Napoleon (actor)
 |
Napoleon Duraisamy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment | |
| In office 13 June 2009 – 20 March 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Manmohan Singh |
| Succeeded by | Selja Kumari |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Kumaresan Duraisamy 2 December 1963 Tiruchirappalli, Madras State, India (now in Tamil Nadu, India) |
| Political party | DMK, BJP from 2014 |
| Spouse | Jayasudha Nepoleon |
| Children | Dhanush Nepoleon Gunal Nepoleon |
| Residence | Brentwood, Tennessee |
| Education | St. Joseph's College, Trichy |
| Occupation | Film actor Politician Social Entrepreneur Entrepreneur |
| Website | actornapoleon |
Kumaresan Duraisamy (born 2 December 1963), known by his stage name Napoleon, is an Indian film actor, politician [2] and entrepreneur. He was the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment in Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's cabinet. During his acting career, he acted in nearly 100 films in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam and Kannada languages.
Early life
Kumaresan Duraisamy, better known as Napoleon, was born on 2 December 1963—the fifth of six children. His family was occupied in agriculture. He graduated from St. Joseph's College, Trichy. His Father is Duraisamy Reddiar and Mother Saraswathi Ammal
Career
Politics
After college, he moved to Trichy and became enthused by the ideologies of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party. He joined the party in which his uncle K. N. Nehru was already a member and at that time the Public Welfare Minister of the state government.
Napoleon contested the State Assembly elections of 2001, winning the Villivakkam constituency contest and thereby becoming a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu. He lost his membership in the 2006 elections, when he contested from the Mylapore constituency and was defeated by actor S. Ve. Shekhar. Subsequently, Napoleon nurtured the Perambalur constituency in the hope of becoming a member of parliament for the DMK, and succeeded in the 2009 Lok Sabha election. He was then appointed Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment in Union government. Seen as a loyalist of Azhagiri, he was sidelined by DMK after the expulsion of the latter from the party in 2014. He joined the BJP in the presence of party President Amit Shah on 21 December 2014. He was made the party's state Vice-President on 26 November 2015.[3]
Films
When aged 27, he watched the film Udhayam, the dubbed version of the Telugu film Siva, and was inspired to take up acting. He entered the Tamil film industry in 1991 with P. Bharathiraja's rural film Pudhu Nellu Pudhu Naathu, playing the antagonist role. Other roles followed, including in Ejamaan Seevalaperi Pandi, Devasuram, Ravanaprabhu, Vattaram, Hello brother, Pokkiri and Dasavatharam. His role as Mundakkal Shekharan in the blockbuster action film Devasuram is widely regarded as his best performance to-date. He reprised the role in the Ravanaprabhu, a sequel to Devasuram.
Though settled in Nashville USA, at the insistence of makers, he made his acting comeback with Kidaari (2016) and then went on to portray Gautham Karthik's father in Muthuramalingam (2017) replacing Karthik.[4][5]
Among the forthcoming Tamil, Malayalam and Hollywood films in which he features are Seema Raja, AY-NA and Devil's Night: Dawn of the Nain Rouge.
Entrepreneurship
In 2000 Napoleon founded Jeevan Technologies in Chennai, and then expanded into the USA and New Zealand. In 2008, the Jeevan IT Academy was started with the mission of training graduates to enter the corporate world with a thorough knowledge of industry standards.
Achievements and awards
- Won the "Kalaimamani" and Tamil Nadu State Film Honorary Award - "M.G.R." awards in 1998
- Vice-president of the South Indian Film Artistes' Association, 2000–2006
- Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize- Best Actor by the Government of Tamil Nadu for Ettupatti Rasa
- Received a Murasoli Trust "Kalaignar" Award, which is given to people who contribute to Tamil language, literature and culture, in 2007.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Pudhu Nellu Pudhu Naathu | Shankaralingam | Tamil | |
| MGR Nagaril | John Peter | Tamil | ||
| 1992 | Abhirami | Tamil | ||
| Bharathan | C.I.D. Johnson | Tamil | ||
| Chinna Thayee | Chamundi | Tamil | ||
| Idhu Namma Bhoomi | Mirasudar | Tamil | ||
| Nadodi Thendral | Swamikannu | Tamil | ||
| Mudhal Seethanam | Tamil | |||
| Oor Mariyadhai | Veerapandi | Tamil | ||
| Pangali | Tamil | |||
| Thalaivasal | Chandran | Tamil | ||
| 1993 | Captain Magal | Robert Royappa | Tamil | |
| Yejaman | Vallavarayan | Tamil | ||
| Devasuram | Mundakal Shekaran | Malayalam | ||
| Rajadhi Raja Raja Kulothunga Raja Marthanda Raja Gambeera Kathavaraya Krishna Kamarajan | Guru Subramaniam | Tamil | ||
