# Ganja Karuppu
**Ganja Karuppu** (கஞ்சா கருப்பு; born 1976) is an Indian actor who plays comedy and supporting roles in [Tamil cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/tamil-cinema). His birth name is Karuppu Raja; he took the screen name Ganja Karuppu after playing a ganja (cannabis) farm worker in his debut film, Bala's *Pithamagan* (2003).[1](https://tamilar.wiki/w/%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%9E%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%BE_%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%B1%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%81) He became one of Tamil cinema's busiest comic actors of the 2000s and 2010s, with films including *Raam* (2005), *Paruthiveeran* (2007), *Subramaniapuram* (2008), *Naadodigal* (2009), and *Kalavani* (2010).[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2128968/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Karuppu Raja; born 1976 in Sivaganga, Tamil Nadu[1](https://tamilar.wiki/w/%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%9E%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%BE_%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%B1%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%81) |
| Screen name origin | Played a ganja farm worker in *Pithamagan* (2003), his debut, and the role name stuck[1](https://tamilar.wiki/w/%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%9E%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%BE_%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%B1%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%81) |
| Breakthrough | Vaazhavandhan in Ameer's *Raam* (2005), a role that made him a noted comedy actor[3](https://tamil.abplive.com/entertainment/actor-ganja-karuppu-shares-his-throwback-memories-81694) |
| Signature role | Douglas in *Paruthiveeran* (2007); many viewers still call him by that character's name[4](https://tamil.filmibeat.com/news/ganja-karuppu-has-shared-a-sad-incident-in-his-life-in-an-interview-122565.html) |
| Lead roles | *Arai En 305-il Kadavul* (2008) with Santhanam; he has said lasting a full film as a hero was very difficult[5](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/regional/movie-details/news-interviews/very-hard-to-play-lead-roles-ganja-karuppu/articleshow/12596516.cms) |
| Production | Produced *Velmurugan Borewells* with an investment he described as about ₹40 million (₹4 crore); he later called producing it his biggest career mistake[6](https://manivikatan.blogspot.com/2014/03/blog-post_3.html) |
| Television | Contestant on Bigg Boss Tamil season 1 (2017), evicted on day 14; later a main cook on Cooku with Comali Season 6[7](https://www.filmibeat.com/celebs/ganja-karuppu.html) |
| Output | IMDb lists 130 acting credits and 2 award nominations[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2128968/) |
## Early life and entry into cinema
Karuppu was born in Sivaganga, Tamil Nadu.[1](https://tamilar.wiki/w/%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%9E%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%BE_%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%B1%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%81) Before films he ran a small thatched-roof restaurant near the bus stand in Sivaganga district, selling idli, dosa, omelette, appam, chicken, and mutton.[8](https://tamil.abplive.com/entertainment/ganja-karuppu-talks-about-his-entry-into-tamil-cinema-through-director-bala-53967) In interviews he has told how the director Bala, then already known for *Sethu*, ate at the shop, praised the way it was run, and paid him 20,000 rupees for the meal, a sum Karuppu says felt to him like 2 million rupees (20 lakh rupees) at the time; he used the money to improve the shop.[8](https://tamil.abplive.com/entertainment/ganja-karuppu-talks-about-his-entry-into-tamil-cinema-through-director-bala-53967)
