Raja (Tamil actor)

Raja is an Indian film actor who has acted in Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu language films. The actor made his debut in the 1981 Tamil film, Pakkuvethilai, before going on to become a leading actor in the Tamil film industry through the 1980s.[1]

Raja
Born
Daggubati Venkatesh
NationalityIndia
Other namesVenkatesh
OccupationActor
Years active1981–2000
2019-present

He went on to play second lead roles and supporting characters in several films including Kamal Haasan's Sathi Leelavathi and Rajinikanth's Mappillai.[2] He has also acted in few Telugu films like Chinnari Sneham, Sankellu and Shri Krishnarjuna Vijayam.

He is a relative of veteran film producer late D. Ramanaidu and currently runs a granite business called "Cosmo Granites" in Chennai.[3]

Career

A nephew of Telugu film producer D. Ramanaidu, Raja was persuaded by his family to become an actor in Tamil cinema owing to his familiarity with Madras. He subsequently joined Bharathiraja's acting school, where he trained before getting his first major career breakthrough with the director's romantic drama Kadalora Kavithaigal (1986).[4] The box office success of the film prompted Bharathiraja to cast him again in Vedham Pudhithu (1987), and the popular song "Kannukkul Nooru" earned Raja a large female fanbase.[4]

Raja continued portraying supporting roles in films, and was unable to garner much success as a lead actor. His appearance in a negative role in his collaboration with Manivannan for Ini Oru Suthanthiram was well-received by critics, though his best known work in the late 1980s and early 1990s featured him in supporting roles such as in Mappillai (1989) and Pudhu Vasantham (1990).[4] In the early 1990s, he was often typecast in soft, demure characters often portraying a gentle romantic, who regularly lost out to film's lead actor. His most notable films of the period, Sathi Leelavathi (1995), Love Birds (1996) and Kadhal Kottai (1996) all featured him in similar roles. He quickly became disheartened at the films and secondary characters being offered to him, and opted to move into business in 1999.[4]

After a nineteen year break from films, Raja returned to acting with a role in Krish's biopic drama N.T.R: Kathanayakudu (2019), where he portrayed the supporting role of Trivikrama Rao. He made his return to Tamil films through Adithya Varma (2019), where he appeared as the father of the titular character played by debutant Dhruv Vikram.[4]

Filmography
Year Film Role Language Notes
1981Pakku VethilaiTamil
Chinna Mul Peria MulAnandTamil
Nenjile ThunivirunthalTamil
1982Kanne RadhaNatarajTamil
1984Veetuku Oru KannagiTamil
1986Kadalora KavithaigalTamil
Pudhiya PoovidhuTamil
Neethana Antha KuyilTamil
1987Valayal SathamTamil
VaidehiTelugu
Ini Oru SuthanthiramTamil
Vedham PudhithuSundarapandiTamil
1988Neruppu NilaTamil
Ithu Engal NeethiTamil
Siripuram ChinnoduTelugu
Jhansi RaniDinakarTelugu
SankelluTelugu
Uzhaithu Vaazha VendumRajaTamil
1989Chinnari SnehamSuryamTelugu
Manidhan MarivittanTamil
MappillaiTamil
1990 Vaazhkai ChakkaramTamil
Adhisaya ManithanTamil
Pudhu VasanthamRajaTamil
Nangal PuthiyavargalRajaTamil
Sathyam Sivam SundaramTamil
Enkitta MothatheTamil
1991Vaa Arugil VaaRamakrishnanTamil
Karpoora MullaiDr. SrinivasTamil
Ente SooryaputhrikkuMalayalamGuest appearance
Nee Pathi Naan PathiTamil
Edu KondalaswamyTelugu
1992Kizhakku VelathachuTamil
1993Captain MagalTamil
Uthama RaasaTamil
Moondravadhu KannSundarTamil
Enga MuthalaliBaluTamil
1994Sukham SukhakaramMalayalam
VanithaTelugu
PriyankaTamilGuest appearance
KaruththammaStephenTamil
1995CoolieTamil
Sathi LeelavathiTamil
KolangalRajeshTamil
Ayudha PoojaiTamil
1996Love BirdsManoTamil
Vaikarai PookkalRajaTamil
Meendum SavithriVasudevanTamil
RajaliTamil
Kadhal KottaiJeevaTamil
Andha NaalVincent BabuTamil
Shri Krishnarjuna VijayamKarnaTelugu
1997Bharathi KannammaVillage officerTamil
ArunachalamTamil
PudhalvanTamil
1998IniyavaleRajaTamil
KondattamGopikrishnaTamil
Sivappu NilaRajaTamil
2000Kannukku KannagaArunTamil
2019N.T.R: KathanayakuduN. Trivikrama RaoTelugu
N.T.R: MahanayakuduTelugu
Adithya VarmaAdithya's fatherTamilCameo appearance

References
  1. Reddy, T. Krithika (27 November 2010). "Second Coming". The Hindu.
  2. "Raja - Tamil actor". Jointscene. Archived from the original on 17 September 2011. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
  3. TV9 Telugu Live. "Actor Daggubati Raja rediscovered by Anveshana ! – TV9" – via YouTube.
  4. https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/the-raja-profilefrom-kadalora-kavithaigal-to-adithya-varma-tamil-cinemas-quintessential-soft-spoken-hero-raja-returns-after-a-20-year-exile/article29900048.ece
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