Sathyaraj is an Indian actor and film producer who has predominantly appeared in Tamil cinema. He started his career playing villains, supporting roles and character roles. Later, he played the lead in the films Saavi (1985) and Kadalora Kavithaigal (1986). He also acted as Periyar in the Tamil Nadu government-sponsored film of the same name (2007). He was also the director of the film Villadhi Villain (1995), starring himself in three different roles.
Apart from his film career, Sathyaraj has been vocal in the media about various issues, such as Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism and water rights in Tamil Nadu. In 2011, he had a brief career as a television host for the game show Home Sweet Home on STAR Vijay. He has also served as a brand ambassador for Pothys, Sri Kumaran Jewelry Shop and AVR Jewellery Shop.
As an actor
Films
Tamil films + List of Tamil film acting credits Year Title Role Notes 1978 Sattam En Kaiyil Vicky Kannan Oru Kai Kuzhandhai Henchman 1979 Enippadigal Muthu Muthal Iravu 1980 Karumbu Vil Samanthipoo Sakthi's elder brother Raman Parasuraman Thief Kuruvikoodu Raju 1981 Aani Ver Malaimannnan Avasarakkari 1982 Hitler Umanath Samu Theerpugal Thiruththapadalam Lawrence Moondru Mugam "Dhaadi" Raj Pagadai Panirendu Henchman Nadodi Raja Shekhar 1983 Paayum Puli Gangster Urangatha Ninaivugal Amar Seerum Singangal Henchman Sandhippu Dany Saranalayam Magician Thangaikkor Geetham Nayaka 1984 Naan Mahaan Alla Jagan Chiranjeevi Vetri Nooravathu Naal Jayaraj Sattathai Thiruthungal Sarassi 24 Mani Neram X. W. Ramarathinam Thambikku Entha Ooru Muthuvel Naalai Unathu Naal David Enakkul Oruvan Rajadurai Unga Veettu Pillai Kitty January 1 Robert Nichayam 1985 Santhosha Kanavukal Villain Chain Jayapal Henchman Erimalai Visvam Kaakki Sattai Vicky Raman Sreeraman Shankar Naan Sigappu Manithan Mohanraj Needhiyin Nizhal Nagaraj Pillai Nila Convio Anbin Mugavari Karuppu Pagal Nilavu Devarajan Anni Rajali Kaaval Inspector K.S Lingam Aagaya Thamaraigal Chinna Kaalai Geethanjali Anthony Veli Laksmikanthan Muthal Mariyathai Mayilvaganam Eetti Sathyam Sri Raghavendra Nawab of Adoni Mangamma Sapatham Boopathy Arthamulla Aasaigal Prabhu Saavi Vijaykumar Thiramai Mr. Brigadier Pattuchelai Ramasamy Japanil Kalyanaraman Narendran 1986 Karimedu Karuvayan Police inspector Guest appearance Mr. Bharath Gopinath Vikram Sugirtharaja Kadaikan Paarvai Durai Rasigan Oru Rasigai R.K. Murattu Karangal Kabali Iravu Pookkal Inspector Rajadurai Raja Nee Vaazhga R.K. Chander Muthal Vasantham Kunguma Pottu Gounder Dharmam Karthik Kadalora Kavithaigal Chinnappadas Palaivana Rojakkal Sabarathinam Vidinja Kalyanam 'Half Boil' Aarumugam Mandhira Punnagai Dual Role 1987 Poovizhi Vasalile Jeeva Vilangu Vinod's friend Guest appearance Chinna Thambi Periya Thambi Periya Thambi Muthukkal Moondru Sangli Aalappirandhavan Aalappirandhavan Makkal En Pakkam Samraj Ini Oru Sudhanthiram IPS officer Guest appearance Kadamai Kanniyam Kattupaadu SI Balaram Anjatha Singam Vedu Jallikattu Arjun Manathil Uruthi Vendum Sathyaraj Guest appearance Vedham Pudhithu Balu Thevar Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil 1988 Annanagar Mudhal Theru Sivaraman / Ram Singh En Bommukutty Ammavukku Vinod Nominated, Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil Kazhugumalai Kallan Ganam Courtar Avargale Jayabhaskar Jeeva Jeeva Puthiya Vaanam M. G. Rajaratnam 1989 Thaai Naadu Albert (Anandhan), Brigadier Thamizharasan Pick Pocket Rangaraj Chinnappadass Chinnappadass Annakili Sonna