Sarathkumar Ramanathan (born 14 July 1954) is an Indian actor, politician, filmmaker, and singer. He has acted in more than 130
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
,
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 ...
,
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 ...
and
Kannada
Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
films. He has won two
Tamil Nadu State Film Awards
Tamil Nadu State Film Awards were given for excellence in Tamil cinema in India. They were given annually to honour the best talents and provide encouragement and incentive to the South Indian film industry by the Government of Tamil Nadu. The aw ...
and three
Filmfare Awards South
Filmfare Awards South is the South Indian segment of the annual Filmfare Awards, presented by the Filmfare magazine of The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Indian film industry encompassing ...
.
Originally a bodybuilder and later journalist, in 1986, Sarathkumar started his acting career in the Telugu film ''Samajamlo Sthree''. He first acted in negative roles, and later played supporting roles before establishing himself as a lead actor in subsequent years, earning him the titles ''Supreme Star'' and ''Super Hero'' 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' ...
.
In 2007, he launched a new political party
All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi
The All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi (; AISMK) is a Tamil political party in India. The party's founder and president is actor R. Sarathkumar. Kumar was a part of DMK in his early political career and then joined All India Anna Dravida Munne ...
(AISMK) in
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
, claiming to carry out the ideals of
K. Kamaraj
Kumaraswami Kamaraj (15 July 1903 – 2 October 1975, hinduonnet.com. 15–28 September 2001), popularly known as Kamarajar was an Indian independence activist and politician who served as the Chief Minister of Madras State (Tamil Nadu) ...
. He is the former
Member of Legislative Assembly
A member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to a legislative assembly. Most often, the term refers to a subnational assembly such as that of a state, province, or territory of a country. S ...
of
Tenkasi constituency. He served as the president of the
Nadigar Sangam
The Nadigar Sangam ( en, Actors' association), officially known as the South Indian Artistes' Association (SIAA), is a union for film, television, and stage actors in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, based in Chennai. Formed in 1952, the grou ...
from 2006 to 2015 for three consecutive terms.
Early life
R. Sarathkumar was born on 14 July 1954 to Ramanathan and Pushpaleela, a Tamil family in
New Delhi
New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...
.
His father Ramanathan worked at the
All India Radio
All or ALL may refer to:
Language
* All, an indefinite pronoun in English
* All, one of the English determiners
* Allar language (ISO 639-3 code)
* Allative case (abbreviated ALL)
Music
* All (band), an American punk rock band
* ''All'' (All a ...
before joining the
Press Information Bureau
The Press Information Bureau, commonly abbreviated as PIB, is a nodal agency of the Government of India under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Based in National Media Centre, New Delhi, Press Information Bureau disseminates informatio ...
of India, while his mother Pushpaleela was a housewife. Sarathkumar is the youngest child in his family, he had two siblings; an elder brother, the late Sudarshan Ramanathan and an elder sister Mallika Kandaswamy. His mother Pushpaleela died on 26 October 2013.
Sarathkumar started his schooling at the Raja Muthiah High School, after his family relocated from Delhi to
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
. He then moved on to the Central School in the
Indian Institute of Technology Madras
Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) is a public technical university located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. As one of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), it is recognized as an Institute of National Importance and has be ...
, and finished at
St. Patrick's Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School
In 1875 St. Patrick's Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School was established in Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest ...
. Being an avid sports enthusiast, he played football, cricket and hockey, representing his school and college teams. He also joined the
NCC, becoming an Air Wing Cadet. He was one of the cadets who marched in the Republic Day Parade of 1970. After completing his pre-university levels at
Loyola College, he was subsequently graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from
The New College.
He later became a bodybuilder and earned the "Mr. Madras University" title in 1974. He then moved to
Bangalore
Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...
to work for the newly started Tamil newspaper
Dinakaran
Dinakaran is a Tamil daily newspaper distributed in Tamil Nadu, India. It was founded by K. P. Kandasamy in 1977 and is currently owned by media conglomerate Sun Group's- Sun Network.''Dinakaran'' is the second largest circulated Tamil daily ...
, he started as a cycle boy distributing newspapers to shops and later graduated to become a reporter for the same newspaper. After successfully establishing the circulation, he moved on to Chennai. He shifted his energies towards running his own business, a travel agency in Chennai and meeting Kannadasan who elevated him to become a producer.
He is fluent in all major
South Indian languages and is quite proficient in
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
.
Acting career
1986–1991: Debut roles
Sarathkumar made his acting debut in 1986, in the Telugu film ''Samajamlo Sthree'' at the behest of a producer friend. Sarathkumar was originally cast to play the lead role in ''
Chinna Poove Mella Pesu
''Chinna Poove Mella Pesu'' () is a 1987 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film directed by Robert–Rajasekar. The film stars Prabhu, Ramki, Narmadha, Sudha Chandran and Sabitha Anand. The film, produced by S. K. Rajagopal, had musical scor ...
'' (1987) directed by
Robert–Rajasekar
Robert–Rajasekar was an Indian filmmaking duo consisting of Robert Asirvatham and S. Rajasekar. They were active in film direction and cinematography in Tamil cinema of the 1980s. The duo are regarded to have ushered a "new wave" in Tamil cin ...
but the producers insisted on having one familiar face and he was replaced by actor
Prabhu
''Prabhu'' means master or the Prince in Sanskrit and many of the Indian languages; it is a name sometimes applied to God. The term is also used by devotees of the Hindu God Lord Krishna/Vishnu as a title and form of address. It is also appended ...
. In 1988, while running his travel agency in Chennai, Sarathkumar got an opportunity to act as well as produce in the Tamil film ''
Kan Simittum Neram
''Kan Simittum Neram'' () is a 1988 Indian Tamil-language thriller film directed by Kalaivanan Kannadasan in his debut. The film stars Karthik, Ambika and R. Sarathkumar in his Tamil debut, and was released on 13 April 1988. It was remade in Hi ...
''.
The film was directed by Kannadasan and he co-starred with
Karthik and
Ambika
Ambika may refer to:
Mythology
* Ambika (goddess), an avatar of the Hindu goddesses Durga, Parvati, and Shakti
* Ambika (Jainism), a Jain Yakshini goddess
* Ambika (Mahabharata), the wife of Vichitravirya was also the mother of Dhritarashtra, ...
.
In 1989, R. Sarathkumar was spotted by Raju, the personal make-up man of actor
Vijayakanth
Narayanan Vijayaraj Alagarswami (born 25 August 1952), better known by his stage name Vijayakanth, is an Indian politician and former actor who has worked predominantly in Tamil cinema. He was the Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Leg ...
, who recommended him to the ''
Pulan Visaranai
''Pulan Visaranai'' () is a 1990 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by R. K. Selvamani. The film stars Vijayakanth. while Rupini, M. N. Nambiar, Radha Ravi, Anandaraj, and Sarathkumar play supporting roles. The film, produced b ...
''s team. Finally, R. Sarathkumar acted as a villain in ''Pulan Visaranai'' and the film turned out to be a blockbuster. He won a ''Cinema Express Award for Best Villain'' for his role, which brought him more film offers.
In 1990, he teamed up for the second time with Kannadasan for the film ''Mr. Karthik'', which flopped at the box office. Thereafter, he appeared in antagonist roles in Tamil films such as ''
Pudhu Padagan
''Pudhu Padagan'' () is a 1990 Indian Tamil-language masala film written, produced and directed by Kalaipuli S. Thanu who also composed the music. The film stars Vijayakanth and Amala. It was released on 14 April 1990.
Plot
Manikkam and Devi ...
'', ''
Velai Kidaichuduchu
''Velai Kidaichuduchu'' () is a 1990 Indian Tamil-language crime action film written and directed by P. Vasu. The film stars Sathyaraj and Gautami. It was released on 15 August 1990. The film was remade in Telugu as ''Assembly Rowdy'' (1991), in ...
'', ''
Raja Kaiya Vacha'', ''
Enkitta Mothathe'', ''
Jagathalaprathapan'' and in Telugu films such as ''Vishnu'', ''
Magaadu'' and ''
Balachandrudu''. He acted in few Tamil films in supporting roles such as ''
Salem Vishnu
''Salem Vishnu'' is a 1990 Tamil-language action film written, produced and directed by Thiagarajan in his directorial debut. The film stars Thiagarajan and Rupini. It had musical score by Sangeetha Rajan and was released on 16 February 1990. Th ...
'', ''
Sirayil Sila Raagangal
''Sirayil Sila Raagangal'' is a 1990 Indian Tamil-language film, directed by Rajendrakumar, starring Murali, Pallavi and Prathap Pothan.
Cast
* Murali
*Pallavi
*Prathap Pothan
*Sarath Kumar
* Vijayakumar
*Kumarimuthu
*Idichapuli Selvaraj
*Th ...
'', ''
Mounam Sammadham
''Mounam Sammadham'' () is a 1990 Indian Tamil-language legal thriller film written by S. N. Swamy, directed by K. Madhu and produced by Kovai Chezhiyan. The film stars Mammootty (in his Tamil film debut) and Amala. It revolves around a lawyer ...
'' and ''
Puriyaadha Pudhir
''Puriyaadha Puthir'' () is a 1990 Indian Tamil-language mystery thriller film written and directed by K. S. Ravikumar in his directorial debut. It is a remake of the 1989 Kannada film '' Tarka'' which was based on Agatha Christie's 1958 play, ...
