Jiiva

Early life

Jiiva was born as Amar Choudary on 4 January 1984 in Chennai to Rajasthani-origin film producer R. B. Choudary and his Tamil wife Mahjabeen. He is the youngest of four boys; his brothers are Suresh Choudary (co-producer in their home banner, Super Good Films), Jeevan Choudary (entrepreneur of a steel company), and Jithan Ramesh (actor and producer). R. B. Choudary is a noted independent south Indian film producer (Super Good Films) who has been a launchpad for now-famous directors and actors.

Career

2003–2008: Debut and breakthrough

Jiiva made his debut in his father's production (Super Good Films), Aasai Aasaiyai, directed by Ravi Mariya in 2003. The film performed averagely at the box office, but critics felt that Jiiva left an impression.

His second film Thithikudhe (the Tamil remake of Uday Kiran's Telugu movie Manasantha Nuvve) which also released in 2003 was also produced by Super Good Films. The film opened to mixed reviews but the actor gained appreciation for his good looks and expressive emotions. It was his third movie, Ameer's crime thriller, Raam (2005) that was called a 'dream break' for his calling in the film industry. The racy screenplay and his role of an eccentric 17-year-old gained positive feedback from audience and critics. The movie was screened at the International Film Festival in Goa and later at the Cyprus International Film Festival, where he won the Best Actor award.

Jiiva next starred in Dishyum (2006), opposite Sandhya of Kaadhal fame. "A feel-good movie for youngsters", reviewed various local publications. "Jeeva continues from this point and has matured as an actor. His acting is impeccable and natural; his emoting, expressions, emotions expressed by looks, body-language – all are perfect," remarked Galatta. The same year, he made his debut as an NSG Commando in Malayalam cinema with Major Ravi's film Keerthi Chakra (2006) starring Mohanlal. The movie had a great opening and was one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of the year. Jiiva also won the Best Pair Award along with Gopika at Asianet Film Awards. "Jeeva the Tamil actor has a more heroic role which he has done with felicity. The physical energy he imparts to the role has to be seen to be believed," wrote Sify. Later, the movie was dubbed and released in Tamil as Aran. His last movie in 2006 was E, where he portrayed the role of a slum dweller, opposite Nayanthara.The film received positive reviews and was a commercial hit.

The release of Kattradhu Thamizh (2007), which turned out to be a super hit. Jiiva had two more releases after that, Rameswaram in 2007 and Thenavattu in 2008.

2009–2014: Commercial success and critical acclaim

Among his releases in the 2000s, Jiiva garnered the most appreciation for portraying various roles that were critically and commercially successful. In 2009, Jiiva experienced major commercial success with Director Rajesh's maiden venture, Siva Manasula Sakthi (2009), opposite Anuya, still hailed as one of the best romantic comedies of all time and has since become a cult rom-com in the Tamil film industry. In 2010, he signed up with Super Good Films for a movie titled Kacheri Arambam, which was described as entertaining, action-packed and comical by various news channels (Behindwoods, Indiaglitz, IANS)

His next film was Singam Puli (2011), where he played dual roles, following which K. V. Anand's political thriller Ko (2011) with Karthika Nair as the lead-role actress and Piaa Bajpai in a supporting role. Rediff stated that his role as Ashwin in Ko was a "cake-walk for Jiiva: he's had a ball with the camera, clicking shots in almost impossible situations and making sure his trademark effervescence is present at all times", while Sify said that "with this performance he was going to be a force to reckon with in Tamil cinema". His next films were Rowthiram (2011), directed by Gokul, and Vandhaan Vendraan (2011) by R. Kannan, released in quick succession. In fact, in Rowthiram, his agility in action sequences is very impressive."

In 2012, he appeared in S. Shankar's comedy-drama Nanban (a remake of the Bollywood blockbuster 3 Idiots). Jiiva reprised the role of Sharman Joshi in the Tamil version as Sevarkodi Senthil and starred alongside Vijay, and Srikanth. At the cost of 550 million (INR), it was one of the most expensive films to be made at that point, and was released on Pongal in 622 screens worldwide. The movie received highly positive reviews and became a blockbuster. Malathi Rangarajan of The Hindu stated, "As for Jiiva, you give him characters with scope and he delivers". His next project was Mysskin's Mugamoodi (2012), the first ever Tamil superhero movie. Reports claimed that Jiiva underwent special training at Mansuria Kung Fu YMCA, Nandanam, Chennai, the same place where he had trained in Kung-Fu for a few years before venturing into movies. High-end gadgets were used in the film, designed by the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), while teams from the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) created the costumes and looks of the characters. It is said that Jiiva's super hero costume, designed by Gabriella Wilkins, weighed more than 10 kg.

