Karunakaran
Karunakarann at the First Single Launch of Ghajinikanth in 2018
Born
Karunakaran Kalidas

(1981-01-28) 28 January 1981 (age 42)
Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Occupation(s)Actor, Comedian
Years active2012-present
Spouse
Thendral
​
(m. 2013)​
[1]
Children2

Karunakaran (born 28 January 1981) is an Indian actor and comedian who mainly appears in Tamil cinema. He made his breakthrough in the film Soodhu Kavvum (2013). He also appeared in supporting roles in Yaamirukka Bayamey (2014), Jigarthanda (2014) and Indru Netru Naalai (2015).

Career

Karunakaran's father is a former RAW agent and he grew up in New Delhi, before moving to Trichy with his parents, where he met short film maker and friend Nalan Kumarasamy. He completed his secondary schooling at Sri Akilandeswari Vidyalaya, Trichy. He initially made a career as chemical engineer, graduating from SASTRA University, and then as an IT professional at Accenture, before Nalan approached him to feature in a short film he was making for the reality television show, Naalaya Iyakkunar. Karunakaran had featured in such short film ventures at school and Nalan had cast him in Nenjuku Neethi, which went on to win the first place award that season. Sundar C gave him brief roles in two of his ventures, while he made his first breakthrough portraying Vijay Sethupathi's friend in Karthik Subbaraj's Pizza (2012), after which he left work and concentrated on a career in films.[2]

Nalan subsequently cast him in his feature film debut Soodhu Kavvum (2013), for which Karunakaran won rave reviews. His appearance in the "Kasu Panam Thuttu" song also was well received and prompted several further offers for the actor.[3][4] His performance in Yaamirukka Bayamey (2014) was appreciated by critics. The Times of India wrote, "A large part of the credit should go to Karuna, who manages to make Sharath both ambivalent and funny",[5] while Sify wrote that he was "a scream"[6] and The Hindu called it an "exceptional performance".[7][8][9] Karunakaran, rose to fame in comical roles he did in such films as Yaamirukka Bayamey (2014) and Jigarthanda (2014).

Karunakaran was awarded the Best Comedian Award for his role in the movie Indru Netru Naalai (2015).[10] In 2019, he made his TV début with ‘Asaalta Alaravidum Pullingo’ on Discovery Network's Tamil channel. These movies like Monster (2019) and Maanaadu (2021) which have been successful.[11] After delays, the comedy Panni Kutty, in which Karunakaran starred with Yogi Babu, was finally released in 2022.[12]

Filmography

Films

Year Film Role Notes
2012 Kalakalappu Kumar
Pizza Raghavan
Maalai Pozhudhin Mayakathilaey Devendran
2013 Soodhu Kavvum Arumai Pragasam Nominated, Vijay Award for Best Supporting Actor
Theeya Velai Seiyyanum Kumaru Himself Also writer
2014 Yaamirukka Bayamey Sharath Nominated, Vijay Award for Best Comedian
Jigarthanda Oorni
Aindhaam Thalaimurai Sidha Vaidhiya Sigamani Paalpaandi
Aadama Jaichomada Call Taxi Panneer
Yaan Shaji
Lingaa Kothandam
Kappal Kanagasabhapathi "Kanaga"
2015 Mahabalipuram Kumar
Nanbenda Thangadurai
Inimey Ippadithan
Indru Netru Naalai Pulivetti Arumugam Ananda Vikatan Cinema Award for Best Comedian
Vasuvum Saravananum Onna Padichavanga Gautham
Uppu Karuvaadu Chandran
2016 Gethu Kanagu
Navarasa Thilagam Alangaram
Kanithan Balaji
Hello Naan Pei Pesuren Dr. Saravanan
Ko 2 Kumaran
Iraivi Ramesh
Oru Naal Koothu Raghavendran 25th Film
Jackson Durai Veera
Iru Mugan Peter
Thodari Vairam
Parandhu Sella Vaa Arun
2017 Enakku Vaaitha Adimaigal Ramesh
Adhagappattathu Magajanangalay
Thiri Jeeva's Friend
Vivegam Arumai Prakasam aka "APS"
Hara Hara Mahadevaki Kumaru
2018 Vidhi Madhi Ultaa Rajamani
Nimir Vigadakavi
Veera Pachamuthu
Iruttu Araiyil Murattu Kuththu Girish Kalyan
Semma Botha Aagathey Nandhu
Ghajinikanth Karuna
NOTA Rocky
Kadikara Manithargal Shiva
Lakshmi Azhagu
Ratsasan Actor Karunakaran Guest appearance
Seethakaathi Advocate
Silukkuvarupatti Singam Bhaskar
2019 Podhu Nalan Karudhi Poovarasan 50th Film
Kalavu Gautham direct-to-video released on ZEE5
Monster Ravi
Jiivi Mani
RK Nagar Cameo Appearance
2021 Trip Amuthan
Teddy Karthik
Malaysia to Amnesia Prabhu
Tughlaq Durbar Vasu
Enemy Babu
Jango
Maanaadu Syed Baasha
Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum Chandran
2022 Manmadha Leelai Sasi
Payanigal Gavanikkavum Antony
Panni Kutty Uthravathi
Maha Sub-inspector Karuna
Kaatteri Gajja
Jiivi 2 Mani Direct Aha OTT Release
2023 Vallavanukkum Vallavan
Soppana Sundari Durai [13]
Yaanai Mugathaan Michael [14]
Karungaapiyam Pastor David
Kasethan Kadavulada [15]
Rajni / Aval Peyar Rajni † Selvam Arumugam Malayalam/Tamil film[16]
2024 Ayalaan

