Karan (actor)

Karan
Karan
Born	19 August 1967 (age 57); Erode, Tamil Nadu, India
Other names	Shashi Karan, Master Raghu
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1972–1983 (Child artist) ; 1989–2016 (Lead actor)

Karan (born 19 August 1967) is an Indian former actor who appeared predominantly in Tamil and Malayalam films. He started his career as a child actor (under the stage name Master Raghu). In the 1990s he started to act in leading and villain roles. In the mid-2000s, after a sabbatical, Karan chose to prioritise appearing in films where he would portray the lead role following the relative success of Kokki (2006).

Career

Karan started his career as child artist under the name Master Raghu for more than 70 films in Malayalam and Tamil. In 1992, he made his Tamil debut as an adult in Annamalai starring alongside Rajinikanth in an uncredited role, before making a breakthrough with his performance as a rogue college student in Nammavar alongside Kamal Haasan.

In 2004, Karan became a solo hero with the Malayalam film Isra and continued with films like Kokki, Karuppusamy Kuththagaithaarar and Kathavarayan.^[1] His recent films are Sooran (2014) and Uchathula Shiva (2016).

In 2018, a clip from his film Coimbatore Mappillai went viral online, prompting internet users to associate the word "Shroov" with the actor.^[2]^[3]

Other work

Karan made his advertisement debut in a 45-second Mahindra Duro advertisement with Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor.^[4]^[5]

Personal life

Karan's father died in 2014, aged 90.^[6]

Awards

Kerala State Film Awards

1974 – Best Child Artist – Rajahamsam
1975 – Best Child Artist – Prayanam, Swami Ayyappan

Tamil Nadu State Film Awards

2009 -Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor – Malayan

Filmography

As child artist: Credited as Master Raghu

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1972	Achanum Bappayum	Young Devadas
	Pulliman
	Punarjanmam	Young Aravindan
1973	Thekkan Kattu	Joy
1974	Rajahamsam	Rajan	Kerala State Film Award for Best Child Artist
1975	Prayanam	Appu	Kerala State Film Award for Best Child Artist
	Kannappanunni	Ambu
	Swami Ayyappan	Manikandan	Kerala State Film Award for Best Child Artist
	Babumon	Babu
	Mattoru Seetha
	Manishada	Young Kareem
	Pravaham	Chandru
	Ayodhya	Gopi
	Kalyaanappanthal
	Chattambikkalyaani	Young Vaasu
	Ashtamirohini
	Enga Pattan Sothu	Murugan	Tamil
1976	Panchami	Chinnan
	Themmadi Velappan	Young Velappan
	Ammini Ammaavan
	Agnipushpam
	Mallanum Mathevanum
	Chennaaya Valarthiya Kutty
	Aayiram Janmangal	Young Rajan
1977	Sreemurukan
	Sridevi
	Aparaadhi	Raju
	Anugraham	Young Rajan
	Murugan Adimai	Saravana
	Achaaram Ammini Osharam Omana	Raghu
	Jagadguru Aadisankaran	Young Aadisankaran
	Tholkan Enikku Manassilla
	Oonjaal	Rajan
	Vezhambal
1978	Velluvili	Pappan
	Raghuvamsham
	Kudumbam Namukku Sreekovil	Reghu
	Avalude Ravukal	Sudhakaran
1979	Choola
1979	Puthiya Velicham	Kochu Govindan
1980	Avan Oru Ahankaari
	Chandrahasam
	Theenalangal	Ramu

As actor

Films

Year	Film	Role	Language	Notes
1982	Ina	Vinod	Malayalam	credited as Raghu, first lead role
1983	Kuyiline Thedi	Shyam	Malayalam	credited as Raghu
1985	Idanilangal		Malayalam	Uncredited
1987	January Oru Orma	Appu	Malayalam	credited as Raghu
1990	Chuvanna Kannukal		Malayalam	credited as Raghu
1990	Mridula	Anirudh	Malayalam	credited as Raghu
1991	Neelagiri		Malayalam	credited as Raghu
	Mahassar	Suresh	Malayalam	credited as Raghu
	Theechatti Govindhan	Henchman (uncredited role)	Tamil
1992	Annamalai	Deepak, Ashok's son	Tamil
1992	Apaaratha	Hari	Malayalam
1994	Nammavar	Ramesh	Tamil	First film credited as Karan
1995	Thottil Kuzhandhai	Murali	Tamil
1995	Chandralekha	Jamal	Tamil
1996	Coimbatore Mappillai	Mahesh	Tamil
	Vaikarai Pookkal	Shankar	Tamil
	Kadhal Kottai	Siva	Tamil
	Gokulathil Seethai	Mohan	Tamil
1997	Kaalamellam Kaathiruppen	Raja	Tamil
	Kaalamellam Kadhal Vaazhga	Prakash	Tamil
	Love Today	Peter	Tamil
	Kaadhali		Tamil
	Raman Abdullah	Abdullah	Tamil
	Nerukku Ner	Muthukumaraswamy	Tamil
	Kaduva Thomas		Malayalam
1998	Suswagatham	Peter	Telugu
	Ponmanam	Kumar	Tamil
	Kangalin Vaarthaigal		Tamil
	Kaadhal Mannan	Ranjan	Tamil
	Color Kanavugal	Bharani	Tamil
	Thulli Thirintha Kalam	Raghu	Tamil
	Sollamale	Vikram	Tamil
	Kannedhirey Thondrinal	Shankar	Tamil
	Kannathal	Chinna Durai	Tamil
	Kaadhal Kavidhai		Tamil
1999	Unnaithedi	Prakash	Tamil
	Ullathai Killathe	Col. Major Prakash	Tamil
	Poovellam Kettuppar	Director	Tamil
	Sneha	Vijay	Kannada
	Minsara Kanna	Ashok	Tamil
	Maravathe Kanmaniye		Tamil
	Kannupada Poguthaiya	Subramaniyam	Tamil
	Manam Virumbuthe Unnai	Chandru	Tamil
2000	Thirunelveli	Varadappan	Tamil
	Rajakali Amman	Seemadorai/Kannayiram	Tamil
	Vallarasu	Seshadri	Tamil
	Koodi Vazhnthal Kodi Nanmai	Sivaraman	Tamil
	Ilayavan		Tamil
	Budget Padmanabhan	Abishek	Tamil
2001	Nageswari	Easwar	Tamil
	Engalukkum Kaalam Varum	Ramesh	Tamil
	Paarvai Ondre Pothume	Manoj	Tamil
	Sonnal Thaan Kathala	Inspector Inbaraj	Tamil
	Kunguma Pottu Gounder	Siva	Tamil
	Kabadi Kabadi	Sivaprakash	Tamil
	Hoo Anthiya Uhoo Anthiya	Karan	Kannada
	Kottai Mariamman	Eashwar	Tamil
2002	Alli Arjuna	Kishore	Tamil
2002	Sri Bannari Amman	Vaanamaalai	Tamil
2003	Nee Varum Paathaiyellam		Tamil
2004	Arasatchi	Prakash	Tamil
2004	Isra	Mukthi Muhammed Isra/Aravindan	Malayalam	Dubbed and released in Tamil as Kombu
2006	Kokki	Kokki	Tamil
2007	Karuppusamy Kuththagaithaarar	Karuppusamy	Tamil
2007	Thee Nagar	Murugan	Tamil
2008	Kathavarayan	Kathavarayan	Tamil
2009	Malayan	Malayan	Tamil	Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor
2010	Kanagavel Kaaka	Kanagavel	Tamil
2010	Irandu Mugam	Parthasarathy	Tamil
2011	Thambi Vettothi Sundaram	Sundaram	Tamil
2013	Kantha	Kantha	Tamil
2014	Sooran	Sooran	Tamil
2016	Uchathula Shiva	Shiva	Tamil

