# Gautham Karthik
**Gautham Karthik**, also credited as **Gautham Ram Karthik**, is an Indian actor who works in Tamil-language cinema. Born in 1989 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, he is a third-generation film actor: the son of actor Karthik Muthuraman and actress Ragini Karthik, and the grandson of the actor [R. Muthuraman](https://www.edgepedia.org/r-muthuraman). He made his debut in [Mani Ratnam](https://www.edgepedia.org/mani-ratnam)'s *Kadal* (2013) and has since appeared in more than a dozen Tamil films, winning a SIIMA Award for Best Male Debutant and a Filmfare Award South for Best Male Debut.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5221962/bio/) • [2](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/stories/interviews/2018/May/08/never-knew-my-dad-was-a-big-deal-in-tamil-cinema-then-gautham-karthik-5894.html) • [3](https://indianexpress.com/about/gautham-karthik/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1989, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5221962/bio/) |
| Family | Son of actors Karthik Muthuraman and Ragini Karthik; grandson of actor R. Muthuraman[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5221962/bio/) |
| Debut | *Kadal* (2013), directed by Mani Ratnam, in the role of Thomas, a fisherman[4](https://www.rediff.com/movies/slide-show/slide-show-1-south-interview-with-gautham-karthik-on-kadal/20130131.htm) |
| Awards | SIIMA Best Male Debutant and Filmfare Award South Best Male Debut (2014, *Kadal*); special jury prize, Tamil Nadu State Film Awards (2015, *Vai Raja Vai*)[5](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/tamil/news/2026/Feb/01/gautham-ram-karthik-completes-13-years-in-cinema) • [3](https://indianexpress.com/about/gautham-karthik/) |
| Education | Hebron School, Ooty; Christ University, Bengaluru (Psychology, English, and Media Studies)[2](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/stories/interviews/2018/May/08/never-knew-my-dad-was-a-big-deal-in-tamil-cinema-then-gautham-karthik-5894.html) |
| Marriage | Married actress Manjima Mohan on November 28, 2022[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5221962/bio/) |
| Career span | Active from 2013; by 2026 he had been part of 18 films after his debut[3](https://indianexpress.com/about/gautham-karthik/) • [5](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/tamil/news/2026/Feb/01/gautham-ram-karthik-completes-13-years-in-cinema) |
## Early life and family
Unlike many children of film families, Gautham grew up away from film sets. He spent his childhood at Hebron School, a co-educational boarding school in Ootacamund (Ooty), and later studied [Psychology](https://www.edgepedia.org/psychology), English, and Media Studies at [Christ University](https://www.edgepedia.org/christ-university) in Bengaluru. He has said he was away from "films and the media glare" during those years and did not know much about [Tamil cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/tamil-cinema) as a result.[2](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/stories/interviews/2018/May/08/never-knew-my-dad-was-a-big-deal-in-tamil-cinema-then-gautham-karthik-5894.html) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5221962/bio/)
He has described his entry into films as happening "by chance." In school he took part in stage plays but did not plan to act; he intended to pursue a media career, possibly in advertising or graphic design. In college he performed as a guitarist and vocalist in a band called Dead End Street, and he took a year off before college to work as housekeeping manager and guest relations officer at a jungle resort in Masinagudi.[2](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/stories/interviews/2018/May/08/never-knew-my-dad-was-a-big-deal-in-tamil-cinema-then-gautham-karthik-5894.html) • [4](https://www.rediff.com/movies/slide-show/slide-show-1-south-interview-with-gautham-karthik-on-kadal/20130131.htm) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5221962/bio/)
## Debut in Kadal
During his final year of college, Mani Ratnam approached him for *Kadal* (2013). Gautham initially assumed he was being considered for the film's technical crew, and was surprised to be offered a key role. He underwent what has been described as a crash course in acting under the director Kalairani, and prepared for six months before shooting, spending time in a fishermen colony in Chennai to study their body language and learn to handle a boat. He plays Thomas, a fisherman, opposite Arjun, with [Thulasi Nair](https://www.edgepedia.org/thulasi-nair) as the female lead.[5](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/tamil/news/2026/Feb/01/gautham-ram-karthik-completes-13-years-in-cinema) • [4](https://www.rediff.com/movies/slide-show/slide-show-1-south-interview-with-gautham-karthik-on-kadal/20130131.htm)
