# Shanthanu Bhagyaraj
**Shanthanu Bhagyaraj** (also spelled Shanthnu; full name Shanthnoo Krishnasaamy Bhagyaraj) is an Indian film actor who has worked predominantly in Tamil-language cinema, known as the son of actor-director [K. Bhagyaraj](https://www.edgepedia.org/k-bhagyaraj) and actress Poornima Bhagyaraj[1](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/shanthanu-bhagyaraj/37502). He appeared as a child artist in his father's *Vettiya Madichu Kattu* (1998) and made his debut as a lead actor in the romantic comedy *Sakkarakatti* (2008)[2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0UZWs-6-KE). His later career includes supporting roles in *Vaanam Kottattum* (2020) and *Master* (2021), a lead role in *Blue Star* (2024), and the Malayalam-Tamil bilingual sports drama *[Balti](https://www.edgepedia.org/balti-film)* (2025)[1](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/shanthanu-bhagyaraj/37502).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1986, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India[1](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/shanthanu-bhagyaraj/37502) |
| Family | Son of actors K. Bhagyaraj and Poornima Bhagyaraj; brother of actress Saranya Bhagyaraj; married to television anchor Keerthi Shanthanu[1](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/shanthanu-bhagyaraj/37502) |
| First screen appearance | Child artist in his father's *Vettiya Madichu Kattu* (1998)[2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0UZWs-6-KE) |
| Lead debut | *Sakkarakatti* (2008), a Tamil romantic comedy in which he played Yuvaraj[3](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/person/shanthanu-bhagyaraj) |
| Notable later roles | Bhargav in *Master* (2021), Ramanathan in *Vaanam Kottattum* (2020), Saravanan in the Netflix anthology *Paava Kadhaigal* (2020), Rajesh in *Blue Star* (2024)[3](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/person/shanthanu-bhagyaraj) |
| Malayalam cinema | Debut in *Angel John* (2009) opposite Mohanlal; returned with the kabaddi drama *Balti* (2025)[4](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/tamil/i-see-balti-as-my-relaunch-in-malayalam-cinema-says-shantanu-bhagyaraj-10265122/) |
| Television work | Judge on Malayalam dance shows *Let's Dance* Seasons 2 and 3 (2015) and Tamil *Dance Jodi Dance* Season 2 (2018)[5](https://www.imeuswe.in/famous-families/Shanthanu-Bhagyaraj) |
## Early life and first roles
Shanthanu was born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu[1](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/shanthanu-bhagyaraj/37502). In a 2020 interview with *The New Indian Express*, he described how his first role came about: his father, who had been looking for a child actor in his age group, asked him one day after school whether he wanted to act. After a screen test in which he delivered dialogues while doing something else, his father concluded that with guidance he could become an actor[6](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/stories/interviews/2020/Feb/11/shanthnu-bhagyaraj-it-is-important-to-be-part-of-projects-like-vaanam-kottattum-and-vijay-master-16991.html). He appeared as a child artist in *Vettiya Madichu Kattu* (1998)[2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0UZWs-6-KE).
His father insisted he complete school before acting further, and he was then offered a role in director Shankar's *Boys*. His father felt he was too young for the part, and Shankar agreed after looking at his photographs; Shanthanu was also required to finish his graduation before acting full time[6](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/stories/interviews/2020/Feb/11/shanthnu-bhagyaraj-it-is-important-to-be-part-of-projects-like-vaanam-kottattum-and-vijay-master-16991.html). Before his lead debut he worked as an assistant director on *Parijatham*, the debut film of his sister Saranya Bhagyaraj[7](https://www.filmibeat.com/celebs/shanthanu-bhagyaraj/biography.html).
## Lead debut and missed projects
**Sakkarakatti.** Shanthanu began shooting for *Sakkarakatti* in his final year of college, studying for exams on set[6](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/stories/interviews/2020/Feb/11/shanthnu-bhagyaraj-it-is-important-to-be-part-of-projects-like-vaanam-kottattum-and-vijay-master-16991.html). The film, produced by S. Thanu and directed by Kala Prabhu, released in September 2008 to negative reviews, though the song "Taxi Taxi" became a hit[7](https://www.filmibeat.com/celebs/shanthanu-bhagyaraj/biography.html). He played Yuvaraj[3](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/person/shanthanu-bhagyaraj).
In the years that followed, he passed on several films that later became significant. His father has said that directors Shankar (*Boys*), Balaji Sakthivel (*Kaadhal*), and Sasikumar (*Subramaniapuram*) all wanted Shanthanu for their lead roles, and that the family's film background worked against him because directors feared Bhagyaraj would listen to the stories and demand changes[8](https://www.kollyinsider.com/2020/06/how-santhanu-missed-to-act-in-boys.html). Shanthanu himself said in 2020 that he regretted missing *Subramaniyapuram* and *[Kalavani](https://www.edgepedia.org/kalavani)*, and that people believed he had declined the projects out of arrogance when only his family and the production companies knew what had happened[6](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/stories/interviews/2020/Feb/11/shanthnu-bhagyaraj-it-is-important-to-be-part-of-projects-like-vaanam-kottattum-and-vijay-master-16991.html).
## Career trough and recovery
Shanthanu has described a difficult stretch after his debut. He said that *Sakkarakatti*'s initial success kept him afloat for a couple of years, but that after 2011, until his wedding, he was in depression: he was not working, was not getting the right scripts, and producers were not ready when he did. A guest appearance in *[Kathai Thiraikathai Vasanam Iyakkam](https://www.edgepedia.org/kathai-thiraikathai-vasanam-iyakkam)* (2014) began a recovery, followed by roles that got him noticed[6](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/stories/interviews/2020/Feb/11/shanthnu-bhagyaraj-it-is-important-to-be-part-of-projects-like-vaanam-kottattum-and-vijay-master-16991.html).
