharmelee. The music was composed by Mani Sh ...
'' , , Vinod , , Debut Film , , style="text-align:center;" ,
, -
, ''
Thithikudhe
''Thithikudhe'' () is a 2003 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film directed by Brinda Sarathy. It stars Jiiva and Sridevi Vijaykumar in the lead love roles. The film's score and music were composed by Vidyasagar. This film is the Tamil ...
'' , , Chinnu (Venu) , , , , style="text-align:center;" ,
, -
, 2005
, ''
Raam'' , , Rama Krishna , , , , style="text-align:center;" ,
, -
, rowspan="3" , 2006
, ''
Dishyum
''Dishyum'' is a 2006 Indian Tamil-language action-romance film directed by Sasi. Cinematography by Santonio Terzio. The film stars Jiiva, Sandhya, Guinness Pakru, Nassar, and Malavika Avinash. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by ...
'' , , Bhaskar , , , , style="text-align:center;" ,
, -
, ''
Keerthi Chakra
The Kirti Chakra is an Indian military decoration awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the field of battle. It may be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, including posthumous awards. It is the ''p ...
'' , , Havildar Jaikumar , ,
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...
film , , style="text-align:center;" ,
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, rowspan="3" , 2007
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Pori
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Pori (; sv, Björneborg ) is a city and municipality on the west coast of Finland. The city is located some from the Gulf of Bothnia, on the estuary of the Kokemäki River, west of Tampere, north of Turku and north-w ...
'' , , Hari , , , , style="text-align:center;" ,
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, ''
Kattradhu Thamizh
''Kattradhu Thamizh'' (; previously titled is a 2007 Indian Tamil-language psychological thriller film written and directed by Ram, who directs his debut film. Produced by Salmara Mohammad Sharief, it stars Jiiva, Anjali and Karunas. The film ...
'' , , Prabhakar , , Nominated 2nd
Vijay Awards
The Vijay Awards are presented by the Tamil television channel STAR Vijay to honour excellence in Tamil cinema. It has been given annually since 2006, with the latest—the 10th edition—of the award-giving ceremony having been held in ...
for Best Actor , , style="text-align:center;" ,
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Rameswaram
Rameswaram (; also transliterated as Ramesvaram, Rameshwaram) is a municipality in the Ramanathapuram district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is on Pamban Island separated from mainland India by the Pamban channel and is about 40 kilo ...
'' , , Jeevan , , , , style="text-align:center;" ,
, -
, 2008
, ''
Thenavattu
''Thenavattu'' () is a 2008 Indian Tamil-language action film written and directed by V. V. Kathir, starring Jiiva and Poonam Bajwa, whilst Ganja Karuppu, Ravi Kale, Shafi, Saikumar, and Rajan P. Dev play pivotal roles. The music was composed by ...
'' , , Kottaisami , , , , style="text-align:center;" ,
, -
, rowspan="2" , 2009
, ''
Siva Manasula Sakthi
''Siva Manasula Sakthi'' () also known by the initialism ''SMS'', is a 2009 Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language romantic comedy film written and directed by debutant M. Rajesh, a former assistant of director S. A. Chandrasekhar. It stars Jiiv ...
'' , , Siva , , , , style="text-align:center;" ,
, -
, ''
TN 07 AL 4777
''TN-07 AL 4777'' is a 2009 Indian Tamil-language thriller drama film directed by A. Lakshmikanthan. The film stars Simran, Pasupathy, Ajmal Ameer, and Meenakshi. The film's soundtrack, composed by Vijay Antony was released on 12 December 2008. ...
'' , , Narrator , , , , style="text-align:center;" ,
, -
, rowspan="2" , 2010
, ''
Kacheri Arambam
''Kacheri Aarambam'' () or simply ''Kacheri'' is a 2010 Indian action comedy film written and directed by Thiraivannan, starring Jiiva and Poonam Bajwa, whilst, J. D. Chakravarthy plays a pivotal role. The film was released on 19 March 2010.This ...
'' , , Paari , , , , style="text-align:center;" ,
, -
, ''
Boss Engira Bhaskaran
''Boss Engira Bhaskaran'' () is a 2010 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film written and directed by M. Rajesh who earlier directed ''Siva Manasula Sakthi'' (2009). Starring Arya, Nayanthara and Santhanam in lead roles, the film is produce ...
'' , , Shiva , , Cameo appearance , , style="text-align:center;" ,
, -
, rowspan="4" , 2011
, ''
Singam Puli
''Singam Puli'' (') is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film written and directed by Sai Ramani. It stars Jiiva in dual roles, co-starring Divya Spandana, Honey Rose and Santhanam. With its release delayed multiple times, the film s ...
