Rohini Remembers Raghuvaran - And There Is A Dilip Kumar Connection
Raghuvaran Velayuthan Nair aka Raghuvaran was a name once across movie industries in India. And his sudden death in 2008 had sent shockwaves in Southern film world. After a day after his birth anniversary, Raghuvaran’s former wife and actress Rohini remembered the talented actor who died at the age of 49 after delivering stunning performances in Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi. According to Rohini, who was married to Raghuvaran for almost 8 years and have a child together, though Raghuvaran’s mother says his birthday is on December 10, the deceased actor used to claim that it was December 11. There was a reason for that, according to Rohini: Raghuvaran wanted his birthday to coincide with the one of legendary Hindi actor Dilip Kumar. And interestingly, Raghuvaran’s debut in Hindi happened with Dilip Kumar in Izzatdaar (1990).
“His mom says 10th December was his birthdate, but he used to say,11th. I think he wanted it to be 11th because it’s Dilip Kumar Saab’s birthday too. Both are my most favourite Actors… Miss you Raghu,” Rohini wrote.
Raghuvaran, who was famous for donning many villain characters, born on December 11, 1958, in Kollengode, Kerala, was the eldest of four children. His family moved to Coimbatore, where he studied at Stanes Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School and learned piano at Trinity College London. He left his BA in history at Government Arts College, Coimbatore, to pursue acting, starting with minor roles in Telugu and Kannada films.
His mom says 10th December was his birthdate, but he used to say,11th. I think he wanted it to be 11th because it’s Dilip Kumar Saab’s birthday too. Both are my most favourite Actors ❤️Miss you Raghu pic.twitter.com/m8Izd7TUs8
— Rohini Molleti (@Rohinimolleti) December 10, 2024
From 1979 to 1983, he was part of the Chennai Kings drama troupe. His breakthrough came with the lead role in Ezhavathu Manithan, earning acclaim but limited opportunities. Transitioning to villain roles, he gained recognition in films like Silk Silk Silk, Mr. Bharath, and Mudhalvan. He also acted in Bollywood, including Shiva (1990) and Izzatdaar (1990).
Raghuvaran shared screen space with Tamil cinema legends, notably Rajinikanth, in hits like Baashha and Sivaji. Later, he took on fatherly roles in films such as Run (2002) and Yaaradi Nee Mohini (2008).
He married actress Rohini in 1996, and they had a son, Rishi, before divorcing in 2004. Raghuvaran passed away on March 19, 2008, at 49, due to organ failure caused by excessive alcohol consumption.