| Dharma Seelan | Omer Sheriff | Tamil | ||
| Kunthi Puthrudu | Sambasivudu | Telugu | ||
| Manikuyil | Tamil | |||
| Maravan | Shankarapandiyan | Tamil | ||
| Minmini Poochigal | Victor | Tamil | ||
| Munarivippu | Ranjith | Tamil | ||
| Nallathe Nadakkum | Vikraman | Tamil | ||
| Pudhupiravi | Tamil | |||
| Enga Muthalali | Jayaraman | Tamil | ||
| Kizhakku Cheemayile | Shivanadi | Tamil | ||
| 1994 | Gandheevam | Vincent | Malayalam | |
| Hello Brother | Mithra | Telugu | ||
| Maindhan | Velayudam Pillai | Tamil | ||
| Mani Rathnam | Rathnam | Tamil | ||
| Pudhupatti Ponnuthayi | Tamil | |||
| Seevalaperi Pandi | Pandi | Tamil | Debut as Hero | |
| Thamarai | Thamarai | Tamil | ||
| Thozhar Pandian | Thaamaraiselvan | Tamil | ||
| Vanaja Girija | Anand | Tamil | ||
| 1995 | Aakaya Pookkal | Suriya | Tamil | |
| Asuran | Matthaiya | Tamil | ||
| Chinna Mani | Duraisamy Thevar | Tamil | ||
| En Pondatti Nallava | Rajappa | Tamil | ||
| Mamanithan | Nagu | Tamil | ||
| Muthu Kaalai | Sakthivel | Tamil | ||
| Rajamuthirai | Markandeyan | Tamil | ||
| Thamizhachi | Rasayya | Tamil | ||
| 1996 | Thayagam | Pilot | Tamil | |
| Musthaffaa | Musthaffaa | Tamil | ||
| Puthiya Parasakthi | Rajadurai | Tamil | ||
| Rajali | Rajali | Tamil | ||
| 1997 | Ettupatti Rasa | Singaraj | Tamil | Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize |
| 1998 | Bhagavath Singh | Tamil | ||
| The Government | Tamil, Telugu, Kannada | |||
| Kizhakkum Merkkum | Suryamurthy | Tamil | ||
| 1999 | Billa Ranga | Ranga | Kannada | |
| Ethirum Pudhirum | Arasappan | Tamil | ||
| Maya | Tamil, Telugu, Kannada | |||
| Ponvizha | Bharathi | Tamil | ||
| Rowdy Brothers | Kannada | |||
| Sivan | Murugan | Tamil | ||
| Suyamvaram | Krishna | Tamil | ||
| 2000 | Karisakattu Poove | Kottai Sami | Tamil | |
| The Gang | Police Commissioner | Malayalam | ||
| Manu Neethi | Muthazhagu | Tamil | ||
| Rayalaseema Ramanna Chowdary | Jadadhari Swamiji | Telugu | ||
| The Warrant | Ravi Ramakrishnan | Malayalam | Dubbed into Tamil as The Warrant | |
| 2001 | Megasandesam | Fr. Rossorriya | Malayalam | Dubbed into Tamil as Rosi |
| Kalakalappu | Veluthambi | Tamil | ||
| Mitta Miraasu | Singa Perumal | Tamil | ||
| Veettoda Mappillai | Manikkam | Tamil | ||
| Ravana Prabhu | Mundakkal Sekharan | Malayalam | ||
| 2002 | Kanal Kireedam | Albin | Malayalam | Dubbed into Tamil as Mary Albert |
| Thenkasi Pattanam | Dass | Tamil | ||
| 2004 | Virumaandi | Nallama Nayakkar | Tamil | |
| Adi Thadi | Surya | Tamil | ||
| Remote | Deenadayalu | Tamil | ||
| 2005 | Ayya | Madasamy | Tamil | |
| Veeranna | Mariappan, Veeranna | Tamil | ||
| 2006 | Vattaram | Gurupadam | Tamil | |
| 2007 | Pokkiri | Mohammed Mohideen Khan | Tamil | |
| 2008 | Aayutham Seivom | Elumalai | Tamil | |
| Dasavathaaram | Kulothunga Chola II | Tamil | ||
| Krishnarjuna | Nallama Nayakkar | Telugu | ||
| Sandai | Kamaraj | Tamil | ||
| 2009 | Azhagar Malai | Pandithurai | Tamil | |
| Oy! | Dr. Harish Chandra Prasad | Telugu | ||
| Saleem | Singamanaidu | Telugu | ||
| 2011 | Ponnar Shankar | Thalaiyoor Kaali | Tamil | |
| 2016 | Kidaari | Kottur Durai | Tamil | |
| 2017 | Muthuramalingam | Mookiah Thevar | Tamil | |
| Sharabha | Telugu | Dubbed in Tamil as Yaagam | ||
| Chennaiyil Oru Naal 2 | Commissioner of Police | Tamil | ||
| 2018 | Seema Raja | Ariya Raja, Seema Raja's father | Tamil | |
| Devil's Night: Dawn of the Nain Rouge | English | Filming (Hollywood Movie) | ||
| Ay-na | Malayalam | Filming |
References
- ^ http://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/tamil-actor-napoleon-heads-to-hollywood/article21390465.ece
- ^ Manoj, CG (29 May 2009). "After MLA napoleon ready for real power". The Indian Express. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
- ^ Siva, CG (26 November 2015). "தமிழக பாஜக துணைத் தலைவராக நடிகர் நெப்போலியன் நியமன ம்". The Indian Express. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
- ^ http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/In-the-US-my-son-leads-a-normal-life-Napoleon/articleshow/55666427.cms
- ^ http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/How-Napoleon-became-Gauthams-father/articleshow/54031533.cms
External links
- 1963 births
- Living people
- 21st-century Indian male actors
- Tamil male actors
- Indian actor-politicians
- 15th Lok Sabha members
- Male actors in Malayalam cinema
- Male actors from Tiruchirappalli
- Union Ministers from Tamil Nadu
- Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam politicians
- St. Joseph's College, Tiruchirappalli alumni
- Recipients of the Kalaimamani Award
- Lok Sabha members from Tamil Nadu
- Tamil Nadu State Film Awards winners
- Male actors in Tamil cinema
- Indian male film actors
- Male actors in Telugu cinema
- 20th-century Indian male actors
- People from Perambalur district