Prasanna Venkatesan, often credited mononymously as Prasanna, is an Indian actor who works predominantly in the Tamil film industry and alongside appeared in a few Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films.
Prasanna | |
|---|---|
| Born | Prasanna Venkatesan |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
He made his first success in Five Star in 2002, which was produced by Mani Ratnam. Some of his other notable films are Kannum Kannum, Cheena Thaana 001, Anjathe, Kanda Naal Mudhal, Naanga Romba Busy and Naanayam. Apart from lead roles, he has also played villain roles. His film Achchamundu! Achchamundu!, in which he starred alongside Sneha and American actor John Shea, was screened at many international film festivals, such as at Shanghai and Cairo.[1][2]
Early life and background edit
Prasanna was born in Tiruchirappalli.[citation needed] His father was an employee in BHEL and his mother is a homemaker.[citation needed] He completed his schooling from BHEL Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Tiruchirappalli.[citation needed] He has a younger brother.[citation needed] Prasanna was good at mimicry and acting, when he was in school and college. He had stated that he always wanted to become an actor.[3] He was an EEE student in Saranathan College of Engineering, Tiruchirapalli, when he responded to an open audition for actors in Susi Ganesan's Five Star (2002),[4] although his parents were unhappy with his decision.[3]
Film career edit
Five Star, produced by Mani Ratnam's Madras Talkies, featured Prasanna alongside four other newcomers, most notably Kanika; it was well received by critics and performed modestly at the box office. His next two films Ragasiyamai (2003) and Kadhal Dot Com (2004), did not fare well commercially. After Five Star, his noteworthy performance came in Azhagiya Theeye (2004). He cites that the time between Five Star and Azhagiya Theeye was "a painful one", since the roles offered to him were "not the ones" he wanted to play.[3] The film, involving an ensemble cast, was produced by Prakash Raj's Duet Movies and directed by Radha Mohan. Critics commented that he had improved in emoting,[5] labelling his "voice modulation in the humorous scenes" as "impressive".[6] Prakash Raj, impressed by his performance in the film, offered him the lead character in his next production Kanda Naal Mudhal, too.[3] The triangular love story, directed by the newcomer V. Priya, costarring Laila and Karthik Kumar was a commercial success. The film ran for one-hundred days.[7] The comedy flick Cheena Thaana 001, co-starring Sheela and Vadivelu was his only 2007 release.
In 2008, Prasanna was seen in three films. He starred in Siddique's comedy thriller Sadhu Miranda. His role of a modern-day villain was a huge hit in Mysskin's film Anjathe (2008). His negative role was critically acclaimed and fetched him a nomination at the 56th Filmfare Awards South in the Best Supporting Actor category. Later that year, he starred in G. Marimuthu's Kannum Kannum. Regarding his performance, a critic noted that "Prasanna oozes sincerity and his ability to bring the Sathya and Murthy character to life with all the nuances of love, tenderness, humour and frustrations is one of the highlights of the film".[8] He played the lead in Arun Vaidyanathan's Achchamundu! Achchamundu! (2009) opposite Sneha that dealt with the subject of paedophiles. It received rave reviews,[9][10] and was very well received internationally,[3] but failed at the domestic box office. Manjal Veyil also failed to be successful.[11] During the period, he also worked as a voice actor, speaking dubbing for Aryan Rajesh in Cheran's Pokkisham on the insistence of the director.[12] Then, alongside Sibiraj as antagonist, he starred in Shakthi Soundar Rajan's Naanayam as a protagonist produced by S.P.B. Charan's Capital Film Works.
