{{Short description|Indian actor}} {{Use British English|date=August 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}} {{Infobox person | name = Karan | image = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1967|08|19|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Erode]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]] | death_date = | birth_name = | other_names = Shashi Karan, Master Raghu | occupation = Actor | years_active = 1972–2016 }}
'''Karan''' (born 19 August 1967) is an Indian former actor who appeared predominantly in [[Tamil language|Tamil]] and [[Malayalam]] films. He started his career as a child actor (under the stage name '''Master Raghu'''). In the 1990s he started to act in leading and villain roles. In the mid-2000s, after a sabbatical, Karan chose to prioritise appearing in films where he would portray the lead role following the relative success of ''[[Kokki (film)|Kokki]]'' (2006).
== Career == Karan started his career as child artist under the name Master Raghu for more than 70 films in Malayalam and Tamil. In 1992, he made his Tamil debut as an adult in ''[[Annaamalai]]'' starring alongside [[Rajinikanth]] in an uncredited role, before making a breakthrough with his performance as a rogue college student in ''[[Nammavar]]'' (1994) alongside [[Kamal Haasan]].
In 2004, Karan became a solo hero with the Malayalam film ''Isra''. He has continued with films like ''[[Kokki (film)|Kokki]]'' (2006), ''[[Karuppusamy Kuththagaithaarar]]'' (2007) and ''[[Kathavarayan (2008 film)|Kathavarayan]]'' (2008).<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.behindwoods.com/News/7-4-05/karan_vindhya.htm | title=Behindwoods : Karan & Vindhya come together | access-date=1 November 2023 | archive-date=1 November 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231101063956/https://www.behindwoods.com/News/7-4-05/karan_vindhya.htm | url-status=live }}</ref> His recent films are ''[[Sooran (film)|Sooran]]'' (2014) and ''[[Uchathula Shiva]]'' (2016).
In 2018, a clip from his film ''[[Coimbatore Mappillai]]'' went viral online, prompting internet users to associate the word "Shroov" with the actor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2018/oct/09/something-like-shroov-now-trending-really-shows-power-of-cinema-karan-1882816.html|title=Something like 'Shroov' now trending really shows power of cinema: Karan|website=The New Indian Express|date=9 October 2018 |access-date=8 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190908021542/http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2018/oct/09/something-like-shroov-now-trending-really-shows-power-of-cinema-karan-1882816.html|archive-date=8 September 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/wherever-i-go-people-say-shroov-shroov/article25121610.ece|title=Wherever I go, people say, Shroov, Shroov|newspaper=The Hindu |date=4 October 2018|access-date=8 April 2020|via=www.thehindu.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181004131423/https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/wherever-i-go-people-say-shroov-shroov/article25121610.ece|archive-date=4 October 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>
