Raja
Raja is an Indian actor, best known for Tamil cinema. Raja began their career in 1982. With over 90 credits to their name, Raja remains one of the most prolific and celebrated talents in the industry. Spanning 40+ years, Raja's career remains one of the longest and most celebrated in Tamil cinema.
Biography
Raja is a Tamil cinema actor best known for his leading roles in Tamil films of the late 1980s and early 1990s, including Vaa Arugil Vaa (1991), Pudhu Vasantham (1990), and Adhisaya Manithan (1990). He gained significant recognition for his role in the Tamil drama Karuththamma (1994) and the mythological film Meendum Savithri (1996). He later appeared in Telugu productions including the horror film Jaganmohini (2009) and Inkosari (2010), demonstrating a career spanning both Tamil and Telugu industries. He is a nephew of producer D. Ramanaidu and cousin of Telugu star Venkatesh, having adopted the screen name Raja to distinguish himself within the industry.
Career Milestones
Film debut
View film →Highest rated: Vedham Pudhithu (8.3)
View film →50th film
View film →Iconic Roles
Karuththamma
Played the role of Stephen, a Christian priest, in this critically acclaimed Tamil drama film.
Raja by the Numbers
If you watched every Raja film back-to-back, you'd be at it for roughly 5 days and 22h. Most-paired with Ilayaraja — 8 films together.
Filmography
See all 90 credits →









Collaboration Network
The Constellation
Top 10 most-paired collaborators. Bubble size and line thickness reflect how many films they share with Raja.
Career Analytics
Genre Breakdown
Language Distribution
Films by Decade
Top Co-Actors
See all →Raja has worked most frequently with Bharathiraja (4 films), Chandra Siddhartha (3 films), Manivannan (2 films), Velu Prabhakaran (2 films), and Rajasekhar (2 films).







Legacy & Influence
Raja is a supporting actor in Tamil cinema whose career, though not widely documented in mainstream film histories, represents the essential fabric of the industry through reliable character roles. Emerging in the late 1980s, his early appearance in Bharathiraja's socially conscious film 'Vedham Pudhithu' (1987) placed him within a significant cinematic movement addressing caste and social reform. His most notable and critically acclaimed role came as Stephen in 'Karuththamma' (1994), a film celebrated for its poignant portrayal of inter-caste love. In this performance, Raja contributed to the film's realistic texture, helping to ground its powerful social message. His filmography, including commercial ventures like 'Mappillai' (1989) and later work in the 2000s such as 'Anand' (2004), shows a career spanning decades, primarily in Tamil cinema. His contributions lie in his consistent presence as a character actor, often playing roles that supported the narrative's social or emotional core without seeking the spotlight. While not a leading star, his participation in several films that are remembered for their thematic strength or commercial success underscores the importance of such performers in completing a film's world. His career trajectory reflects the path of many skilled actors who provide depth and authenticity to Indian cinema, particularly in the Tamil film industry, by embodying the everyday characters that make stories believable and resonant. The lack of extensive biographical detail about Raja paradoxically highlights his professional identity: an actor defined by his work within the ensemble, contributing to the collective impact of the films rather than to a cult of personality.