Television

Year Program Role TV Channel Ref.
2019 Asaalta Alaravidum Pullingo: Fail Army With Karunakaran Host Discovery Tamil [17]
2022 Little Super Heroes Kalaignar TV [18]

Web series

Year Program Role Network Notes
2020 Time Enna Boss Buggy Amazon Prime [19]
2022 Paper Rocket Tiger ZEE5

References

  1. ^ "Tamil Stars Wedding 2013". Tamilstar. Archived from the original on 4 October 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
  2. ^ Gupta, Rinku (12 September 2013). "'Soodhu kavvum has changed my life'". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 19 February 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  3. ^ "Big day for Karunakaran!, soodhu kavvum, pizza". Behindwoods.com. 30 May 2013. Archived from the original on 19 April 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  4. ^ "Actor Karunakaran Interview : Screen Test". Silverscreenindia.com. 24 June 2014. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  5. ^ "Yaamirukka Bayamey movie review". Timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Archived from the original on 14 May 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  6. ^ "Movie Review : Yaamirukka Bayamey". Sify. Archived from the original on 9 May 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  7. ^ udhav naig (10 May 2014). "Yaamirukka Bayamey: Busting ghosts". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 8 January 2018. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  8. ^ "Sasikumar's protégé goes independent". Deccanchronicle.com/. 21 May 2017. Archived from the original on 21 May 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  9. ^ "Vivegam Tamil Movie Rating [4/5], Audience Review". Quintdaily.com. 23 August 2017. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  10. ^ "Vikatan Awards 2015: Complete Winners List (Tamil Movies)". 7 January 2016.
  11. ^ Kumar, Pradeep (7 November 2019). "Actor Karunakaran turns television host". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  12. ^ S, Srivatsan (8 July 2022). "'Panni Kutty' movie review: A harmless comedy that is dead on arrival". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 14 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  13. ^ "Aishwarya Rajesh's 'Soppana Sundari' to release on April 14". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 6 April 2023. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  14. ^ "Yogi Babu's Yaanai Mugathaan gets release date". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  15. ^ "Kasethan Kadavulada, Based On Chitralaya Gopu's Play, Completes 50 Years Of Release". News18. 20 May 2022. Archived from the original on 22 July 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  16. ^ "Kalidas Jayaram-starrer Bilingual Film Rajni To Release Soon". News18. 20 October 2023.
  17. ^ Kumar, Pradeep (7 November 2019). "Actor Karunakaran turns television host". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  18. ^ Magic-ஆல் அரங்கத்தை மிரளவைத்த சிறுவன்..! #Linkeshvaran | Little Super Heroes | Kalaignar TV, archived from the original on 8 September 2022, retrieved 8 September 2022
  19. ^ "Time Enna Boss trailer: A fun Tamil series about time travel". The Indian Express. 15 September 2020. Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 18 September 2020.

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