Murali (Tamil actor)
Quick Facts
Biography
Murali (19 May 1964 – 8 September 2010) was an Indian film actor who appeared in leading and supporting roles in Tamil and Kannada films. Murali has acted with many stars including Vijayakanth, Prabhu, Sathyaraj, Karthik, Prabhu Deva, Surya, Parthiban, Sarath Kumar, Mammootty and Sivaji Ganesan. In the 1990s, He has also acted with famous heroines including Meena, Simran, Roja, Devayani, Laila and Rambha.
His son, Adharvaa, debuted as an actor in the 2010 Tamil film Baana Kaathadi.
Early life
Murali was the son of Kannada director Siddalingaiah and started acting in Kannada films in 1984.
Career
Murali started his acting career in 1984 with the Kannada film Prema Parva,directed by his father director S. Siddalingaiah. Ajeya, Prema Gange, Thayikotta Thali, Sambhavami Yuge Yuge, Ajay-Vijay are the Kannada movies he did before entering into Tamil film industry. Poovilangu was his first Tamil movie. He earned a good name with that film. He then acted in Pagal Nilavu, along with actress Revathi. The movie introduced the director Mani Ratnam to the Tamil film industry. Though this movie garnered Murali great recognition he could not sustain his success much longer. His movies started failing at the Box Office one after another. Interestingly,the angry young man image that Murali portrayed in his first few films disappeared after Pagal Nilavu and he appeared more as a soft natured, turning violent only when required, in his subsequent films. He did a lot of romantic drama roles and was remarkably subtle -something distinctly different from his first film - Poovilangu or even Pagal Nilavu. Many of these movies were small and moderate successes and he continued as hero in a number of films every year. Then came 'Idhayam - the movie where he portrayed the soft romantic hero pining and longing to reveal his love to his lady. This character appeared perfectly consistent with his image and many remember him as hero of this movie (the movie had hit songs which remind many of Murali) much more than the angry young man of Poovilangu. In 1990, he starred in Vikraman's Pudhu Vasantham along with Sithara and Anand Babu. where he played one among four friends who find themselves unexpectedly saddled with a young woman. The movie was such a big hit that it re-wrote Tamil movie history, sparking a whole range of "friendship" films and also propelling his career.
Filmography
Year | No | Film | Role | Language | Director | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1984 | 1 | Prema Parva | Kannada | S. Siddalingaiah | ||
2 | Bili Gulabi | Kannada | G. Shivamurthy | |||
3 | Poovilangu | Pandian | Tamil | Ameerjan | ||
4 | Ingeyum Oru Gangai | Kathamuthu | Tamil | Manivannan | ||
5 | Pudhiavan | Manohar | Tamil | Ameerjan | ||
1985 | 6 | Pagal Nilavu | Selvam | Tamil | Mani Ratnam | |
7 | Geethanjali | James | Tamil | K.Rangaraj | ||
8 | Anthasthu | Tamil | R. Thyagarajan | |||
9 | Ajeya | Kannada | S. Siddalingaiah | |||
10 | Ilanganru | Tamil | Ameerjan | |||
1986 | 11 | Prema Gange | Kannada | Gururaju | ||
12 | Puthir | Tamil | S. Siddalingaiah | 1st dual role | ||
13 | Oru Malarin Payanam | Tamil | Muktha Srinivasan | |||
14 | Kaalamellam Unn Madiyil | Tamil | Rajasekar | |||
15 | Mannukkul Vairam | Tamil | Manoj Kumar | |||
1987 | 16 | Kudumbam Oru Koyill | Tamil | A. C. Tirulokchandar | ||
17 | Vanna Kanavugal | Moorthy | Tamil | Ameerjan | ||
18 | Valayal Satham | Tamil | Jeevabalan | |||
19 | Thulasi | Siva | Tamil | Ameerjan | ||
20 | Meendum Mahaan | Tamil | Uthaman | |||
21 | Puyal Paadum Paattu | Tamil | Manivannan | |||
22 | Thayi Kotta Thali | Kannada | Ravindranath | |||
1988 | 23 | Sambhavami Yuge Yuge | Kannada | S. Siddalingaiah | ||
24 | Aval Mella Sirithal | Tamil | M. N. Jai Sundar | |||
25 | Thappu Kanakku | Tamil | Jeevabalan | |||
