Kavin (actor)


Kavin is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Tamil cinema.

Early life and family

Kavin pursued his education at Loyola College, Chennai. During his early college years, he started attending auditions conducted by Star Vijay. His first notable appearance on television was through the college edition of Kana Kaanum Kaalangal, where he portrayed Siva, one of the lead characters. He continued working with Star Vijay, appearing in supporting roles in the serials Thayumanavan and the first season of Saravanan Meenatchi.
In the second season of [Saravanan Meenatchi season 2|Saravanan Meenatchi], Kavin initially played an antagonist. However, the character of his, Vettaiyan, underwent a transformation during the course of the series and became the main lead. His performance earned him widespread acclaim and he won the Vijay Television Award for Favourite Actor Male in 2015.
After the end of Saravanan Meenatchi Season 2, Kavin chose to focus on building a career in the Tamil film industry, opting not to appear in further television serials.

Film career

2011–2017: Early years

Prior to gaining recognition, Kavin had appeared in small roles in Karthik Subbaraj’s [Pizza (2012 film)|Pizza] and R. Ravikumar’s Indru Netru Naalai.
In 2017, he played a supporting role as a doctor opposite Aishwarya Dutta in S. R. Prabhakaran’s [Sathriyan (2017 film)|Sathriyan], featuring Vikram Prabhu and Manjima Mohan. Although Sathriyan received mixed reviews, it helped Kavin gain visibility.

2019–present: Breakthrough

Kavin's first lead role came with Natpuna Ennanu Theriyuma, directed by Shiva Aravind, a friend he met during his Star Vijay days. The film, where he starred opposite Remya Nambessan, faced several release delays due to distribution issues but eventually released to mixed reviews. Nevertheless, the film helped establish Kavin as a leading actor. In 2019, Kavin rose to wider fame by participating in the third season of Bigg Boss. His stint on the show significantly boosted his popularity among the Tamil audience.
Following this, he played the lead in Lift, directed by Vineeth Varaprasad. Released on Disney+ Hotstar, the film opened to positive response from critics and viewers alike. In 2022, Kavin starred in the romantic web series Akash Vaani, which premiered on February 11. He achieved critical and commercial success with the film [Dada (2023 film)|Dada], earning praise for his performance. Having high expectations, Kavin's next, Star, was released in 2024 to mixed reviews. Despite this, it emerged as the highest-grossing film of his career, continuing his growth as a bankable leading actor. The same year, his fifth film as lead actor, Bloody Beggar, was released to mixed-to-negative reviews and became a box-office bomb. However, after its theatrical run was completed and was released on its streaming platform, the film received a more positive response from viewers. In 2025, Kiss, also received a positive response from critics, and Kavin's performance was specifically praised. He stars alongside Andrea Jeremiah in the film Mask. Kavin's upcoming films also include Hi, co-starring Nayanthara and directed by Vishnu Edavan.

Personal life

Kavin entered into a relationship with Monica David, a private school teacher, and the couple married on 20 August 2023.

Filmography

Films

YearFilmsRoleNotes
2012PizzaGhost researcherUncredited role
2015Indru Netru NaalaiAnu's imaginary husbandUncredited role
2017SathriyanChandran
2019Natpuna Ennanu TheriyumaShivaDebut as lead actor
2021LiftGuruprasad
2023DadaManikandan
2024StarKalaiarasan
2024Bloody BeggarBeggar
2025KissNelson / Sendhan
2025MaskVelu
2026Filming
2026Filming

Host

Vettaiyadu Vilaiyadu for Star Vijay

Music video

Awards

;Awards
YearAwardShow / filmRoleReference
2015Vijay Television Awards for Favourite Actor MaleSaravanan MeenatchiSaravana Perumal alias Vettaiyan
2019Game Changer AwardBigg Boss Tamil 3
2019Behindwoods Gold Medal Awards for Most Popular Person on TelevisionBigg Boss Tamil 3
2019Chennai Times Most Desirable Man on Television
2019Chennai Times Most Desirable Man on 6th position
2020Viral Song of the Year 2019Bigg Boss Tamil 3"We are the boyz"
2021Chennai Times Most Desirable Man
2022Best Actor Male OTT – Blacksheep Digital AwardsLift
2023People's Favourite Actor of the Year – Behindwoods Gold Icons 2023Dada
2024Most Promising Actor of the Year – South Indian International Movie Awards 2024Dada