Television

Year	serials	Role	Language	Notes
1995	Balachander in Chinnathirai - Mutham		Tamil	^[7]
1995	Balachander in Chinnathirai - Oppanai		Tamil	^[8]

References

^ "Behindwoods : Karan & Vindhya come together". Archived from the original on 1 November 2023. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
^ "Something like 'Shroov' now trending really shows power of cinema: Karan". The New Indian Express. 9 October 2018. Archived from the original on 8 September 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
^ "Wherever I go, people say, Shroov, Shroov". The Hindu. 4 October 2018. Archived from the original on 4 October 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2020 – via www.thehindu.com.
^ "Kareena Kapoor has no ego hassles: Karan". The Times of India. 14 January 2012. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
^ "Why South Indian characters are replacing Punjabi Mundas in ads". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 22 September 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
^ Selvaraj, A (17 December 2014). "Decomposed body of Tamil film actor Karan's father recovered in Chennai". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 25 September 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
^ "Mutham | Balachandarin Chinnathirai | Kavithalayaa - YouTube". YouTube. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
^ "Oppanai | Episode-01 | Balachandarin Chinnathirai | Kavithalayaa - YouTube". YouTube. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022.

External links

Karan at IMDb

This article about an Indian actor is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] "Behindwoods : Karan & Vindhya come together". Archived from the original on 1 November 2023. Retrieved 1 November 2023.

[2] "Something like 'Shroov' now trending really shows power of cinema: Karan". The New Indian Express. 9 October 2018. Archived from the original on 8 September 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2020.

[3] "Wherever I go, people say, Shroov, Shroov". The Hindu. 4 October 2018. Archived from the original on 4 October 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2020 – via www.thehindu.com.

[4] "Kareena Kapoor has no ego hassles: Karan". The Times of India. 14 January 2012. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 8 February 2013.

[5] "Why South Indian characters are replacing Punjabi Mundas in ads". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 22 September 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2017.

[6] Selvaraj, A (17 December 2014). "Decomposed body of Tamil film actor Karan's father recovered in Chennai". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 25 September 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2024.

[7] "Mutham | Balachandarin Chinnathirai | Kavithalayaa - YouTube". YouTube. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022.

[8] "Oppanai | Episode-01 | Balachandarin Chinnathirai | Kavithalayaa - YouTube". YouTube. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

v t e Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor
1967–1980	A. V. M. Rajan (1967) M. G. Ramachandran (1968) Sivaji Ganesan (1969) Gemini Ganesan (1970) no award (1971) no award (1972) no award (1973) no award (1974) no award (1975) no award (1976) Kamal Haasan (1977) Srikanth (1978) Sivakumar (1979) Kamal Haasan (1980)
1981–2000	Kamal Haasan (1981) Sivakumar (1982) no award (1983) no award (1984) no award (1985) no award (1986) no award (1987) Vijayakanth (1988) Kamal Haasan (1989) Karthik (1990) Prabhu (1991) Kamal Haasan (1992) Arjun (1993) R. Sarathkumar (1994) Rajinikanth (1995) Kamal Haasan (1996) Vijay & Parthiban (1997) R. Sarathkumar (1998) Rajinikanth (1999) Murali (2000)
2001–present	Suriya (2001) R. Madhavan (2002) Vikram (2003) Jayam Ravi (2004) Vijay & Rajinikanth (2005) Kamal Haasan (2006) Rajinikanth (2007) Kamal Haasan (2008) Karan (2009) Vikram (2010) Vimal (2011) Jiiva (2012) Arya (2013) Siddharth (2014) R. Madhavan (2015)