Thilak Raj (April 5, 1943 – May 7, 2021) was an Indian actor. Also known as Kalthoon Thilak, he was known for playing supporting roles in Tamil films as an antagonist. His breakthrough performance came in the film, '' Kalthoon'' (1981), following which he adapted the film's title in his stagename.

Career

Thilak began his career in the Tamil film industry as an assistant editor at

AVM Studios AVM Productions is an Indian film production studio founded by A. V. Meiyappa Chettiar. It is the oldest film studio in India. The filming studios are located in Vadapalani, Chennai. It has produced over 300 films in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, ...

and had worked on 24 films. He began experimenting as an actor through appearances in

Major Sundarrajan Srinivasan Sundarrajan (17 March 1935 – 28 February 2003), popularly known as Major Sundarrajan, was an Indian actor and film director who performed predominantly in Tamil language films and plays. He was well known for his sophisticated ...

's drama troupe. Thilak went on to act in over 70 films, including ''

Thayilla Kuzhandhai ''Thayilla Kuzhandhai'' () is a 1976 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by R. Thyagarajan and produced by Sandow M. M. A. Chinnappa Thevar. The film stars Vijayakumar and Jayachitra. It was released on 22 October 1976. Plot Cast ...

'' (1976), ''Per Solla Oru Pillai'' (1978) and ''

Aarilirunthu Arubathu Varai ''Aarilirunthu Arubathu Varai'' () is a 1979 Indian Tamil-language drama film, directed by S. P. Muthuraman and written by Panchu Arunachalam, starring Rajinikanth. The cast also included Jayalaxmi, Cho, Sangeeta, Thengai Seenivasan, Jay ...

'' (1979), often appearing as arrogant villainous characters. In the latter, he portrayed the son of T. K. Bhagavathi's character, who ill treats the character portrayed by

Rajinikanth Shivaji Rao Gaikwad (born 12 December 1950), known professionally as Rajinikanth, is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. In a career spanning over five decades, he has done 170 films that includes films in Tamil, Hindi, ...

. He garnered acclaim for his role in Sundarrajan's '' Kalthoon'' (1981), featuring as the son of

Sivaji Ganesan Villupuram. Chinnaiya Manrayar Ganesamoorthy (1 October 1928 – 21 July 2001), better known by his stage name Sivaji Ganesan, was an Indian actor and film producer. He was mainly active in Tamil cinema during the latter half of the 20th centur ...

and

K. R. Vijaya Deivanayaki, better known by her stage name K. R. Vijaya, is an Indian actress who has featured in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada films. She started her career in 1963 and has been acting for more than six decades in South Indian cinema. ...

's characters. In the 2010s, he worked as an actor in Tamil television serials.

Filmography

;Films * ''

Vellikizhamai Viratham ''Vellikizhamai Viratham'' ( ) is a 1974 Indian Tamil-language devotional film, directed by R. Thyagarajan in his debut and produced by Sandow M. M. A. Chinnappa Thevar under Dhandayudhapani Films. The film stars Sivakumar, Jayachitra and Jay ...

'' (1974) * ''Tiger Thathachari'' (1974) * ''

Apoorva Raagangal ''Apoorva Raagangal'' ( ) is a 1975 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by K. Balachander. It stars Kamal Haasan, Sundarrajan, Srividya and Jayasudha, while Nagesh and Rajinikanth, in his feature film debut, play ...

'' (1975) * ''Thayilla Kuzhandhai'' (1976) * '' Oru Oodhappu Kan Simittugiradhu'' (1976) * ''Per Solla Oru Pillai'' (1978) * ''

'' (1979) * '' Kalthoon'' (1981) * '' Per Sollum Pillai'' (1987) * ''

Kai Naattu ''Kai Naattu'' is a 1988 Indian Tamil-language film directed by V. C. Guhanathan and produced by D. Ramanaidu, starring Raghuvaran, Shantipriya and Mucherla Aruna. It was released on 24 June 1988. Plot ''Kai Naattu'' is the story of a goon ...

'' (1988) * ''Aavathellam Pennale'' (1990) * ''

Velai Kidaichuduchu ''Velai Kidaichuduchu'' () is a 1990 Indian Tamil-language crime action film written and directed by P. Vasu. The film stars Sathyaraj and Gautami. It was released on 15 August 1990. The film was remade in Telugu as '' Assembly Rowdy'' (1991) ...

'' (1990) * ''

Adhikari Adhikari (Devanāgarī: अधिकारी, Sinhala: අදිකාරී, Bengali: অধিকারী; also spelt Adhikary) is a surname originating in the Indian subcontinent. Those having their surname as Adhikari are mainly found in ...

'' (1991) ;Television *''Gopuram'' *''Athipookkal''

Death

Thilak died of

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

during the COVID-19 pandemic in Tamil Nadu in

Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...

on 7 May 2021.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thilak, Kalthoon 1943 births 2021 deaths Indian male film actors Male actors in Tamil cinema Tamil actors Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in India