Ashwin Kakumanu is an Indian film actor, who is best known for his role as Ganesh in Venkat Prabhu's Tamil action thriller, Mankatha.[1]
Career
Ashwin initially unsuccessfully auditioned for a role in Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa. The director Gautham Vasudev Menon was close to giving him the role. But Ashwin was noticed by the assistant directors of the film and who recommended him for the role of Arjun, the boyfriend of Sameera Reddy's character in Nadunisi Naaygal.[2]
Ashwin Kakumanu was later signed to portray a role in Venkat Prabhu's Mankatha which featured an ensemble cast including Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja , and Vaibhav Reddy after Prabhu was impressed with a short film which Ashwin had directed and acted.[3] Ashwin appeared as a local Dharavi police officer, replacing Ganesh Venkatraman who had pulled out of the film.[4] Mankatha was released to critical and commercial acclaim in August 2011, with Ashwin gaining recognition for his portrayal. He was next seen in A. R. Murugadoss's 7aum Arivu in a supporting role as Ashwin, a young scientist, who helps put together a plan alongside the characters played by Suriya and Shruti Haasan.[5] He also appeared in a supporting role in Gautham Menon's Ekk Deewana Tha featuring Prateik Babbar and Amy Jackson.
He had his first leading role in the 2013 comedy film Idharkuthane Aasaipattai Balakumara and went on to star in the Ilaiyaraaja musical Megha. Among his upcoming projects are Zero, a supernatural thriller that features Ashwin as a social worker, Thiri, directed by Ashok Amritraj, cinematographer-turned-director Siva's next film starring Ajith Kumar, and Thollaikatchi, a "romantic comedy film with a social message" directed by M.Sadiq khan.[6]
Ashwin will be next seen in Mani Ratnam's Magnum Opus Ponniyin Selvan as Senthan Amuthan.
Filmography
Films
- All films are in Tamil, unless otherwise noted.
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Nadunisi Naaygal | Arjun | |
| Mankatha | Ganesh | ||
| 7aum Arivu | Ashwin | ||
| 2012 | Ekk Deewana Tha | Himself | Hindi film; Special Appearance |
| 2013 | Idharkuthane Aasaipattai Balakumara | Bala Krishnan (Bala) | |
| Biriyani | Himself | Special Appearance | |
| 2014 | Megha | Mugilan (Mugil) | |
| 2015 | Vedalam | Arjun | |
| 2016 | Zero | Balaji (Bala) | |
| 2017 | Thiri | Jeeva | |
| 2019 | Neerthirai | - | |
| 2020 | Naanga Romba Busy | Karthik | |
| 2022 | Idhu Vedhalam Sollum Kathai | TBA | Delayed |
| Thollaikatchi | TBA | Delayed | |
| Pizza 3: The Mummy | TBA | Completed | |
| Template:Pending film | Senthan Amuthan | Post-Production |
Web Series & Short Films
| Year | Film | Role | Platform | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Nila Nila Odi Vaa | Om Prakash | Viu | Tamil | [7] |
| 2019 | Finger Tip | Sanjay | ZEE5 | ||
| 2020 | Mushroom Manithargal- The Seasonal People | Director Alex | Behinwoods TV | Short Film | |
| 2021 | Live Telecast | Chinna (Ghost) | Disney+ Hotstar | ||
| Pitta Kathalu | Shiva | Netflix | Telugu | Anthology Series
Segment: Meera |
References
- ↑ The Hindu : Arts / Cinema : On the cards. thehindu.com(4 February 2013).
- ↑ The Hindu : Arts / Cinema : Itsy Bitsy. thehindu.com(13 September 2012).
- ↑ Venkat launches his fourth film with Ajith. The Times of India.
- ↑ Ponniyin Selvan's Ashwin Kakumanu: ‘Tamil cinema is family-owned’, Kumar, Pradeep(4 November 2019).
- ↑ Essaying character roles lets him learn more: Ashwin Kakumanu - Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis. dnaindia.com(11 July 2011).
- ↑ Slow and steady, Raghavan, Nikhil(8 August 2015).
- ↑ Ashwin and Sunainaa’s web series, Nila Nila Odi Vaa, to be about vampires. The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2018-08-05.