Who is Pradeep Ranganathan? Tamil actor whose first three films minted Rs 100 cr

Pradeep Ranganathan

Actor Pradeep Ranganathan is currently riding high on the success of his latest Tamil film Dude. The film co-starring Mamitha Baiju was released in theatres on October 17. The film's worldwide collection crossed Rs 100 crore on its 10th day. With this, Pradeep has secured a hat-trick of 100 crore films at the box office. Not just that, he made the hat-trick with his first three films as an actor.

Who is Pradeep Ranganathan?

Pradeep Ranganathan entered the film industry as a director. He made his debut with the 2019 Tamil film Comali, starring Jayam Ravi and Kajal Aggarwal. The film was a commercial success and also featured Pradeep in a cameo appearance during the climax. It opened to mostly positive reviews from critics and went on to gross Rs 91 crore at the box office.

Pradeep's second directorial venture was the 2022 film Love Today, in which he also made his acting debut as the lead. The small-budget film became an instant blockbuster upon release, earning widespread love from young audiences. He followed the success of Love Today with Dragon, a film set in a similar genre. While Pradeep did not direct the film, he co-wrote it along with filmmaker Ashwath Marimuthu. The film received positive reviews from critics, particularly for its performances and engaging storyline. Earning over Rs 150 crore, it briefly became one of the highest-grossing Tamil films of the year.

In the same year as Dragon, Pradeep came out with yet another love story, co-starring Mamitha Baiju, who is basking in the success of her Malayalam hit Premalu. The film opened to immense buzz and expectations and managed to cross the Rs 100 crore mark within just 10 days of its release.

Pradeep on his vast fan following

At a pre-release event organised to promote his upcoming film Dude, which is scheduled to hit screens on October 17 for Deepavali, the actor was asked, "You don't look like you are hero material. But you seem to have a big fan following for someone who has done a couple of films. It happens very rarely. So, would you attribute it to hard work or luck?"

Responding to the woman journalist who asked the question, Pradeep said, "Hardwork is there. I have been thinking over the last few months about the love I have been getting. There are a lot of talented people like me. I have seen. I think people see themselves in me. When they see the screen, they feel they are the hero. They are acting in it. They are romancing in it, they are doing the fights. So, when they see themselves in me, I am already a hero."