// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs Arjun Chidambaram an archer? Because he's a straight shot to fame.
Arjun Chidambaram | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Spouse | |
Arjun Chidambaram (born 4 January 1990) is an Indian actor known for his work in Tamil cinema. Emerging from Chennai’s theatre circuit, he gained wider recognition for his performance in Nerkonda Paarvai (2019), and subsequently established himself through character-driven performances in films such as Ponniyin Selvan: I (2022), Thug Life (2025) and Blast. His career also spans feature films, streaming series, and theatre, including work with Evam, Stray Factory and The Madras Players.
Career
[edit][1] Chidambaram began his acting career with an on-screen debut as the lead actor in Moone Moonu Varthai (2015), produced by S. P. B. Charan. Later in 2017, he appeared in Rum, portraying a deaf and mute hacker.[2][3]
Chidambaram gained wider recognition for his portrayal of Adhik in H. Vinoth's Nerkonda Paarvai (2019), starring alongside Ajith Kumar.[4] His character served as one of the principal antagonists in the film and was central to its themes of consent, sexual violence, and gender rights.[5][6][7]
Arjun was then officially cast in Mani Ratnam’s historical epic Ponniyin Selvan: I (2022), based on Kalki Krishnamurthy’s novel of the same name.[8][9] In the film, he portrayed Varagunan, a Pandya prince whose presence forms part of the political and dynastic conflicts surrounding the Chola empire. The role marked his entry into large-scale historical cinema and mainstream Tamil productions. In 2025, Chidambaram appeared in Mani Ratnam’s gangster drama Thug Life (2025), starring Kamal Haasan. He portrayed Khalua, a member of the film’s crime network, marking another collaboration with Mani Ratnam. The role further expanded his presence in large-scale ensemble productions.
Filmography
[edit]Films
[edit]| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Moone Moonu Varthai | Arjun | Debut film |
| 2017 | Rum | Kural | |
| 2019 | Nerkonda Paarvai | Adhik | |
| Enai Noki Paayum Thota | Police officer | Uncredited | |
| 2020 | Theeviram | Ismail | |
| 2022 | Ponniyin Selvan: I | Varagunan | |
| 2023 | Aneethi | Ajee | |
| Kolai | Arjun | ||
| Raththam | Shyam Sunder | ||
| 2025 | Thug Life | Kahlua | |
| 2026 | Blast | Abraham |
Web series
[edit]| Year | Title | Role(s) | Platform | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | America Mappillai | Ganesh | ZEE5 | [10] |
| 2019 | Auto Shankar | Inspector Kathiravan | ZEE5 | [11][12][13] |
| 2019 | Behind Closed Doors | Prashanth | VIU | [14] |
| 2020 | Addham | Ajith | Aha | Telugu series Segment: "The Unwhisperable Secret".[15][16][17] |
| 2023 | The Village | Prakash | Amazon Prime Video | |
| 2026 | #Love (2026 TV series) | Harish | Netflix |
Dubbing artist
[edit]| Year | Film | Actor | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Doctor | Milind Soman | |
| 2026 | Project Hail Mary | Ryan Gosling |
References
[edit]- ↑ "Arjun plays the negative lead in Michael Muthu's film". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 23 September 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- ↑ Rao, Subha J. (27 March 2017). "A flight from the fringes". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
- ↑ J Rao, Subha (27 March 2017). "A flight from the fringes". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
- ↑ "AK59: Ajith's Pink remake full cast and crew revealed. See here". India Today. 28 January 2019. Archived from the original on 10 December 2019. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
- ↑ "With Nerkonda Paarvai Ajith Sir has set a big example for others". The Indian Express. 6 August 2019. Archived from the original on 10 December 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
- ↑ Menon, Thinkal. "Meet the four young actors who face-off with Thala Ajith". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 23 August 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
- ↑ "I absolutely loved Ajith sir's court scene: Adhik Ravichandran on 'Nerkonda Paarvai'". The New Indian Express. 30 July 2019. Archived from the original on 10 December 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
- ↑ "Arjun Chidambaram joins the cast of Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan". The New Indian Express. 19 December 2019. Archived from the original on 1 December 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
- ↑ "Arjun Chidambaram joins the cast of Ponniyin Selvan". Times of India. 20 December 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
- ↑ "American Mappillai review: An interesting addition to the Tamil web series arena". The Indian Express. 23 February 2018. Archived from the original on 22 February 2018. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
- ↑ "Auto Shankar Review: An effective, profanity-laced retelling". Cinema Express. 23 April 2019. Archived from the original on 13 August 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
- ↑ "Nerkonda Paarvai actor Arjun Chidambaram to play a key role in Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan". India Today. 21 December 2019. Archived from the original on 28 February 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
- ↑ "Auto Shankar's a well-shot series which gets sluggish with each episode". Film Companion. 27 April 2019. Archived from the original on 20 September 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
- ↑ "'Behind Closed Doors' review: A refreshing Tamil-English web series on relationships". The News Minute. 13 February 2019. Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
- ↑ "'Addham': How the Telugu web series on moral dilemmas was made". The News Minute. 16 October 2020. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
- ↑ Janani K. (10 October 2020). "Addham trailer out: Aha's new anthology is all about morality". India Today. Archived from the original on 12 October 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
- ↑ "Addham Movie Review: An anthology that falls short of expectations". Cinema Express. 16 October 2020. Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2020.