Sivakarthikeyan (born 17 February 1985) is an Indian actor, producer, playback singer and lyricist who works in Tamil cinema. He began as a mimicry artist and television anchor and, with no family background in films, became one of the most bankable leading men of the Tamil industry within a decade. His war drama Amaran (2024) is among the highest-grossing Tamil films.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Sivakarthikeyan Doss |
| Born | 17 February 1985, Singampunari, Sivaganga district, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Age | 41 |
| Occupation | Actor, producer, singer, lyricist |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Known for | Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam, Doctor, Don, Amaran |
| Education | J. J. College of Engineering and Technology, Tiruchirappalli (B.E.) |
| Spouse | Aarthi (m. 2010) |
| Children | 3 |
Early Life
Sivakarthikeyan was born in Singampunari in southern Tamil Nadu and grew up mainly in Tiruchirappalli. His father, G. Doss, was a prison officer who died when Sivakarthikeyan was a teenager, a loss he has often spoken about in public. He went to Campion Anglo-Indian Higher Secondary School and took an engineering degree in Tiruchirappalli, where he was known on the college stage for his mimicry and stand-up comedy, and then went to Chennai for an MBA.
Career
Friends persuaded him to enter Kalakka Povathu Yaaru, a comedy contest on Star Vijay, which he won. The channel hired him as an anchor, and over the next few years he hosted the dance show Jodi Number One, the game show Athu Ithu Ethu and many award ceremonies, building a large following for his quick, self-mocking humour.
He made his film debut as the lead in Pandiraj’s Marina (2012) and the same year played the hero’s friend in 3, with Dhanush. Dhanush then produced Ethir Neechal (2013), his first major hit. A run of rural and romantic comedies followed, among them Kedi Billa Killadi Ranga, Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam, Maan Karate, Rajinimurugan and Remo, in which he spent much of the film disguised as a female nurse.
He moved to larger subjects with Velaikkaran (2017) and set up Sivakarthikeyan Productions, whose first film, the women’s cricket drama Kanaa (2018), was a success. After a few failures he returned strongly with Nelson Dilipkumar’s deadpan black comedy Doctor (2021) and the campus film Don (2022), each of which earned more than 100 crore rupees. Maaveeran (2023) and the science-fiction film Ayalaan (2024) followed.
In Amaran (2024), produced by Kamal Haasan and co-starring Sai Pallavi, he played Major Mukund Varadarajan, an army officer from Chennai who was killed fighting militants in Kashmir in 2014 and awarded the Ashoka Chakra. The film earned over 300 crore rupees and changed his image from comic hero to dramatic actor. He next worked with A. R. Murugadoss on Madharaasi (2025) and with Sudha Kongara on Parasakthi (2026), his twenty-fifth film.
He has sung in many of his own films and has written popular songs for others, including “Kalyaana Vayasu” from Kolamaavu Kokila, composed by Anirudh Ravichander, and “Arabic Kuthu” from Beast.
Personal Life
He married Aarthi, a relative, in 2010. They have a daughter, Aaradhana, who sang with him in Kanaa, and two sons. He received the Tamil Nadu government’s Kalaimamani award in 2021.
Selected Filmography
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Sivakarthikeyan born?
Sivakarthikeyan was born on 17 February 1985 in Singampunari, Sivaganga district, Tamil Nadu, India and is 41 years old.
What is Sivakarthikeyan known for?
Known for: Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam, Doctor, Don, Amaran.
Featured image: Sivakarthikeyan at the success meet of Maan Karate, Chennai, April 2014. Photo by Silverscreen.in, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