In Bale Pandiya, directed by Siddharth Chandrasekhar, Prasanna was replaced by Vishnu Vishal.[13] He was seen in a supporting role as a local gangster in Baana Kaathadi. A review from Times of India wrote that "with his eyes-to-die-for and underplayed violence, Prasanna easily steals the show".[14] In 2011, he performed a lead role alongside director-actor Cheran in the thriller film Muran. His character, a "spoiled brat" and son of a millionaire, again had negative shades.[12][15] He was also approached for Lucky Jokers, which he could not take due to his busy schedule with Muran. He has been approached to play a vital role in the Malayalam Vellaripravinte Changathi, but eventually did not star in the film.[16] In 2013, he played a doctor in the Chennaiyil Oru Naal, a remake of the Malayalam film Traffic (2011).[17] The film featured an ensemble cast and released to positive reviews.[17] That same year, he made his Telugu debut with Bhai and starred in the successful romantic comedy Kalyana Samayal Saadham.[18][19] Regarding his performance, a critic stated that "Prasanna deserves special credit for playing a role that most actors would hesitate to take up".[20]
2014 saw the release of Pulivaal and the long delayed Netru Indru; both films featured himself and Vimal in the lead. The former was directed by Marimuthu and was based on the Malayalam film Chaappa Kurishu (2011).[21] While Pulivaal released to positive reviews, Netru Indru released to negative reviews.[22][23] His subsequent films released to positive reviews: Pa Paandi,[24] Nibunan,[25] Thupparivaalan,[26] and Thiruttu Payale 2.[27] His performance in Thirittu Payale 2 fetched him the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor – Tamil.[28] He returned to Telugu cinema with Jawaan, which featured him as the antagonist and released to negative reviews.[29] In 2018, he starred in Kaalakkoothu; he was cast after Shaam left the film.[30] The film received mixed reviews upon release.[31] In 2019, he starred in the Telugu film Viswamitra and made his Malayalam debut with Brother's Day.[32] Brothers Day released to mixed reviews.[33] In 2020, he starred in Mafia: Chapter 1, which received mixed reviews upon release[34] followed by Naanga Romba Busy (2020).[35]
Personal life edit
During the filming of Achchamundu! Achchamundu! it was reported that he fell in love with Sneha, but he denied the idea of marrying an actress.[36]
Prasanna eventually married Sneha on 11 May 2012.[37][38][39] They have two children.[40][41]
Filmography edit
| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
As actor edit
- Note: all films are in Tamil, unless otherwise noted.
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Five Star | Prabhu | |
| 2003 | Ragasiyamai | Amudhan | |
| 2004 | Kadhal Dot Com | Vinod | |
| Azhagiya Theeye | Chandran | ||
| 2005 | Kasthuri Maan | Arunachalam | |
| Kanda Naal Mudhal | Krishna | ||
| 2007 | Cheena Thaana 001 | Tamilarasu | |
| 2008 | Sadhu Miranda | Sundaramoorthy | |
| Anjathe | Dhaya | ITFA Best Villain Award Nominated, Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor – Tamil | |
| Kannum Kannum | Sathyamoorthy | ||
| 2009 | Manjal Veiyil | Vijay | |
| Achchamundu! Achchamundu! | Senthil Kumar | Edison Award for Best Character (Male) Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize | |
| 2010 | Naanayam | Ravi Bhaskar | |
| Goa | Sakthi Saravanan | Guest appearance | |
| Baana Kaathadi | 'Maanja' Ravi | ||
| 2011 | Muran | Arjun | |
| 2013 | Chennaiyil Oru Naal | Robin | |
| Bhai | Arjun | Telugu film | |
| Kalyana Samayal Saadham | Raghu Viswanathan | Also singer for "Pallu Pona Raja" | |
| 2014 | Pulivaal | Karthik | |
| Netru Indru | David | ||
| 2015 | JK Enum Nanbanin Vaazhkai | Himself | Simultaneously shot in Telugu as Rajadhi Raja Cameo appearance |
| 2017 | Mupparimanam | Himself | Cameo appearance |
| Pa Paandi | Raghavan | ||
| Nibunan | Inspector Joseph | Simultaneously shot in Kannada as Vismaya | |
| Thupparivaalan | Manohar | ||
| Thiruttu Payale 2 | Balakrishnan (Balki) | Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor – Tamil | |
| Jawaan | Keshava | Telugu film | |
| 2018 | Kaalakkoothu | Easwaran | |
| 2019 | Viswamitra | CI Gopal | Telugu film |
| Brother's Day | Shiva | Malayalam film | |
| 2020 | Mafia: Chapter 1 | Diwakar Kumaran | |
| Naanga Romba Busy | Inspector Kumaravel | Television film | |
| 2023 | Kannai Nambathey | Somu | [42] |
| King of Kotha | Shahul Hassan | Malayalam film[43] |
As voice over artist edit
| Year | Film | Actor |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Pokkisham | Aryan Rajesh |
| 2010 | Raavanan | Ashwanth Thilak |
Television series edit
| Year | Program Name | Role | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Thiravam | Ravi Prakasam | ZEE5 | |
| 2020 | Addham | Aha | Telugu series Segment: Crossroads | |
| 2021 | Navarasa | Krishna | Netflix | Segment: Project Agni |
| 2022 | Fingertip (Season 2) | ZEE5 | ||
| Victim | SonyLIV | |||
| Mad Company | AK | Aha | ||
| 2023 | Iru Dhuruvam 2 | Langeswaran | SonyLIV | |
| 2024 | Cheran’s Journey | Raghav Isakkimuthu | SonyLIV |
Television edit
| Year | Show | Role | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Honeymoon Jodigal | Host | Sun TV |
| 2018 | Soppana Sundari | Host | Sun Life |
References edit
- ^ "Achchamundu Achchamundu screened at International film festivals". Jointscene. Archived from the original on 11 August 2010. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
- ^ "News". IndiaGlitz.com. 23 November 2018. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
- ^ a b c d e Prasanna. "Meet Prasanna of Tamil films". Rediff.com (Interview). Interviewed by Shobha Warrier. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
- ^ Prasanna. "I want to do meaningful films: Prasanna". IndiaGlitz (Interview). Archived from the original on 10 February 2005. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
- ^ "Movie Review:Azhagiya Theeye". Sify. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
- ^ "Azhagiya Theeyae ..." The Hindu. 6 August 2004. Archived from the original on 11 September 2004. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
- ^ S, Srivatsan (19 February 2020). "I was devastated when Mysskin called me a 'sidekick': Prasanna on playing 'second-hero' roles, and his upcoming 'Mafia'". The Hindu.