''. ''Puriyaadha Pudhir'' marked the first collaboration with Sarathkumar and director K. S. Ravikumar. He also acted in his first venture as a hero in ''
Palaivana Paravaigal
''Palaivana Paravaigal'' () is a 1990 Indian Tamil language crime film directed by Senthilnathan. The film stars Sarathkumar, Anandaraj, newcomer Udhayan and newcomer Dharini. The film, produced by K. S. Srinivasan and K. S. Sivaraman, had mu ...
'' under
Senthilnathan
Senthilnathan Jambulingam is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer and television actor who predominantly works in Tamil cinema and serials, based in Chennai. He is best known for his action-masala films. As of 2013, he has directed mo ...
's direction, who at that time gave consecutive hits. In 1991, he acted in twelve Tamil films and three Telugu films, mostly in supporting roles and four films in lead roles, but he continued to act in few films as a villain. In the start of 1991, he acted in negative roles in the Telugu film ''
Stuartpuram Police Station
''Stuartpuram Police Station'' is a 1991 Telugu-language action film written and directed by Yandamuri Veerendranath. Produced by K. S. Rama Rao starring Chiranjeevi, Vijayashanti and Nirosha , with Sarath Kumar playing the lead antagonist.
P ...
'', starring
Chiranjeevi
Chiranjeevi (born Konidela Sivasankara Varaprasad; 22 August 1955) is an Indian actor, film producer and former politician, who predominantly works in Telugu cinema. Chiranjeevi starred in over 150 feature films in Telugu language, Telugu, as ...
and
Vijayashanti
Vijayashanti (born 24 June 1966) is an Indian actress, producer and politician. In a film career spanning 40 years, she has acted in 187 feature films in a variety of roles in various languages predominantly in Telugu, Tamil, in addition to Hi ...
, ''Namma Ooru Mariamma'', ''
Vetri Padigal
''Vetri Padigal'' () is a 1991 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by Manobala. The film stars Ramki and Nirosha, with Srividya, R. Sarathkumar, V. K. Ramasamy, Jaiganesh and Vinu Chakravarthy playing supporting roles. The film ...
'' and ''
Pudhu Manithan
''Pudhu Manithan'' () is a 1991 Indian Tamil-language film, directed by Manivannan. The film stars Sathyaraj and Bhanupriya, with Sarathkumar as the antagonist. The film's music was by Deva and was released on 22 March 1991 was a box office ...
''. He acted as a retired military officer in ''
Chithirai Pookkal
''Chithirai Pookkal'' is a 1991 Indian Tamil-language romance film directed by Kanmani Subbu. The film stars newcomers Jayanthkumar and Vinodhini, with R. Sarathkumar, Radha Ravi, Charle, S. S. Chandran and Vinu Chakravarthy playing supportin ...
'' and played the second hero role in the blockbuster film ''
Captain Prabhakaran
''Captain Prabhakaran'' is a 1991 Indian Tamil-language action film directed by R. K. Selvamani. It stars Vijayakanth in the lead role. It also features Mansoor Ali Khan, Rupini, Livingston and Ramya Krishnan, while R. Sarathkumar appears in ...
''. In May 1991, he appeared in lead roles in Senthilnathan's ''
Kaaval Nilayam
''Kaaval Nilayam'' () is a 1991 Tamil language crime film directed by Senthilnathan. The film stars Sarath Kumar and Anandaraj. The film, produced by F. C. Vijayakumar, had musical score by Shankar–Ganesh and was released on 11 May 1991.
Pl ...
'' and
K. S. Ravikumar
K. S. Ravikumar (born 30 May 1958) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, primarily working in Tamil films.
Career
1990–1997
Ravikumar worked as co-director on R. B. Choudary's production ''Pudhu Vasantham'' direct ...
's rural drama film ''
Cheran Pandiyan
''Cheran Pandian'' is a 1991 Indian Tamil-language action drama film written and directed by K. S. Ravikumar, from a story by Erode Soundar. The film stars Vijayakumar, Sarathkumar, Anand Babu and Sreeja. The film, released on 31 May 1991, emer ...
'', and starred as Chiranjeevi's brother in the Telugu film ''
Gang Leader
''Gang Leader'' is a 1991 Indian Telugu-language action crime film written and directed by Vijaya Bapineedu, and produced by Maganti Ravindranath Chowdary. The film stars Chiranjeevi and Vijayashanti, while Rao Gopal Rao, Anandaraj, Murali Mo ...
'', the three were commercially successful.
In July 1991, he acted in ''
Archana IAS
''Archana IAS'' is a 1991 Indian Tamil language political drama film directed by A. Jagannathan. The film stars Sithara, R. Sarathkumar and Siva, with Janagaraj, Vijayakumar, Srividya, Thalapathy Dinesh, Senthil and Delhi Ganesh playing supp ...
'', co-starring
Sithara and acted in the role of the father ''
Vaidehi Kalyanam
''Vaidehi Kalyanam'' () is a 1991 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by Manivasagam. The film stars R. Sarathkumar, Rekha, Ramarjun and Uthra, with Delhi Ganesh, Goundamani, Senthil, Ilavarasan and Kavitha playing supporting roles. It wa ...
''. At the end of 1991, he played a small role in the Telugu film ''Surya IPS'', a negative role in
Pavithran's ''
Vasanthakala Paravai
''Vasanthakala Paravai'' () is a 1991 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by Pavithran in his debut. The film stars Ramesh Aravind, Sarathkumar and Shali. The film, produced by K. T. Kunjumon, had musical score b ...
'' and starred in a lead role in Senthinathan's ''
Thangamana Thangachi
''Thangamana Thangachi'' is a 1991 Tamil-language drama film directed by Senthilnathan. The film stars R. Sarathkumar and Aamani while Mansoor Ali Khan, Ragapriya, Jaiganesh, Senthil, and K. R. Ganesh, among others, appear in supporting roles. ...
''.
1992–1993: Lead roles
In 1992, he has acted in 10 films as protagonist and 2 films as antagonist including the Telugu film ''Agreement'', directed by
Manivannan
S. Manivannan Rajagopal (31 July 1953 – 15 June 2013), better known by his mononym Manivannan, was an Indian film director, actor and activist who worked mainly in Tamil cinema and also worked in a few Telugu & Malayalam films. In a care ...
and
P. C. Sreeram
P. C. Sreeram ISC (born 26 January 1956) is an Indian cinematographer and film director who works in Indian films. He is also the president of Qube Cinemas, a digital cinema technology company. He is an alumnus of the Madras Film Institute. ...
's ''
Meera
Meera, better known as Mirabai and venerated as Sant Meerabai, was a 16th-century Hindu mystic poet and devotee of Krishna. She is a celebrated Bhakti saint, particularly in the North Indian Hindu tradition.
Mirabai was born into a Rathore ...
''. In the beginning of 1992, he acted in Senthilnathan's ''
Ilavarasan
''Ilavarasan'' () is a 1992 Tamil-language drama film directed by Senthilnathan. The film stars R. Sarathkumar and Sukanya. The film had musical score by Deva and was released on 15 January 1992.
Plot
Mirasu (Senthilnathan) killed his elder ...
'', alongside
Sukanya,
Manivasagam
Manivasagam (died 2001) was an Indian people, Indian film director, producer and screenwriter who worked on Tamil films.
Career
Manivasagam began his career with ''Namma Ooru Poovatha'' (1990) and continued to work on village action dramas, oft ...
's ''
Periya Gounder Ponnu
''Periya Gounder Ponnu'' () is a 1992 Indian Tamil-language drama film, directed by Manivasagam. The film stars R. Sarathkumar and Gautami, with Manorama, Goundamani, Senthil, Jaiganesh, Vadivukkarasi, Delhi Ganesh and Vijayaraj in supportin ...
'' and ''
Sivantha Malar
''Sivantha Malar'' () is a 1992 Tamil-language drama film directed by Sasi Mohan and written by Selva. The film stars Sarathkumar and Gautami, while Vijayakumar and Srividya play supporting roles. The film, produced by K. R. Gangadharan, had ...
''. In mid-1992, he worked in K. S. Ravikumar's ''
Oor Mariyadhai
''Oor Mariyadhai'' () is a 1992 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by K. S. Ravikumar. The film stars Sarathkumar, Sasikala, Napoleon and Anand. It revolves around Rathnavelu (Sarathkumar), who is in love with Rasathi (Sasikala) who, ho ...
'', co-starring
Sasikala and in Senthilnathan's ''
Idhuthanda Sattam
''Idhuthanda Sattam'' () is a 1992 Tamil language crime film directed by Senthilnathan. The film stars R. Sarathkumar, Rekha and Aamani. The film's music was written by Sangeetha Rajan. The film was released on 29 May 1992.
Plot
Selvaraj (R. Sa ...
''. He then starred in the action film ''
Suriyan
''Surieyan'' () is a 1992 Indian Tamil-language action film written and directed by Pavithran, and produced by K. T. Kunjumon. The film, starring Sarathkumar and Roja, revolves around IPS officer Surieyan who is forced to flee after being fr ...
'', directed by Pavithran and it became his first big break. The film won positive reviews and became highly successful at the box office; he received a ''Cinema Express Award Best Actor Special Award'' for the role in which he shaved his head.
Subsequently, Sarathkumar was catapulted to fame, his fan base was growing exponentially and he became selective in accepting new assignments.
Soon, he was in competition with "Puratchi Kalaignar"
Vijayakanth
Narayanan Vijayaraj Alagarswami (born 25 August 1952), better known by his stage name Vijayakanth, is an Indian politician and former actor who has worked predominantly in Tamil cinema. He was the Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Leg ...
. In the end of 1992, he acted in the action film ''
Thai Mozhi
''Thai Mozhi'' () is a 1992 Tamil-language action film directed by R. R. Ilavarasan, starring Sarath Kumar and Mohini, with Vijayakanth in a special appearance. It was later dubbed in Telugu as ''Maro Yuddha Kanda''.
