Ravichandran Samanna

Biography:

Ravichandran Samanna, born on 16 April 1956, professionally known as Nizhalgal Ravi, is an Indian actor who primarily works in Tamil cinema, television, and voice acting. He has also appeared in films and TV shows in Malayalam and Telugu languages. His acting journey began with the film “Nizhalgal” in 1980, and he has an extensive filmography of 550 films. Nizhalgal Ravi is particularly renowned for his dubbing work for Amitabh Bachchan’s Tamil versions.

Nizhalgal Ravi initiated his career within the fold of esteemed director Bharathiraja’s team for the Tamil film “Nizhalgal” (1980), which led to his moniker “Nizhalgal.” He has undertaken impactful roles in successful movies such as “Chinna Thambi Periya Thambi” (1987), “Nayakan” (1987), and “Vedham Pudhithu” (1987). His remarkable versatility has garnered accolades from within the industry and the audience at large. In the 80s, he participated in more than 20 Malayalam films before transitioning to mainstream Tamil cinema. He shared the screen with prominent actresses including Raadhika, Radha, Gautami, Khushbu, Ramya Krishnan, Revathi, Urvashi, Bhanupriya, Amala, Ranjini, Seetha, Kanaka, Saranya Ponvannan, Kasthuri, and Rohini.

He attained a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from PSG Arts College. Later, he made appearances in K. Balachander’s telefilm “Rail Sneham” during the late 80s and 90s, which catapulted his popularity. He subsequently acted in the director’s TV serial “Jannal.” Nizhalgal Ravi exhibited his acting versatility, portraying various roles such as the caring husband, villainous characters, second hero, and even comedian in numerous films. His notable contributions include “Indian” (1996) where he portrayed a corrupt official, “Kushi” (2000), “Budget Padmanabhan” (2000), “Citizen” (2001), “Attahasam” (2004), “Thaamirabharani” (2007), “Dhaam Dhoom” (2008), “Singam” (2010), “Kaavalan” (2011), “Aadu Puli” (2011), “Osthe” (2011), and “Vanakkam Chennai” (2013). Additionally, he is an experienced voice artist, having lent his voice to several actors.