1989 | 26 | Thangamani Rangamani | Rangamani | Tamil | Rama Narayanan | |
27 | Kai Veesamma Kai Veesu | Tamil | Vinodh | |||
28 | Ninaivu Chinnam | Tamil | Anu Mohan | |||
29 | Padma Vyuha | Kannada | A. T. Raghu | |||
1990 | 30 | Ajay Vijay | Ajay | Kannada | A. T. Raghu | |
31 | Pudhu Vasantham | Balu | Tamil | Vikraman | ||
32 | Paalam | Jeeva | Tamil | Karvannan | ||
33 | Vetri Malai | Tamil | V. S. Shanmugam | |||
34 | Silambu | Tamil | Nethaji | |||
35 | Naanum Indha Ooruthan | Tamil | Sekar Raja | |||
36 | Nangal Puthiyavargal | Tamil | R. G. Elavalagan | |||
37 | Sirayil Sila Raagangal | Tamil | Rajendrakumar | |||
38 | Pudhiya Kaatru | Tamil | Karvannan | |||
39 | Namma Ooru Poovatha | Tamil | Manivasagam | |||
1991 | 40 | Sami Potta Mudichu | Tamil | R. Sundarrajan | ||
41 | Iravu Sooriyan | Tamil | S. Nathan | |||
42 | Idhayam | Raja | Tamil | Kathir | ||
43 | Kurumbukkaran | Tamil | Ameerjan | |||
1992 | 44 | Thanga Manasukkaran | Murugesh (Murugan) | Tamil | Rajavarman | |
45 | Chinna Pasanga Naanga | Muthukaalai | Tamil | Raj Kapoor | ||
46 | Thangarasu | Thangarasu | Tamil | K. Alexander | ||
47 | Endrum Anbudan | Tamil | Bhagyanathan | |||
48 | Thaali Kattiya Raasa | Tamil | Vijaya Kanna | |||
1993 | 49 | Manikuyil | Muthuvelu | Tamil | Rajavarman | |
50 | Thangakkili | Moorthy | Tamil | Rajavarman | ||
1994 | 51 | Manju Virattu | Tamil | L. S. Valaiyapathy | ||
52 | Adharmam | Tamil | Ramesh Balakrishnan | |||
53 | En Aasai Machan | Subramani | Tamil | R. Sundarrajan | ||
54 | Sathyavan | Diwakar | Tamil | Raj Kapoor | ||
1995 | 55 | Aahaya Pookal | Tamil | Deenadayal | ||
56 | Thondan | Jeeva | Tamil | Karvannan | ||
1996 | 57 | Poove Unakkaga | Murali | Tamil | Vikraman | Special appearance |
58 | Poomani | Poomani | Tamil | Mu. Kalanjiyam | ||
1997 | 59 | Kaalamellam Kadhal Vaazhga | Jeeva | Tamil | R. Balu | |
60 | Porkkalam | Manikkam | Tamil | Cheran | ||
61 | Roja Malare | Kannan | Tamil | Jayamurugan | ||
1998 | 62 | Kaadhale Nimmadhi | Mohan | Tamil | Indiran | |
63 | Dhinamdhorum | Tamil | Nagarajan | |||
64 | Veera Thalattu | Tamil | Kasthuri Raja | |||
65 | Rathna | Rathna, Muthuvel | Tamil | Ilanchezhian | ||
66 | Poonthottam | Moorthy | Tamil | Mu. Kalanjiyam | ||
67 | En Aasai Rasave | Tamil | Kasthuri Raja | |||
68 | Unnudan | Santhosh | Tamil | R. Balu | ||
70 | Desiya Geetham | Tamil | Cheran | |||
1999 | 71 | Poo Vaasam | Kanna | Tamil | Sree Bharathi | |
72 | Kanave Kalaiyadhe | Anand | Tamil | V. Gowthaman | ||
73 | Ooty | Balakumar | Tamil | Anwar | ||
74 | Iraniyan | Iraniyan | Tamil | Vincent Selva | ||
2000 | 75 | Vetri Kodi Kattu | Sekhar | Tamil | Cheran | |
76 | Manu Needhi | Chinnakannu | Tamil | Thambi Ramaiah | ||
2001 | 77 | Kannukku Kannaga | Dharma | Tamil | S. Dhayalan | |
78 | Sonnal Thaan Kathala | Murali | Tamil | T.Rajendar | ||
79 | Aanandham | Madhavan | Tamil | N. Lingusamy | ||
80 | Samuthiram | Thangarasu | Tamil | K. S. Ravikumar | ||
81 | Alli Thandha Vaanam | Madhavan | Tamil | Sridhar Prasad | ||
82 | Kadal Pookkal | Karuthayya | Tamil | Bharathiraja | Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor | |
2002 | 83 | Sundhara Travels | Gopikrishnan | Tamil | Thaha | |
84 | Kamarasu | Kamarasu | Tamil | P. C. Anbazhagan | ||
85 | Namma Veetu Kalyanam | Ravi | Tamil | V. Sekhar | ||
2003 | 86 | Kadhaludan | Kalyan | Tamil | Rajakumaran | |
2004 | 87 | Arivumani | Arivumani | Tamil | M. K. Kennedy | |
2006 | 88 | Pasa Kiligal | Sevathayya | Tamil | Amirtham | |
2009 | 89 | Enga Raasi Nalla Raasi | Vijay | Tamil | Raviraja | |
90 | Nee Unnai Arindhal | Gopal | Tamil | Rishiraj | ||
2010 | 91 | Baana Kaathadi | 'Idhayam' Raja | Tamil | Badri Venkatesh | Guest appearance |
Death
He died in the early hours of 8 September 2010 from a sudden massive heart attack in Chennai.
He was survived by his wife Shobha, daughter Kaavya and sons Adharvaa and Akash.