S. A. Ashokan

S. A. Ashokan (20 May, 1931-11 November, 1982), born as Antony and often spelled Asokan, was an Indian actor who worked mainly in Tamil cinema and theatre. He was popular mainly for playing negative roles but was also a successful character actor.

Early life Ashokan was born on 20 May 1931 as Anthony in Tiruchirapalli. He showed interest in stage plays and frequently took part in oratorical and writing competitions during his childhood. He finished his B.A. degree at the St. Joseph's College, Tiruchirapalli.

Career After completing his degree, Anthony met director T. R. Ramanna, who introduced him to the film industry. Anthony changed his name to Ashokan upon Ramanna's request and maintained the same name for life. Ashokan made his acting debut in a minor role in the film Avvaiyar. He was given a positive role in the film Penn Kulathin Ponvilakku (1959) as an admirer of a woman he considers a sister. He gained the attention of the general public with the film Kappalottiya Thamizhan in 1961, where he portrayed the role of Collector Robert Ashe. Later films which featured him in the lead were, however, moderately successful. Active mostly in the 1960s and 1970s, he acted mainly in villainous roles and did character roles opposite many leading actors of those times.

Filmography This is a partial filmography. You can expand it.