Sivakarthikeyan is an Indian film actor who works in the Tamil film industry. A former stand-up comedian and television anchor, Sivakarthikeyan made his big screen debut with the film "Marina", directed by Pandiraj and pairing with Oviya, in the year 2012. But his major breakthrough was his lead role in the film "Ethir Neechal", alongside Priya Anand and Nandita. The film, produced by Dhanush, released in 2013. The romantic comedy "Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam" was another turning point for Sivakarthikeyan, having the biggest opening in the actor"s career at the time of release, along with being declared a "Super Hit" at the Tamil Nadu box office and successfully completing 100 days in many theatres. Sivakarthikeyan has established himself as one of the rising stars of Tamil Cinema.
Early Life of Sivakarthikeyan
Sivakarthikeyan was born on February 17, 1985, in Singampunari town of the Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu. His father, late Mr. G. Doss, was a police officer. His grandfather was a Padma Shri awardee, in the classical instrument Nadaswaram. Sivakarthikeyan completed his schooling from Campion Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School in Trichy, and later did his graduation in Bachelors of Engineering in Computer Science and Engineering, at J. J. College of Engineering and Technology, Trichy. He later pursued a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Indian Institute of Planning and Management, Chennai. His sister is a well known doctor in Trichy. He stays with his mother and wife Aarthi, whom he tied the knot to in August 2010, in Chennai.
Early Career of Sivakarthikeyan
During his college days, Sivakarthikeyan participated in various cultural events and performed mimicry and stand-up comedy on stage. Between his engineering graduation and the commencement of his MBA course, he had a 3-month break during which, his friends convinced him to go for the auditions of "Kalakka Povathu Yaaru", a reality show for comedy that aired on STAR Vijay. Despite initial reluctance to participate, Sivakarthikeyan went on to win the title on the show. He then continued his television appearances by participating in dance reality shows, pairing up with Aishwarya Prabhakar in the third season of "Jodi Number One", and then in the first two seasons of "Boys Vs Girls".
Witnessing his sense of humour and quick-witted satirical one-liners, STAR Vijay offered Sivakarthikeyan opportunities to host several regular shows on the channel, such as "Airtel Super Singer" and the fifth season of "Jodi Number One". He hosted the special edition of a popular talk show, "Koffee with Siva". However, it was the game show "Athu Ithu Ethu", which made him reach a wide range of audience. He got opportunities to host promotional film events as well as 5th and 6th editions of the Vijay Awards. He also regularly appeared in short films, including in his friend Atlee`s "Mugapputhagam", "Identity", "Kurahl 786" and "360 degree", while simultaneously anchoring on television. He did a minor role in an advertisement commercial for Vivel, along with Trisha Krishnan.
Film Career of Sivakarthikeyan
After seeing him host the audio launch function of the film "Vaagai Sooda Vaa", director Pandiraj approached Sivakarthikeyan to play the lead role in his film "Marina", and he signed up for the project. He prepared for his first role by paying close attention to Pandiraj`s instructions and visiting Marina Beach extensively to study the surroundings, while revealing that he hoped that his natural talent of humour would come through on screen. The film released on February 3, 2012 featuring alongside Oviya as a young couple in the film. Sivakarthikeyan"s performance was well received. Prior to the film"s release, Aishwarya Dhanush had signed Sivakarthikeyan to play a supporting role as the friend of Dhanush"s character, in the film "3", after being impressed with his work on stage as a host. Following significant pre-release hype, the film opened to predominantly positive reviews with critics appreciating Sivakarthikeyan`s work of providing comic relief in a serious film. This project also marked the beginning of the actor"s association with Dhanush, whom Sivakarthikeyan has often stated to be his mentor in the film industry. He was next seen in Ezhil`s romantic comedy "Manam Kothi Paravai", which opened to mixed reviews but had a decent run at the box office.
In 2013, Sivakarthikeyan appeared in three commercially successful films, all of which hit 100 days. The first, "Kedi Billa Killadi Ranga", a dual hero coming-of-age comedy, Sivakarthikeyan partnered once again with Pandiraj and shot for the film in his home town of Tiruchirappalli, alongside actor Vimal. His next success was through Dhanush`s debut production, "Ethir Neechal", written and directed by Durai Senthilkumar. The story was of a common young man having talent as a runner who strives to make his identity into a proud one. The film released to highly positive reviews from critics and audiences alike. His third release in 2013 was director Ponram`s comedy "Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam", which saw him portray a carefree rural youth, alongside debutante Sri Divya. It was also the first time that Sivakarthikeyan sung a song in a film and a promotional video of its making was released to market the film.
In 2014, Sivakarthikeyan appeared in a comedy film "Maan Karate", produced by A. R. Murugadoss, featuring him as a carefree urban youth who fakes himself as a boxer to impress a girl. The film released to mixed reviews but went on to become a hit at the box office. In 2015, he paired up again with director Durai Senthilkumar for the film "Kaaki Sattai". Featuring him as a cop, the film released on February 27, 2015, to mixed reviews stating that Sivakarthikeyan entertains. The film was a hit at the box office, completing 50 days successfully. He again collaborated with the "Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam" team, for the movie "Rajini Murugan", opposite Keerthy Suresh. He also sang the title track “Rajini Muruganâ€. The film released on January 14, 2016 becoming an instant hit on release weekend, pushing down all other new releases in Pongal.
Filmography of Sivakarthikeyan
Sivakarthikeyan, as an actor, has appeared in the following films, highlighted along with their years of release.
| Year | Film |
| 2012 | Marina |
| 3 | |
| Manam Kothi Paravai | |
| 2013 | Kedi Billa Killadi Ranga |
| Ethir Neechal | |
| Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam | |
| 2014 | Maan Karate |
| 2015 | Kaaki Sattai |
| 2016 | Rajini Murugan |