Kathai Ranger Dravidan Raja Vaathiyaar Veettu Pillai Thangaraj 100th Film 1990 Vaazhkai Chakkaram Thangavelu Ulagam Pirandhadhu Enakkaga Quarter Govindhan & Raja Madurai Veeran Enga Saami Mathivanan &Sakthivel Velai Kidaichuduchu Palanisamy Mallu Vetti Minor Nadigan Raja / Devaraj 1991 Pudhu Manithan Kabali Bramma Ravi Varman 1992 Rickshaw Mama Raja Therku Theru Machan Subramani Magudam Muthuvel Pangali Shakthivel & Durai Thirumathi Palanisamy Palanisamy 1993 Walter Vetrivel DCP Walter Vetrivel Cinema Express Award for Best Actor – Tamil Kattalai Sabaratnam Udan Pirappu Sathya Airport Captain Arjun 1994 Amaidhi Padai Ammavaasai & Thangavelu Vandicholai Chinraasu Chinnarasu Thozhar Pandian Pandian Thai Maaman Rasappan Veera Padhakkam Kalivardhan 1995 Engirundho Vandhan Kannan Villadhi Villain Also director Maaman Magal Shanmugam 1996 Sivasakthi Siva Senathipathi Senathipathi & Sethupathi 1997 Vallal Durairasu Pagaivan Vasu Periya Manushan Ramakrishnan & Subramani 1998 Kalyana Galatta Raja Gopal 1999 Ponnu Veetukkaran Jeeva Suyamvaram Arunachalam Malabar Police Chinnasamy & Ramasamy Azhagarsamy Azhagarsamy 2000 Veeranadai Periya Karuppan Ennamma Kannu Kaasi Unnai Kann Theduthey Vichu (Sandanapandian I.P.S) Puratchikkaaran Anna 2001 Looty Rasappa, Jeeva and English Kuppan Asathal Vetri Kunguma Pottu Gounder Kandhasamy & Kunguma Pottu Gounder Aandan Adimai Sivaraman 2002 Vivaramana Aalu Mayilsamy Maaran Maaran 2003 Ramachandra Inspector Ramachandra Military Madhavan (Military) Sena Sena Aalukkoru Aasai Arivazhagan 2004 Adi Thadi Thirupathi Thilak Himself Special appearance Jore Sabapathy Sema Ragalai Sathya Sound Party Kumaresan Azhagesan Azhagesan Maha Nadigan Sathya 2005 Iyer IPS DCP Gopal Iyer & Venkatachalapathy Mannin Maindhan Inspector Pratap Guest appearance 6'2 Balamurugan (James) Englishkaran Thamizharasan Vetrivel Sakthivel Vetrivel Vanakkam Thalaiva Manikkam 2006 Kovai Brothers Ganesh Suyetchai MLA Nambirajan Kurukshetram Bharath 2007 Adavadi Bharath Periyar Periyar Kannamoochi Yenada Arumugam Gounder Onbadhu Roobai Nottu Madhava Padayachi Winner, Vijay Award for Best Actor 2008 Thangam Thangam Vambu Sandai Jeevanantham 2010 Guru Sishyan Guru Pollachi Mappillai Sengaliyappa Irandu Mugam Sarveswaran Gowravargal Thondaiman 2011 Sattapadi Kutram Subash Chandrabose Vengayam Himself Guest appearance Aayiram Vilakku Lingam Uchithanai Muharnthaal Nadesan 2012 Nanban Virumandi Santhanam (Virus) Sinam Mani Rathnam 2013 Nagaraja Cholan MA, MLA Nagaraja Cholan (Ammaavaasai) 200th Film Thalaivaa Ramadurai Varuthapadaatha Vaalibar Sangam Sivanandi Raja Rani James 2014 Kalavaram Vetriselvan Sigaram Thodu Inspector Chellapandian Poojai ADSP Sivakkozhundu 2015 Isai Vetriselvan Baahubali: The Beginning Kattappa Oru Naal Iravil Sekar 2016 Gethu Thulasi Raman Jackson Durai Durai 2017 Motta Shiva Ketta Shiva Commissioner Kirubakaran IPS Baahubali 2: The Conclusion Kattappa Partially reshot version;Winner, Vikatan Award Best Supporting Actor Mersal DCP Rathnavel Kalavaadiya Pozhuthugal Periyar Guest appearance 2018 Kadaikutty Singam Perunazhi Ranasingam Echcharikkai Idhu Manidhargal Nadamaadum Idam Nataraj IPS Nota Mahendran Kanaa Murugesan Winner, Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor – Tamil 2019 Thambi Gnanamoorthy 2021 Tughlaq Durbar CM "Nagaraja Chozhan" (Amavasai) Cameo; Released on Sun TV & Netflix MGR Magan M. G. Ramasamy Released on Disney+ Hotstar Theerpugal Virkapadum Nalan Kumar 2022 Etharkkum Thunindhavan Aadhirayar Veetla Vishesham Unnikrishnan 