The movie opened to positive reviews, and a few cited it as "different and refreshing". The movie received much attention from children. Jiiva received appreciation from critics for his role as Lee. "The titular role fits Jiiva well, very much like the armour he dons. But your heart goes out to him — performing stunts in a costume that looks unbearably heavy, with a face-mask to boot must have been quite a task," commented The Hindu review. Firstpost called Jiiva's role a "rewarding performance". "Jiiva has obviously given his best, and his martial arts sequences are worthy of applause," said Rediff.

Jiiva's next venture was Gautham Vasudev Menon's Neethaane En Ponvasantham (2012), starring opposite Samantha Ruth Prabhu. The film had an average run at the box office. Critics and audiences felt that the actor brought dignity to the screen as Varun Krishnan. After this, he worked on Bejoy Nambiar's David (2013) alongside Vikram, which garnered positive reviews, but failed at the box office. His next movie was Endrendrum Punnagai, where he was paired with Trisha for the first time. The film, based on friendship, was a commercial success. In 2014, he worked in cinematographer Ravi K. Chandran's directorial debut Yaan. Despite the pre-release hype, the film received negative reviews and was a box office failure.

2015–present: Challenges and comeback

Jiiva took a break for a year in 2015 and returned with three releases in 2016. He starred in his 25th film Pokkiri Raja, which opened to mixed to negative reviews. His next film was the long delayed Thirunaal in which he united with Nayantara for the second time. He was next seen in a romantic comedy, Kavalai Vendam (2016), directed by Deekay, where he was paired opposite Kajal Aggarwal. The movie had mixed reviews. "Jiiva seems like the perfect choice for the role, being effortlessly flippant, funny and intensely emotional", said Rediff.com's review.

His 2017 release, Sangili Bungili Kadhava Thorae, a horror comedy by debut director Ike, received a mixed reviews to positive reviews and performed well at the box office. His next movie was Kalakalappu 2 (2018), directed by Sundar C, released in February. Jiiva was seen alongside Shiva, Jai, Nikki Galrani and Catherine Tresa. A comedy entertainer, the movie received mixed reviews but performed well at the box office and was a super hit.

Jiiva's next film Kee, a cyber thriller, released in May 2019 was received with mixed reviews, had an average run at the box-office. Jiiva's next film Gorilla, directed by Don Sandy released in July 2019. This film had a chimpanzee in a key role which was the first ever instance in Indian film history. It was also revealed that the chimpanzee named Kong was hired from the Samut training station of Thailand. Most of the sequences related to the chimpanzee were shot in Thailand and the remaining portions were shot in Chennai.

In 2020, he starred in the action movie Seeru followed by the romance Gypsy. In 2021, he appeared in the multistarrer drama, Kalathil Santhippom which received positive reviews. He acted in Kabir Khan's Hindi film 83, playing the role of Kris Srikkanth. In 2022, he was seen in the romantic comedy drama Coffee with Kadhal and Varalaru Mukkiyam. Jiiva playing Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy in the Telugu sequel, Yatra 2 (2024). Followed by movie Black (2024), which was released in theatres this October 11 and has acquired positive responses from both audiences and critics. Jiiva's next movie was with Pa. Vijay titled Aghathiyaa. The film was released on February 2025 to negative reviews.

Other works

Jiiva was a judge on STAR Vijay's reality dance competition Jodi Number One in its third season along with Sangeetha and Aishwarya Rajinikanth. He was also a judge on Astro's Yuttha Medai All Stars Grand Finals in Malaysia. He hosted the season 1 of Sarkaar with Jiiva on Aha Tamil. In 2023, he did voice-acting for Shahid Kapoor in the Amazon Prime’s Web series Farzi for the Tamil dubbed version.

Filmography

• All films are in Tamil, unless otherwise noted.

