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Actors

Karan (Tamil Actor) Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 5, 2026 • 3 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth19 August 1969

Age52 Years (as of 2021)

BirthplaceTamil Nadu, India

ProfessionActor

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

FamilyFather - Kesavan; Mother - Name Not Known

Karan (Tamil Actor) Biography

Karan, known earlier as Master Raghu and Raghu Kesavan, is an Indian actor who began his career as a child artist in Malayalam cinema and later established

Early life and background

Karan was born on 19 August 1969 in Tamil Nadu, India. Raised in Tamil Nadu, he entered the film world very early: he began acting at around five years old and performed in Malayalam and Tamil films as a child artist. During that period he was often credited as Master Raghu and Raghu Kesavan.

As a young performer he received early recognition for his work. In 1974 and 1975 he won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Child Artist for performances in films including Rajahamsam, Prayanam, and Swami Ayyappan. Those honours marked him out as a prominent child actor through the 1970s and into the early 1980s.

Career

Karan built a long career that transitioned from child roles into adult acting. Between 1972 and 1983 he appeared in around 40 films as a child artist, working under his childhood screen name. His first recorded film appearance as a child artist was in the Malayalam film Achanum Bappayum (1972).

After a period away from child parts, he re-emerged as an adult actor in Tamil cinema. In 1992 he made his Tamil film debut as an adult in Annamalai, acting alongside Rajinikanth. By 1994 he adopted the screen name Karan while appearing opposite Kamal Haasan in Nammavar. Over the years he has accumulated credits in more than a hundred films, with notable titles including Kokki, Irandu Mugam, Sooran, and Uchathula Shiva.

In addition to feature films, Karan has worked in television advertisements. One cited example is a commercial for the Mahindra Duro that featured Kareena Kapoor.

Public profile

Karan has been actively associated with the Tamil film industry for decades and is primarily known for his acting skills. His career includes a mix of child-artist achievements and adult acting roles across a wide range of films. He was awarded the Tamil Nadu State Film Award in 2009 for his performance in Malayan, adding a state-level recognition to his earlier Kerala awards.

Personal life

Karan is Indian by nationality and follows Hinduism. As of 2021 his age is given as 52 years. Publicly available details list him as married; the name of his spouse has not been specified in the material provided. His father’s name is Kesavan; his mother’s name is not listed in the available information.

The actor’s listed hobbies include watching films. Favourite food and actress are noted in public profiles as murmura (puffed rice) and Kareena Kapoor respectively.

Controversies and incidents

The available information records a few serious incidents connected to Karan’s family and financial life. In 2014 his father Kesavan was found dead at home; authorities registered an unnatural death case under section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Separately, in 2017 a private bank included Karan’s name in a list of defaulters for non-repayment of a loan and advised the public against transacting with those named in an advertisement.

Latest updates

Karan continues to be recognized for a lengthy filmography that spans child and adult roles and includes more than one hundred film credits. His awards include early Kerala State Film Awards as a child actor and a Tamil Nadu State Film Award in 2009 for Malayan.

Career highlights

Karan began as a child artist credited as Master Raghu, amassed dozens of child-artist credits through the 1970s and early 1980s, won consecutive Kerala State Film Awards as a child actor, transitioned to adult roles with a Tamil debut in 1992, adopted the screen name Karan by 1994, and went on to appear in over a hundred films while receiving a Tamil Nadu State Film Award in 2009.

Latest work

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Karan (Tamil Actor), send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded
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Recent Work

Malayan

Performance recognised with the Tamil Nadu State Film Award in 2009

2009
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Career Highlights

  1. Began acting as a child artist at around five years old, credited as Master Raghu
  2. Won Kerala State Film Awards for Best Child Artist in 1974 and 1975
  3. Tamil film debut as an adult in Annamalai (1992)
  4. Adopted the screen name Karan while appearing in Nammavar (1994)
  5. Awarded Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Malayan (2009)
  6. Appeared in over a hundred films, including Kokki, Irandu Mugam, Sooran, and Uchathula Shiva
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Karan (Tamil Actor) born?

Karan (Tamil Actor) was born on 19 August 1969.

What is Karan (Tamil Actor) known for?

Karan (Tamil Actor) is known for actor.

What is Karan (Tamil Actor)’s marital status?

Karan (Tamil Actor)'s marital status is listed as Married.