Kaali Venkat


Kaali Venkat is an Indian actor who mainly appears in Tamil language films in supporting roles.

Personal life

Venkat hails from Kudaiyadevanpatti a village near Kovilpatti. Venkat used to act in dramas during his school days. With an ambition to act in films he moved from his village to Chennai in 1997 to enter the Tamil film industry. In Chennai, he was doing jobs like selling groceries in order to survive until he met director Vijay Prabakaran. Prabakaran, who Venkat considers his guru, coached and taught him "everything I know about cinema today".
Venkat got married Janani on 30 October 2017 in Chennai and has a son.

Career

Before entering films, he worked in theatre. The first film Venkat acted was also by Vijay Prabhakaran, Thasaiyinai Thee Sudinum. The film failed to release but Venkat decided to keep his character name in it, Kaali, as his screen name after everybody on the set was calling him by that name. He then acted in various short films made for the Kalaignar TV show Naalaya Iyakkunar and won the Best Actor in a Series Award in Season 3 of the show. After a series of small roles in various feature films, he first gained attention with his role in the action drama Thadaiyara Thaakka. The short films fetched him small roles in bigger projects like Kalakalappu and Udhayam NH4. He played a substantial role in mystery thriller Thegidi, which went on to become a sleeper hit and Venkat stated that he was flooded with friend requests on Facebook post the film's release.
Venkat has acted in a number of films, including Mundaasupatti, India Pakistan, Urumeen, Eetti and Kaathadi. Mundaasupatti, based on the same-titled short film which Venkat was also part of, will see him playing the role of an assistant photographer called Azhagumani. In 2016, Kaali portrayed a drunkard father in Irudhi Suttru and a loyal friend of a politician in Kodi. In 2020, he appeared in Suriya's Soorarai Potru. Kaali Venkat bagged several awards for his role in Gargi. In 2024, he has performances in films like Captain Miller, Kurangu Pedal and Lubber Pandhu, among others. He played the lead in Dhonima. His character is a flawed alcoholic who brings nothing but trouble to his family.

Filmography

Films

YearTitleRoleNotes
2010 VaMano
2010Agam PuramSangu's henchmanUncredited
2010NelluKaalimuthu
2011Sabash Sariyana PottiSekhar
2011Theneer ViduthiTea stall owner
2011MounaguruHospital compounder
2012Thadaiyara ThaakkaAlphonse
2012KalakalappuRaghu's friend
2013Udhayam NH4Constable Anbu
2013Pizza II: VillaPonraj
2013VizhaPaandidorai
2014VuVeerakumar
2014Kerala Nattilam PengaludaneKesavan
2014Pannaiyarum PadminiyumVillager
2014Kerala Nattilam PengaludaneKesavan
2014Vaayai Moodi PesavumPalani
2014ThegidiNambi
2014Poovarasam PeepeeMagudi
2014MundaasupattiAzhagumani
2015India PakistanSelvam
2015MaariConstable Aarumugam
2015SathuranKumar
2015UrumeenSudanthiram
2015EettiSenthil
2016Irudhi SuttruSaamikannu / Samuel
2016Saala KhadoosSaamikannu / SamuelHindi film
2016MiruthanTraffic Constable Chinamalai
2016Mapla SingamAnbuchelvan's cousin
2016Darling 2Rafi
2016TheriConstable Ganesan
2016Katha Solla PoromKaali
2016IraiviBhagyam
2016Raja ManthiriSuriya
2016KodiBhagat Singh
2017Enakku Vaaitha AdimaigalMohideen
2017Kattappava KanomKeechan
2017Maragadha NaanayamChidambaram, Mahendran Dual roles
2017Pichuva KaththiSampath
2017MersalPoongodi's father
2017UruthikolMunusamy
2017AnnaduraiKarna
2017VelaikkaranVinoth
2018Titanic Kadhalum Kavundhu PogumBhoomiUnreleased
2018Nagesh ThiraiyarangamKaala
2018KaathadiMuruga
2018Irumbu ThiraiGnanavel Raja
2018GhajinikanthUthaman
2018RatsasanVenkat
2018Aan DevathaiKaali
2018Maari 2Sub-Inspector Aarumugam
2019Kazhugu 2Kaali
2019MagamuniDoctor Raghu
2019PetromaxThangam
2020Soorarai PottruKaali
2020Thatrom ThookromPandian
2020Kanni RaasiDetective Jaishankar
2021EeswaranAstrologer Kaali
2021Sarpatta ParambaraiKoni Chandran
20214 SorrySelvi's uncle
2021Thalli PogatheyOmkar
2021OnaanGuna
2022VeerapandiyapuramSolomon
2022AyngaranEzhumalai
2022DonProfessor Arivu
20221945Krishna
2022GargiAdv. Indrans KaliyaperumalWon, SIIMA Award for Best Supporting Actor
Won, Ananda Vikatan Cinema Award for Best Supporting Actor
Won, Filmfare Award for Best Supporting [Actor – Tamil]
2022DejavuEzhumalai
2022SinamHead Constable Kadal
2022Nitham Oru VaanamPrabha's assistant
2022Gatta KusthiAdv. Sattanathan
2023RudhranShakti
2023VeeranNarayana
2023Kadapuraa Kalaikuzhu"Thavil" Thangarasu
2023AneethiThiru's father
2023EchoMurugan
2023Pizza 3: The MummyDaamu
2023HarkaraPostman Kaali
2023KidaVellaichamy
2024Captain MillerKumastha Kanagasabai
2024Double TuckerrRight
2024DearSaravanan
2024Kurangu PedalKandasamy
2024DhonimaKotti
2024Lubber PandhuKaruppaiya
2024Baby JohnAmba's fatherHindi film
2024AlanguMalayan
2025TestBharani
2025Madras MatineeKannan
2025Good DayNehru
2025Jenma NatchathiramRajesh
2025Thalaivan ThalaiviiAmarasigamani
2025House MatesRamesh Kumar
2025CooliePalanisamy
2025BombKathiravan
2025DieselBhoominathan
2025Middle ClassMaara
2025Kombuseevi
2026ParasakthiThambi