Vignesh | |
|---|---|
| Born | Raja 9 April 1971[1] |
| Occupation | Actor, businessman |
| Years active | 1992-2018 2020-Present |
| Spouse(s) | V. Uma Maheshwari |
Vignesh (born 9 April 1971) is an actor from Erode, Tamil Nadu, India. He has acted in several films including Kizhakku Cheemayile, Kaadhali, Raman Abdullah, Velai, Appu, Ennai Thalatta Varuvala, Soori and Aacharya.[2]
Even though he has acted in several films, he was unable to get a breakthrough, and notably turned down an offer to star in Bala's Sethu, which went on to catapult Vikram to stardom.[3]
Career
Vignesh got selected to play the lead role in Balu Mahendra's Vanna Vanna Pookkal (1992) but he was removed from the film after working on it for seven days and was replaced by Prashanth.[4] He made his acting debut in 1992 with the village drama film Chinna Thayee.[5] In 1993, he acted in Amma Ponnu, Bharathiraja's Kizhakku Cheemayile and Kathir's Uzhavan. In 1995, Vignesh appeared in six films. He starred in Chellakannu, which told the tragic story of a young couple caught between feuding families, and the film performed well and ran for over one hundred days at the box office. The film had featured him alongside actress Yuvarani, as did Pasumpon, while his Nadodi Mannan became a box office failure.[6]
In the mid of 1990s, Vignesh's housemate Bala, an erstwhile assistant of Balu Mahendra wrote the script of the film Sethu, then titled Akhilan, and offered him the film's lead role. The film was shelved due to financial constraints. In 1997, director Bala restarted the project and Vignesh, who was busy with other commitments, was replaced by Vikram. In 1998, Vignesh played the lead role in J. Suresh's Velai and played a supporting role in Ravichandran's Kannedhirey Thondrinal.[7] The following years, Vignesh played the lead role in low-budget films Pudhu Kudithanam (1999) and Nee Enthan Vaanam (2000), and played supporting roles in Suyamvaram (1999) and Appu (2000).
After a hiatus of 3 years, Vignesh made a comeback with Soori (2003). For Soori, Vignesh had to tonsure his head for 70 times.[8][9] His performance received mixed reviews with critics claiming that Vignesh "tends to go slightly overboard, especially when he howls aloud in agony" and "his cries seem over the top".[10][11] 2003 saw the release of his long-delayed films Ennai Thalatta Varuvala and Vani Mahal.[12] The three films went unnoticed at box office, post-release Vignesh signed two projects titled "Ilango" and "Parithi" with both failing to proceed after launch.[13][14] In 2005, Vignesh appeared in two low-budget films: Ulla Kadathal and Aadhikkam. Vignesh then produced and acted in the gangster film Aacharya (2006) and a critic stated, "for Vignesh, it is a comeback vehicle and he has done his best".[15]
Filmography
- All films are in Tamil, unless otherwise noted.
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Chinna Thayee | Ponrasu | |
| 1992 | Annai Vayal | Hero's Brother | |
| 1993 | Amma Ponnu | Anand | |
| Kizhakku Cheemayile | Seenu | ||
| Uzhavan | Sundaram's brother | ||
| 1995 | Chellakannu | Chellakannu | |
| Manathile Oru Paattu | Anand | ||
| Mannukku Mariyadhai | Pandian | ||
| Muthukulikka Vaariyala | Chellappa | ||
| Nadodi Mannan | Ramesh | ||
| Pasumpon | Raasa | ||
| 1996 | Naalamkettile Nalla Thampimar | Robert | Malayalam film |
| Take It Easy Urvashi | Subramani | ||
| Vetri Mugam | Aravind | ||
| 1997 | Kaadhali | Gopal | |
| Kadhal Palli | Balu | ||
| Pongalo Pongal | Subramani | ||
| Raman Abdullah | Raman | ||
| 1998 | Velai | Ganesh | |
| Kannedhirey Thondrinal | Sakthi | ||
| 1999 | Pudhu Kudithanam | Ashok | |
| Suyamvaram | Potential groom | ||
| 2000 | Appu | Mano | |
| Nee Enthan Vaanam | Sathya | ||
| Ninaivellam Nee | Karthik | ||
| 2003 | Ennai Thalatta Varuvala | Santhosh | |
| Soori | Suriya | ||
| Vani Mahal | Arul | ||
| 2005 | Aadhikkam | Guru | |
| Ulla Kadathal | Sakthi | ||
| 2006 | Aacharya | Yadhunandhan (Saamy) | |
| 2008 | Malarinum Melliya | Elango | |
| 2009 | Kudiyarasu | Kannan | |
| Eesa | Eesa | ||
| 2010 | Gowravargal | Ganesan | |
| 2013 | Bhuvanakkadu | Mani Bharathi | |
| 2016 | Avan Aval | Venkatakrishnan | |
| 2018 | Aaruthra | Nambi |
- Television
| Year | Title | Role | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–Present | Poove Unakkaga | Sakthivel | Sun TV |
| 2020 | Roja | Sakthivel | Sun TV |
| 2021-Present | Velammal | Star Vijay |
References
- ^ "Vignesh | Official Site of South Indian Artists Association, Nadigar Sangam, Tamil Nadigar Sangam". Nadigarsangam.org. 22 May 1994. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
- ^ "Too-violent film another flop for Vignesh". Times Live. 21 February 2010. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
- ^ http://indolink.com/tamil/cinema/People/97/Dec/kuttisp1.htm
- ^ Anupama Subramanian (4 September 2018). "Why Vignesh became a baddie". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
- ^ Malini Mannath (1 January 1993). "Run-of-the-mill fare". The Indian Express: 7. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
- ^ "Google Groups". Groups.google.com. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
- ^ https://www.rediff.com/movies/1998/oct/28ss.htm
- ^ "tamil cinema mottai heroes rajinikanth sivaji kamal aalavandhan vikram sethu ajithkumar red madhavan ayudha ezuthu sathyaraj amaithipadai picture gallery images". Behindwoods.com. 26 November 2006. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
- ^ "Soori in trouble ?". Mohankumars.com. Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 2011-10-23.
- ^ "SOORI". Bbthots.com. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
- ^ ""Soori"". The Hindu. 26 December 2003. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
- ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20050301211557/http://www.dinakaran.com/cinema/english/cinenews/11-12-98/ravichan.htm
- ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20040823194728/http://www.chennaionline.com/film/onlocation/ilango.asp
- ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20040824002425/http://www.chennaionline.com/location/paridhi.asp
- ^ "Review : Aacharya (2006)". Sify. 7 July 2006. Retrieved 26 November 2018.