'' , , Ashok Kumar, Shiva , , , , style="text-align:center;" ,
, -
, ''
Ko'' , , Ashwin Kumar , , , , style="text-align:center;" ,
, -
, ''
Rowthiram
''Rowthiram'' () is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language martial arts film written and directed by newcomer Gokul. Produced by R. B. Choudary, the film stars his son Jiiva and Shriya Saran, with Sentrayan, Jayaprakash and Lakshmi Ramakrishnan appearing ...
'' , , Siva , , , , style="text-align:center;" ,
, -
, ''
Vandhaan Vendraan
''Vanthaan Vendraan'' () is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film written and directed by R. Kannan that stars Jiiva, Nandha and Taapsee Pannu in the lead roles. Principal photography began on 27 August 2010, and the film released on ...
'' , , Arjun , , , , style="text-align:center;" ,
, -
, rowspan="4" , 2012
, ''
Nanban Nanban may refer to: Japan
* Nanban art
refers to Japanese art of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries influenced by contact with the or 'Southern barbarians', traders and missionaries from Europe and specifically from Portugal. It is a ...
'' , , Sevarkodi Senthil , , , , style="text-align:center;" ,
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, ''
Mugamoodi
''Mugamoodi'' () is a 2012 Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language superhero film written and directed by Mysskin. The film stars Jiiva, Narain (actor), Narain, and Pooja Hegde who makes her acting debut through this film. While Nassar (actor), Na ...
'' , , Anand (Bruce Lee) , , , , style="text-align:center;" ,
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Neethaane En Ponvasantham
''Neethaane En Ponvasantham'' () is a 2012 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film co written, co produced and directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon, starring Jiiva and Samantha. This film is a shot simultaneously in Telugu, Yeto Vellipoyindhi ...
'' , , Varun Krishnan , ,
Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor
The Tamil State Film Awards for Best Actor is given by the state government as part of its annual Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for Tamil (Kollywood) films.
List of winners
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Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu
''Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu'' () is a 2012 Indian Telugu-language musical romance film co written, co produced and directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon. It stars Nani and Samanatha. The film features score and soundtrack composed by Ilaiyaraaja a ...
'' , , Train Passenger , , Special appearance in song "Koti Koti" (
Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India
*Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language
** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode
S ...
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, rowspan="2" , 2013
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David
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
'' , , David , , , , style="text-align:center;" ,
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Endrendrum Punnagai
''Endrendrum Punnagai'' () is a 2013 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy drama film written and directed by I. Ahmed starring Jiiva, Trisha, Vinay, Santhanam, Andrea, and Nassar. The film has music by Harris Jayaraj and cinematography by ...
'' , , Goutham Sridhar , , , , style="text-align:center;" ,
, -
, rowspan="2" , 2014
, ''
Jilla
''Jilla'' () is a 2014 Indian Tamil-language action drama film written and directed by R. T. Neason and produced by R. B. Choudary through the company Super Good Films. Starring Mohanlal and Vijay athe film revolves around the conflict betwe ...
'' , , Himself , , Special appearance in "Paatu Onnu" Song , , style="text-align:center;" ,
, -
, ''
Yaan
Ya'an (, Tibetan: Yak-Nga ) is a prefecture-level city in the western part of Sichuan province, China, located just below the Tibetan Plateau. The city is home to Sichuan Agricultural University, the only 211 Project university and the largest r ...
'' , , K.Chandrasekhar , , , , style="text-align:center;" ,
, -
, rowspan="2" , 2015
, ''
Inji Iduppazhagi
Size zero or size 0 is a women's clothing size in the US catalog sizes system. Size 0 and 00 were invented due to the changing of clothing sizes over time (referred to as vanity sizing or size inflation), which has caused the adoption of lower nu ...
'' , , rowspan="2" , Himself , , Cameo appearance , , style="text-align:center;" ,
, -
, ''Size Zero'' , , Telugu film; cameo appearance , , style="text-align:center;" ,
, -
, rowspan="4" , 2016
, ''
Pokkiri Raja'' , , Sanjeevi , , 25th Film , , style="text-align:center;" ,
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, ''
Thirunaal
''Thirunaal'' () is a 2016 Indian Tamil-language action drama film written and directed by P. S. Ramnath and produced by M. Senthil Kumar. The film stars Jiiva and Nayanthara in their second collaboration after '' E''. The music was composed by ...
'' , , Blade Ganesh , , , , style="text-align:center;" ,
, -
, ''
Kadavul Irukaan Kumaru
''Kadavul Irukaan Kumaru'' () is a 2016 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film written and directed by M. Rajesh and produced by N. Ramasamy. The film stars G. V. Prakash Kumar, Nikki Galrani and Anandhi, while Prakash Raj and RJ Balaji ...