Plot
Rajasimham (Sarath Ku ...
'', co-starring
Vijayakanth
Narayanan Vijayaraj Alagarswami (born 25 August 1952), better known by his stage name Vijayakanth, is an Indian politician and former actor who has worked predominantly in Tamil cinema. He was the Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Leg ...
and
Mohini
Mohini (Sanskrit: मोहिनी, ') is the Hindu goddess of enchantment. She is the only female avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. She is portrayed as a '' femme fatale'', an enchantress, who maddens lovers and demons, sometimes leading them ...
, ''
Ellaichami'', Manoj Kumar's ''
Samundi
''Samundi'' is a 1992 Tamil-language action film directed by Manoj Kumar. The film stars R. Sarathkumar and Kanaka. The film, produced by Mogannadarajan and V. Shanmugam, had musical score by Deva and was released on 18 September 1992.
Plot ...
'' and Senthilnathan's ''
Natchathira Nayagan'', making their fifth and last collaboration. ''
Thai Mozhi
''Thai Mozhi'' () is a 1992 Tamil-language action film directed by R. R. Ilavarasan, starring Sarath Kumar and Mohini, with Vijayakanth in a special appearance. It was later dubbed in Telugu as ''Maro Yuddha Kanda''.
Plot
Rajasimham (Sarath Ku ...
'' was released to mixed reviews and ''Samundi'', despite unfavourable reviews, managed to run for more than 100 days.
In the start of 1993, he acted in ''
Aadhityan
''Aadhityan'' is a 1993 Tamil-language drama film directed by V. L. Bashkaraaj. The film stars R. Sarathkumar and Sukanya. It was released on 14 January 1993.
Plot
Aadhityan ( R. Sarathkumar) is an orphan village blacksmith, and the villa ...
'', co-starring
Sukanya and
Pandiarajan
Pandiarajan is an Indian actor, director who has played leading roles in many humorous Tamil films and currently plays supporting and comedy roles.
Personal life
Pandiarajan was born to Sulochana in Saidapet, Chennai in a lower-middle-class f ...
and in ''
Dasarathan
''Dasarathan'' is a 1993 Indian Tamil language-language action film, directed by actor Kitty making his directorial debut credited under his real name Raja Krishnamoorthy. The film stars Sarathkumar and Heera, while Sivakumar, Saranya and Gan ...
'', produced by
Mani Ratnam
Gopala Ratnam Subramaniam (born 2 June 1956), known professionally as Mani Ratnam, is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema and few Hindi, Telugu and Kannada films. Ratnam has won six Nat ...
and S. Sriram. ''Aadhityan'' was released to negative reviews, while the much-hyped ''Dasarathan'' failed at the box office.
In mid-1993, he starred in
Suresh Krissna
Suresh Krissna (born 25 June 1959) is an Indian film director who has directed Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi Language films. His first independent film as a director was '' Sathya'' (1988), with Kamal Haasan. He is well known for ha ...
's ''
Vedan
''Vedan'' () is a 1993 Indian Tamil-language crime action film directed by Suresh Krissna. The film stars R. Sarathkumar and Khushbu, with Charan Raj, Sarath Babu, Easwari Rao and Radha Ravi in supporting roles. The film, produced by Selvi ...
'', co-starring
Khushbu
Khushbu Sundar (born Nakhat Khan; 29 September 1970) is an Indian actress, politician, film producer and television presenter. She is known for her works predominantly in Tamil, besides Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada films. She is a rec ...
, in ''
Munarivippu'' alongside
Heera Rajagopal
Heera Rajagopal (born 29 December 1971) is a former Indian actress who has appeared in a number of Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi language films.
Career
As a military brat, Heera shifted to schools across different states in Indi ...
and in his fourth collaboration with director K. S. Ravikumar; ''
Band Master
''Band Master'' is a 1993 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film, directed by K. S. Ravikumar. The film stars R. Sarathkumar and Heera, with Ranjitha, Vijayakumar and Srividya in supporting roles. It was released on 2 July 1993.
Plot
R ...
'', again with Heera Rajagopal and
Ranjitha
Ranjitha (born Sri Valli) is an Indian actress. She has acted in a number of Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada films.
Career
In 1991, Ranjita, did her first Telugu film, under the screen name Madhu Bala ''Kadapa Reddemma''. It was written by ...
. ''Band Master''released to negative reviews, whereas ''
Munarivippu'' was well received critically.
In the end of 1993, he acted in the thriller film ''
Moondravadhu Kann
''Moonravathu Kann'' () is a 1993 Tamil-language thriller film written and directed by Manivannan and produced by M. Rajarathinam. The story is inspired from Alfred Hitchcock's ''Rear Window''. The film stars Sarath Kumar, Nizhalgal Ravi, Raja ...
'', he teamed up with the Suriyan team (consisting of director Pavithran, cinematographer
Ashok Kumar
Kumudlal Ganguly (13 October 1911 – 10 December 2001), better known by his stage name Ashok Kumar and also by Dadamoni, was an Indian actor who attained iconic status in Indian cinema and who was a member of the cinematic Ganguly family.
He ...
, comedian
Goundamani
Subramaniyan Karuppaiya (born 25 May 1939), known by his stage name Goundamani, is an Indian actor and comedian who works in Tamil cinema. He is known for his comic duo partnership in Tamil films with fellow actor Senthil. The pair dominated t ...
, villain
Babu Antony
Babu Antony (born 22 February 1966) is an Indian-American actor and martial artist, who works primarily in Malayalam cinema. He has also acted in several Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Sinhalese, Hindi and English films. He started his career doing ...
and the editor duo
B. Lenin
B. Lenin born as Bhimsingh Lenin is an Indian film editor, writer and director who works in Tamil language, Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi language, Hindi films. The son of Tamil film maker A. Bhimsingh, Lenin entered the film industry as an assistan ...
and
V. T. Vijayan) for the second time in ''
I Love India
''I Love India'' is a 1993 Indian Tamil-language action film directed by Pavithran. The film stars Sarath Kumar, débutante Tisca Chopra and Shenbagam. It was released on 14 October 1993.
Plot
Diwakar, an Indian Brigadier, is charged to er ...
'' and worked in the comedy film ''
Kattabomman
Veerapandiya Kattabomman was an 18th-century Tamil Palayakarrar and king of Panchalankurichi in Tamil Nadu, India. He refused to accept the sovereignty of the British East India Company and waged a war against them. He was captured by the Briti ...
''. ''Moondravadhu Kann'' was a hit at the box office and Kattabomman was labelled as a "disaster", but Malini Mannath of ''The New Indian Express'' stated that "Sarath seems to have improved on his expressions". His 1992 Telugu film ''Agreement'' was dubbed into Tamil as ''Idhayam Ullavan'' and fetched highly negative reviews upon release. Malini Mannath criticised his choice of scripts and films. That year, Sarathkumar could not accept the lead role in
Shankar Shankar may refer to:
People
* Shankar (name), including a list of people with the name
* Sankar (writer) (Mani Shankar Mukherjee), Bengali writer
* L. Shankar, Indian violinist
*S. Shankar, Indian film director commonly credited as Shankar
* San ...
's ''
Gentleman
A gentleman (Old French: ''gentilz hom'', gentle + man) is any man of good and courteous conduct. Originally, ''gentleman'' was the lowest rank of the landed gentry of England, ranking below an esquire and above a yeoman; by definition, the ra ...
'' because he was busy with other projects and was subsequently replaced by
Arjun Sarja
Srinivasa "Arjun" Sarja is an Indian actor, producer, and director who works predominantly in the Tamil film industry, in addition to Kannada and Telugu languages as well. Referred to by the media and his fans as " Action King" for his roles in ...
. The film turned out be a blockbuster and Sarathkumar missed the chance to consolidate his position.
1994–1999: Breakthrough and success
In the start of 1994, he worked in ''
Aranmanai Kaavalan
''Aranmanai Kaavalan'' () is a 1994 Indian Tamil-language action drama film directed by Selva Vinayagam. The film stars R. Sarathkumar and Sivaranjani. The film had musical score by Deva and was released on 25 February 1994.
Plot
Sakthi a ...
'' and in the bilingual Tamil/Telugu film ''
Captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
'', directed by
Kodi Ramakrishna
Kodi Ramakrishna (23 July 1949 – 22 February 2019) was an Indian film director, screenwriter and actor known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema. One of the most prolific film directors of Telugu film industry, Kodi Ramakrishna has ...
. ''Aranmanai Kaavalan'' was released to positive reviews while ''Captain'' was released to largely negative reviews and failed at the box office. In mid-1994, he played three roles in ''
Namma Annachi
''Namma Annachi'' () is a 1994 Indian Tamil-language film directed by Dhalapathi. The film stars R. Sarathkumar in a triple role, along with Raadhika, Heera Rajagopal and Rupini. The film, produced by K. S. Srinivasan and K. S. Sivaraman, had mu ...
'' and in Manoj Kumar's masala film ''
Raja Pandi
''Raja Pandi'' is a 1994 Indian Tamil-language action film, directed by Manoj Kumar and produced by Muktha Ravi. The film stars Sarathkumar, Sukanya, Vadivelu and Kasthuri. It was released on 9 September 1994.
Plot
Cast
* Sarathkumar
* ...
'', he played a cameo appearance, as himself in the comedy film ''
Killadi Mappillai'' and he appeared in a guest role for Pavithran's film ''
Indhu
''Indhu'' is a 1994 Indian Tamil-language dance film directed by Pavithran and produced by N. A. Sudhakar and K. P. Unnikrishnan. The film featured Prabhu Deva, appearing in his first leading role as the newcomer, alongside Roja, while Sarathku ...
