Chandramouli (born 1988), known by his stage name Chandran, is an Indian actor working in the Tamil film industry. After featuring in short films and music videos, Chandramouli made his feature film debut with
Prabhu Solomon
Prabhu Solomon (born 7 May 1969) is an Indian film director who has primarily worked on Tamil films. After making his debut in 1999, he had a middling career before rising to prominence with the success of the romantic tragedy film '' Mynaa'' ( ...
's romantic film ''
Kayal'' (2014).
Early life
Chandramouli pursued his education at the
Sir Sivaswami Kalalaya
Sir Sivaswami Kalalaya is a co-educational school and Affiliated to Directorate of school Education, Tamil Nadu located in Mylapore, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South As ...
school in Chennai and then later at the
Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda College
Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda College, named after Swami Vivekananda, was formally inaugurated on 21 June 1946 by professor, philosopher, and politician, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. It is in Mylapore, the centre of Chennai, India, on 20 acres (81 ...
, often featuring in school stage plays, which helped him gain a passion for acting. A performance as
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
at a play won him plaudits at school and after further performances in short films, Chandramouli subsequently became interested in becoming an actor in Tamil feature films.
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He later moved to
New Delhi
New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the NCT Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati B ...
to do a postgraduate degree at the National Institute of Advertising, as his father was insistent that he had a fall back plan in case a career in the film industry did not materialise. After graduation, Chandramouli moved on to work in the sales team at the radio station
Suryan FM 93.5
Suryan FM is a Tamil language FM radio channel owned by Indian media conglomerate Sun Group. The channel has 10 broadcasting stations in Tamil Nadu . In other states, SUN Group's FM service is known as Red FM 93.5 mostly and Magic FM 106.4.
...
and then moved on to become a branding consultant with the film franchise,
Sathyam Cinemas
SPI Cinemas is an Indian multiplex chain originally owned by the SPI Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The company is often lauded for its premium quality and inexpensive pricing. Its theatres, primarily Sathyam, are often used ...
.
During his stint at
Sathyam Cinemas
SPI Cinemas is an Indian multiplex chain originally owned by the SPI Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The company is often lauded for its premium quality and inexpensive pricing. Its theatres, primarily Sathyam, are often used ...
, he revealed that he would dress up in formal attire and attend film functions, in a hope that directors would potentially be impressed and cast him in their films.
Career
Hoping to get a breakthrough in films, Chandrouli quit his consulting job and began extensively auditioning for roles and signed up with the theatre group, Inferno Productions, becoming a regular in their productions. After hearing that
Prabhu Solomon
Prabhu Solomon (born 7 May 1969) is an Indian film director who has primarily worked on Tamil films. After making his debut in 1999, he had a middling career before rising to prominence with the success of the romantic tragedy film '' Mynaa'' ( ...
was casting for a new film from a co-actor, Chandramouli sent his portfolio and received an offer to play the lead role in ''
Kayal'' (2014) the following day, much to his surprise. Prior to the beginning the first schedule, the director asked Chandramouli to lose fifteen kilograms for the role and undertake a training workshop under stunt choreographer Pandian.
A love story set in the backdrop of the
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, ''Kayal'' featured Chandramouli portraying a nomad who travels across
India
India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...
as a passion, before falling in love with the titular character, portrayed by
Anandhi
Anandhi (born Rakshita; 10 December 1996) is an Indian actress who primarily appears in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films. After her debut in the Telugu film '' Bus Stop'' (2012), she appeared in Vetrimaaran's Tamil production '' Poriyaalan'' ...
. For the shoot, the team shot extensively in muddy waters resembling the conditions post-tsunami, and Chandramouli suffered from mild fungal infections from the experience. He also noted the difficulty in concentrating on acting and emoting, despite the force of the water exerted by the water jets, and revealed that he had to maintain a red eyed look for significant portions of the film. The film opened in December 2014, ten years after the anniversary of the disaster, to positive reviews and Chandramouli won critical acclaim for his portrayal of Aaron. Behindwoods.com wrote the "new find is powerful and glides through heavy duty emotional scenes with ease", adding that "his ruggedness and nonchalance are enjoyable to watch out for". Similarly
Sify
Sify Technologies Limited (formerly Satyam Infoway) is an Indian information and communications technology company providing end-to-end ICT solutions including telecom services, data center services, cloud & managed services, transformation in ...
.com's reviewer noted he gives a "truly excellent performance", while
Rediff
Rediff.com (stylized as ''rediff.com'') is an Indian news, information, entertainment and shopping web portal. It was founded in 1996. It is headquartered in Mumbai, with offices in Bangalore, New Delhi and New York City.
, it had more than 300 ...
.com remarked he and Anandhi were the "perfect choice" for the film.
His next movie titled ''
Thittam Poattu Thirudura Kootam'' (2019).
Personal life
Chandramouli is married to a popular television anchor Anjana who's working in
Sun Music
Sun Music ( ta, சன் மியூசிக்) is India's first 24-hour music channel led by the well-known Sun TV Network of India. The channel features Tamil music from Kollywood. Most of the shows in Sun Music requires call-in audience p ...
. The couple have a son and named him Rudraksh.
Filmography
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chandramouli
Living people
Male actors in Tamil cinema
21st-century Indian male actors
Male actors from Tamil Nadu
1988 births
South Indian International Movie Awards winners