# Karthi (கார்த்திக் சிவகுமார்)
**Karthi** (கார்த்திக் சிவகுமார்), born Karthik Sivakumar in 1977, is an Indian actor who works predominantly in [Tamil cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/tamil-cinema). He is the younger son of the veteran actor [Sivakumar](https://www.edgepedia.org/sivakumar) and Lakshmi Sivakumar, and the younger brother of the actor Suriya.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1912683/) • [2](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/karthi/16841/) He made his debut with *Paruthiveeran* (2007), a performance that won him the [Filmfare Award for Best Actor](https://www.edgepedia.org/filmfare-award-for-best-actor) and a Tamil Nadu State Film Award, and he has since built a filmography spanning rural drama, action, comedy and period film.[2](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/karthi/16841/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1977, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India[2](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/karthi/16841/) |
| Family | Younger son of actor Sivakumar and Lakshmi Sivakumar; younger brother of actor Suriya; sister Brindha works as a singer in Tamil cinema[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1912683/) • [3](https://www.tring.co.in/popular-celebrities/karthik-sivakumar) |
| Education | Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering, Crescent Engineering College, Chennai; Master of Science in Industrial Engineering, Binghamton University, New York[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1912683/) • [4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nuSBP5hpGI) |
| Debut | *Paruthiveeran* (2007), title role; Filmfare Award for Best Actor and Tamil Nadu State Film Award[2](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/karthi/16841/) |
| Major films | *Aayirathil Oruvan* (2010), *Paiyaa* (2010), *Madras* (2014), *Oopiri* (2016), *Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru* (2017), *Kaithi* (2019), *Ponniyin Selvan*, *Sardar*[4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nuSBP5hpGI) • [5](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2023/Nov/18/i-am-a-selfish-actor-saystamil-star-karthi-2633499.html) |
| Awards | Three Filmfare Awards South, an Edison Award, a SIIMA Award and a Tamil Nadu State Film Award[4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nuSBP5hpGI) |
| Personal life | Married Ranjani Chinnaswamy on 3 July 2011[4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nuSBP5hpGI) |
## Education and entry into film
Karthi completed his elementary and secondary schooling at Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan and St. Bede's Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School in Chennai, then earned a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Crescent Engineering College in the same city.[4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nuSBP5hpGI) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1912683/) After working briefly as an engineering consultant in Chennai, he received a scholarship for graduate study in the United States and enrolled at [Binghamton University](https://www.edgepedia.org/binghamton-university) in New York, where he completed a [Master of Science](https://www.edgepedia.org/master-of-science) in Industrial Engineering.[4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nuSBP5hpGI)
**Toward filmmaking.** While in New York he took elective courses on filmmaking, attended two basic filmmaking courses at the [State University of New York](https://www.edgepedia.org/state-university-of-new-york), and worked part-time as a graphic designer.[4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nuSBP5hpGI) On his return to India he joined the director [Mani Ratnam](https://www.edgepedia.org/mani-ratnam) as an assistant director. He was offered an acting role in Ratnam's *Aayitha Ezhuthu* (2004) and declined it, choosing instead to assist on the film because direction interested him.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1912683/) • [6](https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies-cinema-column/Karthi---Paruthi-Veeran-to-Alex-Pandian-19-01-13.html) According to a [Behindwoods](https://www.edgepedia.org/behindwoods) profile, it was his father who convinced him to focus on acting rather than directing.[6](https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies-cinema-column/Karthi---Paruthi-Veeran-to-Alex-Pandian-19-01-13.html)
## Debut and early career
His acting debut came with Ameer's *Paruthiveeran* (2007), a rural drama in which he played the title character, a volatile village young man. The performance drew wide critical acclaim; the film critic Baradwaj Rangan called it "a superb first-film performance by any standard" and wrote that it made him reach for the cliché "a star is born".[7](https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/trends/entertainment/sardar-actor-karthi-is-tamil-cinemas-everyday-hero-9368291.html) The film won Karthi the Filmfare Award for Best Actor and a Tamil Nadu State Film Award.[2](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/karthi/16841/) The Indian Express later noted that he took on a violent story with a brutal climax that established heroes might have approached with skepticism, and that the film became the biggest hit of that year.[8](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/tamil/happy-birthday-karthi-an-actor-who-can-play-both-paruthiveeran-and-paiyaa-8627362/)
His second film was Selvaraghavan's action-adventure *Aayirathil Oruvan* (2010), in which he played a coolie, followed by a run of commercial successes: *Paiyaa* (2010), *Naan Mahaan Alla* (2010) and *Siruthai* (2011).[4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nuSBP5hpGI) *Siruthai* became one of the highest-grossing Tamil films of 2011.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1912683/)