''. ''Namma Annachi'' and ''Rajapandi'' were released to unfavourable reviews. K. Vijiyan of ''
New Straits Times
The ''New Straits Times'' is an English-language newspaper published in Malaysia. It is Malaysia's oldest newspaper still in print (though not the first), having been founded as ''The Straits Times'' on 15 July 1845. It was relaunched as the ' ...
'' stated for ''Namma Annachi'': "to do all three roles is just to generate more publicity for Sarath and the movie". His next venture was K. S. Ravikumar's ''
Nattamai
''Nattamai'' () is a 1994 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by K. S. Ravikumar. It starred Sarathkumar, Meena and Khushbu. The film was released on 2 November 1994, during Diwali, and completed a 175-day run at the box office. It is co ...
'', alongside
Meena
Meena () is a sub-group of Bhils. They speak Meena language. They started adopting the Brahmin worship system. Its name is also transliterated as ''Meenanda'' or ''Mina''. Historians claim that they belong to the Matsya tribe. They got the sta ...
and
Khushbu
Khushbu Sundar (born Nakhat Khan; 29 September 1970) is an Indian actress, politician, film producer and television presenter. She is known for her works predominantly in Tamil, besides Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada films. She is a rec ...
, in which he played a dual role. The film became a blockbuster and achieved cult status. His performance was highly praised by critics and also fetched him several notable awards, including
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
{, class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
, -
! colspan="5" , Lis ...
,
Filmfare Award for Best Actor
The Filmfare Award for Best Actor is an award, begun in 1954, presented annually at the Filmfare Awards to an actor via a jury. This is given by '' Filmfare'' as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi (Bollywood) films. The award was firs ...
and
Cinema Express Award for Best Actor.
It was followed by ''
Magudikkaran'' in which he appeared in a guest appearance. After the failure of ''Captain'' and the success of ''Nattamai'', R. Sarathkumar decided to focus only on Tamil cinema. The next year, he worked in the village drama ''
Veluchami'',
P. Vasu
Vasudevan Peethambharan, known professionally as P Vasu, is an Indian director, writer and actor who works in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, and Malayalam language films. In a career spanning three decades, Vasu has directed over 64 films. 's ''
Coolie
A coolie (also spelled koelie, kuli, khuli, khulie, cooli, cooly, or quli) is a term for a low-wage labourer, typically of South Asian or East Asian descent.
The word ''coolie'' was first popularized in the 16th century by European traders acros ...
'', ''
Nadodi Mannan
''Nadodi Mannan'' () is a 1958 Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language action adventure film directed by M. G. Ramachandran in his debut as a filmmaker. He stars in dual roles alongside P. Bhanumathi, M. N. Rajam and B. Saroja Devi. P. S. Veerap ...
'' and the crime film ''
Ragasiya Police
''Ragasiya Police'' () is a 1995 Indian Tamil language action thriller film written and directed by R. S. Elavarasan. The film stars R. Sarathkumar and Nagma, while Raadhika, Anandaraj, Goundamani, Devan, and Senthil play supporting roles. The ...
''. ''Veluchami'' opened to favourable reviews with K. Vijiyan of ''
New Straits Times
The ''New Straits Times'' is an English-language newspaper published in Malaysia. It is Malaysia's oldest newspaper still in print (though not the first), having been founded as ''The Straits Times'' on 15 July 1845. It was relaunched as the ' ...
'' claiming that "Sarathkumar shows more maturity with his acting". The four films were commercial failures. In 1996, he acted in
A. Venkatesh's first film ''
Mahaprabhu''. The film turned out to be a hit.
He then starred in the action film ''
Nethaji
''Nethaji'' is a 1996 Tamil-language action film directed by Murthy Krishna. The film stars Sarathkumar and Lisa Ray . It and was one among Deepavali releases arrived on 10 November 1996.
Plot
Karunamurthy, an honest home minister, is force ...
'', alongside
Lisa Ray
Lisa Rani Ray (born 4 April 1972) is a Canadian actress and model who has also worked internationally. Ray began her modelling career in India in the early 1990s, appearing for leading Indian brands like Bombay Dyeing and Lakmé. She made her a ...
; the film was a failure at the box office.
In 1997, he acted in ''
Aravindhan
''Aravindhan'' is a 1997 Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language film written and directed by newcomer T. Nagarajan, starring Sarath Kumar, R. Parthiban, Parthiban, Nagma, Urvashi (actress), Oorvasi, Prakash Raj and Visu in lead and pivotal roles. ...
'', co-starring
R. Parthiepan
R. Parthiban (born 14 October 1958) is an Indian actor and filmmaker who works mainly in Tamil cinema. He has directed 15 films, produced 13 films and acted in more than 70 films. He started his career as assistant director for K. Bhagyaraj in ...
,
Nagma
Nagma Arvind Morarji (born Nandita Arvind Morarji on 25 December 1974) is an Indian politician and former actress. She was a popular lead actress in the 1990s. She made her cinematic debut in the film '' Baaghi'' opposite Salman Khan in 1990. ...
and
Urvashi
Urvashi ( sa, उर्वशी, Urvaśī}) is the most prominent apsara (celestial nymph) in Hindu mythology, considered to be the most beautiful of all the apsaras, and an expert dancer. She is mentioned in both ''Vedic'' and ''Puranic'' s ...
. The film failed at the box office. His next venture ''
Suryavamsam'', directed by
Vikraman
Vikraman is an Indian film director primarily working in Tamil cinema.
Career 1990–1994
He worked as an assistant to actor and director R. Parthiban in ''Puthiya Pathai'' (1989), which was the latter's debut film as a director and an actor. ...
and produced by
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 ...
was a blockbuster. He played a dual role in the film. He won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor in Tamil and Cinema Express Award for Best Actor for the second time. In the end of 1997, he acted in the
Sundar C. comedy film ''
Janakiraman
''Janakiraman'' is a 1997 Tamil-language comedy drama film directed by Sundar C. The film stars Sarathkumar and Nagma whilst Rambha, Goundamani and Manivannan play supporting roles. The film was one among 1997 Deepavali releases and became a ...
'' which was a commercial hit. The next year, he played in ''
Moovendhar
''Moovendhar'' () is a 1998 Tamil language comedy film directed by Suraj (credited as C. G. Suraaj). The film stars Sarath Kumar and Devayani. The film, produced by N. Vishnuram, had musical score by Sirpy and was released on 12 January 199 ...
'', directed by
Suraj, Sundar C's assistant director. The film, released to negative reviews, failed at the box office. After ''Nattamai'', he re-teamed with K. S. Ravikumar in ''
Natpukkaga
''Natpukkaga'' () is a 1998 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by K. S. Ravikumar, starring R. Sarathkumar, Simran, Vijayakumar and Sujatha. It became a blockbuster upon release. The film won two Filmfare Awards South and Tamil Nadu St ...
'', the film was well received critically and turned out to be a blockbuster. R. Sarathkumar won the
Filmfare Award for Best Actor
The Filmfare Award for Best Actor is an award, begun in 1954, presented annually at the Filmfare Awards to an actor via a jury. This is given by '' Filmfare'' as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi (Bollywood) films. The award was firs ...
for the third time and the
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
{, class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
, -
! colspan="5" , Lis ...
for the second time. He made a cameo appearance in Vikraman's ''
Unnidathil Ennai Koduthen
''Unnidathil Ennai Koduthen'' () is a 1998 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by Vikraman. It stars Karthik and Roja, with Ajith Kumar in a guest appearance. Ramesh Khanna, Moulee, Sathyapriya, Fathima Babu, and Mad ...
''. He then starred in the Telugu film ''Preminchanu Nene'' and in ''
Simmarasi
''Simmarasi'' () is a 1998 Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language drama film directed and written by Erode Soundar. The film stars R. Sarathkumar, Sarathkumar and Khushbu. Kanaka (actress), Kanaka, Manorama (Tamil actress), Manorama, Anandaraj an ...
'', directed by Erode Soundar, K. S. Ravikumar's former dialogue writer. ''Simmarasi'' was released to unfavourable reviews, but Sarathkumar was praised for his role. In the start of 1999, he acted in R. Chandra's ''
Chinna Durai'', co-starring with
Roja
Roja may refer to:
* ''Roja'' (film), a 1992 Tamil-language film by director Mani Ratnam
* ''Roja'' (soundtrack), a soundtrack album from the film
* Roja Selvamani
Roja Selvamani (born Sri Latha Reddy; 17 November 1972), also known as R. K. ...
. It was followed by ''
Oruvan'', the remake of the Telugu film ''
Auto Driver
''Auto Driver'' is a 1998 Telugu film, produced by D. Siva Prasad Reddy under the Kamakshi Movies banner, directed by Suresh Krishna. It stars Nagarjuna, Deepti Bhatnagar and Simran, with music composed by Deva. It was dubbed into Tamil as '' ...
'', in which Sarathkumar paired with
Pooja Batra
Pooja Batra Shah (born 27 October) is an Indian-American actress and model who primarily works in Hindi films. She was crowned Femina Miss India International in 1993.
Early life and background
Batra was born on 27 October to Ravi Batra, an a ...
and teamed up for the second time with the director Suresh Krissna. Usha Gopalakrishnan of ''indolink.com'' praised Sarathkumar's acting.
In the end of 1999, he acted in K. S. Ravikumar's ''
Paattali
''Paattali'' () is a 1999 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by K. S. Ravikumar. The film stars Sarath Kumar, Ramya Krishnan and Devayani. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by S. A. Rajkumar. The film released on 17 December 19 ...