== Other work == Karan made his advertisement debut in a 45-second Mahindra Duro advertisement with [[Bollywood]] actress [[Kareena Kapoor]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/regional/news-interviews/Kareena-Kapoor-has-no-ego-hassles-Karan/articleshow/11485438.cms|title=Kareena Kapoor has no ego hassles: Karan|work=[[The Times of India]]|date=14 January 2012|access-date=8 February 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921053311/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-01-14/news-interviews/30627063_1_ego-hassles-ad-films-karan-shot|archive-date=21 September 2013|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/slideshows/advertising-marketing/why-south-indian-characters-are-replacing-punjabi-mundas-in-ads/impact-of-the-media-from-south/slideshow/19379862.cms|title=Why South Indian characters are replacing Punjabi Mundas in ads|work=[[The Economic Times]]|access-date=19 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180922175219/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/slideshows/advertising-marketing/why-south-indian-characters-are-replacing-punjabi-mundas-in-ads/impact-of-the-media-from-south/slideshow/19379862.cms|archive-date=22 September 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>
== Personal life == Karan's father died in 2014, aged 90.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Selvaraj |first=A |date=2014-12-17 |title=Decomposed body of Tamil film actor Karan's father recovered in Chennai |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/decomposed-body-of-tamil-film-actor-karans-father-recovered-in-chennai/articleshow/45534812.cms |access-date=2024-05-04 |work=[[The Times of India]] |archive-date=25 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220925222727/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/decomposed-body-of-tamil-film-actor-karans-father-recovered-in-chennai/articleshow/45534812.cms |url-status=live }}</ref>
== Awards == ;[[Kerala State Film Awards]]: * 1974 – [[Kerala State Film Award for Best Child Artist|Best Child Artist]] – ''Rajahamsam'' * 1975 – Best Child Artist – ''[[Prayanam (1975 film)|Prayanam]]'', ''[[Swami Ayyappan (1975 film)|Swami Ayyappan]]''
;[[Tamil Nadu State Film Awards]]: *2009 -[[Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor]] – ''[[Malayan (film)|Malayan]]''
== Filmography == === As child artist === *''Note: Credited as Master Raghu. All films are in Malayalam, unless otherwise noted.'' {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year !! Title !! Role !! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | rowspan=3 | 1972 || ''[[Achanum Bappayum]]'' || Young Devadas || |- | ''[[Pulliman (1972 film)|Pulliman]]'' || || |- | ''[[Punarjanmam]]'' || Young Aravindan || |- | 1973 || ''[[Thekkan Kattu]]'' || Joy || |- | 1974 || ''[[Rajahamsam]]'' || Rajan || [[Kerala State Film Award for Best Child Artist]] |- | rowspan=12 | 1975 || ''[[Prayanam (1975 film)|Prayanam]]'' || Appu || Kerala State Film Award for Best Child Artist |- | ''[[Kannappanunni]]'' || Ambu || |- | ''[[Swami Ayyappan (1975 film)|Swami Ayyappan]]'' || [[Ayyappan|Manikandan]] || Kerala State Film Award for Best Child Artist |- | ''[[Babumon (film)|Babumon]]'' || Babu || |- | ''[[Mattoru Seetha]]'' || || |- | ''[[Manishada]]'' || Young Kareem || |- | ''[[Pravaham]]'' || Chandru || |- | ''[[Ayodhya (1975 film)|Ayodhya]]'' || Gopi || |- | ''[[Kalyaanappanthal]]''|| || |- | ''[[Chattambikkalyaani]]''|| Young Vaasu || |- | ''[[Ashtamirohini]]'' || || |- | ''[[Enga Pattan Sothu]]'' || Murugan || Tamil Film |- | rowspan=7 | 1976 || ''[[Panchami (film)|Panchami]]'' || Chinnan || |- | ''[[Themmadi Velappan]]'' || Young Velappan || |- | ''[[Ammini Ammaavan]]'' || || |- | ''[[Agnipushpam]]'' || || |- | ''[[Mallanum Mathevanum]]'' || || |- | ''[[Chennaaya Valarthiya Kutty]]'' || || |- | ''[[Aayiram Janmangal]]'' || Young Rajan || |- | rowspan=10 | 1977 || ''[[Sreemurukan]]'' || || |- | ''[[Sridevi (film)|Sridevi]]''|| || |- | ''[[Aparaadhi]]'' || Raju|| |- | ''[[Anugraham (1977 film)|Anugraham]]'' || Young Rajan|| |- | ''[[Murugan Adimai]]'' || Saravana || |- | ''[[Achaaram