Jayasimha (born 6 November 1983), better known as Bobby Simha, is an Indian actor who predominantly appears in

Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

and

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...

films. After making brief appearances in the films ''

Kadhalil Sodhappuvadhu Yeppadi ''Kadhilil Sodhappuvadhu Yeppadi'' () is a 2012 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film written and directed Balaji Mohan in his feature debut and produced by S. Sashikanth, Nirav Shah and Siddharth under YNOT Studios and Etaki Entertainment ...

'' and ''

Pizza Pizza is an Italian cuisine, Italian, specifically Neapolitan cuisine, Neapolitan, dish typically consisting of a flat base of Leavening agent, leavened wheat-based dough topped with tomato, cheese, and other ingredients, baked at a high t ...

'' (2012), he portrayed a kidnapper in Nalan Kumarasamy's ''

Soodhu Kavvum ''Soodhu Kavvum'' () is a 2013 Indian Tamil-language black comedy crime film directed by Nalan Kumarasamy, who co-wrote the story with Shrinivas Kaviinayam. Produced by C. V. Kumar's Thirukumaran Entertainment, the film stars Vijay Sethupathi, ...

'' and a comic villain in

Alphonse Putharen Alphonse Puthren is an Indian film director, film producer, actor, editor, screenwriter and ad film maker. He works mainly in the Malayalam Cinema. He made his directorial debut with the critically acclaimed Malayalam - Tamil bilingual susp ...

's ''

Neram ''Neram'' () is a 2013 Indian black comedy thriller film written, directed and edited by Alphonse Puthren in his directorial debut. It is simultaneously made in Malayalam and Tamil languages. It is an extended version of the short film of th ...

''. Simha's subsequent performance as the

Madurai Madurai ( , , ), formerly known as Madura, is a major city in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District, which is ...

gangster Sethu in

Karthik Subbaraj Karthik Subbaraj (born 19 March 1983) is an Indian film director, film producer and screenwriter working mainly in Tamil cinema. Early life Karthik did his schooling in SBOA Matriculation and Higher Secondary School, Madurai after which he w ...

's '' Jigarthanda'' (2014) won him critical acclaim and the

National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor The National Film Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role is an honour presented annually at India's National Film Awards ceremony by the National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC), an organisation set up by the Indian Ministry of I ...

Early life

Bobby Simha was born in a

family on 6 November 1983 in Secundrabad,

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...

(now

Telangana Telangana is a States and union territories of India, state in India situated in the Southern India, south-central part of the Indian subcontinent on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ele ...

). Simha's family is from

Mopidevi Mopidevi is a village in Krishna district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the mandal headquarters of Mopidevi mandal in Machilipatnam revenue division. It is one of the villages in the mandal to be a part of Andhra Pradesh Capita ...

Krishna district Krishna district is a district in the Coastal Andhra region in Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, with Machilipatnam as its administrative headquarters. It is surrounded on the East by Bay of Bengal, West by Guntur district, Guntur, Bapatla distric ...

, Andhra Pradesh but they moved to

Kodaikanal Kodaikanal () (English: ) is a municipality and hill station in Dindigul district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is situated at an altitude of in the Palani hills of the Western Ghats. Kodaikanal was established in 1845 to serve as a r ...

in 1995. He subsequently completed his schooling at Priyadarshini Vidyalayam, a Telugu Medium School, in

Krishna District Krishna district is a district in the Coastal Andhra region in Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, with Machilipatnam as its administrative headquarters. It is surrounded on the East by Bay of Bengal, West by Guntur district, Guntur, Bapatla distric ...

and then attended college at Pioneer College of Arts and Science in

Coimbatore Coimbatore (Tamil: kōyamputtūr, ), also known as Kovai (), is one of the major Metropolitan cities of India, metropolitan cities in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyy ...

. In 2005, he participated in a Coimbatore-based event called Naalaya Natchathiram, where chief guests

Sundar C Vinayagar Sundar Vel (born 21 January 1968), known professionally as Sundar C, is an Indian actor, filmmaker, and playback singer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. He has directed over 30 films and received the Kalaimamani#2009, Kalaim ...

and

E. Ramdoss E. Ramdoss (died 23 January 2023) was an Indian film director, screenwriter and actor who worked on Tamil films. Career Ramdoss moved to Mylapore, Chennai in late 1979, attempting to make a career in the Tamil film industry where he became a ...

suggested that he should attempt to become an actor in Tamil films. Simha stated that he received an offer to feature in a TV serial in Chennai and only after making the journey from Coimbatore, did he realise he had been conned. Simha subsequently finished his degree and came back to

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 ...

to pursue a career in acting but ended up working in marketing, insurance and business process outsourcing to fulfill his financial needs.