''.
2000–2004: Action and family–drama films
In 2000, he starred in Super Good Films, ''
Maayi
''Maayi'' is a 2000 Indian Tamil-language drama-film starring Sarath Kumar and Meena, wherein Vadivelu's comedy performance was critically acclaimed. The film was a super hit at box office.
This film later remade into Telugu as ''Simharasi'' w ...
'' and made a guest appearance in ''
Pennin Manathai Thottu
''Pennin Manathai Thottu'' () is a 2000 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by Ezhil. The film stars Prabhu Deva and Jaya Seal, with Sarathkumar in a guest appearance. Produced by Kaja Mydeen, the film was released on ...
''. Despite facing controversy, ''Maayi'' proved to be successful at the box office with a reviewer citing that "In the title role of a totally underplayed character, Sarathkumar surely makes a mark". In the start of 2001, he acted in the action film ''
Rishi
''Rishi'' () is a term for an accomplished and enlightened person. They find mentions in various Vedic texts. Rishis are believed to have composed hymns of the Vedas. The Post-Vedic tradition of Hinduism regards the rishis as "great yogis" or ...
'' and went on to appear as himself in ''
Ullam Kollai Poguthae
''Ullam Kollai Poguthae'' is a 2001 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film directed by Sundar C. This film stars Prabhu Deva and Anjala Zaveri, with Karthik in a main guest appearance. Deepa Venkat and Vivek play other supporting roles. The ...
'', both directed by Sundar C. He co-starred with
Vikram in ''
Vinnukum Mannukum'', directed by
Rajakumaran and produced by R. B. Choudary. The film, released after many troubles and eventually failed at the box office. He then acted in
S. A. Chandrasekhar
S. A. Chandrasekar (born 2 July 1945) is an Indian film director, producer, writer, and actor who primarily works within Kollywood. He made his directorial debut with ''Aval Oru Pachai Kuzhanthai'' (1978), He got his breakthrough with ''Sattam ...
's ''
Dosth''. His next release was K. S. Ravikumar's family drama ''
Samudhiram
''Samuthiram'' () is a 2001 Indian Tamil-language drama film written by Erode Soundar and directed by K. S. Ravikumar. The film stars an ensemble cast of Sarath Kumar, Murali, Manoj Bharathiraja, Kaveri, Abhirami, Sindhu Menon and Monal. The ...
''; he acted alongside
Murali and
Manoj Bharathiraja
Manoj K. Bharathi (born 11 September 1976 as Manoj Bharathiraja) is an Indian actor. He is most noted as the son of director Bharathiraja. Manoj made his acting debut with ''Taj Mahal'' in 1999.
He has been the part of few Tamil movies like ''S ...
. Despite negative reviews, the film was a commercial success. The next year, he appeared in ''
Thenkasi Pattanam
''Thenkasi Pattanam'' () is a 2002 Indian Tamil-language comedy film directed by Rafi Mecartin and produced by S. S. Durairaju. The film stars Sarath Kumar and Napoleon as the male leads while Samyuktha Varma, Devayani, and Aswathi Menon pla ...
'', alongside
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
and ''
Samasthanam
''Samasthanam'' ( Throne) is a 2002 Tamil-language drama film directed by Raj Kapoor. The film stars R. Sarathkumar in dual role, Suresh Gopi, Devayani, and Abhirami. The film, produced by M. Kajamydeen and K. Ayishawas, had musical score by ...
'', alongside Malayalam actor
Suresh Gopi
Suresh Gopi (born 26 June 1958) is an Indian actor, politician, playback singer and television presenter. He works predominantly in Malayalam cinema and has also appeared in some Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Bollywood films. Suresh made his acti ...
, both were two hero-subjects. Sarathkumar's first 2003 release was ''
Arasu'', directed by Suresh, and the film was successful at the box office. However, his second film ''
Paarai
David's Mighty Warriors (also known as David's Mighty Men or the Gibborim; ''hagGībōrīm'', "The Mighty Ones") are a group of 37 men in the Hebrew Bible who fought with King David and are identified in , part of the "supplementary information ...
'', a remake of the Malayalam film ''
Mahayanam
''Mahayanam'' is a 1989 Indian Malayalam-language film directed by Joshy and produced by C T Rajan, starring Mammootty, Seema, Jalaja and Mukesh.
Plot
Chandran is a truck driver and Ravi is the cleaner of the truck. Chandran is very affectiona ...
'', directed by K. S. Ravikumar was an average grosser. His third film was ''
Diwan'', directed by Suryaprakash, who previously directed the successful ''Maayi''. His performance was praised by critics. In the start of 2004, he acted in the action films ''
Chatrapathy'' and ''
Gambeeram
''Gambeeram'' () is a 2004 Indian Tamil-language action film directed by Suresh, starring Sarath Kumar and Laila.
Cast
Soundtrack
Soundtrack was composed by Mani Sharma and lyrics were written by Pa. Vijay and Kabilan.
Reception
The ...
''; both were average grosser. In the making for the last five years, ''
Maanasthan
''Manasthan'' is a 2004 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film directed by K.Bharathi. The film stars Sarathkumar and Sakshi Shivanand. Abbas, Vijayakumar and Sujatha play supporting roles. It was released on 11 June 2004.
Plot
A rich l ...
'' was released to average reviews. His next venture ''
Aai'', in which he co-starred with
Namitha
Namitha Vankawala is an Indian actress, model and politician who predominantly works in Tamil and Telugu cinema along with a few films in Kannada and Malayalam. She serves as a state executive member of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in Tamil Na ...
and
Vadivelu
Kumaravadivel Natarajan (born 12 September 1960), known professionally as Vadivelu, is an Indian actor, comedian and playback singer, having acted in supporting and lead roles in Tamil cinema. He gained widespread acclaim in Kollywood in the 2 ...
, an action masala film, directed by
A. Venkatesh, was a decent hit. He was also introduced as a playback singer in ''Aai''.
2005–2008: Mixed reviews
In 2005, he starred in
Hari
Hari ( sa, हरि) is among the primary epithets of the Hindu preserver deity Vishnu, meaning 'the one who takes away' (sins). It refers to the one who removes darkness and illusion, the one who removes all obstacles to spiritual progress ...
's ''
Ayya'', alongside newcomer
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 was released on the Pongal weekend to positive reviews and was successful at the box office. Sarathkumar's performance fetched very positive reviews with a reviewer citing: "another splendid performance from Sarathkumar". He appeared in guest appearances in the Telugu film ''
Bunny
Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit spec ...
'' and his wife's production ''
Githan
''Jithan'' is a 2005 Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language supernatural romantic thriller film directed by Vincent Selva. The film stars Jithan Ramesh (in his Tamil debut) along with Pooja (actress), Pooja, Kalabhavan Mani, J. Livingston, Livings ...
''. The success of A. Venkatesh's ''Aai'' resulted in the film's team collaborating to make a film in a similar genre, ''
Chanakya
Chanakya (Sanskrit: चाणक्य; IAST: ', ; 375–283 BCE) was an ancient Indian polymath who was active as a teacher, author, strategist, philosopher, economist, jurist, and royal advisor. He is traditionally identified as Kauṭilya o ...
'', which also featured Namitha and Vadivelu. The film was a hit at the box office, and marked the A. Venkatesh and Sarathkumar combination's third hit in a row. He signed up for ''Khaki'' and shooting was in progress. Sarathkumar even tonsured his head for the film, but the film was dropped for some reason.
In 2006, he directed and acted in his 100th film ''
Thalaimagan
''Thalaimagan'' () is a 2006 Indian Tamil-language action film starring Sarath Kumar, Nayanthara, Vadivelu and Vijayakumar. This film marked Sarath Kumar's directorial debut. It was the 100th film of Sarath Kumar. The film received mixed to ne ...
'', produced by his wife Raadhika under the "Radaan Media works" banner. The film failed at the box office. The next year, he starred in
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 ''
Pachaikili Muthucharam
''Pachaikili Muthucharam'' () is a 2007 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon. It is based on the 2005 British-American thriller film '' Derailed''. The film stars Sarathkumar and Jyothika, while Andrea J ...
'', which released to positive reviews, but ended up as an average grosser. A critic stated his performance: "as a next-door-family-man, Sarathkumar has excelled". Sarathkumar signed up for a Malayalam film, ''Vaitheeswaran'', ''1977'' and a film directed by K. S. Ravikumar. He then played a cameo appearance as himself in
Cheran's ''
Maya Kannadi
''Maya Kannadi'' () is a 2007 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by Cheran and produced by Subbu Panchu. Cheran also plays the lead role with Navya Nair. Ilayaraaja scores the music and Sarath Kumar, Arya and Malavika make cameo appea ...
''. Sarathkumar's last 2007 release was ''
Nam Naadu'', a remake of the Malayalam hit ''Lion'', marking his third collaboration with director Suresh. This was his first film after he launched his own political party in Tamil Nadu. The film, released to largely negative reviews, failed at the box office. In 2008, his only release was the supernatural film ''
Vaitheeswaran'', which was released to negative reviews.
2009–2014: Supporting Actor
![Sarathkumar with Salman Khan at CCL match, India](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Sarathkumar_with_Salman_Khan_at_CCL_match%2C_India.jpg)
In the start of 2009, he acted in the film ''
1977
Events January
* January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group.
* January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democratic R ...