- ^ "Kannum Kannum". Sify. Archived from the original on 16 January 2017.
- ^ "Achchamundu Achchamundu movie review". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
- ^ "Achchamundu Achchamundu". Behindwoods.com. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
- ^ "Actor Prasanna has been ridden with bad luck!". Joint Scene. Archived from the original on 24 April 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b "I felt Muran was like my own production". Rediff.com. 28 September 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
- ^ "Prasanna joins Siddharth – Behindwoods.com – Bale Pandiya Prasanna Siddharth Chandrasekhar". www.behindwoods.com.
- ^ "Baana Kaathadi". The Times of India. 7 August 2010. Archived from the original on 26 March 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
- ^ "How Prasanna became Arjun in 'Muran' – Tamil Movie News". IndiaGlitz. Archived from the original on 1 October 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
- ^ "Prasanna in Malayalam?". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 6 November 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- ^ a b "Tamil review: 'Chennaiyil Oru Naal' is a gripping thriller". News18. 30 March 2013.
- ^ "Prasanna excited about Telugu debut". The New Indian Express.
- ^ "Kalayana Samayal Saadham movie review: Wallpaper, Story, Trailer at". The Times of India. 7 December 2013.
- ^ "Review: Kalyana Samayal Saadham is funny and thought provoking". Rediff. 7 December 2013.
- ^ "'Puli Vaal' not exactly a remake". The New Indian Express.
- ^ Rangan, Baradwaj (8 February 2014). "Pulivaal: Tiger by the tail". The Hindu.
- ^ "Netru Indru Movie Review {1.5/5}: Critic Review of Netru Indru by Times of India". The Times of India.
- ^ "Pa. Paandi Review {3.5/5}: Power Paandi is a heartwarming film that, despite its conventional storytelling, packs in a huge emotional wallop". The Times of India.
- ^ Subramanian, Anupama (28 July 2017). "Nibunan review: A fast-paced thriller that will keep you engrossed!". Deccan Chronicle.
- ^ Menon, Vishal (14 September 2017). "'Thupparivaalan' review: The adventure of an eccentric bachelor". The Hindu.
- ^ "'Thiruttu Payale 2' review: A decent, even if not darker, follow-up". The New Indian Express.
- ^ Saravanan, T. (6 October 2017). "Actor of many parts". The Hindu.
- ^ "Jawaan Review {2.2/5}: You can go watch this movie if you're a Sai Dharam Tej fan. Steer clear of it otherwise!". The Times of India.
- ^ Balachandran, Logesh. "Prasanna replaces Shaam in 'Kaala Koothu'". The Times of India.
- ^ Subramanian, Anupama (26 May 2018). "Kaalakkoothu movie review: Mismatch of worthy performers against clichéd script". Deccan Chronicle.
- ^ "Actor Prasanna reveals why his Mollywood debut was delayed". The News Minute. 24 August 2019.
- ^ "Brother's Day Movie Review: Too many twists in Prithviraj's suspense thriller". The Times of India.
- ^ "Mafia Review {3/5}: The way 'Mafia: Chapter 1' ends makes us eagerly wait for the next chapter". The Times of India.
- ^ "Naanga Romba Busy Movie Review: This demonetisation comedy often lacks spunk". The Times of India.
- ^ "Sneha and Prasanna First Film together after Marriage". kollywoodtoday.net. 14 August 2013. Archived from the original on 18 January 2015. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Sneha to wed actor Prasanna!". Behindwoods. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
- ^ "Prasanna out public about his relationship with Sneha!". Sify. Archived from the original on 12 November 2011. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
- ^ "Sneha to marry Prasanna!". IndiaGlitz. Archived from the original on 10 November 2011. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
- ^ subramanian, anupama (12 August 2015). "Baby boy for Sneha, Prasanna". Deccan Chronicle.
- ^ "Sneha reveals her baby girl's pictures for the first time". The Times of India.
- ^ "Kannai Nambathey Movie Review: Kannai Nambathey falters despite a thrilling setup". The Times of India. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
- ^ "Dulquer Salmaan's King of Kotha to see Prasanna playing a powerful cop | Exclusive". India Today.