Ponnambalam

Ponnambalam is an Indian actor and former stuntman who works mainly in Tamil cinema and has also appeared in Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi films. He began as a stunt performer and extra fighter in the late 1980s and became one of the most familiar villains of 1990s Tamil cinema after playing Kabali in P. Vasu's Walter Vetrivel (1993).

His best-known roles include Kaali in Rajinikanth's Muthu (1995), Kondithoppu Kada Kumar in Shankar's Indian (1996) and Inspector Arivazhagan in Ghilli (2004). He wrote, produced and directed Pattaya Kelappu (2008), and in 2018 he was a contestant on Bigg Boss Tamil 2.

In later years he has taken on supporting parts in films such as Tamizh Padam (2010), Comali (2019) and Kaatteri (2022). In January 2026 he appeared in the Tamil film Vangala Viriguda.

Quick facts

Career

Stunt work and early films (1988 to 1992)

Ponnambalam started out in cinema as a stuntman and extra fighter. His early screen credits include a prisoner in Kaliyugam (1988), the Malayalam film Moonnam Mura (1988), Apoorva Sagodharargal (1989) and an assassin in Singeetham Srinivasa Rao's Michael Madana Kama Rajan (1990), starring Kamal Haasan.

Villain roles (1993 to 1999)

His turning point was Walter Vetrivel, directed by P. Vasu and released on 14 January 1993, in which he played Kabali opposite Sathyaraj. The role led to a long run of villain parts. In 1993 he also appeared in S. A. Chandrasekharan's Senthoorapandi, with Vijayakanth and Vijay, and in 1994 he played Rajavelu in K. S. Ravikumar's Nattamai, starring Sarathkumar.

He worked with K. S. Ravikumar again in Muthu (23 October 1995), playing Kaali opposite Rajinikanth, and in Dharma Chakkaram (1997) with Vijayakanth. In Shankar's Indian (9 May 1996), starring Kamal Haasan, he played Kondithoppu Kada Kumar. He faced Rajinikanth again in Sundar C's Arunachalam (10 April 1997), and played Aasai Raj in Saran's Amarkkalam (1999) with Ajith Kumar.

In the same decade he took roles outside Tamil, including Rudraraju's brother in the Telugu film Hitler (1997) and Taniya in the Hindi film Rakshak (1996).

Films of the 2000s

He played Muthupandi in V. Z. Durai's Mugavaree (2000) with Ajith Kumar, Manikkam in N. Maharajan's Vallarasu (2000) and Kottai Perumal in K. R. Udayasankar's Thavasi (2001), both with Vijayakanth. Shankar cast him as Ranga in the Hindi film Nayak (2001), starring Anil Kapoor.

He followed these with Hari's Saamy (2003) with Vikram, in which he played a pickpocket posing as a police officer, SI Veerappan in Anjaneya (2003) with Ajith Kumar, and Inspector Arivazhagan in Dharani's Ghilli (2004) with Vijay and Trisha.

Pattaya Kelappu (2008)

Ponnambalam wrote, produced and directed Pattaya Kelappu under his banner Annai Vannamathi Films. Shooting began in 2004 and the film was released on 15 January 2008, with Sriman and Payal in the cast. He also acted in it as Anandakrishnan.

Bigg Boss Tamil 2 (2018)

He entered the second season of Bigg Boss Tamil, hosted by Kamal Haasan on Star Vijay, on its opening day, 17 June 2018, as one of the 16 original housemates. He was evicted on Day 56, in the eighth week. The season ended on 30 September 2018 with Riythvika as the winner.

Later films (2010 to 2026)

He played Nattamai in C. S. Amudhan's Tamizh Padam (2010), starring Shiva, Thalapathi in Thiagarajan's Ponnar Shankar (2011) and Anburaja in Hari's Venghai (2011) with Dhanush. In Malayalam he played Mayilvahanam in Aadu 2 (2017).

He played Gaaja in Pradeep Ranganathan's Comali (15 August 2019), starring Ravi Mohan, and played a character named Ponnambalam in Deekay's Kaatteri (5 August 2022). In January 2026 he appeared in the Tamil film Vangala Viriguda.

Filmography

Selected Tamil and Hindi films:

Selected films in other languages:

Television

FAQ

Who is Ponnambalam?

Ponnambalam is a Tamil film actor and former stuntman, best known for villain roles in 1990s films such as Walter Vetrivel, Muthu and Indian.

Which film made Ponnambalam famous?

His role as Kabali in P. Vasu's Walter Vetrivel (1993) was his breakthrough and led to many villain parts.

Has Ponnambalam acted with Rajinikanth?

Yes. He played Kaali in Muthu (1995) and also acted in Arunachalam (1997).

Has Ponnambalam directed a film?

Yes. He wrote, produced and directed Pattaya Kelappu, released on 15 January 2008.

Was Ponnambalam in Bigg Boss?

Yes. He was a contestant on Bigg Boss Tamil 2 in 2018 and was evicted on Day 56.

What is Ponnambalam's latest film?

In January 2026 he appeared in the Tamil film Vangala Viriguda.