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Meet actor who suffered brain tumor in childhood, worked as car cleaner to make ends meet, and was discovered by Rajinikanth
Guess the actor who was spotted by Rajinikanth and survived a brain tumor as a child.
Meet an Indian actor, director, and dance choreographer who is a prime example of a rags-to-riches story. This actor had a very tough childhood as he was diagnosed with a brain tumor when he was just a child. The extreme poverty-stricken environment made him even work as a car cleaner to make ends meet. We are talking about Ragava Lawrence. On the 48th birthday of the actor, we will talk about his journey in the Industry, personal life, and more.
Who is Ragava Lawrence?
Why did Ragava Lawrence change his name?
During the difficult time when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, his mother frequently visited Raghavendra Swami temple to seek blessings. To date, Ragava Lawrence believes that it was the deity's blessings that helped him overcome the deadly health ailment. In the following years, the actor became an ardent follower of Raghavendra Swami and added his name to his own.
Additionally, the actor has also built the Raghavendra Swamy Brindavanam Temple at Thirumullaivayal which was inaugurated on 1 January 2010. Ragava’s childhood was full of suffering, he grew up in a poverty-stricken surrounding and did odd jobs to make ends meet. It is worth mentioning that the superstar we see now once even worked as a car cleaner to earn some money. As shocking as it may sound, the actor worked as a car cleaner for fight master Super Subbarayan and it was during that time Rajinikanth spotted him.
Ragava Lawrence’s journey in the film industry
As already mentioned above, Rajinikanth spotted Ragava dancing on the sets of Uzhaippali, and that led to the Kanchana actor joining the Dancers Union. This marked Ragava's entry into the film Industry as he first appeared in a song in the Tamil movie Samsara Sangeetham in 1989. Following this, the actor also appeared in Donga Police with ace choreographer and actor Prabhu Deva.
In the following years, Ragava was seen in several songs as a background dancer like in Gentleman, Muta Mesthri, Rakshana, and Allari Priyudu. While he was happy doing what he was offered, his life changed when Chiranjeevi approached him to choreograph a song for Hitler in 1997. Chiranjeevi was so happy with Ragava's work that he again asked him to get on board for Master in 1997. Amidst all this, came a turning point in his life where he landed an acting project. Ragava played the hero in D Prasad's film Speed Dancer but it turned out a disaster at the box office.
Next, he appeared in small roles in Tamil films like Ajith Kumar's Unnai Kodu Ennai Tharuven (2000), Prashanth's Parthen Rasithen (2000) and Parthale Paravasam (2001). In 2002, Ragava got a chance to play the titular role in Arpudham. Helmed by Arputhan, the movie explores a love triangle and delves further into the journey from rags to riches.
In the subsequent years, Ragava worked with many filmmakers in films like Style, Thirumalai (guest appearance), Muni, Pandi, Rajadhi Raja (2009), Shivalinga, Rudhran, Chandramukhi 2, Motta Siva Ketta Siva, Jigarthanda DoubleX and Irumbukkottai Murattu Singam among others.
Apart from acting and choreography, Ragava is also a film director who has worked with actors like Nagarjuna, Jyothika, Chiranjeevi, Prabhas, Tamannaahh Bhatia, and Prabhu Deva. Some films directed by him include Rebel, Mass, Kanchana, Laxmii, Durga, etc.
Ragava Lawrence’s personal life
As per a report in Steemit, Ragava Lawrence exchanged wedding vows with Shanti (who later changed her name to Latha). The couple kept their marriage away from the limelight for many years. In an interview with Galatta, Lawrence spoke about his personal life and said, the decision to keep his marriage a secret was because he wanted to maintain his privacy. Ragava Lawrence and Latha have a daughter named Raghavi Lawrence.
Ragava Lawrence's upcoming movie
On the special day of Ragava Lawrence’s birthday, the title of his next film was revealed. Directed by Ramesh Varma, Kaala Bhairava will be Raghava’s 25th project. According to reports, this film is expected to be an epic action adventure. In the first look, Ragava showcases a fierce expression, with the backdrop featuring religious symbols such as a snake and the idol of Kala Bhairava.
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