Saravanan (actor)

Saravanan is an Indian film actor who has appeared in Tamil language films.

Saravanan was born into a Tamil family in Salem and was the second of six children. His father was an Inspector-general of police and his mother was a staff nurse. Saravanan obtained Bachelor of Arts in Tamil Literature from the Government Arts College of Salem. He then moved to Chennai and completed a course in acting at the Adyar Film Institute.

Saravanan played a series of lead role in films in the 1990s, but his career came to a halt in the latter end of the decade. He also directed a film called Thaayumaanavan.

He went on to make a comeback in Ameer Sultan's Paruthiveeran playing the paternal uncle of the character portrayed by Karthi, winning critical acclaim and the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor – Tamil. He also received a Vijay Award for Best Supporting Actor nomination for his performance in the film. The success of Paruthiveeran subsequently triggered more offers for the actor including the opportunity to be a part of Sanjay Ram's biopic, Veeramum Eeramum, based on the real life of Venkatesa Pannaiyar.