KARTHI SIVAKUMAR

D.O.B: 25/05/1977

GENETIC WEAPONS: That open-mouthed nonplussed expression we love seeing him wear!

MOMENT OF SPARKS: ‘Paruthiveeran’, where he monopolized the high-waist lungi and the raw ruggedness of a rural he-man.

THE COMPLETE 411: Would you believe someone who looks like this, originally favored working on the other side of the camera? Not that we doubt his directorial abilities, but in our opinion (concurred with by an army of other women), Karthi belongs in the center of the screen. A rough-hew savage south Indian villager is not a role you’d expect a fresh US return to debut in. But if his elder brother and father’s film careers are anything to go by, Karthi is just as versatile, brave and unconventional in his approach to acting as Suriya and Sivakumar. Owning the titular role in ‘Paruthiveeran’ from introduction to climax, Karthi kept the critics guessing, and Kollywood realized the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. What absolutely endears him to all his fans is the fact that he never rode on the hand-me- down limelight of his family. Raring to discover his niche, Karthi tirelessly put out hit after hit with his ‘Aayirathil Oruvan’, ‘Paiyaa’, ‘Naan Mahaan Alla’ and so on. Sure, his career has seen its share of dry spells, but none he hasn’t bounced back from and the success of ‘Thozha’ tells us that. Sharing searing chemistry with any female lead he is paired opposite, a congenial touch to even his most ruffian of roles, Karthi is one of those men you just cannot get enough of!