Raveendran (actor)

Raveendran (Ravindher), popularly known as Disco Raveendran is an Indian actor, primarily concentrating in Malayalam and Tamil films and he was a very busy actor of both these languages in the 1980s. A multi-faceted personality, Raveendran is also a screenwriter, interior designer, anchor, a film scholar, an acting coach, social activist  and director of film festivals like Kochi Metro (Malayalam) Short Film Fest. He is an alumnus of the Adayar film school, Chennai.

Career
Raveendran had his specialisation in acting and passed out from Adayar film institute, Madras in 1979. He made his feature film debut in the Tamil mega hit Oru Thalai Ragam (1980) and later he acted in 140 films in different languages including Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu. He played the second lead in Kamal Haasan and Rajnikanth movies like Sakalakala Vallavan, Per Sollum Pillai, Ram Lakshman, Ranga, Thankamagan and Pokkiri Raja. Often cited as Disco Raveendran for his dance movements, he concentrated more in Malayalam with I. V. Sasi movies like Ashwaradham, Ee Nadu, John Jaffer Janardhanan, Innalenkil Nale, Sindoora Sandhyakku Mounam, Iniyengilum, Athiratram, Idanilangal, Karimpinpoovinakkare, Rangam, Abhayam Thedi and was a part of numerous hit films until he decided to quit movies. In Tamil, he has also done major roles in Echchil Iravugal, Poikkal Kudhirai, En Priyame and Kutravaaligal. He became a notable film star through his acting in almost 80 superhit films like Ram Lakshman, Sakalakala Vallavan, Ee Nadu, Madrasile Mon, Pappayude Swantham Appoos, etc. He did a wide variety of genres like action, romantic, and comedy who has exposed his artistic villain characters and has become a sensation who did equal par roles with the South Indian superstars at his prime. He has acted in films directed by famous South Indian directors like K. Balachander, S. P. Muthuraman, I. V. Sasi, and Hariharan. He has also worked with big production companies like AVM, Navodaya, Devar Films, Sathya Movies and Dwarakesh.

He came back to films and did smaller roles till 2013 and then played one of the lead roles in Idukki Gold directed by Aashiq Abu and Kili Poyi directed by Vinay Govind. He made his debut as story writer through Sathyan Anthikad's Ennum Eppozhum and is the festival director of Kochi Metro (Malayalam) Short Film Fest.

Raveendran is also an interior designer and has introduced and executed the innovative steel structural space frames of UC College Stadium, Gulfar convention center, Kannamaly and Kothad churches, Kochi and the Petrol bunk at Bakery Junction, Thiruvananthapuram.

Personal life
He is born to Elias and Dr. Saramma at Tripunithura, Kerala, India. He completed 2 years of acting course at South India Film Chambers, Chennai and completed degree course at Film and Television Institute of India, Pune.

He is married to Suma. The couple have three children, Mareena, Bibin and Fabin. His son Fabin has acted in Idukki Gold (film) in Michael's childhood role.

Recognitions
Raveendran has been conducting classes, seminars and festivals on cinema studies, drama, theatre works and short movies. Monsoon Film Fest, a traveling film festival, directed by Ravindhar, has been presented even in Paris. He has been the director of Peace International Film festival (1995 to 2008), Swaralaya International Film Festival (2007 to 2008) and has conducted various film festivals like Bharathan Film Festival, Padmarajan Festival, Lohithadas Festival, etc. over various universities in Kerala. He has also presented several programmes about cinema and sports in the major Malayalam television channels such as Asianet and Kairali, premiered a political satire programme in India Vision during the time of general election and has judged dancing reality shows in major TV channels. He has also joined for religious documentaries of Varapuzha and Ernakulam dioceses.

Other achievements
Raveendran has attained his Masters Certificate in Construction Management from the World of Concrete, USA (1996). He has been the convener of Indian Concrete Institute, Kerala (1995-2000) and has had his name highlighted for preparing various structures together with the concepts for Kerala's biggest construction centre, Gulfar. His contributions further stretch the list to Fisheries Department's Hatchery Shed, Bharat Petroleum gas filling station in Trivandrum, churches in Kochi (Kothad and Kalamaserry), etc. The structure design partners of the aforesaid projects were big institutions like Madras IIT, SCRC, and Anna University.

In 1996 The Economic Times reported Raveendran as India's most important building material distributor. He has also secured various medals from Tata Steel, Birla Cement, ACL, LST and other companies. For the first time, Tata's director of sales prepared a 15 page booklet on Raveendran's marketing strategy and sent to all zonal managers in India.

Raveendran is also a well known interior designer in Kerala and has also worked as an interior designer in the Handicraft Development Corporation of Kerala.

Present endeavours
Presently Raveendran is the director of ‘Elias Foundations’ and is conducting film festivals and film appreciation courses in GCC countries and various universities in South India. He has conducted researches on film economics, movie aesthetics and businesses, film culture and technology and is now engaged in writing, directing and producing documentaries for Elias Foundations. Raveendran has been having a great connection with the UAE authorities. Him along with Mohanlal has conducted the first ever UAE national day celebration outside the country of the UAE. He has supervised film festivals and free filmmaking workshops in all the Emirates and has presented seminars in Sharjah International Book Fair about the topics “Visual Literacy” in 2019 and 2022 and “Semiotics of Moving Images” in 2021.