He married the television anchor Keerthi, daughter of choreographer Jayanthi Vijayakumar, on August 21, 2015[7](https://www.filmibeat.com/celebs/shanthanu-bhagyaraj/biography.html). Alongside films, he has worked in television and as a singer[9](https://wikibio.in/shanthanu-bhagyaraj/), serving as a judge on Malayalam dance shows *Let's Dance* Seasons 2 and 3 (2015) on Amrita TV and on Tamil *Dance Jodi Dance* Season 2 (2018) on [Zee Tamil](https://www.edgepedia.org/zee-tamil)[5](https://www.imeuswe.in/famous-families/Shanthanu-Bhagyaraj).
## Later film career
From 2020 onward Shanthanu appeared in a series of visible projects. He played Ramanathan in *Vaanam Kottattum* (2020) and Saravanan in the segment "Thangam" of the Netflix anthology *Paava Kadhaigal* (2020)[3](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/person/shanthanu-bhagyaraj). In an interview around *Vaanam Kottattum*'s release he argued that it was important to be part of projects that reach the audience, regardless of screen time, citing his film *Mupparimanam* (2017), which received love online but did not get a good theatrical run[6](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/stories/interviews/2020/Feb/11/shanthnu-bhagyaraj-it-is-important-to-be-part-of-projects-like-vaanam-kottattum-and-vijay-master-16991.html).
In 2021 he played Bhargav in [Lokesh Kanagaraj](https://www.edgepedia.org/lokesh-kanagaraj)'s action film *Master*, one of his most widely seen roles[1](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/shanthanu-bhagyaraj/37502) • [3](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/person/shanthanu-bhagyaraj). The same year he appeared in *Murungakkai Chips* and in Chimbu Deven's anthology *[Kasada Thapara](https://www.edgepedia.org/kasada-tabara)*, playing Isaac in the segment "Sadhiyaadal"[3](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/person/shanthanu-bhagyaraj). He played [Senguttuvan](https://www.edgepedia.org/senguttuvan) in the action drama *Raavana Kottam* (2023)[3](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/person/shanthanu-bhagyaraj) and Rajesh in the sports drama *Blue Star* (2024)[3](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/person/shanthanu-bhagyaraj).
**Balti and Malayalam cinema.** Shanthanu made his Malayalam debut in the Mohanlal film *Angel John* (2009)[4](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/tamil/i-see-balti-as-my-relaunch-in-malayalam-cinema-says-shantanu-bhagyaraj-10265122/). Sixteen years later he returned to [Malayalam cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/malayalam-cinema) with the bilingual kabaddi drama *Balti*, starring [Shane Nigam](https://www.edgepedia.org/shane-nigam), which released on September 26, 2025 in Tamil and Malayalam[4](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/tamil/i-see-balti-as-my-relaunch-in-malayalam-cinema-says-shantanu-bhagyaraj-10265122/). For the film he trained in kabaddi for six hours every day in Palakkad alongside professional players, after two months of preparation that included stunt training; he described *Balti* as his relaunch in Malayalam cinema[4](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/tamil/i-see-balti-as-my-relaunch-in-malayalam-cinema-says-shantanu-bhagyaraj-10265122/).
## Date of birth
Most filmography databases, including [BookMyShow](https://www.edgepedia.org/bookmyshow), Times of India, and WikiBio, give his date of birth as 1986[1](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/shanthanu-bhagyaraj/37502) • [10](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Shanthnu-Bhagyaraj/filmography) • [9](https://wikibio.in/shanthanu-bhagyaraj/). FilmiBeat lists it as August 24, 1984[11](https://www.filmibeat.com/celebs/shanthanu-bhagyaraj.html).
## References
1. [Shanthanu Bhagyaraj profile, BookMyShow](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/shanthanu-bhagyaraj/37502)
2. [Untold story about Shanthanu Bhagyaraj, Cine Samugam (YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0UZWs-6-KE)
3. [Shanthanu Bhagyaraj filmography, Plex](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/person/shanthanu-bhagyaraj)
4. ["I see Balti as my relaunch in Malayalam cinema," The Indian Express (September 22, 2025)](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/tamil/i-see-balti-as-my-relaunch-in-malayalam-cinema-says-shantanu-bhagyaraj-10265122/)
5. [Shanthanu Bhagyaraj Family Tree and Lifestory, iMeUsWe](https://www.imeuswe.in/famous-families/Shanthanu-Bhagyaraj)
6. [Shanthnu Bhagyaraj interview, The New Indian Express (February 11, 2020)](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/stories/interviews/2020/Feb/11/shanthnu-bhagyaraj-it-is-important-to-be-part-of-projects-like-vaanam-kottattum-and-vijay-master-16991.html)
7. [Shanthanu Bhagyaraj biography and profile, FilmiBeat](https://www.filmibeat.com/celebs/shanthanu-bhagyaraj/biography.html)
8. [How Santhanu missed Boys, Kaadhal and Subramaniapuram, KollyInsider (June 2020)](https://www.kollyinsider.com/2020/06/how-santhanu-missed-to-act-in-boys.html)
9. [Shanthanu Bhagyaraj biography, WikiBio](https://wikibio.in/shanthanu-bhagyaraj/)
10. [Shanthnu Bhagyaraj filmography, Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Shanthnu-Bhagyaraj/filmography)
11. [Shanthanu Bhagyaraj Movies | Shanthanu Bhagyaraj: Height, Age, Wife, Girlfriend, Biography - Filmibeat](https://www.filmibeat.com/celebs/shanthanu-bhagyaraj.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 symbols to J*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 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