Karthi, born Karthik Sivakumar, is a celebrated Tamil actor and the younger son of veteran actor Sivakumar and brother of actor Suriya. After completing his engineering degree, he pursued higher studies in the United States, where he also explored filmmaking. On returning to India, he worked as an assistant director with Mani Ratnam on Aayitha Ezhuthu before making his acting debut in Paruthiveeran (2007). His raw and powerful performance in that film won him critical acclaim and several awards, instantly establishing him as a promising star. Since then, Karthi has built a versatile career, balancing commercial entertainers with meaningful roles. His notable films include Paiyaa, Aayirathil Oruvan, Madras, Kaithi, Sulthan, and the epic Ponniyin Selvan series. He has also occasionally sung playback and is admired for his grounded personality off-screen. Actively involved in social causes, Karthi continues to be a prominent figure in Tamil cinema, with upcoming projects like Sardar 2 and Vaa Vaathiyaar keeping him in the spotlight.