Film

As dubbing artist

Television

List of television credits

Awards and nominations

References

References

1. (4 January 2021). "Fans pour love and wishes on Gypsy actor Jiiva for his 36th birthday".
2. "Jiiva: I traveled from Kashmir to Kanyakumari for 'Gypsy'!".
3. (17 November 2003). "Waiting to make it big: The Hindu".
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11. Rangarajan, Malathi. (14 August 2011). "Action drama without any punch". The Hindu.
12. (30 August 2012). "Jiiva: Mugamoodi is my first real action film".
13. Rangarajan, Malathi. (13 August 2011). "Rowthiram - Action saga, but…". The Hindu.
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15. (September 2012). "'Mugamoodi' - the super 'hero' who could've been superhero (Tamil Movie Review) - Firstpost".
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20. (19 May 2017). "Sangili Bungili Kadhava Thorae review: A watchable horror comedy". Sify.
21. (9 February 2018). "'Kalakalappu 2' review: Comedy of errors". The Hindu.
22. (10 May 2019). "Kee movie review: Neither the cyber intelligence nor actors compensate for poor writing".
23. (12 July 2019). "Gorilla movie review: Kong the chimpanzee is fun to watch in Jiiva's illogical, ordinary heist film".
24. "Seeru review. Seeru Tamil movie review, story, rating".
25. (6 March 2020). "Gypsy movie review: Jiiva's film oscillates between hard-hitting social commentary and a romantic musical".
26. (5 February 2021). "Kalathil Santhippom (Aka) Kalathil Sandhippom review".
27. (30 January 2019). "This south star to play Krishnamachari Srikkanth in Ranveer Singh's '83".
28. "'Coffee with Kadhal' review: Convoluted romances, middling comedy, and an earnest Sundar C". The New Indian Express.
29. "'Varalaru Mukkiyam' movie review: A stale, tasteless comedy". The New Indian Express.
30. "Jiiva on playing YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in Yatra 2: ‘I have no idea about AP politics, I approached it as an actor’". Hindustan Times.
31. "Box Office: Unexpected Dussehra Winner". M9 News.
32. "Jiiva's next with Pa Vijay titled 'Aghathiyaa'". The Times of India.
33. "Aghathiyaa review: Interesting concepts in Jiiva's film bogged down by melodrama". India Today.
34. "The Star Online : Five pairs working hard to dazzle at grand finals of dance competition".
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42. (9 February 2007). "On a commercial spree -- Pori". The Hindu.
43. (12 October 2007). "Call this different?". The Hindu.
44. "The Hindu : Friday Review Chennai / Film Review : Stunning visuals, that's about it -- Rameswaram".
45. Srinivasan, Pavithra. (21 November 2008). "Silly and ridiculous".
46. (20 February 2009). "Amusing… and tepid too -- Siva Manasula Sakti". The Hindu.
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48. (26 March 2010). "Commercial cocktail -- Kacheri Aarambam". The Hindu.
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50. (4 March 2011). "Review: Singam Puli works, most of the time". Rediff.
51. RAGHAVAN S.. (28 April 2011). "Almost picture perfect". The Hindu.
52. Malathi Rangarajan. (13 August 2011). "Rowthiram - Action saga, but…". The Hindu.
53. (22 September 2011). "He conquers…". The Hindu.
54. MALATHI RANGARAJAN. (14 January 2012). "Nanban: Celebrating friendship". The Hindu.
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57. "yeto vellipoyindi manasu review - Telugu cinema - Nani & Samantha".
58. Subha j rao. (2 February 2013). "David: When the twain meet". The Hindu.
59. Sudhish Kamath. (21 December 2013). "Endrendrum Punnagai: Needed more smiles, less drama". The Hindu.
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63. (5 August 2016). "Thirunaal: Nicely made, but still pretty generic". The Hindu.
64. "Jiiva's cameo in Rajesh's film".
65. "Kavalai Vendam Movie Review".
66. "Kamal Haasan's assistant, Ike to direct Jiiva!".
67. (6 February 2018). "Kalakalappu 2". Timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
68. (12 July 2018). "'Tamizh Padam 2' review: a laugh riot". The Hindu.
69. (8 May 2019). "Tamil film 'Kee' a techno thriller". Gulfnews.com.
70. "Gorilla Movie Review: Jiiva's film is an utterly pointless and tedious watch".
71. "Seeru Movie Review: A solid masala movie that nicely balances sentiment and action". The Times of India.
72. Kumar, Pradeep. (5 March 2020). "'Gypsy' movie review: This Raju Murugan film leaves you in deep conflict". The Hindu.
73. "Kalathil Sandhippom (2021) | Kalathil Sandhippom Movie | Kalathil Sandhippom Tamil Movie Cast & Crew, Release Date, Review, Photos, Videos".
74. (4 February 2020). "I accepted '83' because I could speak in Tamil: Jiiva".
75. "Sundar C's next with Jiiva, Jai and Srikanth goes on floors".
76. "Nitham Oru Vaanam Review".
77. "Jiiva reunites with father R B Choudary for family entertainer 'Varalaru Mukkiyam'".
78. "Venkat Prabhu, Naga Chaitanya's NC 22 to have THIS talented Kollywood star playing a crucial role in it".
79. (2024-02-01). "Makers of 'Singapore Saloon' gift a gold chain to director Gokul; read details here". The Times of India.
80. Dundoo, Sangeetha Devi. (2024-02-05). "Jiiva on playing Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy in the Telugu biopic ‘Yatra 2’ and his new venture, Deaf Frogs". The Hindu.
81. Features, C. E.. (2024-09-25). "Black Trailer: Jiiva-Priya Bhavani Shankar play a distraught couple in this home invasion thriller".
82. "Aghathiyaa first look poster: Jiiva and Pa Vijay join hands; Arjun Sarja, Raashii Khanna to co-star".
83. "Thalaivar Thambi Thalaimaiyil Movie Review: Familiar romp with enough comic spark".
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