Kavin Raj

Kavin (born Kavin Raj, 22 June 1990) is an Indian actor who works in Tamil cinema. He spent the first half of his career on Star Vijay, where he became a household name as Vettaiyan in Saravanan Meenatchi season 2, and reached a far wider audience as a contestant on Bigg Boss Tamil 3 in 2019.

He moved to lead roles in films with Natpuna Ennanu Theriyuma (2019) and Lift (2021), and broke through in theatres with Dada (2023). Star (2024) is the highest-grossing film of his career. His latest release is the romantic comedy Hi, opposite Nayanthara, which opened on 28 August 2026.

Kavin has said it took him close to 12 years to find success in cinema. Two more films with him in the lead have been announced.

Quick facts

Early life and education

Kavin was born in Tiruchirappalli and studied at Loyola College in Chennai. While still in his early college years he began attending auditions held by Star Vijay, which is how he entered television.

Career

Television (2011 to 2016)

His first notable role was Siva, one of the leads in the college edition of Kana Kaanum Kaalangal on Star Vijay. Supporting parts followed on the same channel: Murugan in the first season of Saravanan Meenatchi and Vicky in Thayumanavan.

The turning point was Saravanan Meenatchi season 2, which aired from 21 October 2013 to 15 July 2016 and ran for about 700 episodes. Kavin played Saravana Perumal, known as Vettaiyan, opposite Rachitha Mahalakshmi. The character entered the story as an antagonist and grew into the male lead. At the 2015 Vijay Television Awards he won Favourite Actor (Male), and the serial won Favourite Fiction Series. When the season ended he stopped taking serials to concentrate on films.

Small film roles and a first lead (2012 to 2019)

Kavin's earliest film appearances were uncredited: a ghost researcher in Karthik Subbaraj's Pizza (2012) and a brief part in R. Ravikumar's Indru Netru Naalai (2015). His first credited role came in S. R. Prabhakaran's Sathriyan (2017), in which he played Chandran, a doctor, alongside Vikram Prabhu and Manjima Mohan.

He made his debut as a lead in Natpuna Ennanu Theriyuma (2019), opposite Remya Nambeesan. The film was directed by Shiva Aravind, a friend from his Star Vijay days. Its release was held up by distribution problems, and it opened to mixed reviews.

Bigg Boss Tamil 3 (2019)

Kavin entered the third season of Bigg Boss Tamil, hosted by Kamal Haasan, on its opening day, 23 June 2019. He stayed for 94 days and left a week before the finale by accepting the show's ₹5 lakh offer to walk out. Mugen Rao won the season on 6 October 2019. The show made Kavin one of the most talked-about names on Tamil television that year, and he has returned to later seasons as a guest.

Lift and Akash Vaani (2021 to 2022)

He began shooting Lift soon after leaving the Bigg Boss house. Written and directed by debutant Vineeth Varaprasad and produced by Ekaa Entertainment, the horror thriller cast him as Guru, an IT team leader trapped in a haunted office elevator with an HR manager played by Amritha Aiyer. It skipped theatres and premiered on Disney+ Hotstar on 1 October 2021 to largely positive reviews. Its song Inna Mylu, with Sivakarthikeyan among the singers, was a hit before release.

In 2022 he starred in the romantic web series Akash Vaani, which premiered on aha on 11 February.

Dada and Star (2023 to 2024)

Dada, released on 10 February 2023, was Kavin's first film in theatres in about four years. Written and directed by debutant Ganesh K. Babu and produced by Olympia Movies, it cast him as Manikandan, a college student who ends up raising his newborn son alone, with Aparna Das as the female lead. It was a critical and commercial success: The Times of India, The New Indian Express and OTTplay each rated it 3.5 out of 5. A Telugu version titled Papa was released on 13 June 2025.

Star followed on 10 May 2024. Directed by Elan, with music by Yuvan Shankar Raja, it told the story of a middle-class young man chasing his dream of becoming an actor. Kavin played Kalaiarasan, with Lal, Geetha Kailasam, Preity Mukhundhan and Aaditi Pohankar in the cast. Reviews were mixed to positive. Made on an estimated budget of ₹12 crore, it grossed about ₹24 to 25 crore and remains his biggest earner. It began streaming on Amazon Prime Video on 7 June 2024.