Despite his lack of experience, the performance earned him the SIIMA Award for Best Male Debutant, and the Filmfare Award South for Best Male Debut followed in 2014.[5](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/tamil/news/2026/Feb/01/gautham-ram-karthik-completes-13-years-in-cinema) • [3](https://indianexpress.com/about/gautham-karthik/) A parallel runs through the family: in his father Karthik's debut film *Alaigal Oivathillai*, the female lead was [Radha](https://www.edgepedia.org/radha-actress), the mother of Thulasi Nair, Gautham's co-star in *Kadal*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5221962/bio/)
## Career
His early films did not meet strong responses. *Yennamo Yedho* (2014), a romantic comedy in which he played a character also named Gautham, and *Vai Raja Vai* (2015), directed by [Aishwarya Rajinikanth](https://www.edgepedia.org/aishwarya-rajinikanth), fared moderately at the box office, though his performance in *Vai Raja Vai*, his third film, earned a special jury prize at the Tamil Nadu State Film Awards.[6](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/im-single-and-totally-available-gautham-karthik/articleshow/52395232.cms) • [5](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/tamil/news/2026/Feb/01/gautham-ram-karthik-completes-13-years-in-cinema) *Muthuramalingam* (2017), with music by [Ilaiyaraaja](https://www.edgepedia.org/ilaiyaraaja), was poorly received; in a 2026 interview he called it the biggest mistake of his career, saying he lacked understanding at the time and avoided the genre for a while afterward.[7](https://www.dtnext.in/amp/story/entertainment/cinema/actor-gautham-ram-karthik-reveals-the-biggest-mistake-of-his-career)
**Rangoon as a turning point.** The 2017 action thriller *[Rangoon](https://www.edgepedia.org/rangoon-2017-tamil-film)*, directed by Rajkumar Periyasamy and produced by [AR Murugadoss](https://www.edgepedia.org/ar-murugadoss), set in Myanmar in the late 1980s, was better received, and Gautham has described his career as dividing into before and after the film.[8](https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/100617/rangoon-movie-review-solid-content-and-authentic-detailing.html) • [9](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/interviews/2022/Jan/03/gautham-karthik-i-feel-like-i-am-starting-over-again-28784.html) He followed it with a run of genre experiments, including the adult comedy *Hara Hara Mahadevaki* and the horror comedy *Iruttu Araiyil Murattu Kuththu* (both 2017-2018), the latter his tenth film, and the rural action drama *Devarattam* (2019), opposite [Manjima Mohan](https://www.edgepedia.org/manjima-mohan), whom he later married.[2](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/stories/interviews/2018/May/08/never-knew-my-dad-was-a-big-deal-in-tamil-cinema-then-gautham-karthik-5894.html) • [7](https://www.dtnext.in/amp/story/entertainment/cinema/actor-gautham-ram-karthik-reveals-the-biggest-mistake-of-his-career) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5221962/bio/)
In 2023 he appeared in two theatrical releases, the gangster film *Pathu Thala*, in which he played an undercover cop named Guna opposite [Silambarasan](https://www.edgepedia.org/silambarasan), and the period drama *August 16 1947*, directed by debutant N. Ponkumar and produced by AR Murugadoss, in which he plays a character named Paraman in a fictional village that has not received news of India's independence.[10](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/interviews/2023/apr/05/gautham-karthik-interview-i-have-realised-my-dream-role-through-august-16-1947-41980.html)
## Recent work
His next theatrical release, the espionage thriller *Mr X* (2026), directed by Manu Anand and co-starring Arya, came more than three years after *Pathu Thala* and *August 16 1947*. The film began shooting in late 2023 and its release was delayed; Gautham has said he worked continuously during the gap on three films, and that public perception of inactivity was an image he would have to fix. He plays a gray-shaded character code-named Lone Wolf.[11](https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/amp/story/features/interviews/gautham-karthik-public-perception-of-me-is-very-different-from-the-truth) • [12](https://indialive.net/mr-x-movie-review-arya-gautham-karthiks-promising-mission-undone-by-excess/)
