Jai Akash

Wikipedia

Jai Akash
Jai Akash
Born
Jai Sathish Nageswaran

(1981-03-18) 18 March 1981 (age 44)
Other namesAkash
OccupationsActor, Director
Years active1999-present

Jai Akash, also known as Akash, is an Indian actor and director who works in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films and television. He is known for the film Anandam (2001).

Career

Jai Sathish, of Sri Lankan Tamil origin settled in London, sent his modelling photographs to the "Star Search" service run by Suhasini's entertainment portal website TamilTalkies.com during the late 1990s. K. Balachander used the 'Star Search' platform when casting a new actor to portray the second hero role in Rojavanam (1999) and selected him to be in the film under the stage name of Akash.[1]

Akash's first Telugu film, Anandam, directed by Sreenu Vaitla and produced by Ramoji Rao, was a Silver Jubilee film for which Akash won many awards for his excellent natural acting. He became an overnight sensation who gained renowned attention from many top producers and directors. However, Akash elected to select projects with new directors, but most of these projects were produced by struggling producers. He acted in several Telugu films including the unreleased June July opposite Sadha, Pilisthe Palukutha opposite Shamitha Shetty, directed by Kodi Ramakrishna, the songs of which composed by M. M. Keeravani became a hit, especially the song "Manasa Ottu Maatadothu".[2] His film Idemi Oorura Babu was also not released.[3]

He returned to Tamil as a lead with the film Inidhu Inidhu Kadhal Inidhu (2003), a remake of Anandam, opposite Neha, which was again produced by Ramoji Rao. He was credited as Jai Akash due to the presence of Aravind Akash, an actor with a similar name. In 2004, he teamed up with Sreenu Vaitla again in Anandamanandamaye.

He also starred in six Tamil films between 2004 and 2005; Ramakrishna, Kicha Vayasu 16, Gurudeva, Sevvel, Amudhae and Kaatrullavarai. The Tamil films he acted as hero were with top Tamil directors, such as Agathiyan and Ezhil, but those films didn't get proper release.

Jai Akash again returned to the Telugu film industry as a second hero and acted in three films produced by Super Good Films, namely Andala Ramudu (2006), Nava Vasantham (2007) and Gorintaku (2008). All of these three films became super hit and again Akash received many offers to star as a hero in Telugu. In 2009, he acted and directed a Telugu film named, Sweet Heart, and also acted in the Tamil romantic movie, Adada Enna Azhagu. In 2010, he starred in a bilingual movie, Vandae Maatharam, where he played alongside Mammootty and Arjun.

After a break in directing, Jai Akash returned as a director and acted in the film Ayudha Porattam (2011), which dealt with the issue of arms supply to the island nation of Sri Lanka during the civil war.[4] Following which, he also worked as a director and acted as a hero in the films Yuganiki Okka Premikudu (2012), Mr. Rajesh (2013) and Aa Iddaru (2013). A notable mention to his self-directed Telugu film, Mr. Rajesh, where he acted in seven roles.[5]

Jai Akash entered the television field in 2020 with the Tamil soap opera Neethane Enthan Ponvasantham which premiered on 24 February 2020.[6] In 2023, he entered the Telugu television field with the series Anu Ane Nenu. In 2024, he returned to the Tamil television industry with the series, Nenjathai Killadhe.