1945 Ramalingaiah Prince Ulaganathan / Veluchamy Love Today Venu Shastri Connect Arthur Samuel 2023 Theerkadarishi Das Angaaragan Adhiveera Pandiyan Annapoorani: The Goddess of Food Chef Anand Sundarajan 2024 Singapore Saloon Chakrapani Weapon Chezhiyan / Mithran Mazhai Pidikkatha Manithan Captain Prabhakaran "Captain" Thozhar CheGuevara CheGuevara 2025 Baby and Baby Mahalingam Madras Matinee Jyoti Ramaiah Love Marriage MLA Pournami Cameo appearance Coolie Rajasekar Idli Kadai Vishnu Vardhan 2026 Vaa Vaathiyaar Periyasamy Charukesi Raagadevan G.D.N Ramaiah Pillai Mandaadi Machamuni
Telugu films + List of Telugu film acting credits Year Title Role Notes 1981 Iddaru Kodukulu Seshu 1984 Punyam Koddi Purushudu Sarvamangalam's son 1985 Khooni Dilip Mukherjee Darja Donga Harischandra Prasad Dubbed in Tamil as Marma Manithan 1988 Ukku Sankelu Raju 2009 Sankham Sivayya Dubbed in Tamil as Sivappu Saamy 2013 Mirchi Deva Nominated, SIIMA Award for Best Supporting Actor - Telugu 2015 Tungabhadra Ramaraju Baahubali: The Beginning Karikala Kattappa 2016 Nenu Sailaja Srinivasa Rao Brahmotsavam Chanti Babu Hyper Narayana Murthy 2017 Baahubali 2: The Conclusion Karikala Kattappa 2019 Jersey Coach Murthy Prati Roju Pandage Raghu Ramayya 2022 1945 Ramalingaiah Pakka Commercial Suryanarayan 2023 Waltair Veerayya Satyamurthy Guest appearance 2024 Zebra Baba 2025 Hari Hara Veera Mallu Sivananda Tribanadhari Barbarik Dr. Shyam Kathu Baahubali: The Epic Karikala Kattappa Combined re-release version of Baahubali: The Beginning and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion 2026 Seetha Payanam Rajendra Prasad
Hindi films + List of Hindi films acting credits Year Title Role Notes 2013 Chennai Express Durgeshwara Azhagusundaram Hindi debut 2022 Radhe Shyam Paramahamsa 2024 Munjya Elvis Karim Prabhakar 2025 Sikandar Minister Rakesh Pradhan Thamma Elvis Karim Prabhakar Cameo appearance
Malayalam films + List of Malayalam films acting credits Year Title Role Notes 2010 Aagathan General Hareendra Varma 2015 Lailaa O Lailaa Shaheed Khadar Dubbed in Tamil as Murugavel 2023 Otta Iyer 2026TBAFilming
Kannada film + List of Kannada film acting credits Year Title Role Notes 1985 Shabash Vikram Suman Dubbed in Tamil as Kadamai Enathu Udamai
Shelved films + Year Title Language Notes 1999 Pen Ondru Kanden Tamil 2000 Rosapoo Chinna Rosapoo Tamil 2004 Perumalsamy Tamil 2005 Kootani Aachi Tamil Devuda Tamil Sivalingam I. P. S Tamil 2008 Vidakandan Kodakandan Tamil Sangamithra Tamil 2009 Tholaindhu Ponavargal Tamil 2011 Muriyadi Tamil Pettai Mudhal Kottai Varai Tamil Kulasekaranum Koolippadayum Tamil Natpukottai Tamil Trigger Malayalam 2013 Show Malayalam 2018 Party Tamil 2023 Jackson Durai 2 Tamil 250th Film
As narrator Kaakha Kaakha (2003) Santosh Subramaniam (2008) Mahabalipuram (2014) Walter (2020) Varunan (2025)
Television Web series + List of web series acting credits Year Title Role Network Language Notes 2022 Meet Cute Journalist Mohan Rao SonyLiv Telugu Web Debut; Under Segment "Old is Gold" 2023 Mansion 24 Kalidas Disney+ Hotstar 2024 My Perfect Husband Bharathi Tamil
Other crew positions As writer and director + Credits as writer and producer Year Title Director Writer Notes 1985 Darja Donga Telugu film 1995 Villadhi Villain
As producer + Credits as producer Year Title Notes 2007 Lee 2014 Naaigal Jaakirathai 2017 Sathya
As singer + List of film singing credits Year Film Song Composer Notes 2010 Guru Sishyan "Subbaiyaa Subbaiyaa" Dhina Sang along with Sundar C
References
External links