Bloody Beggar, Kiss and Mask (2024 to 2025)

Bloody Beggar, a black comedy produced by director Nelson Dilipkumar and directed by debutant Sivabalan Muthukumar, was released for Diwali on 31 October 2024. Kavin played a quick-witted beggar who is trapped in a dead actor's mansion and made to pose as an heir. Critics praised his performance but were divided on the film, which failed at the box office; Nelson was reported to have compensated distributors for their losses. It found a warmer reception after it reached streaming.

Kiss, a fantasy romantic comedy and the first film directed by choreographer Sathish Krishnan, was released on 19 September 2025. Kavin played a young man who can see a couple's future when they kiss, opposite Preethi Asrani, with Vijay Sethupathi as narrator. Reviews were generally favourable, but the film opened to about ₹80 lakh worldwide after repeated delays and finished with an estimated ₹5 crore. It has been on ZEE5 since 7 November 2025.

Mask was released on 21 November 2025. Directed by debutant Vikarnan Ashok and presented by Vetrimaaran, the heist thriller starred Kavin as Velu, a money-minded private detective, with Andrea Jeremiah, who also co-produced, and Ruhani Sharma. It had G. V. Prakash Kumar's music, drew mixed to positive reviews and underperformed against its budget. It began streaming on ZEE5 on 9 January 2026.

Hi (2026)

Hi is a romantic comedy written and directed by lyricist Vishnu Edavan in his first film as director. It was produced by Nayanthara and Vignesh Shivan's Rowdy Pictures with Seven Screen Studio and Zee Studios, and has music by Jen Martin, his fourth film with Kavin after Dada, Bloody Beggar and Kiss.

Kavin plays Mayilsaami, a timid young man who runs away to Chennai to escape an arranged marriage. There he meets Devayani, played by Nayanthara, who is fleeing a forced marriage of her own, and a pretend pregnancy meant to buy them time turns into a real romance. The cast includes Prabhu, K. Bhagyaraj, Radikaa Sarathkumar, VTV Ganesh and Sathyan.

The film was first planned for April 2026, then announced for 14 August, and finally released on 28 August 2026 with a running time of 144 minutes. Reviews were mixed to positive, with critics calling it a familiar but pleasant, feel-good entertainer; NDTV gave it three stars. It opened to ₹1.44 crore gross on its first day, according to Sacnilk. ZEE5 holds the streaming rights and Zee Tamil the satellite rights.

Upcoming films

Association with Nelson Dilipkumar

Kavin has spoken of director Nelson Dilipkumar as a mentor. During the years when acting work was scarce he worked as an assistant director in Nelson's office, and he has credited Nelson with keeping his confidence up at his lowest point. Nelson later produced Bloody Beggar with Kavin in the lead.

Filmography

Television

Web series

Awards and recognition

Personal life

Kavin married Monica David on 20 August 2023. The wedding was announced at the start of that month.

FAQ

What is Kavin's real name and where is he from?

His full name is Kavin Raj. He was born in Tiruchirappalli on 22 June 1990 and studied at Loyola College, Chennai.

What is Kavin's latest film?

Hi, a romantic comedy with Nayanthara directed by Vishnu Edavan. It was released in theatres on 28 August 2026.

Which serial made Kavin famous?

Saravanan Meenatchi season 2 on Star Vijay. He played Vettaiyan from 2013 to 2016 and won the Vijay Television Award for Favourite Actor (Male) in 2015.

Did Kavin win Bigg Boss Tamil 3?

No. He left on day 94 by accepting the ₹5 lakh offer to walk out. Mugen Rao won the season.

Which is Kavin's biggest hit?

Star (2024) is his highest-grossing film, at about ₹24 to 25 crore. Dada (2023) was his breakthrough in theatres.

What are Kavin's upcoming films?

Two have been announced: a film with Priyanka Mohan directed by Kenroyson for Think Studios, and a family drama directed by Praveen Paramasivan for Beyond Pictures.

Sources: Wikipedia (Kavin and the individual film and show pages); Film Companion interview with Kavin; The News Minute, 30 September 2019; Only Kollywood, 16 July 2025; IANS, 23 April 2026; Sacnilk; Pinkvilla