Jeevan (Tamil actor)
| Jeevan | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Vijayabaskar Rangaraj 6 July 1975[1] |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2002–present |
Jeevan (born Vickey Rangaraj on 7 July 1975) is a Tamil film actor.
Biography
He graduated from the St Bede's School in Chennai. One of his classmates was actor Surya Sivakumar. He took up BA in Theatre Arts. He studied Theatre in London, and then took a 2½ years training in acting at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in Hollywood. He worked as a bartender in a pub in East London called 'Weatherspoons'.
Career
| “ | Earlier I had signed an English film with director Dou Chan Gersi, who has done a lot of documentaries, some French films and some American adventure films. That film has been postponed, It was when I came for a vacation to India that I met Muthuraj, the art director and a friend of mine. He referred my name to a director for a film called 'Buddha'. But it didn't work out, and I returned to the U.S. On my next trip to Chennai, when I met Muthuraj he had handed over my stills to director Pragadhish who was looking out for a hero for 'University'. I met him and he was impressed and signed me immediately. There was opposition from various quarters, but my director was adamant and backed me, After seeing my poster somewhere, director Gautham ('Minnale') called me to play a role in 'Kakka Kakka'. I told him to give me a day to make up my mind, since I didn't know about him then. He warned me that people may advice me against doing the role, since it was a negative one. What impressed me was that he had a full script ready and the characters were well etched out.[2] | ” |
He first appeared in the film University but remained largely unnoticed due to poor public opinion of the film. However, this was followed by greater success as Pandyaa in Kaaka Kaaka.[3] Despite winning critical acclaim and receiving several offers to play the antagonist in Tamil films, Jeevan waited two years and opted against signing any more films since he wanted to play negative characters. In March 2005, he was offered the film Thotta directed by Selva and accepted to work on the film, though delays meant he had starred in other films as protagonist before it released.[4]
Following a three-year hiatus, he returned as an actor in the main role with Susi Ganesan's Thiruttu Payale, which earned him praise. He signed up for the remake of the 1974 film Naan Avanillai, and post-release gained even more praise for helping it become a success. His recent releases include Thotta (co-starring Priyamani) and Machakaaran (opposite Kamna Jethmalani).
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 2002 | University | Gandhi | |
| 2003 | Kaaka Kaaka | Pandiya | Filmfare Award for Best Villain ITFA Best Villain Award |
| 2006 | Thiruttu Payale | Manickam | |
| 2007 | Naan Avanillai | Joseph Fernandez | |
| Machakaaran | Vicky | ||
| 2008 | Thotta | Shanmugham | |
| 2009 | Naan Avanillai 2 | Joseph Fernandez | |
| 2015 | Adhibar | Siva | |
| 2017 | Jeyikkira Kuthira | Filming | |