Beyond film, he is part of the Netflix series *Legacy*, alongside [R. Madhavan](https://www.edgepedia.org/r-madhavan) and Nimisha Sajayan, playing a gangster with gray shades. Upcoming projects listed in the Tamil film trade include *Root* ([Running Out of Time](https://www.edgepedia.org/running-out-of-time)), *Criminal*, and *Bloody Politics*, produced by Ganesh K Babu.[11](https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/amp/story/features/interviews/gautham-karthik-public-perception-of-me-is-very-different-from-the-truth) • [13](https://tfapa.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/trade-guide-feb-2026.pdf) • [14](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2026/Mar/07/tamilnews2026mar06gautham-ram-karthiks-next-titled-bloody-politics)
He has said he does not plan to become a mass hero and that his only goal since *Kadal* has been to be a good actor, and he prefers to act in one film at a time.[15](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/interviews/2026/Apr/12/gautham-ram-karthik-i-dont-plan-to-become-a-mass-hero) • [11](https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/amp/story/features/interviews/gautham-karthik-public-perception-of-me-is-very-different-from-the-truth)
## References
1. [Gautham Ram Karthik - Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5221962/bio/)
2. [Never knew my dad was a big deal in Tamil cinema then: Gautham Karthik, Cinema Express (8 May 2018)](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/stories/interviews/2018/May/08/never-knew-my-dad-was-a-big-deal-in-tamil-cinema-then-gautham-karthik-5894.html)
3. [Gautham Karthik: News, Movies, Photos & Updates, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/about/gautham-karthik/)
4. ['It's a dream-come-true to work with Mani Ratnam', Rediff.com Movies (31 January 2013)](https://www.rediff.com/movies/slide-show/slide-show-1-south-interview-with-gautham-karthik-on-kadal/20130131.htm)
5. [Gautham Ram Karthik completes 13 years in cinema, Cinema Express (1 February 2026)](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/tamil/news/2026/Feb/01/gautham-ram-karthik-completes-13-years-in-cinema)
6. [I'm single and totally available: Gautham Karthik, The Times of India (23 May 2016)](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/im-single-and-totally-available-gautham-karthik/articleshow/52395232.cms)
7. [Actor Gautham Ram Karthik reveals the biggest mistake of his career, DT Next (17 April 2026)](https://www.dtnext.in/amp/story/entertainment/cinema/actor-gautham-ram-karthik-reveals-the-biggest-mistake-of-his-career)
8. [Rangoon movie review: Solid content and authentic detailing, Deccan Chronicle (10 June 2017)](https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/100617/rangoon-movie-review-solid-content-and-authentic-detailing.html)
9. [Gautham Karthik: I feel like I am starting over again, Cinema Express (3 January 2022)](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/interviews/2022/Jan/03/gautham-karthik-i-feel-like-i-am-starting-over-again-28784.html)
10. [Gautham Karthik Interview: I have realised my dream role through August 16, 1947, Cinema Express (5 April 2023)](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/interviews/2023/apr/05/gautham-karthik-interview-i-have-realised-my-dream-role-through-august-16-1947-41980.html)
11. [Gautham Ram Karthik: 'Public Perception Of Me Is Very Different From The Truth', The Hollywood Reporter India (27 April 2026)](https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/amp/story/features/interviews/gautham-karthik-public-perception-of-me-is-very-different-from-the-truth)
12. ['Mr X' movie review: Arya-Gautham Karthik's promising mission undone by excess, India Live (17 April 2026)](https://indialive.net/mr-x-movie-review-arya-gautham-karthiks-promising-mission-undone-by-excess/)
13. [Tamil Cinema Trade Guide, February 2026, Tamil Film Active Producers Association](https://tfapa.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/trade-guide-feb-2026.pdf)
14. [Gautham Ram Karthik's next titled Bloody Politics, The New Indian Express (7 March 2026)](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2026/Mar/07/tamilnews2026mar06gautham-ram-karthiks-next-titled-bloody-politics)
15. [Gautham Ram Karthik: I don't plan to become a mass hero, Cinema Express (12 April 2026)](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/interviews/2026/Apr/12/gautham-ram-karthik-i-dont-plan-to-become-a-mass-hero)
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*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 19, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 19, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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