Known for his roles in such acclaimed Tamil films as Sethu, Anniyan, and Deiva Thirumagal, this Indian screen actor earned numerous Filmfare Awards and also occasionally worked as a playback vocalist. After graduating from Loyola College, Chennai, with a degree in English and numerous collegiate theatrical credits to his name, he began acting professionally in television commercials. His first film credit was a 1990, low budget romance titled En Kadhal Kanmani.