Kannan (actor)

Last updated

Kannan
Born
Sunil Kirpalani
Occupation(s)Actor, businessman
Years active1982–present
Notable work Kadhal Oviyam (1982)
Children2

Sunil Kirpalani, known professionally as Kannan, is an Indian actor and businessman who appears in Tamil films. He is best known for his debut film, Kadhal Oviyam (1982).

Contents

Early life and career

Kirpalani was born to Sindhi parents who left the newly created Dominion of Pakistan in 1947. [1] He was working as a therukoothu artiste when he was spotted by Satyajit Ray's cameraman. [2] He initially tried to get a role in a Bengali film but was not signed up. [2] [1] In Chennai, his hairdo and beard helped him meet an assistant of Bharathiraja, who asked him if he knew Tamil. [2] Kirpalani met Bharathiraja at a coffee shop. [1] He eventually landed a lead role in the film Kadhal Oviyam (1982) and he suggested the name Kannappa Thambiran, based on a therukoothu performer, for his stage name. Bharathiraja shorted the name to Kannan. [2] The film, however, was a box office failure and after trying for several years, Kannan landed a small role in Meendum Oru Kadhal Kathai (1985) as Radhika's brother. [2] [3]

Kannan went on to work in avionics and did his master's degree in finance in the United States. He worked for the now defunct US Airways. Kannan eventually switched to banking and has a risk management for a banking business. He returned to films with Shakthi Thirumagan (2025) after returning to Chennai to help his daughter pursue dance full time. [2] Kannan came into contact with Chitra Lakshmanan, who worked as his manager, who called him for an interview. [2] [4] Director Arun Prabu saw this interview and asked Kannan to act in the film. [2] Regarding his performance, a critic from The Times of India wrote that his "antagonist track carries the right menace without cartooning" and added that "You could draw parallels to many real-world figures through him and you'd likely guess which actual figure he's mimicking most closely here". [5]

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1982 Kadhal Oviyam Sakthi
1985 Meendum Oru Kadhal Kathai Sarasu's brother
2025 Shakthi Thirumagan Abhyankkar Srinivasa Swamycredited as Sunil Kirpalani

References

  1. 1 2 3 "'I Am A Sindhi And My Real Name Is...': Tamil Actor Kannan In Latest Interview". News18 . 4 September 2023. Archived from the original on 23 September 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Kumar, Akshay (24 August 2025). "Sunil Kirpalani: Kadhal Oviyam gave me the confidence for my life in the US and Shakthi Thirumagan". Cinema Express . Archived from the original on 31 August 2025. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
  3. ↑ Ramesh, Neeraja (14 July 2016). "With '16 Vayathinile' slated for re-release, we look at Bharathiraja's failed heroes". The Times of India . Archived from the original on 15 March 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
  4. ↑ ராதிகாவுக்கு வில்லனாக நான் நடித்த படம்- "Kaadhal Oviyam" Kannan - Part - 1 - Chai With Chithra (in Tamil). Touring Talkies. 2 September 2023. Archived from the original on 4 September 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2025– via YouTube.
  5. ↑ Subramanian, Abhinav (19 September 2025). "Shakthi Thirumagan Movie Review: Crafty revenge told with energy". The Times of India . Archived from the original on 19 September 2025. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
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