Career

2007–2012: Early work

Bobby Simha appeared in an uncredited role in ''

Maya Kannadi ''Maya Kannadi'' () is a 2007 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by Cheran and produced by Subbu Panchu. Cheran also plays the lead role with Navya Nair. Ilaiyaraaja scores the music, while R. Sarathkumar, Arya and Malavika make came ...

'' (2007).

Balaji Mohan Balaji Mohan (born 25 May 1987) is an Indian filmmaker and actor in Tamil-language films. After discontinuing his engineering studies to pursue his passion for becoming a director, he enrolled at a film academy and attended courses and workshop ...

, who was a short-film maker, gave him a small role in his first feature film, ''

''. Both ventures became critically acclaimed and amongst the most profitable of 2012. He subsequently became acquainted with short-film maker Manikandan, who introduced him to his friend, another short-film maker

. The pair subsequently made a series of short films together, with Subbaraj giving Simha a role in his directorial debut ''

'', too.

2013–2017: Critical acclaim

Simha then appeared in ''

'' (2013) portraying the role of Pagalavan, and played the antagonist in the bilingual ''

'', his performances in both films were received well. In 2014, he was seen in the role of an ageing Madurai gangster in '' Jigarthanda'' with his portrayal winning him critical praise. In an interview he said that in order to get into the character, he had interacted with real gangsters to learn their behaviour and nuances. To tan his skin, he stood in the sun at noon wearing only his shorts. The film opened to positive reviews in August 2014, with ''

The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It was founded as a weekly publication in 1878 by the Triplicane Six, becoming a daily in 1889. It is one of the India ...

'' writing that it had achieved "cult status" within a week of its release. Simha won positive reviews for his depiction of Sethu, with Rediff.com noting that Simha "steals the show. He is chillingly menacing at times, while completely hilarious in others, but equally convincing in both", stating it is "a truly remarkable performance". A critic from Sify.com delivered a similar verdict, writing "truly the film belongs to Simhaa. He is electrifying especially in the first half, where he brings out the viciousness and violent streak of the character along with that eerie laughter." His performance in the film earned him the

. After ''Jigarthanda'' he played a lead role in the Malayalam film ''

Beware of Dogs ''Beware of Dogs'' is a 2014 Indian Malayalam-language comedy drama film written and directed by Vishnu Sivaprasad. The plot follows four bachelors nicknamed Dogs by their house owner, Dominic, Oomen, Gautam, and Sunny. It stars Siju Wilson, Sek ...

'', while in ''

Aadama Jaichomada ''Aadama Jaichomada'' () is a 2014 Indian Tamil-language black comedy film directed and co-written by Badri. Produced by B&C films and Upshot Films, co-produced by Skilite Creations, the film stars Karunakaran, Bobby Simha, and Vijayalakshmi ...

'' he played Bhoominathan, a "serious, intelligent cop but with a comic touch". The success of ''Jigarthanda'' had created opportunities for Bobby Simha to become a lead actor, though several of his subsequent films did not perform well commercially. In December 2015, he appeared in ''

Urumeen ''Urumeen'' is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language fantasy action thriller film written and directed by debutante director Sakthivel Perumalsamy. It stars Bobby Simha, Reshmi Menon, and Kalaiyarasan. Produced by Axess Film Factory, the film has cinem ...

'', his first film as a solo action hero. In 2016, he appeared in the coming-of-age drama, ''

Bangalore Naatkal ''Bangalore Naatkal'' () is a 2016 Indian Tamil-language comedy drama film directed by Bhaskar, which is a remake of the 2014 Malayalam film '' Bangalore Days'' written and directed by Anjali Menon. Featuring an ensemble cast consisting of Ar ...

'', where he portrayed a softer role in comparison to his earlier action films. Simha had offered his own dates to the producers to portray a character in the film, with his performance receiving mixed reviews. He play the role of a young and enthusiastic reporter in political thriller ''

Ko 2 ''Ko 2'' ( ''King 2'') is a 2016 Indian political thriller film co-written and directed by Sarath Mandava, Sarath, who earlier worked as associate director/screenplay writer for films like ''Unnaipol Oruvan (2009 film), Unnaipol Oruvan'' and ''Bi ...