Bala later took him to a film shoot and gave him a role in *Pithamagan* (2003), on the condition that he would not tell anyone he was Bala's protégé and would work among the crew as an ordinary worker until he had made his name.[8](https://tamil.abplive.com/entertainment/ganja-karuppu-talks-about-his-entry-into-tamil-cinema-through-director-bala-53967) Karuppu has also said he worked as an office boy in Bala's office before getting the acting chance.[9](https://tamil.asianetnews.com/amp/gallery/cinema/ganja-karupu-said-that-i-will-stand-in-front-of-director-bala-and-ameer-and-and-i-will-speak-rsk-spegcd)
## Film career
**Breakthrough.** Although *Pithamagan* was his debut, the turning point came with Ameer's *Raam* (2005), in which he played Vaazhavandhan; the lines he delivered in that role are still remembered, and it established him as a comedy actor.[3](https://tamil.abplive.com/entertainment/actor-ganja-karuppu-shares-his-throwback-memories-81694) He followed with comic roles in a long run of films including *Sivakasi*, *Sandakozhi*, *Thirupathi*, *Thamirabarani*, *Paruthiveeran*, *Subramaniapuram*, *Naadodigal*, and *Kalavani*.[3](https://tamil.abplive.com/entertainment/actor-ganja-karuppu-shares-his-throwback-memories-81694) His rustic face and village-style dialogue delivery drew a large following.[4](https://tamil.filmibeat.com/news/ganja-karuppu-has-shared-a-sad-incident-in-his-life-in-an-interview-122565.html)
**Douglas.** The most important character of his career, by his own account, is Douglas in *Paruthiveeran* (2007), written and directed by Ameer. The role fit him so exactly that many people have called him Douglas ever since, and his career rose further after the film.[4](https://tamil.filmibeat.com/news/ganja-karuppu-has-shared-a-sad-incident-in-his-life-in-an-interview-122565.html) In a 2023 interview he also recalled that Ameer first narrated the *Paruthiveeran* story to Suriya before Karthi committed to the film.[10](https://tamil.samayam.com/tamil-cinema/movie-news/actor-ganja-karupu-about-paruthiveeran-movie/articleshow/105701759.cms)
**Lead roles and style.** Karuppu has played the lead in a couple of films, most notably *Arai En 305-il Kadavul* (2008) alongside Santhanam, and said the experience pushed him out of his comfort zone: "It was very difficult for me to last the entire film as a hero." He described comedy as his forte since *Pithamagan* and said he improvises his comic lines within the director's vision.[5](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/regional/movie-details/news-interviews/very-hard-to-play-lead-roles-ganja-karuppu/articleshow/12596516.cms) A review of *Subramaniapuram* (2008) noted that he showed there was more to him than funny one-liners in a small but well-played role.[11](https://balajithoughts.wordpress.com/2008/10/26/subramaniapuram-2008/)
**Recognition.** He received Vijay Award Jury Award nominations for Best Comedian for *Naadodigal* (at the 2010 ceremony) and *Kalavani* (at the 2011 ceremony).[12](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2128968/awards/) He has also been a regular guest judge on the Sun TV comedy show *Asathapovathu Yaaru*.[7](https://www.filmibeat.com/celebs/ganja-karuppu.html)
## Production and later career
At the height of his run, Karuppu produced *Velmurugan Borewells* himself, with an investment he described in a 2014 interview as about ₹40 million (₹4 crore).[6](https://manivikatan.blogspot.com/2014/03/blog-post_3.html) The venture did not succeed, and he has since called producing his own film the biggest mistake of his cinema career.[13](https://cinema.cricglitz.com/actor-ganja-karupu-who-produced-his-own-film-and-became-a-debtor/) In December 2023 interviews he spoke about financial hardship after the production, saying he had struggled to pay his children's school fees and lived in a rented house.[4](https://tamil.filmibeat.com/news/ganja-karuppu-has-shared-a-sad-incident-in-his-life-in-an-interview-122565.html)
