
Ravi Krishna
Ravi Krishna is an Indian actor, best known for Tamil cinema. Ravi Krishna began their career in 2004 and has been a prominent figure in the industry for over 22 years. With 30 credits to their name and an average audience rating of 6.6, Ravi Krishna remains one of the most prolific and celebrated talents in the industry. Spanning 20+ years, Ravi Krishna's career remains one of the longest and most celebrated in Tamil cinema.
- Born
- Age
- 43
Biography
Ravi Krishna is a Tamil-Telugu film actor, son of producer A. M. Rathnam, who made his debut in Selvaraghavan's 7G Rainbow Colony (2004) and is primarily known for his roles in Tamil neo-noir and character-driven films. His debut earned him the South Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut, and he went on to appear in notable Tamil films including Kedi (2006), Sukran (2005), Ponniyin Selvan (2005), and Netru Indru Naalai (2008). He is best known for his performance in Aaranya Kaandam (2011), directed by Thiagarajan Kumararaja, regarded as the first neo-noir film in Tamil cinema. Despite a largely selective filmography, he returned to screens with Love Me (2024) after a long hiatus following Aaranya Kaandam.
Career Milestones
Film debut
View film →Highest rated: Aaranya Kaandam (7.7)
View film →Iconic Roles
Aaranya Kaandam
A young man caught in a web of crime and betrayal in a Chennai underworld story.
Kedi
A college student who becomes entangled with a gangster.
Ponniyin Selvan
A character in the historical drama film.
Defining Moments
Debut Film
Made his acting debut in the critically acclaimed film 7G Rainbow Colony, directed by Selvaraghavan.
Critical Acclaim
Received praise for his role in the neo-noir cult classic Aaranya Kaandam.
Ravi Krishna by the Numbers
If you watched every Ravi Krishna film back-to-back, you'd be at it for roughly 1 day and 4h. Most-paired with Suman Setty — 4 films together.
Filmography
See all 30 credits →





Collaboration Network
The Constellation
Top 10 most-paired collaborators. Bubble size and line thickness reflect how many films they share with Ravi Krishna.
Career Analytics
Genre Breakdown
Language Distribution
Films by Decade
Top Co-Actors
See all →Ravi Krishna has worked most frequently with Selvaraghavan (2 films), Lakshmikanth Chenna (2 films), Suman Setty (4 films), Tamannaah Bhatia (3 films), and Sonia Agarwal (3 films).








Did You Know?
Ravi Krishna is the son of prominent Tamil film producer A. M. Rathnam.
He made his acting debut in Selvaraghavan's 2004 film 7G Rainbow Colony.
He has acted in both Tamil and Telugu language films.
His debut film 7G Rainbow Colony was critically acclaimed and developed a cult following.
He played the role of Sappai in the neo-noir film Aaranya Kaandam (2011).
Family
Father
A. M. Rathnam
Sibling
Jyothi Krishna
Legacy & Influence
Ravi Krishna's legacy in Indian cinema is defined by his association with groundbreaking, director-driven projects that left a significant mark despite a relatively brief leading man career. His debut in Selvaraghavan's 7G Rainbow Colony (2004) was a cultural phenomenon, capturing the raw angst and turbulent romance of urban youth. His portrayal of the flawed, obsessive lover contributed to the film's cult status and critical acclaim, establishing him as a promising newcomer unafraid of complex, unglamorous roles. He followed this with a notable role in the ambitious historical drama Ponniyin Selvan (2005). However, his most enduring contribution came with Thiagarajan Kumararaja's Aaranya Kaandam (2011). As the naive and desperate Sappai, Ravi Krishna delivered a performance of gritty realism that was integral to the film's neo-noir texture. Aaranya Kaandam is widely regarded as a watershed moment in Tamil cinema, pioneering a new wave of stylish, genre-bending gangster narratives, and his work is a key part of that legacy. His career trajectory, moving from intense romantic dramas to avant-garde crime cinema, showcases a willingness to collaborate with visionary filmmakers at the forefront of narrative experimentation. While his mainstream commercial appearances were fewer, his filmography is distinguished by its quality and artistic daring over quantity. He remains a respected figure whose early 2000s work is revisited for its authenticity, and whose participation in Aaranya Kaandam cemented his place in the history of influential Tamil cult cinema.