He has also done an interview about his experience undergoing a test for COVID-19 and that has published as an article in the official news agency of the UAE, Emirates News Agency, also known as WAM.

Actor

 * Swantham Enna Padam (1980)
 * Ashwaradham (1980)
 * Varanmare Avasyamundu (1980)
 * Kaahalam (1981)
 * Anuraagakkodathi (1982)
 * Madrasile Mon (1982)
 * Kaalam (1982)
 * Aasha (1982)
 * Arambham (1982)
 * Velicham Vitharunna Penkutty
 * Veedu (1982)
 * Ee Naadu (1982)
 * Bheeman (1982)
 * Anthiveyilile Ponnu (1982)
 * Sindoora Sandhyakku Mounam (1982)
 * John Jaffer Janardhanan (1982)
 * Innalenkil Naale (1982)
 * Angam (1983)
 * Thimingalam (1983)
 * Iniyenkilum (1983)
 * Paalam (1983)
 * Thavalam (1983)
 * Theeram Thedunna Thira (1983)
 * Eettappuli (1983)
 * Asuran (1983)
 * Bhookambam (1983)
 * Aattakkalasam (1983)
 * Mainakam (1984)
 * Athirathram (1984)
 * Poomadathe Pennu (1984)
 * Minimol Vatticanil (1984)
 * Chakkarayumma (1984)
 * Velicham Illatha Veedhi (1984)
 * Rangam (1985)
 * Karimpin Poovinakkare (1985)
 * Aazhi (1985)
 * Thammil Thammil (1985)
 * Idanilangal (1985)
 * Abhayam Thedi (1986)
 * Ente Shabdham (1986)
 * Aattakkadha (1987)
 * Mukhamudra (1992)
 * Pappayude Swantham Appoos (1992)
 * Uppukandam Brothers (1993)
 * Bhoomi Geetham (1993)
 * Customs Diary (1993)
 * Cabinet (1994)
 * Napoleon (1994)
 * Kadhavaseshan (2004)
 * Chandrolsavam (2005)
 * Bharathchandran I.P.S. (2005)
 * Lanka (2006)
 * Notebook (2006)
 * Rashtram (2006)
 * Chakkara Muthu (2006)
 * Swantham Lekhakan (2009)
 * Oru Nunakkadha (2011)
 * Vaadaamalli (2011)
 * 101 Weddings (2012)
 * Kili Poyi (2013)
 * Idukki Gold (2013)
 * Salalah Mobiles (2014)
 * Manglish (2014)
 * Vellivelichathil (2014)
 * Ormayundo Ee Mukham (2014)
 * Ennum Eppozhum (2014)
 * Njan Samvidhanam Cheyyum(2015)
 * Cappuccino (2017)
 * Pashu (2017)
 * Kettyolaanu Ente Malakha (2019)
 * DNA (2024)

Tamil

 * 2015 Kaaki Sattai
 * 2005 6'2
 * 1995 Paattu Vaathiyar
 * 1989 Sandhya Raagam
 * 1988 Aval Mella Sirithal
 * 1987 Per Sollum Pillai
 * 1987 Ival Oru Pournami
 * 1986 Vidinja Kalyanam
 * 1986 Unakkaagave Vaazhgiren
 * 1986 Iravu Pookkal
 * 1986 Mamiyargal Jakkirathai
 * 1985 Kalyana Agathigal...Ambikapathy
 * 1985 Kutravaaligal
 * 1985 Vetrikani
 * 1985 Poove Poochooda Vaa
 * 1985 Thiramai
 * 1984 Achamillai Achamillai
 * 1984 Veetuku Oru Kannagi
 * 1984 Kaval Kaithigal
 * 1984 Pudhiavan
 * 1984 Vaazhkai
 * 1984 Vai Sollil Veeranadi
 * 1984 Puyal Kadantha Bhoomi
 * 1983 En Priyame
 * 1983 Adutha Varisu...Prathap
 * 1983 Poikkal Kudhirai
 * 1983 Kann Sivanthaal Mann Sivakkum (1983)
 * 1983 Thanga Magan
 * 1983 Yudhakaandam
 * 1982 Echchil Iravugal
 * 1982 Idhayam Pesugirathu
 * 1982 Nandri, Meendum Varuga
 * 1982 Anal Kaatru
 * 1982 Pokkiri Raja
 * 1982 Ranga...Ravi
 * 1982 Sakalakala Vallavan
 * 1981 Panimalar
 * 1981 Mouna Yuddham
 * 1981 Kaalam
 * 1981 Ram Lakshman
 * 1981 Oru Iravu Oru Paravai
 * 1980 Anjatha Nenjangal
 * 1980 Sujatha
 * 1980 Vasantha Azhaippugal
 * 1980 Oru Thalai Ragam