He remained active in film and television. He appeared in the first season of Bigg Boss Tamil in 2017, hosted by [Kamal Haasan](https://www.edgepedia.org/kamal-haasan), and was evicted on day 14.[7](https://www.filmibeat.com/celebs/ganja-karuppu.html) Later credits include *[Dharma Durai](https://www.edgepedia.org/dharma-durai-2016-film)* (2016), *Sandakozhi 2* (2018), *Kalavani 2* and *Vennila Kabaddi Kuzhu 2* (2019), and the series *[Om Kali Jai Kali](https://www.edgepedia.org/om-kali-jai-kali)* (2025).[14](https://elcinema.com/en/person/2187553/filmography) In 2025 he took part in Cooku with Comali Season 6 as a main cook; the show's profile noted that running a kitchen was familiar territory, since he had owned and run a restaurant in Madurai before entering films.[7](https://www.filmibeat.com/celebs/ganja-karuppu.html)
## Personal life
He has been married to Sangeetha Karuppu since 2010.[1](https://tamilar.wiki/w/%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%9E%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%BE_%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%B1%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%81)
## References
1. [கஞ்சா கறுப்பு, தமிழர்விக்கி (Tamilar Wiki)](https://tamilar.wiki/w/%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%9E%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%BE_%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%B1%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%81)
2. ['Ganja' Karuppu, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2128968/)
3. [Ganja Karuppu: ஆஃப்பாயில் போட்டுக் கொடுத்து இயக்குநர் பாலாவை கவர்ந்த கஞ்சா கருப்பு, ABP Live Tamil (29 October 2022)](https://tamil.abplive.com/entertainment/actor-ganja-karuppu-shares-his-throwback-memories-81694)
4. [Ganja Karuppu - பிள்ளைகளுக்கு ஸ்கூல் ஃபீஸ் கட்ட முடியல.., Tamil Filmibeat (16 December 2023)](https://tamil.filmibeat.com/news/ganja-karuppu-has-shared-a-sad-incident-in-his-life-in-an-interview-122565.html)
5. [Very hard to play lead roles: Ganja Karuppu, Times of India (9 April 2012)](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/regional/movie-details/news-interviews/very-hard-to-play-lead-roles-ganja-karuppu/articleshow/12596516.cms)
6. [மணி விகடன்: கஞ்சா கருப்புவின் அதிரடிப் பேட்டி, Mani Vikatan (March 2014)](https://manivikatan.blogspot.com/2014/03/blog-post_3.html)
7. [Ganja Karuppu: Height, Age, Wife, Biography, Filmibeat](https://www.filmibeat.com/celebs/ganja-karuppu.html)
8. [`2 இட்லிக்கு ரூ.20 ஆயிரம் கொடுத்த பாலா!' - திரைப்பயணம் குறித்து மனம் திறந்த கஞ்சா கருப்பு, ABP Live Tamil (29 May 2022)](https://tamil.abplive.com/entertainment/ganja-karuppu-talks-about-his-entry-into-tamil-cinema-through-director-bala-53967)
9. [Ganja Karuppu Talk About Director Bala and Ameer, Asianet News Tamil](https://tamil.asianetnews.com/amp/gallery/cinema/ganja-karupu-said-that-i-will-stand-in-front-of-director-bala-and-ameer-and-and-i-will-speak-rsk-spegcd)
10. [பருத்திவீரன் படத்தில் முதலில் ஹீரோவாக நடிக்க இருந்தது இவரா?, Samayam Tamil (3 December 2023)](https://tamil.samayam.com/tamil-cinema/movie-news/actor-ganja-karupu-about-paruthiveeran-movie/articleshow/105701759.cms)
11. [Subramaniapuram (2008) review, balajithoughts.wordpress.com (26 October 2008)](https://balajithoughts.wordpress.com/2008/10/26/subramaniapuram-2008/)
12. ['Ganja' Karuppu - Awards, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2128968/awards/)
13. [அடுத்த ஜென்மத்துல பாம்பா பொறந்தா கூட நான் அதை செய்ய மாட்டேன், cinema.cricglitz.com](https://cinema.cricglitz.com/actor-ganja-karupu-who-produced-his-own-film-and-became-a-debtor/)
14. [Filmography: 'Ganja' Karuppu - Acting, ElCinema](https://elcinema.com/en/person/2187553/filmography)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Film people and crafts › Film actors and performers › Indian and South Asian film actors by industry and language › Tamil film actors › Surnames K to P*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 18, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license