''. Director Karthik Subbaraj scripts a story of male arrogance in the multi-starrer ''

Iraivi Iraivi () is a 2016 Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language crime drama film written and directed by Karthik Subbaraj and produced by C. V. Kumar, K. E. Gnanavel Raja and Abinesh Elangovan under their banners Thirukumaran Entertainment, Studio Gree ...

''. In 2017,

Susi Ganesan Ganesan Subbiah (born 25 August 1969), popularly known as Susi Ganesan, is an Indian film director, producer, and writer who predominately works in Tamil films apart from a few Hindi remakes of his own films. Early life Ganesan was born on (25 ...

's '' Thiruttu Payale 2'' is the sequel to the 2006 thriller film which went on to become a hit at the box-office.

2018–present

He has signed to play as antagonist for ''

Saamy Square ''Saamy Square'' (stylized as ''Saamy²'') is a 2018 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by Hari and produced by Shibu Thameens. The film, which is the sequel to ''Saamy'', stars Vikram in a dual role, while Keerthy Suresh ...

'' (2018), which is the sequel of ''

Saamy ''Saamy'' ( God) is a 2003 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by Hari and produced by Pushpa Kandasamy under the banner of Kavithalayaa Productions and presented by K. Balachander. The film stars Vikram in the main lead r ...

'', directed by

Hari Hari () is among the primary epithets of the Hindu preserver deity Vishnu, meaning 'the one who takes away' (sins). It refers to the one who removes darkness and illusion, the one who removes all obstacles to spiritual progress. The name Ha ...

. Bobby Simah's first release of the year 2019 was '' Petta'', in which he shared screen space with

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 later went on to do '' Agni Devi'' and '' Edaina Jaragocchu''. In November 2019, ''

Film Companion Anupama Vinod Chopra () is an Indian author, journalist and film critic who served as the festival director of the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival from 2015 to 2023. She is also the founder and editor of the now-defunct digital platform Film Compani ...

'' ranked Simha's performance in '' Jigarthanda'' among the ''100 Greatest Performances of the decade.'' In 2020, he played the antagonist with

Ravi Teja Bhupatiraju Ravi Shankar Raju (born 26 January 1968), known professionally as Ravi Teja, is an Indian actor and film producer known for his work in Telugu cinema. Recognised for his roles in action comedy films, he is popularly referred to as ...

's in Telugu movie ''

Disco Raja ''Disco Raja'' is a 2020 Indian Telugu-language science fiction action thriller film directed by Vi Anand and produced by Ram Talluri under SRT Entertainment's banner. It stars Ravi Teja in a dual role along with Bobby Simha, Payal Rajput, N ...

''. He was seen in

Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Amazon. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by ...

's Anthology '' Putham Pudhu Kaalai'', where he played the lead role in

's segment titled, ''Miracle''. In 2022, Bobby Simha play in pivotal role with Vikram in '' Mahaan'' directed by Karthik Subbaraj exclusively on

Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Amazon. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by ...

. Later, Bobby Simha play a cameo for his debut in the Kannada film industry with

Rakshit Shetty Rakshit Shetty (born 6 June 1983) is an Indian actor and filmmaker working predominantly in Kannada cinema. He is the recipient of a National Film Award, two Filmfare Awards South, two Karnataka State Film Awards and five SIIMA Awards. His deb ...

's ''

777 Charlie ''777 Charlie'' is a 2022 Indian Kannada-language adventure drama film written and directed by Kiranraj K. and produced by Paramvah Studios. It stars Charlie, a Labrador dog in the title role, and Rakshit Shetty alongside Sangeetha Sringeri, ...

''. In Telugu, he did '' Ammu'' (2022) for Amazon Prime and worked with

Chiranjeevi Konidela Chiranjeevi (born Konidela Sivasankara Varaprasad; 22 August 1955) is an Indian actor, philanthropist and former politician known for his work in Telugu cinema. Known as the "Mega Star", he is widely regarded as one of the most succe ...

in ''

Waltair Veerayya ''Waltair Veerayya'' is a 2023 Indian Telugu-language action thriller film directed by Bobby Kolli and produced by Mythri Movie Makers. The film stars Chiranjeevi as the title character alongside Ravi Teja, Shruti Haasan, Catherine Tresa, Praka ...