Filmography

  • Note: he is credited as Akash in Telugu films and in Tamil films from 1999 to 2002.
YearFilmRoleLanguageNotes
1999RojavanamSivaTamil
2000PenngalBharath Nageswaran
2001Ramma ChilakammaVishwaTelugu
AnandamKiran
2002Roja KootamSriramTamil
Neetho CheppalaniBaluTelugu
ManasuthoKanishk
Pilisthe PalukuthaAjay
2003Hitech StudentsAkash
Inidhu Inidhu Kadhal InidhuSibiTamil
VasanthamMichaelTelugu
Three RosesAkashTamilGuest appearance
2004AnandamanandamayeKiranTelugu
RamakrishnaRamakrishnaTamil
2005Kicha Vayasu 16Krishnamoorthy
GurudevaGuru
SevvelSevvel
AmudhaeDhinakar
GuruGuruTelugu
KaatrullavaraiBalaTamil
2006Naidu LLBTelugu[7]
Andala RamuduRaghu
2007Jambada HudugiRakeshKannada
Nava VasanthamPrasadTelugu
DheeAjay
2008NesthamaRavi
GorintakuAkash
Heegu UnteKannada
2009Adada Enna AzhaguVasanTamil
Sweet HeartRajaTelugu
2010Namo VenkatesaAjay
JayaheKannadaDubbed into Telugu as Lady Bruce Lee
Vandae MaatharamAshokMalayalam
Tamil
2011 Ayudha PorattamJai / LeaderTamilDual role
OthigaiSuriya
2012Yuganiki Okka PremikuduGautamTelugu
2013WinAryaPartially reshot in Tamil[8]
Mr. RajeshSeven Characters
Aa IddaruSubash
2014Kadhalukku KanillaiMurali / AnandTamil[9]
Donga PremaTelugu
2015O Malli
2016Naan YaarShivaTamil
2019Chennai 2 BangkokJai
2022Amaichar
2023YokkiyanJohn / Victor
Jai VijayamJai

As director

YearFilmLanguageNotes
2009Sweet HeartTelugu
2011Ayudha PorattamTamil
2012Yuganiki Okka PremikuduTelugu
2013Mr. Rajesh
Aa Iddaru
2014Kadhalukku KanillaiTamil
Donga PremaTelugu
2023Jai VijayamTamil

As producer

Year Title Credited as Notes
Producer
2016Naan YaarExecutive
OruthalDistributor
2023Jai VijayamYes
2025MaamaramYesPartially reshot version of Sweet Heart (2009)

Other roles

Year Title Credited as Notes
2016Naan YaarStory writer
2019Chennai 2 BangkokChoreographer

Television

YearSeriesRoleLanguageChannel
2020–2021Neethane Enthan PonvasanthamSurya Prakash (Surya)TamilZee Tamil
2022Thavamai ThavamirundhuACP M. Abhimanyu
2023Anu Ane NenuDr. VenkateshTeluguGemini TV
2024-2025Nenjathai KilladheGouthamTamilZee Tamil

Awards

YearAwardCategoryFilmResult[10]
2002 Cinema Express Awards Best Actor Anandam Won[11]
Vamsi Film Awards Best New Actor Won
NTR film Awards Best Actor Won
Andhra Cine Awards Won
2003 Santosham Award Best Supporting Actor Vasantam Won
2009 Best Character Actor Gorintaku Won
2007 Best Actor Jury Award Nava Vasantham Won

References

  1. "TAMIL TALKIES - StarSearch !". www.tamiltalkies.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2001. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  2. "என் படங்கள Release பண்ண விடாம சதி பண்ணாங்க! - Jai Akash Emotional | Neethane Enthan Ponvasantham". YouTube.
  3. "Movie Preview - Idem Voorandi Babu". Idlebrain.com.
  4. "Ayudha Porattam". Sify. Archived from the original on 26 January 2022.
  5. "Mr Rajesh Movie Review, Trailer, & Show timings at Times of India". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016.
  6. "Neethane Enthan Ponvasantham completes 300 episodes; Jai Akash thanks everyone for the support". The Times of India. 13 May 2021.
  7. "The Hindu : Entertainment Hyderabad : Caught in a crime web". Archived from the original on 7 November 2012.
  8. "Win Movie: Showtimes, Review, Songs, Trailer, Posters, News & Videos | eTimes". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Archived from the original on 4 September 2020.
  9. "காதலுக்கு கண்ணில்லை". maalaimalar.com. 5 November 2014.
  10. "Jai Akash - Top 100 Handsome Indian Men". WebIndia123. Archived from the original on 6 February 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  11. "'Kannathil Muthamittal' bags 6 Cinema Express awards". The Hindu. 22 December 2002. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014. Retrieved 5 February 2018.