'' , , Karthik Kumar , , Cameo appearance , , style="text-align:center;" ,
, -
, ''
Kavalai Vendam
''Kavalai Vendam'' () is a 2016 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Deekay. The film stars Jiiva and Kajal Aggarwal, while Bobby Simha and Sunaina play supporting roles. The film, which is said to be an urban r ...
'' , , Aravind Baskar , , , , style="text-align:center;" ,
, -
, 2017
, ''
Sangili Bungili Kadhava Thorae
''Sangili Bungili Kadhava Thorae'' () is a 2017 Indian Tamil-language horror comedy film written and directed by Ike, and produced by Fox Star Studios and Atlee under his production house 'A for Apple Productions'. The film stars Jiiva, Sri Div ...
'' , , Vasu , , , , style="text-align:center;" ,
, -
, rowspan="2" , 2018
, ''
Kalakalappu 2
''Kalakalappu 2'' is a 2018 Indian Tamil-language comedy film written and directed by Sundar C and produced by Khushbu. It is a spiritual sequel to the 2012 film ''Kalakalappu''. The film features Jiiva, Jai, Shiva, Nikki Galrani and Catherin ...
'' , , Srinivas , , , , style="text-align:center;" ,
, -
, ''
Tamizh Padam 2
''Tamizh Padam 2: Police Athiyayam'' () is a 2018 Indian Tamil-language parody film written and directed by C. S. Amudhan and produced by S. Sashikanth and Ramachandra of YNOT Studios. A sequel to the successful ''Thamizh Padam'' (2010), the f ...
'' , , Himself , , Special appearance , , style="text-align:center;" ,
, -
, rowspan="2" , 2019
, ''
Kee'' , , Siddharth , , , , style="text-align:center;" ,
, -
, ''
Gorilla
Gorillas are herbivorous, predominantly ground-dwelling great apes that inhabit the tropical forests of equatorial Africa. The genus ''Gorilla'' is divided into two species: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, and either four or fi ...
''
, Jiiva
,
, style="text-align:center;" ,
, -
, rowspan="2" , 2020
, ''
Seeru
''Seeru'' () is a 2020 Indian Tamil-language action film written and directed by Rathina Shiva. The film stars Jiiva, Riya Suman, Gayathri Krishnaa and Navdeep in the lead roles, with Varun and Sathish in supportive roles. D. Imman composes m ...
'' , , Manimaran , , , , style="text-align:center;" ,
, -
, , ''
Gypsy
The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sign ...
'' , , Gypsy , , , , style="text-align:center;" ,
, -
, rowspan="2" , 2021
, ''
Kalathil Santhippom
''Kalathil Santhippom'' () is a 2021 Indian Tamil language sports action drama film written and directed by N. Rajasekar with dialogues penned by R. Ashok. The film stars Jiiva, Arulnithi, Manjima Mohan and Priya Bhavani Shankar. The film is ...
'' , , Ashok , , , , style="text-align:center;" ,
, -
, ''
83'' , ,
Kris Srikkanth
Krishnamachari Srikkanth (born 21 December 1959), also known as Cheeka, is a former captain of the Indian cricket team and former chairman of the selection committee. He played a crucial part in India's team batting line up as opener espec ...
, , Debut
Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
Film , , style="text-align:center;" ,
, -
, rowspan="4" , 2022
, ''
Coffee with Kadhal
''Coffee with Kadhal'' () is an 2022 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy family drama film written and directed by Sundar C. and produced by Khushbu, A. C. S. Arun Kumar and A. C. Shanmugam under the banner of Avni Cinemax and Benzz Media ...
''
, Saravanan
,
, style="text-align:center;" ,
, -
, ''
Nitham Oru Vaanam
''Nitham Oru Vaanam'' () is a 2022 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by Ra. Karthik in his directorial debut. The film stars Ashok Selvan, Ritu Varma, Aparna Balamurali and Shivathmika Rajashekar. Gopi Sundar compos ...
''
, Real Prabhakaran
, Cameo appearance
, style="text-align:center;" ,
, -
, ''
Varalaru Mukkiyam
''Varalaru Mukkiyam'' () is a 2022 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy drama film written and directed by Santhosh Rajan in his directorial debut and produced by R. B. Choudary through the company Super Good Films. The films stars his son ...
'' , , Karthik , ,
, style="text-align:center;" ,
, -
, style="background:#ffc;" , ''
Golmaal Golmaal is the title of the following Indian films:
*''Gol Maal'', 1979 Hindi comedy film directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee starring Amol Palekar
* ''Golmaal'' (1998 film), a Tamil film starring Selva
* ''Golmaal'' (2008 film), a Bengali film starri ...
'' , , , , Filming , , style="text-align:center;" ,
in Television
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jiiva
Living people
Indian male film actors
Tamil male actors
1984 births
21st-century Indian male actors
Male actors in Tamil cinema
Male actors from Chennai