'', donning six different looks. The film, made with a whopping budget of 15 crores, was directed and produced by newcomer G. N. Dinesh Kumar. The film, which released to negative reviews, took an average opening and was declared a flop at the box office. In October 2009, Sarathkumar made his debut in Malayalam through ''
Pazhassi Raja
Pazhassi Raja () (3 January 1753 – 30 November 1805) was known as Kerala Varma and was also known as Cotiote Rajah and Pychy Rajah. He was a warrior Hindu prince and de facto head of the kingdom of Kottayam, otherwise known as Cotiote, in ...
'', in which he co-starred with
Mammootty
Muhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail (; born 7 September 1951), known mononymously by the hypocorism Mammootty (), is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in Malayalam cinema, Malayalam films. He has also appeared in Tamil l ...
and he played the role of
Edachena Kunkan
Edachena Kunkan (also known as Edachena Kunkan Nair) was a Wayanad Nair noble from Tirunelli, Wayanad, Kerala, India who joined the war effort of Pazhassi Raja during the 1770s and became commander of the Raja's army. His younger brothers (Edachen ...
. The historical period film was directed by
Hariharan. For the film, Sarathkumar won the
Vanitha Film Awards
The Vanitha Film Awards are presented annually by ''Vanitha'', an Indian magazine from the ''Malayala Manorama'' group in the south Indian state of Kerala. The awards ceremony has been instituted to honour both artistic and technical excellence i ...
for Best Supporting Actor. After the release of ''Pazhassi Raja'', Sarathkumar was flooded with offers in Malayalam. ''
Jaggubhai
''Jaggubhai'' is a 2010 Indian Tamil-language action drama film written and directed by K. S. Ravikumar, who with collaborates with the lead actor, Sarath Kumar for their ninth film. Also starring Shriya Saran, debutant Srisha and veteran comedia ...
'' was released on 29 January 2010, the film, directed by K. S. Ravikumar, became the tenth collaboration between the director and the actor. The film, facing serious piracy problems before its release, bombed ultimately at the box office. He then made a guest appearance in
Madhumitha
Madhumitha (born Swapna Madhuri on 20 August 1981) is an Indian actress who appears in Telugu and Tamil films.
Career
Madhumitha started her acting career under her birth name Swapna Madhuri with the 2002 Telugu film ''Sandade Sandadi'' (2002 ...
's comedy film ''
Kola Kolaya Mundhirika
''Kola Kolaya Mundhirika'' is a 2010 Indian Tamil-language comedy film written by Crazy Mohan and directed by Madhumitha. The film stars Jayaram, Karthik Kumar, and Shikha along with numerous popular Tamil comedy artists including M. S. Bhaska ...
''. In the end of 2010, he acted in the Malayalam film ''
Oridathoru Postman'', which was a flop at the box office. In early 2010, he acted in his first Malayalam film ''
The Metro'' as a solo hero, which bombed at the Kerala box office.
He appeared in ''
Christian Brothers'', directed by
Joshiy
Joshiy (born 18 July 1952) is an Indian film director and producer from Varkala in Kerala who works predominantly in the Malayalam film industry. He made his debut with ''Tiger Salim'' (1978) and has directed over 80 films. He has also directe ...
, starring alongside
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 ...
,
Dileep
Gopalakrishnan Padmanabhan Pillai, better known by his stage name Dileep, is an Indian actor, producer, and businessman who predominantly works in the Malayalam film industry. He has acted in more than 150 films and has won several awards, inc ...
, and
Suresh Gopi
Suresh Gopi (born 26 June 1958) is an Indian actor, politician, playback singer and television presenter. He works predominantly in Malayalam cinema and has also appeared in some Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Bollywood films. Suresh made his acti ...
. The film was a blockbuster. In mid-2011, Sarathkumar played the role of a
transgender
A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through tr ...
person in
Raghava Lawrence
Lawrence Raghavendra is an Indian dance choreographer, actor, director, composer, dancer and playback singer. After making his debut as a dance choreographer in 1993, he began looking for acting opportunities. He began his career as an actor in ...
's ''
Muni 2: Kanchana''. The film became a commercial success in both Tamil and Telugu, he won for his performance a
Vijay Award for Best Supporting Actor
The Vijay for Best Supporting Actor is given by STAR Vijay as part of its annual Vijay Awards ceremony for Tamil (Kollywood) films.
The list
Here is a list of the award winners and the films for which they won.
Nominations
*2007 Prakash Raj - ...
.
In early 2012, he accepted
Soundarya
K. S. Sowmya (18 July 1972 – 17 April 2004), better known by her stage name Soundarya, was an Indian actress who worked predominantly in Telugu_cinema, Telugu films and has also worked in Kannada, Tamil language, Tamil, Hindi and Malayalam f ...
's offer for an important role in the film ''
Kochadaiiyaan
''Kochadaiiyaan: The Legend'' () is a 2014 Indian Tamil-language 3D animated action film written by K. S. Ravikumar and directed by Soundarya Rajinikanth. It is India's first photorealistic motion capture film, featuring characters whose desig ...
'', starring
Rajinikanth
Shivaji Rao Gaikwad (born 12 December 1950), known professionally as Rajinikanth, is an Indian actor, producer and screenwriter. In a career spanning over five decades, he has done 160 films that includes films in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannad ...
and
Deepika Padukone
Deepika Padukone ( or ; born 5 January 1986) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. She is one of the highest-paid actresses in India, and her accolades include three Filmfare Awards. She features in listings of the nation's most pop ...
. He played lead role in the Malayalam film ''
Achante Aanmakkal
''Achante Aanmakkal'' () is a 2012 Malayalam-language film directed by Chandrasekharan, starring Sarath Kumar, Meghna Raj and Nedumudi Venu. The film was a box office failure. The film was later dubbed in Tamil as ''Narasimhan IPS''.
Plot
Madhav ...
'' as an IPS officer.
He then starred in his first Kannada film ''
Saarathi
''Saarathi'' ( en, Charioteer) is a 2011 Indian Kannada-language romantic action film written and directed by Dinakar Thoogudeep. It stars Darshan and debutante Deepa Sannidhi in the lead roles. V. Harikrishna scored for the film's backgro ...
'', which was a blockbuster, followed by the Telugu film ''
Genius
Genius is a characteristic of original and exceptional insight in the performance of some art or endeavor that surpasses expectations, sets new standards for future works, establishes better methods of operation, or remains outside the capabiliti ...
''. The next year, he played the role of a police officer in the Kannada film ''
Myna
The myna (; also spelled mynah) is a bird of the starling family (Sturnidae). This is a group of passerine birds which are native to southern Asia, especially India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Several species have been introduced to areas like ...
''. His next venture was ''
Chennaiyil Oru Naal
''Chennaiyil Oru Naal'' () is a 2013 Indian Tamil-language thriller film written by brothers Bobby and Sanjay and directed by Shaheed Kader. The film has an ensemble cast including R. Sarathkumar, Prakash Raj, Cheran, Devan, Prasanna, Ra ...
'', a remake of the Malayalam hit film ''
Traffic
Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads) for travel and transportation.
Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffic ...
'' and co-produced by his wife Raadhika Sarathkumar, in which he played the role of a traffic police commissioner. The film became a critical and commercial success. He then appeared in the Telugu film ''
Chandee
''Chandee'', also spelled as ''Chandi'', is a 2013 Telugu film directed by V. Samudra starring Priyamani, R. Sarathkumar, Ashish Vidhyarthi and Krishnam Raju in the lead roles, and Ali and MS Narayana as key comedians. Scarlett Wilson appears ...
'', playing the role of a police officer. In the beginning of 2014, he played the role of a CBI officer in ''
Nimirndhu Nil
''Nimirndhu Nil'' () is a 2014 Indian Tamil-language action drama film written and directed by Samuthirakani featuring Jayam Ravi and Amala Paul. It was produced by KS Sreenivasan's Vaasan Visual Ventures. The film's soundtrack and background s ...
'' and ''
Janda Pai Kapiraju
''Janda Pai Kapiraju'' () is a 2015 Indian Telugu-language political action drama film. Janda Pai Kapiraju was written and directed by Samuthirakani, and features Nani and Amala Paul in lead roles. The film's soundtrack and score were composed ...
'', which were shot simultaneously in Tamil and Telugu. He then appeared in "India's first photorealistic performance capture film" ''
Kochadaiiyaan
''Kochadaiiyaan: The Legend'' () is a 2014 Indian Tamil-language 3D animated action film written by K. S. Ravikumar and directed by Soundarya Rajinikanth. It is India's first photorealistic motion capture film, featuring characters whose desig ...
'', co-starring
Rajinikanth
Shivaji Rao Gaikwad (born 12 December 1950), known professionally as Rajinikanth, is an Indian actor, producer and screenwriter. In a career spanning over five decades, he has done 160 films that includes films in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannad ...
and
Deepika Padukone
Deepika Padukone ( or ; born 5 January 1986) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. She is one of the highest-paid actresses in India, and her accolades include three Filmfare Awards. She features in listings of the nation's most pop ...
. The film is followed by Malayalam film, ''
Asha Black
''Asha Black'' is a 2014 Indian thriller film and is the debut film from writer/director John Robinson. It was simultaneously shot in Malayalam and Tamil as ''Nee Naan Nizhal''.
Synopsis
Five people of Indian origin are killed in Kuala Lumpur ...
'' and was simultaneously released in Tamil as ''Nee Naan Nizhal''.
2015–present
In 2015, he appeared in a Cameo appearance in ''
I'' directed by
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 ...
, and his next ''
Sandamarutham
''Sandamarutham'' () is a 2015 Tamil-language action thriller film directed by A. Venkatesh which has R. Sarathkumar in dual lead roles and who also written the story of the film. This is his first time playing dual roles of the protagonist and ...
