Vadivelu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vadivelu
Vadivelu in 2016
Born	Kumaravadivel Natarajan (1960-09-12) 12 September 1960 (age 64) Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Other names	Vaigai Puyal
Occupation	Actor Comedian Playback singer
Years active	1988–present
Works	Full list
Spouse(s)	Visalatchi
Children	3
Honours	Kalaimamani (2005)

Kumaravadivel Natarajan (born on September 12, 1960), known as Vadivelu, is a famous Indian actor and comedian. He has also sung songs for movies. He is mostly known for his work in Tamil cinema. Vadivelu has acted in over 290 films. He has won many awards, including two Filmfare Award South and six Tamil Nadu State Film Awards.

He started his acting journey in 1988. People often call him Vaigai Puyal, which means "Vaigai Storm." This nickname comes from the Vaigai River that flows through his hometown, Madurai.

Vadivelu has won awards for being the Best Comedian in many films. These include Kizhakku Cheemayile (1993), Kaalam Maari Pochu (1996), Vetri Kodi Kattu (2000), Thavasi (2001), Chandramukhi (2005), Imsai Arasan 23rd Pulikecei (2006), Pokkiri (2007), Marudhamalai (2007), and Kathavarayan (2008).

His first movie as a main actor was Imsai Arasan 23rd Pulikesi (2006). This film was very successful and well-liked. His comedy style often shows characters who are misunderstood or treated unfairly. He uses a lot of funny physical comedy, known as slapstick.

Even when his career slowed down in the 2010s, Vadivelu's funny expressions and videos became very popular online. In 2017, The News Minute said that people in Tamil Nadu still love his comedy. In 2019, he was part of a viral internet trend called Pray for Nesamani. This was the most popular hashtag in India that year.

Early Life and Beginnings

Before becoming an actor, Vadivelu helped his father with a glass cutting business. He continued this work with his brothers after his father passed away. In his free time, he enjoyed acting in local plays. He usually played funny characters.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting Out (1988–1997)

In 1988, Vadivelu got his first small role in the movie En Thangai Kalyani.

He met director Rajkiran on a train. Rajkiran found Vadivelu very amusing and offered him a role in his film En Rasavin Manasile (1991). This movie also marked the start of his comedy acts with the famous duo Goundamani and Senthil.

Actor Vijayakanth helped Vadivelu early in his career. He played a part in casting Vadivelu in the 1992 film Chinna Gounder.

In 1992, Vadivelu acted in two films with Kamal Haasan. He joined other comedians in Singaravelan. In Thevar Magan, he played a worker in a big household.

Vadivelu's first solo comedy role was in director Shankar's Kaadhalan (1994). He played the friend of Prabhu Deva's character.

He also started singing in 1995 with the song 'Ettanaa Irundha' from the movie Ellame En Rasathan.

He won his first Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Comedian for his role in Kaalam Maari Pochu (1996).

Comedy Superstardom (1998–2008)

Vadivelu often helped directors with his own ideas during filming. His comedy was known for making fun of himself. His characters often thought they were very important, but they were actually quite clumsy. As he became more successful, he started acting as the main comedian, with other actors supporting him.

He starred in many popular movies during this time. Some of these include Kaathala Kaathala (1998), Mudhalvan (1999), Vetri Kodi Kattu (2000), Friends (2001), Thavasi (2001), Winner (2003), Chandramukhi (2005), Imsai Arasan 23rd Pulikecei (2006), and Pokkiri (2007).

Because of his popularity, he played the main role in the historical comedy film Imsai Arasan 23rd Pulikecei. This movie was a huge hit and praised for its clean comedy. Vadivelu played two roles: twin brothers, one a funny king and the other a revolutionary. His next main role was in Indiralogathil Na Azhagappan (2008).

Career Challenges (2008–2012)

During this period, Vadivelu faced some challenges that affected his acting career. He continued to appear in notable comedy roles in films like Villu (2009), Kanthaswamy (2009), Aadhavan (2009), Sura (2010), and Kaavalan (2011) with actor Vijay.

Later Career (2014–2017)

After some films where he played the main role did not do as well, Vadivelu decided to go back to playing supporting roles. He acted alongside Vishal in Kaththi Sandai (2016). He also worked with director P. Vasu in the horror comedy Shivalinga (2017). Vadivelu then played a supporting role with Vijay in Mersal (2017). Critics praised his performance, calling it a "brilliant comeback."

Temporary Break (2018–2020)

Vadivelu faced a temporary break from acting during this time. There were disagreements with the director and producers of a planned sequel to Imsai Arasan 23rd Pulikesi. This led to a ban from acting in new films by the Tamil Film Producers Council.

In 2020, Vadivelu, who had joined Twitter, told his fans that he would soon return to acting in a big way.

Return to Films (2021–Present)

In 2021, Vadivelu hinted that he would be returning to Tamil cinema. On August 28, 2021, he confirmed that his ban was lifted. He agreed to act in five films with Lyca Productions. The first of these was Naai Sekhar, which started filming in September 2021.

Vadivelu returned to play the lead role in Naai Sekar Returns. His next film was Maamannan (2023), directed by Mari Selvaraj. In this movie, Vadivelu's performance was highly praised. He won the Best Actor Award for Maamannan at the Chennai International Film Festival in December 2023.

After 15 years, director Sundar C and Vadivelu are working together again on a film called Gangers (2025).

Vadivelu's Acting Style

Comedy and Popularity

Vadivelu's acting often involves a lot of slapstick comedy and clever wordplay. His comedy scenes usually end with his character getting into funny trouble. People love his comedy because they can relate to his simple appearance, accent, and body language.

His dialogues and expressions have become very popular for creating memes on social media. Many people use his lines to describe everyday situations in a funny way. Some of his famous lines have even inspired the titles of other Tamil films.

See also

In Spanish: Vadivelu para niños