Raghuvaran Biography: Children, Age, Wife, Parents, Net Worth, Movies, Height, Family Death

Raghuvaran Velayuthan Nair, known professionally as Raghuvaran, was an Indian actor celebrated for his villain and character roles across South Indian cinema.

He was born on December 11, 1958, in Kollengode, Kerala, India, the eldest of four children to Velayudhan and Kasturi.

He began his career as a stage actor before transitioning to films, going on to appear in more than 200 Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi productions over a career spanning more than two decades.

Raghuvaran was best known for his commanding baritone voice and distinctive dialogue delivery, which set him apart in memorable roles such as Mark Antony in Basha and the father of an autistic child in Anjali. He was married to actress Rohini from 1996 to 2004, and the couple had a son, Rishi Varan.

Raghuvaran died on March 19, 2008, in Chennai, at the age of 49, due to cardiac arrest linked to a long history of liver disease.

Raghuvaran
Wiki Facts & About Data
Real Name:	Raghuvaran Velayuthan Nair
Stage Name:	Raghuvaran
Born:	December 11, 1958
Died:	March 19, 2008 (age 49 years old)
Place of Birth:	Kollengode, Palakkad district, Kerala, India
Nationality:	Indian
Ethnicity:	Malayali
Education:	St. Ann's Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Coimbatore; Government Arts College; Adyar Film Institute
Height:	188 cm (6 feet 2 inches)
Religion:	Hinduism
Parents:	Velayudhan and Kasturi
Siblings:	4
Spouse:	Rohini (m. 1996; div. 2004)
Children:	Rishi Varan
Occupation:	Actor
Net Worth:	$1 million-$5 million

Early Life & Education

Raghuvaran was born on December 11, 1958, in Kollengode, Palakkad district, Kerala, India, making him a Sagittarius.

He belonged to the Malayali ethnic community and practiced Hinduism, the predominant religion of his native Kerala.

He was the son of Velayudhan, a hotelier, and Kasturi, and was the eldest among four children, though the names of his siblings are not publicly documented.

Raghuvaran completed his primary education at St. Ann’s Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Coimbatore and took piano lessons through Trinity College London. He enrolled at Government Arts College to study History.

He later dropped out to pursue a career in acting, earning a diploma in acting from the Adyar Film Institute in Chennai.

Career

Raghuvaran began his journey in the film industry with minor roles in Telugu and Kannada productions before joining an acting drama troupe between 1979 and 1983.

He made his Tamil film debut in the 1982 film Elavathu Manithan, marking the start of a career that would span more than 26 years and over 200 films across Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi cinema.

He initially took on hero roles in films such as Oru Odai Nadhiyagirathu and Nee Thodumbothu, though these did not achieve major success. His breakthrough came with a villainous turn in Silk Silk Silk, which opened the door to a wave of antagonist roles in films including Kutravaaligal, Mr. Bharath, Mandhira Punnagai, and Oorkavalan.

During the mid-1980s, Raghuvaran also found success in hero roles in films like Michael Raj, Megam Karuththirukku, Kootu Puzhukkal, and Kavithai Paada Neramillai.

His versatility across genres and character types, playing a lawyer in Kaliyugam, a police officer in Thaimel Aanai, and a reformed goonda in Kuttravali, cemented his reputation as one of South Indian cinema’s most distinctive character actors. He continued to take on hero roles in films such as Vyooham, Kavacham, and Anjali, the latter earning him widespread critical acclaim for his portrayal of the father of an autistic child.

Raghuvaran became known for his magnetic baritone voice and his ability to modulate it across roles, along with a distinctive gait and dialogue delivery style that became his trademark. One of his most celebrated performances came as Mark Antony, the antagonist opposing Rajinikanth in Basha.

Rajinikanth, who worked alongside Raghuvaran in several successful films, considered him something of a lucky charm, reportedly attributing the underperformance of Baba to his absence from the cast and specifically requesting his inclusion in Sivaji, which went on to become a major success.

Raghuvaran also starred in the Tamil soap opera Oru Manithanin Kathai, playing a well-to-do man who becomes an alcoholic, and received critical acclaim for his role as Father Alphonso in the Malayalam film Daivathinte Vikruthikal, directed by Lenin Rajendran.

He was still an active presence in the industry at the time of his death, with unfinished work in the high-budget Tamil film Kanthaswamy, for which his performances went unused, and the role was recast with Ashish Vidyarthi.

Social Media

• Wikipedia: Raghuvaran
• IMDb: Raghuvaran(1958-2008)
• Facebook: Raghuvaran (@Raghuvaranism)
• Instagram: Un Raghuvaran (@i_am__raghuvaran)

Personal Life

Raghuvaran died in 2008 at the age of 49. He stood at 188 cm (6 feet 2 inches).

He married Malayalam actress Rohini, also known as Rohini Molleti, in 1996, and the couple had a son, Rishi Varan, in 1998. Their marriage ended in divorce in 2004. Raghuvaran’s dating history before and after his marriage is not publicly confirmed.

Raghuvaran died on March 19, 2008, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, in his sleep, as a result of cardiac arrest. His death has also been linked to a long history of liver disease brought on by prolonged alcohol consumption, with some accounts pointing to organ failure as a contributing cause.

His passing came just days after he had filmed a scene in Yaaradi Nee Mohini in which his character dies in his sleep, a moment that drew widespread attention following his death.

He was in the midst of filming the high-budget Tamil film Kanthaswamy at the time, and his unfinished performance was ultimately recast with Ashish Vidyarthi. His ex-wife Rohini and son Rishi Varan, along with several prominent figures in the South Indian film industry, were present to pay their respects.

Net Worth

Raghuvaran had an estimated net worth of $1 million to $5 million, built primarily through a film career spanning more than 200 Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi productions.

Filmography

1980s

• Elavathu Manithan (1982) — feature film debut
• Silk Silk Silk
• Kutravaaligal
• Mr. Bharath
• Mandhira Punnagai
• Oorkavalan
• Michael Raj
• Megam Karuththirukku
• Kootu Puzhukkal
• Kavithai Paada Neramillai
• Kaliyugam
• Thaimel Aanai
• Kuttravali
• En Vazhi Thani Vazhi
• Vyooham
• Kavacham
• Daivathinte Vikruthikal
• Oru Manithanin Kathai (television)

1990s

• Anjali
• Basha
• Anaganaga Oka Roju (1997)
• Mudhalvan (1999)
• Amarkalam (1999)

2000s

• Sivaji (2007)
• Yaaradi Nee Mohini (2008)
• Bheemaa (2008)
• Kanthaswamy (2009) — unfinished at the time of his death; his performance went unused and the role was recast with Ashish Vidyarthi

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