'' in dual roles, directed by
A. Venkatesh while Sarathkumar wrote the story and the screenplay was by written crime novelist Rajeshkumar. Then he starred in the Telugu film ''
Janda Pai Kapiraju
''Janda Pai Kapiraju'' () is a 2015 Indian Telugu-language political action drama film. Janda Pai Kapiraju was written and directed by Samuthirakani, and features Nani and Amala Paul in lead roles. The film's soundtrack and score were composed ...
''. He interprets the role of
Sikandar Lodi
Sikandar Khan Lodi (died 21 November 1517), born Nizam Khan, was a Pashtun Sultan of the Delhi Sultanate between 1489 and 1517. He became ruler of the Lodi dynasty after the death of his father Bahlul Khan Lodi in July 1489. The second and most ...
in the Kannada film ''
Santheyalli Nintha Kabira
''Santheyalli Nintha Kabira'' (English: Kabira standing in market) is a 2016 Indian Kannada-language epic biopic-drama film adapted from Bhisham Sahni's Hindi play ''Kabira Khada Bazaar Mein''. The film is directed Indra Babu of Kabbadi fame. ...
''. Sarath kumar
accumulates films in second roles like ''
Nenorakam
''Nenorakam'' is a 2017 Indian Telugu-language action thriller directed by Sudershan Salendra. The film stars Sairam Shankar and Reshmi Menon with Sarath Kumar in a supporting role. This was one of the last of films of noted comedian M. S. Na ...
'' (2017), ''
Raajakumara
''Raajakumara'' () is a 2017 Indian Kannada language action drama film written and directed by Santhosh Ananddram and produced by Vijay Kiragandur under the Hombale Films banner. It stars Puneeth Rajkumar and Priya Anand in lead roles. Apart fro ...
'' (2017), ''
Jaya Janaki Nayaka
''Jaya Janaki Nayaka'' is a 2017 Indian Telugu-language action drama film directed by Boyapati Srinu and produced by Miryala Ravinder Reddy, under ''Dwaraka Creations''. It stars Bellamkonda Sreenivas, Rakul Preet Singh and Jagapathi Babu, while ...
'' (2017). He made his comeback in Tamil cinema as the main lead in the thriller film, ''
Chennaiyil Oru Naal 2'' (2017),a spirit sequel to the 2013 ''Chennaiyil Oru Naal''. As reviewed by sify.com, "Sarathkumar is the only saving grace, he looks perfect as a stylish police officer and the actor is the main reason to watch the film until the end". For the ''Hindu'' press, "this is a role that he can perform in his sleep. He is adequate, but the rest of cast, including
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
and
Suhasini Maniratnam
Suhasini Maniratnam (born 15 August 1961) known mononymously as Suhasini, is an Indian actress, director, producer and writer in the Tamil film industry. She has worked as an actress in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films. She made her ...
, have nothing to offer, probably because of the weak writing". The film opened to mostly negative reviews. In 2018, he starred in a series of Telugu action movies like ''
Naa Peru Surya, Naa Illu India
''Naa Peru Surya, Naa Illu India'' () is a 2018 Indian Telugu-language action film written and directed by Vakkantham Vamsi in his directorial debut. Produced by Ramalakshmi Cine Creations, the film stars Allu Arjun, Arjun Sarja and Anu Emman ...
'', ''
Bharat Ane Nenu
''Bharat Ane Nenu'' () is a 2018 Indian Telugu-language political drama film written and directed by Koratala Siva. The film stars Mahesh Babu and Kiara Advani (in her Telugu debut), alongside a supporting cast including Prakash Raj, R. Sarathku ...
'', ''
Saakshyam'' and ''
Devadas''.
Political career
1994-1995
In his early days as an actor, R. Sarathkumar was considered to be close to
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (; AIADMK) is an Indian regional political party with great influence in the state of Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry. It is a Dravidian party founded by the former chief mini ...
(AIADMK) supremo
Jayalalithaa
Jayaram Jayalalithaa (24 February 1948 – 5 December 2016) was an Indian politician and actress who served as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for more than fourteen years over six terms between 1991 and 2016. From 9 February 1989 to 5 December 2 ...
.
However, Sarath's proximity to Jayalalithaa landed him in deep trouble when the film ''
Nattamai
''Nattamai'' () is a 1994 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by K. S. Ravikumar. It starred Sarathkumar, Meena and Khushbu. The film was released on 2 November 1994, during Diwali, and completed a 175-day run at the box office. It is co ...
'' (1994), which was still running in Tamil Nadu theatres, was aired by Jayalalithaa's television channel JJ TV, using a videotape, which Sarathkumar gave her for personal viewing at her residence. However, this caused a furore in the film industry as the 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 ...
threatened action against Sarathkumar for misusing a tape given to him for personal viewing. An embarrassed Sarathkumar explained that he was taken by surprise and that he never expected Jayalalithaa to give it to the channel for the telecast. He sought an explanation from both Jayalalitha and JJ TV, but without success. The ruling party reacted predictably, using every forum to attack Sarathkumar. He, in turn, realising that the public was behind him, announced his decision to join hands with
Rajinikanth
Shivaji Rao Gaikwad (born 12 December 1950), known professionally as Rajinikanth, is an Indian actor, producer and screenwriter. In a career spanning over five decades, he has done 160 films that includes films in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannad ...
, who supported the
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (; DMK) is a political party based in the state of Tamil Nadu where it is currently the ruling party having a comfortable majority without coalition support and the union territory of Puducherry where it is curre ...
(DMK) –
Tamil Maanila Congress
The Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) (; TMC(M)) is an Indian regional political party in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is founded by the former Member of Parliament of the Republic of India G. K. Moopanar on 29 March 1996 as a breakaway fac ...
(TMC) alliance.
1996-2006
In 1996, Sarath Kumar entered politics, joining the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). In 1998, the DMK's leader
Karunanidhi
Muthuvel Karunanidhi (3 June 1924 – 7 August 2018) was an Indian writer and politician who served as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for almost two decades over five terms between 1969 and 2011. He was popularly referred to as Kalaignar (Art ...
asked Sarathkumar to contest the Lok Sabha elections from
Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli (, ta, திருநெல்வேலி, translit=Tirunelveli) also known as Nellai ( ta, நெல்லை, translit=Nellai) and historically (during British rule) as Tinnevelly, is a major city in the Indian state of Tami ...
.
In the election, DMK lost very badly and the alliance could muster only 9 seats compared to the 39 seats it swept in 1996. Even though DMK lost badly in many constituencies, Sarathkumar was defeated by the AIADMK candidate
Kadambur R. Janarthanan by a margin of only 6904 votes. In July 2001, the party made him a
Rajya Sabha member
The Rajya Sabha, constitutionally the Council of States, is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India. , it has a maximum membership of 245, of which 233 are elected by the legislatures of the states and union territories using s ...
, but he resigned before the
2006 Assembly elections to join the AIADMK along with his wife
Raadhika
Raadhika Sarathkumar is an Indian actress, entrepreneur, producer and politician who works predominantly in Tamil cinema along with Telugu cinema as well as a few Malayalam, Hindi and Kannada films. She is the founder and CP of the Radaan Media ...
. In October 2006, his wife Radhika was dismissed from AIADMK for anti-party activities. He also quit AIADMK in November 2006, quoting that his role as president of the
South Indian Artistes' Association needed "undivided attention".
2007–present
Sarathkumar launched his own political party the
All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi
The All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi (; AISMK) is a Tamil political party in India. The party's founder and president is actor R. Sarathkumar. Kumar was a part of DMK in his early political career and then joined All India Anna Dravida Munne ...
on 31 August 2007. Sarathkumar said: "We are disillusioned by the
Dravidian parties
Dravidian parties include an array of List of recognised political parties in India#State, regional political parties in the States and territories of India, state of Tamil Nadu, India, which trace their origins and ideologies either directly or ...
, which had done little to develop the state despite being in power for four decades".
Just before
2011 Assembly elections, Sarathkumar joined the AIADMK alliance and his party was allotted two seats. His party contested as part of the AIADMK alliance and won in two assembly constituencies –
Tenkasi
Tenkasi is a town and headquarters of the Tenkasi district in Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Being one of the most significant spiritual and cultural places in South Tamilnadu,Tenkasi houses The Kutraleeshwarar temple (Chitra Sabha), one of the ...
and
Nanguneri
Nanguneri is a panchayat town in Tirunelveli district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Nanguneri is a Taluk Headquarters in the District of Tirunelveli situated at a distance of from the headquarters of the District. Vanamamalai Peruma ...
. Sarathkumar won from
Tenkasi
Tenkasi is a town and headquarters of the Tenkasi district in Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Being one of the most significant spiritual and cultural places in South Tamilnadu,Tenkasi houses The Kutraleeshwarar temple (Chitra Sabha), one of the ...
and Ernavur A. Narayanan won from
Nanguneri
Nanguneri is a panchayat town in Tirunelveli district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Nanguneri is a Taluk Headquarters in the District of Tirunelveli situated at a distance of from the headquarters of the District. Vanamamalai Peruma ...
. In January 2016, Ernavur A. Narayanan has been expelled from the party for not abiding by the party rules and indulging in anti-party activities. In the
2016 Assembly elections, Sarath Kumar lost in
Tiruchendur Constituency to DMK Candidate
Anitha R. Radhakrishnan
Anitha R. Radhakrishnan is an Indian politician, Minister of Tamil Nadu and Member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elected from Tiruchendur constituency as AIADMK candidate in 2001,2006 and as DMK candidate in 2009(Bye-election),2011,20 ...
.
In November 2017, Sarathkumar said in an interview for
The Hindu
''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...
