Actor, comedian, and playback singer Kumaravadivel Natarajan – born on July 5, 1960, in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India – is better known by his stage name, Vadivelu. Best known for his work in Tamil cinema (aka Kollywood). His movie career began in 1988 when he appeared in a small role in the film En Thangai Kalyani. Known for his comedic roles, he took on bigger parts in films including 1992’s Chinna Gounder, Singaravelan, and Thevar Magan. Vadivelu’s first starring role was in 1994’s Kadhalan and he received his first Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Comedian for his work in 1996’s Kaalam Maari Pochu. For the next decade, Vadivelu became a comedic superstar in India and appeared in many hit films including Imsai Arasan 23rd Pulikecei (2006) and Indiralohathil Na Azhagappan (2008). However, at the height of his success, Vadivelu was involved with several controversies including his accusations of violence and forgery against several other actors and/or personalities. At the same time, his popularity began to fade, and his films were no longer performing as well in cinemas. By 2019, he was proving to be difficult to work with and he was banned from acting in Kollywood films. This ban was eventually lifted, and he returned to acting in 2021. Alongside his acting career, Vadivelu was also a playback singer and sang songs for several films including En Thangai Kelyani (1988) and Marupdaiyum Oru Kadhaal (2010). He also released several comedic recordings including the Vadivelu Comedy Thavasi EP (2013) and the single “Vadivel (Mashup)”. He returned to playback singing with 2023’s “Raasa Kannu” (from the movie Maamannan).