## Established career
After a series of box-office failures, Karthi returned with successful films including *Madras* (2014), [Pa. Ranjith](https://www.edgepedia.org/pa-ranjith)'s film in which he played a character far from conventional hero roles, *Oopiri* (2016), a Tamil-Telugu bilingual with [Nagarjuna](https://www.edgepedia.org/nagarjuna), *Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru* (2017), *Kadaikutty Singam* (2018) and *Kaithi* (2019).[4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nuSBP5hpGI) • [7](https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/trends/entertainment/sardar-actor-karthi-is-tamil-cinemas-everyday-hero-9368291.html) *Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru*, his second outing as a police officer after *Siruthai*, was based on a real dacoity case handled by the [Tamil Nadu](https://www.edgepedia.org/tamil-nadu) police, a case Karthi had researched before the director H. Vinoth brought him the script.[9](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/stories/interviews/2017/Nov/14/karthi-and-the-khakhi-3071.html)
**Script selection.** In a 2023 interview marking his 25th film, Karthi described his approach: "When they thought I would do an action film, I did Thozha, when they thought I would do something heroic, I did [Madras](https://www.edgepedia.org/madras-film). I think I have tried not to repeat myself." He also called himself "a very selfish actor" who looks at what he has to do for a project and values having other powerful characters in the film.[10](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/interviews/2023/Nov/20/painting-the-silver-jubilee-with-a-golden-tint-karthi-interview-49705.html) • [5](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2023/Nov/18/i-am-a-selfish-actor-saystamil-star-karthi-2633499.html) His 25th film, *[Japan](https://www.edgepedia.org/japan-2023-film)* (2023), directed by Raju Murugan, was also the first time he approached a director himself for a script.[10](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/interviews/2023/Nov/20/painting-the-silver-jubilee-with-a-golden-tint-karthi-interview-49705.html)
He has appeared in large-scale productions as well, including Mani Ratnam's *Ponniyin Selvan* franchise, in which he played the character Vandiyathevan, and the spy thriller *Sardar*.[5](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2023/Nov/18/i-am-a-selfish-actor-saystamil-star-karthi-2633499.html) On the aggregate Movie Echo Score, which blends critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact, his best-rated film is *Kaithi* (2019) with a score of 93, followed by *Meiyazhagan* (2024) with 88.[11](https://www.whatsafterthemovie.com/person/karthi) Upcoming projects listed as of late 2026 include *Kaithi 2* directed by [Lokesh Kanagaraj](https://www.edgepedia.org/lokesh-kanagaraj) and *HIT: The Fourth Case* in Telugu.[12](https://www.filmibeat.com/celebs/karthi-karthi-sivakumar/upcoming-movies.html)
## Recognition and public activity
Karthi's awards include three [Filmfare Awards South](https://www.edgepedia.org/filmfare-awards-south), an Edison Award, a SIIMA Award and a Tamil Nadu State Film Award.[4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nuSBP5hpGI) Beyond acting, he participates in social welfare causes and encourages his fans to do the same through Makkal Nala Mandram, a social welfare club he inaugurated.[2](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/karthi/16841/) He married Ranjani Chinnaswamy on 3 July 2011.[4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nuSBP5hpGI)
## References
1. [Karthi, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1912683/)
2. [Karthi, Movies, Biography, News, Age & Photos, BookMyShow](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/karthi/16841/)
3. [Karthik Sivakumar, Actor, Career, Movies, Education, Children, Tring](https://www.tring.co.in/popular-celebrities/karthik-sivakumar)
4. [Untold Story About Actor Karthik SivaKumar, Biography In Tamil, Cine Samugam, YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nuSBP5hpGI)
5. ['I am a selfish actor', says Tamil star Karthi, The New Indian Express](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2023/Nov/18/i-am-a-selfish-actor-saystamil-star-karthi-2633499.html)
6. [Karthi, Paruthi Veeran To Alex Pandian, Behindwoods](https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies-cinema-column/Karthi---Paruthi-Veeran-to-Alex-Pandian-19-01-13.html)
7. [From Paruthiveeran to Sardar, via Ponniyin Selvan 1, Karthi's journey in Tamil cinema, Moneycontrol](https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/trends/entertainment/sardar-actor-karthi-is-tamil-cinemas-everyday-hero-9368291.html)
8. [Happy Birthday Karthi: An actor who can play both Paruthiveeran and Paiyaa, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/tamil/happy-birthday-karthi-an-actor-who-can-play-both-paruthiveeran-and-paiyaa-8627362/)
9. [Karthi and the khakhi, Cinema Express](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/stories/interviews/2017/Nov/14/karthi-and-the-khakhi-3071.html)
10. [Painting the silver jubilee with a golden tint, Karthi interview, Cinema Express](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/interviews/2023/Nov/20/painting-the-silver-jubilee-with-a-golden-tint-karthi-interview-49705.html)
11. [Karthi: Movies & Box Office, What's After the Movie](https://www.whatsafterthemovie.com/person/karthi)
12. [Karthi Upcoming Movies, FilmiBeat](https://www.filmibeat.com/celebs/karthi-karthi-sivakumar/upcoming-movies.html)
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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 18, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 18, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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