: "For the last 10 years, I have been closely associated with AIADMK. In fact, I have even been identified as the party's propaganda secretary. Though I don't regret this identification, my party couldn't grow. Now, I want to focus on my party and be seen as a possible Chief Minister candidate".
Electoral performance
Elections contested
Journalism career
After finishing his studies, Sarathkumar started out as a newspaper boy, managing newspaper circulation before moving on to become a reporter. After establishing Dinakaran in
Bangalore
Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...
, he was called to Chennai to expand their business there.
Sarathkumar is now the founder and editor of Media Voice weekly magazine in Tamil. One of the key value propositions that ''Media Voice'' brings to the table is Sarath's personal interview each month with a news-maker discussing current issues. "Although I am a politician and actor now, the journalist in me is still alive. I love multitasking", said Sarath. The Hindu states: From such humble beginnings, he has learnt to live an inspired life, and is the strong leader that society needs.
Personal life
![Sarathkumar with Raadhika at 62nd Britannia Filmfare South Awards 2014 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/Sarathkumar_with_Raadhika_at_62nd_Britannia_Filmfare_South_Awards_2014_%28cropped%29.jpg)
R. Sarathkumar has been married twice. His first marriage was to Chaya devi in 1984 and the couple had two daughters,
Varalaxmi (born 1985) and Pooja (born 1987).
While still married to Chaya, Sarathkumar had a highly publicised affair with actress
Nagma
Nagma Arvind Morarji (born Nandita Arvind Morarji on 25 December 1974) is an Indian politician and former actress. She was a popular lead actress in the 1990s. She made her cinematic debut in the film '' Baaghi'' opposite Salman Khan in 1990. ...
during the mid-1990s. Sarathkumar and Chaya got divorced in 2000.
Sarathkumar was married to actress
Raadhika
Raadhika Sarathkumar is an Indian actress, entrepreneur, producer and politician who works predominantly in Tamil cinema along with Telugu cinema as well as a few Malayalam, Hindi and Kannada films. She is the founder and CP of the Radaan Media ...
in 2001. They were friends when they worked together in Kargil, they also paired in two films: ''
Namma Annachi
''Namma Annachi'' () is a 1994 Indian Tamil-language film directed by Dhalapathi. The film stars R. Sarathkumar in a triple role, along with Raadhika, Heera Rajagopal and Rupini. The film, produced by K. S. Srinivasan and K. S. Sivaraman, had mu ...
'' and ''
Suryavamsam''. The couple has a son named Rahul born in 2004. He has also a stepdaughter named Rayanne Hardy born to his wife
Raadhika
Raadhika Sarathkumar is an Indian actress, entrepreneur, producer and politician who works predominantly in Tamil cinema along with Telugu cinema as well as a few Malayalam, Hindi and Kannada films. She is the founder and CP of the Radaan Media ...
with her ex-husband Richard Hardy in 1992.
His elder daughter Varalaxmi is an actress in the
South Indian film industry
The Cinema of South India refers collectively to the six distinct film industries based in Southern region of India namely Tamil, Telugu, Tulu, Kannada, Konkani, and Malayalam. Although these industries developed independently for a long ...
. His stepdaughter Rayanne Hardy got married with
cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
er
Abhimanyu Mithun
Abhimanyu Mithun (born 25 October 1989) is an Indian cricketer. A right-arm fast-medium bowler, Mithun was called up to the India squad for the first Test against South Africa in 2009–10, only ten weeks after making his first-class debut. He ...
on 28 August 2016.
Filmography
As actor
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
As producer, writer and director
As singer
Television
Awards
; Honours
*
Kalaimamani
The Kalaimamani is the highest civilian award in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. These awards are given by the ''Tamil Nadu Iyal Isai Nataka Mandram'' (literature, music and theatre), a unit of the Directorate of Art and Culture, Government of ...
(1993)
;
Tamil Nadu State Film Awards
Tamil Nadu State Film Awards were given for excellence in Tamil cinema in India. They were given annually to honour the best talents and provide encouragement and incentive to the South Indian film industry by the Government of Tamil Nadu. The aw ...
* 1994 –
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
{, class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
, -
! colspan="5" , Lis ...
for ''
Nattamai
''Nattamai'' () is a 1994 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by K. S. Ravikumar. It starred Sarathkumar, Meena and Khushbu. The film was released on 2 November 1994, during Diwali, and completed a 175-day run at the box office. It is co ...
''
* 1996 –
M.G.R. Award
* 1998 – Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor – ''
Natpukkaga
''Natpukkaga'' () is a 1998 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by K. S. Ravikumar, starring R. Sarathkumar, Simran, Vijayakumar and Sujatha. It became a blockbuster upon release. The film won two Filmfare Awards South and Tamil Nadu St ...
'' / ''
Simmarasi
''Simmarasi'' () is a 1998 Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language drama film directed and written by Erode Soundar. The film stars R. Sarathkumar, Sarathkumar and Khushbu. Kanaka (actress), Kanaka, Manorama (Tamil actress), Manorama, Anandaraj an ...
''
;
Filmfare Awards South
Filmfare Awards South is the South Indian segment of the annual Filmfare Awards, presented by the Filmfare magazine of The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Indian film industry encompassing ...
* 1994 –
Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Actor
''Filmfare'' is an Indian English-language fortnightly magazine published by Worldwide Media. Acknowledged as one of Indian most popular entertainment magazines, it publishes pieces involving news, interviews, photos, videos, reviews, events, an ...
– ''Nattamai''
* 1997 –
Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Actor
''Filmfare'' is an Indian English-language fortnightly magazine published by Worldwide Media. Acknowledged as one of Indian most popular entertainment magazines, it publishes pieces involving news, interviews, photos, videos, reviews, events, an ...
– ''Suryavamsam''
* 1998 – Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Actor – ''Natpukkaga''
; Cinema Express Award
* 1990 – Cinema Express Award for Best Villain – Tamil – ''
Pulan Visaranai
''Pulan Visaranai'' () is a 1990 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by R. K. Selvamani. The film stars Vijayakanth. while Rupini, M. N. Nambiar, Radha Ravi, Anandaraj, and Sarathkumar play supporting roles. The film, produced b ...
''
* 1992 – Cinema Express Award Special Prize for Best Actor – ''
Suriyan
''Surieyan'' () is a 1992 Indian Tamil-language action film written and directed by Pavithran, and produced by K. T. Kunjumon. The film, starring Sarathkumar and Roja, revolves around IPS officer Surieyan who is forced to flee after being fr ...
''
* 1994 –
Cinema Express Award for Best Actor – ''Nattamai''
* 1997 – Cinema Express Award for Best Actor – ''Suryavamsam''
* 2000 – Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan Award
; Other awards
* 1997 – Dinakaran Cinema Best Actor Award – ''Suryavamsam''
* 1997 – Cinema Fans' Association Best Actor Award – ''Suryavamsam''
* 2005 – Sivaji Ganesan Awards
* 2006 – MGR – Sivaji Awards – ''
Thalaimagan
''Thalaimagan'' () is a 2006 Indian Tamil-language action film starring Sarath Kumar, Nayanthara, Vadivelu and Vijayakumar. This film marked Sarath Kumar's directorial debut. It was the 100th film of Sarath Kumar. The film received mixed to ne ...
''
* 2009 –
Asianet Film Awards Special Jury Award – ''Pazhassi Raja''
* 2009 –
Vanitha Film Awards for Best Supporting Actor – ''Pazhassi Raja''
* 2009 – Sathyan Memorial Film Awards for Best Supporting Actor – ''Pazhassi Raja''
* 2009 – Jai Hind Patriotic Pride Award – ''Pazhassi Raja''
* 2009 – Mathrubhumi Amrita Special Jury Award – ''Pazhassi Raja''
* 2011 –
SIIMA Award for Best Supporting Actor – ''
Muni 2: Kanchana''
* 2011 –
Vijay Award for Best Supporting Actor
The Vijay for Best Supporting Actor is given by STAR Vijay as part of its annual Vijay Awards ceremony for Tamil (Kollywood) films.
The list
Here is a list of the award winners and the films for which they won.
Nominations
*2007 Prakash Raj - ...
– ''Muni 2: Kanchana''
* 2013 – Rainbow Ambassador Award
* 2013 – Norway Tamil Film Festival Icon of Tamil Cinema Award
* 2016 – Incisive Charisma award by WE Magazine
* 2019 –
SIIMA Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role – Telugu
SIIMA Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role – Telugu is presented by Vibri media group as part of its annual South Indian International Movie Awards, for the best acting done by an actor in a negative role in Telugu films. The award was firs ...
for ''
Naa Peru Surya, Naa Illu India
''Naa Peru Surya, Naa Illu India'' () is a 2018 Indian Telugu-language action film written and directed by Vakkantham Vamsi in his directorial debut. Produced by Ramalakshmi Cine Creations, the film stars Allu Arjun, Arjun Sarja and Anu Emman ...
''
References
External links
*
Akila India Samathuva Makhal Katchi
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sarathkumar, R.
Tamil male actors
Male actors in Telugu cinema
Telugu male actors
Male actors in Tamil cinema
Indian male film actors
1954 births
Living people
Tamil Nadu politicians
Indian actor-politicians
Male actors in Malayalam cinema
Male actors in Kannada cinema
Tamil Nadu State Film Awards winners
Filmfare Awards South winners
Tamil Nadu MLAs 2011–2016
Journalists from Tamil Nadu
Male actors from New Delhi
Indian bodybuilders
Recipients of the Kalaimamani Award
20th-century Indian male actors
21st-century Indian male actors
South Indian International Movie Awards winners