N Santhanam is an Indian film actor who has predominantly appeared in Tamil films as a comedian, but now appears in leading roles. Beginning his career as a comedian on television shows, he rose to fame through his performances in Vijay TV's Lollu Sabha enacting the lead role in spoofs of Tamil films. He was subsequently given a chance by actor Silambarasan to feature in a supporting role in Ma...N Santhanam is an Indian film actor who has predominantly appeared in Tamil films as a comedian, but now appears in leading roles. Beginning his career as a comedian on television shows, he rose to fame through his performances in Vijay TV's Lollu Sabha enacting the lead role in spoofs of Tamil films. He was subsequently given a chance by actor Silambarasan to feature in a supporting role in Manmadhan (2004) and then was signed on to appear in a host of films, notably winning good reviews for his work in Sachien (2005) and Polladhavan (2007). He appeared in a one-off leading role in Shankar's production Arai En 305-il Kadavul (2008) and subsequently became a staple feature as a comedian in successful Tamil films during the period, with his market popularity helping stuck films find distributors. Santhanam has also had embarked on collaborations with directors including gaining positive reviews for his work in M Rajesh's comic trilogy of Siva Manasula Sakthi (2009), Boss Engira Bhaskaran (2010) and Oru Kal Oru Kannadi (2012), winning the Vijay Award for Best Comedian for each one. He has also repeatedly collaborated in the films of A L Vijay, Siva and Sundar C as well as in films featuring Silambarasan, Arya and Udhayanidhi Stalin. His consistently well-received performances and box office appeal in the early 2010s prompted the film industry to dub him as the "Comedy Superstar". In 2012, he began a film production company named Handmade Films and produced his first film, Kanna Laddu Thinna Aasaiya (2013), which went on to become a commercially successful venture. Meanwhile in 2014, he starred in the leading role again in the action comedy Vallavanukku Pullum Aayudham (2014), winning critical and commercial acclaim. In Dec 2015 Forbes India Magazine listed Santhanam in 2015 Celebrity 100, at the 52nd position and at 17 by Money Rank (earnings) Unlike comedians such as Vadivelu and Vivek who usually appear in comedy tracks separate from the main plot, Santhanam mostly plays either the male protagonist's friend or enemy, forming an essential part of the plot. He has noted that he actively avoided being a part of separate comedy tracks within films, maintaining that appearing as an actor in the story would stop his comedy from becoming monotonous. His appeal at the box office was evident after films such as Leelai and Kadhal Pisase were able to find distributors following long delays, while Telugu film-makers S S Rajamouli and Sai Kiran Adivi partially shot scenes with the actor before releasing a Tamil version of their Telugu films, through Naan Ee and Vinayaga.