Ammini Osharam Omana]]'' || Raghu|| |- | ''[[Jagadguru Aadisankaran]]'' || Young Aadisankaran|| |- | ''[[Tholkan Enikku Manassilla]]'' || || |- | ''[[Oonjaal]]'' || Rajan|| |- | ''[[Vezhambal]]'' || || |- | rowspan=4 | 1978 || ''[[Velluvili]]'' || Pappan || |- | ''[[Raghuvamsham (film)|Raghuvamsham]]'' || || |- | ''[[Kudumbam Namukku Sreekovil]]'' || Reghu || |- | ''[[Avalude Ravukal]]'' || Sudhakaran || |- | rowspan=2 | 1979 || ''[[Choola]]'' || || |- | ''[[Puthiya Velicham]]'' || Kochu Govindan || |- | rowspan=3 | 1980 || ''[[Avan Oru Ahankaari]]'' || || |- | ''Chandrahasam'' || || |- | ''[[Theenalangal]]'' || Ramu || |- |}
=== As actor ===
====Films==== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year !! Film !! Role !! Language !! class="unsortable" |Notes |- |rowspan="1"|1982 || ''[[Ina (film)|Ina]]'' || Vinod || Malayalam|| credited as Raghu, first lead role |- |rowspan="1"|1983 || ''[[Kuyiline Thedi]]'' || Shyam|| Malayalam|| credited as Raghu |- |1985 || ''[[Idanilangal]]'' || ||Malayalam || Uncredited |- |1987 || ''[[January Oru Orma]]'' ||Appu ||Malayalam || credited as Raghu |- |1990 || ''[[Chuvanna Kannukal]]'' || ||Malayalam || credited as Raghu |- |- |1990 || ''[[Mridula (film)|Mridula]]'' ||Anirudh ||Malayalam || credited as Raghu |- |rowspan="3"|1991 || ''[[Neelagiri (film)|Neelagiri]]'' || || Malayalam || credited as Raghu |- |''[[Mahassar]] '' ||Suresh ||Malayalam ||credited as Raghu |- | ''Theechatti Govindhan'' ||Henchman (uncredited role)|| Tamil || |- |rowspan="2"|1992 || ''[[Annaamalai]]'' || Deepak, Ashok's son || Tamil || |- | ''[[Apaaratha]]'' || Hari||Malayalam || |- |rowspan="1"|1994 || ''[[Nammavar]]'' || Ramesh || Tamil || First film credited as Karan |- |rowspan="2"|1995 ||''[[Thottil Kuzhandhai]]'' || Murali || Tamil || |- |''[[Chandralekha (1995 film)|Chandralekha]]'' || Jamal || Tamil || |- |rowspan="4"|1996 || ''[[Coimbatore Mappillai]]'' || Mahesh || Tamil || |- | ''[[Vaikarai Pookkal]]'' || Shankar || Tamil || |- | ''[[Kadhal Kottai]]'' || Siva || Tamil || |- | ''[[Gokulathil Seethai (film)|Gokulathil Seethai]]'' || Mohan || Tamil || |- |rowspan="7"|1997 || ''[[Kaalamellam Kaathiruppen]]'' || Raja ||Tamil || |- | ''[[Kaalamellam Kadhal Vaazhga]]'' || Prakash || Tamil || |- | ''[[Love Today (1997 film)|Love Today]]'' || Peter || Tamil || |- | ''[[Kaadhali (1997 film)|Kaadhali]]'' || || Tamil || |- | ''[[Raman Abdullah]]'' || Abdullah ||Tamil || |- | ''[[Nerukku Ner]]'' || Muthukumaraswamy || Tamil || |- | ''Kaduva Thomas'' || || Malayalam || |- |rowspan="10"|1998 || ''[[Suswagatham]]'' || Peter || Telugu || |- | ''[[Ponmanam]]'' || Kumar ||Tamil || |- | ''[[Kangalin Vaarthaigal]]'' || ||Tamil || |- | ''[[Kaadhal Mannan]]'' || Ranjan ||Tamil || |- | ''[[Color Kanavugal]]'' || Bharani ||Tamil || |- | ''[[Thulli Thirintha Kalam]]'' ||Raghu ||Tamil || |- | ''[[Sollamale]]'' || Vikram || Tamil || |- | ''[[Kannedhirey Thondrinal]]'' || Shankar ||Tamil || |- | ''[[Kannathal]]'' || Chinna Durai || Tamil || |- | ''[[Kaadhal Kavidhai]]'' || || Tamil || |- |rowspan="8"|1999 || ''[[Unnaithedi]]'' || Prakash || Tamil || |- | ''[[Ullathai Killathe]]'' || Col. Major Prakash || Tamil || |- | ''[[Poovellam Kettuppar]]'' || Director || Tamil || |- | ''[[Sneha (film)|Sneha]]'' || Vijay || [[Kannada]] || |- | ''[[Minsara Kanna]]'' || Ashok ||Tamil || |- | ''[[Maravathe Kanmaniye]]'' || Marudhu || Tamil || |- | ''[[Kannupada Poguthaiya]]'' || Subramaniyam || Tamil || |- | ''[[Manam Virumbuthe Unnai]]'' || Chandru || Tamil || |- | rowspan="6" |2000 || ''[[Thirunelveli (film)|Thirunelveli]]'' || Varadappan || Tamil || |- | ''[[Rajakali Amman]]'' || Seemadorai / Kannayiram || Tamil || |- | ''[[Vallarasu]]'' || Seshadri || Tamil || |- | ''[[Koodi Vazhnthal Kodi Nanmai (2000 film)|Koodi Vazhnthal Kodi Nanmai]]'' || Sivaraman || Tamil || |- | ''[[Ilayavan]]'' || || Tamil || |- | ''[[Budget Padmanabhan]]'' || Abishek || Tamil || |- |rowspan="8"|2001 || ''[[Nageswari]]'' || Easwar || Tamil || |- | ''[[Engalukkum Kaalam Varum (2001 film)|Engalukkum Kaalam Varum]]'' || Ramesh || Tamil || |- | ''[[Paarvai Ondre Pothume]]'' || Manoj || Tamil || |- | ''[[Sonnal Thaan Kathala]]'' || Inspector Inbaraj || Tamil || |- | ''[[Kunguma Pottu Gounder]]'' || Siva ||Tamil || |- | ''[[Kabadi Kabadi (2001 film)|Kabadi Kabadi]]'' || Sivaprakash || Tamil || |- | ''[[Hoo Anthiya Uhoo Anthiya]]'' || Karan || Kannada || |- | ''[[Kottai Mariamman]]'' || Eashwar ||Tamil || |- |rowspan="2"|2002 || ''[[Alli Arjuna]]'' || Kishore || Tamil || |- | ''[[Sri Bannari Amman]]'' || Vaanamaalai ||Tamil || |- |rowspan="1"|2003 || ''Nee Varum Paathaiyellam'' || ||Tamil || |- |rowspan="2"|2004 || ''[[Arasatchi]]'' || Prakash ||Tamil || |- | ''Isra'' || Mukthi Muhammed Isra/Aravindan || Malayalam ||Dubbed and released in Tamil as ''Kombu'' |- |rowspan="1"|2006 || ''[[Kokki (film)|Kokki]]'' || Kokki ||Tamil || |- |rowspan="2"|2007 || ''[[Karuppusamy Kuththagaithaarar]]'' || Karuppusamy ||Tamil || |- | ''[[Thee Nagar]]'' || Murugan ||Tamil || |- |rowspan="1"|2008 || ''[[Kathavarayan (2008 film)|Kathavarayan]]'' || Kathavarayan || Tamil || |- |rowspan="1"|2009 || ''[[Malayan (film)|Malayan]]'' || Malayan || Tamil || [[Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor]] |- |rowspan="2"|2010 || ''[[Kanagavel Kaaka]]'' || Kanagavel || Tamil || |- | ''[[Irandu Mugam]]'' || Parthasarathy || Tamil || |- |rowspan="1"|2011 || ''[[Thambi Vettothi Sundaram]]'' || Sundaram || Tamil || |- | 2013 || ''[[Kantha (film)|Kantha]]'' || Kantha || Tamil || |- | 2014 || ''[[Sooran (film)|Sooran]]'' || Sooran || Tamil || |- | 2016 || ''[[Uchathula Shiva]]'' || Shiva ||Tamil || |- |}
====Television==== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year !! serials !! Role !! Language !! class="unsortable" |Notes |- |1995 ||Balachander in Chinnathirai - Mutham || ||Tamil ||<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=813WagHxkz4 | title=Mutham | Balachandarin Chinnathirai | Kavithalayaa - YouTube | website=[[YouTube]] | access-date=10 April 2022 | archive-date=10 April 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220410141838/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=813WagHxkz4 | url-status=live }}</ref> |- |1995||Balachander in Chinnathirai - Oppanai |||| Tamil ||<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXcm_ZTchAk | title=Oppanai | Episode-01 | Balachandarin Chinnathirai | Kavithalayaa - YouTube | website=[[YouTube]] | access-date=10 April 2022 | archive-date=10 April 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220410141839/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXcm_ZTchAk | url-status=live }}</ref> |- |}
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{IMDb name|id=1093959|name=Karan}}
{{Tamil Nadu State Award for Best Actor}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Karan}} [[Category:1967 births]] [[Category:Tamil male actors]] [[Category:20th-century Indian male actors]] [[Category:Male actors in Kannada cinema]] [[Category:Male actors in Malayalam cinema]] [[Category:Indian male film actors]] [[Category:Kerala State Film Award winners]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Male actors from Tamil Nadu]] [[Category:21st-century Indian male actors]] [[Category:Tamil Nadu State Film Awards winners]] [[Category:Male actors in Tamil cinema]] [[Category:Indian male child actors]]