'' (2023) where he plays the villain. He is also playing pivotal roles in ''

Vallavanukkum Vallavan ''Vallavanukkum Vallavan'' () is a 2023 Indian Tamil-language action comedy film written and directed by Vijay Tesingu, starring Bobby Simha, Sshivada and Pooja Devariya. It has music composed by Raghu Dixit, editing by Vivek Harshan and cine ...

'' (2023) and the

S. Shankar Shankar Shanmugam (born 17 August 1963) is an Indian film director, producer, and screenwriter, primarily known for his work in Tamil cinema. Known as one of the most prominent directors in the history of Indian cinema, he has also worked in H ...

's, ''

Indian 2 ''Indian 2'' (also marketed as ''Indian 2: Zero Tolerance'') is a 2024 Indian Tamil-language vigilante-action film directed by S. Shankar, who co-wrote the script with B. Jeyamohan, Kabilan Vairamuthu and Lakshmi Saravana Kumar. The film is j ...

'' (2024) and '' Indian 3'' (2025) as a CBI officer with

Kamal Haasan Parthasarathy Srinivasan (born 7 November 1954), known professionally as Kamal Haasan, is an Indian actor, filmmaker and politician who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. Considered as one of the most accomplished actors of Indian Cinema, Haas ...

Personal life

Bobby Simha got engaged to ''Urumeen'' co-star

Reshmi Menon Reshmi Menon is an Indian actress who predominantly appears in Tamil films. Career In 2008, Menon was pursuing Visual Communication at Women's Christian College, Chennai, a course she enrolled in because she "loved the media". She accompanied ...

in November 2015, and they married on 22 April 2016. The couple has two children– a daughter (born 2017), and a son (born 2019).

Filmography

*''Note: he is credited as Simha in Tamil from 2012-2013 and 2020 to present.''

Television

Awards and nominations

;

Vijay Awards The Vijay Awards are presented by the Tamil television channel STAR Vijay to honour excellence in Tamil cinema. It has been given annually since 2006, with the latest—the 10th edition—of the award-giving ceremony having been held i ...

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

–

Vijay Award for Best Villain The Vijay for Best Villain is given by STAR Vijay as part of its annual Vijay Awards ceremony for Tamil (Kollywood) films. The list Here is a list of the award winners and the films for which they won. Nominations *2007 Kishore - '' Polladhav ...

– '' Jigarthanda'' ;

Filmfare Awards South The Filmfare Awards South are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Telugu cinema, Tamil cinema, Malayalam cinema and Kannada cinema. They are presented by ''Filmfare'' magazine of The Times Group. When it was intr ...

–

Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor – Tamil The Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Tamil (Kollywood) films. The award was introduced and first given at the 50th South Filmfare Awards in 2003, with Jaya ...

– '' Jigarthanda'' ;

National Film Awards The National Film Awards are awards for artistic and technical merit given for "Excellence within the Cinema of India, Indian film industry". Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India ...

–

– '' Jigarthanda'' ;

Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize Recipients Here is a list of the award winners and the films for which they won. * The year mentioned refers to the year in which the films released. This is the list of Winners of Jury's Special Award See also * Tamil cinema * Cinema of Indi ...

* Best Actor – '' Jigarthanda'' ;

3rd South Indian International Movie Awards The nominations for the 3rd South Indian International Movie Awards were announced at a press conference held at a five star hotel in Hyderabad on July 17, 2014. Actors Rana Daggubati and Shriya Saran, who are the brand ambassadors of SIIMA, we ...

*Nominated - Best Actor in a Supporting Role - ''

'' *Nominated - Best Actor in a Negative Role (Tamil) - ''

'' *Nominated - Best Actor in a Negative Role (Malayalam) - ''

'' ;

4th South Indian International Movie Awards The 4th South Indian International Movie Awards was held in Dubai World Trade Center, Dubai on 6th and 7 August 2015. SIIMA 2015 recognized the best films and performances from the past year, along with special honors for lifetime contributions ...

*Nominated - Best Actor in a Negative Role (Tamil) - '' Jigarthanda'' ;

Edison Awards Edison Awards is an American company that runs an annual competition honoring excellence in innovation in a broad range of categories. Company The Edison Awards were established by the American Marketing Association in 1987 and has been an i ...

* 2014 - Edison Award for Best Villain - '' Jigarthanda''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Simha, Bobby Living people 1983 births Telugu male actors Best Supporting Actor National Film Award winners Male actors from Hyderabad, India Male actors in Tamil cinema Male actors in Telugu cinema Male actors in Malayalam cinema 21st-century Indian male actors Indian male film actors