Raghava Lawrence
| Raghava Lawrence | |
|---|---|
 Raghava Lawrence | |
| Born | Chennai, India |
| Occupation | Film actor, Film Director, Dancer, Choreographer, Music Composer and Philanthropist |
| Years active |
Choreographer (1993 – present) Actor (1998 – present) Director (2004 – present) |
Raghava Lawrence is an Indian choreographer who has also appeared in films as an actor, director, composer and playback singer. After making his debut as a choreographer in 1993, he began looking for acting opportunities. He began his career as an actor in 1998, in a Telugu film, aged 22. He adopted the name "Lawrence" in 2001, and worked for many prominent actors and directors in Tamil cinema throughout his career. He got his breakthrough with Telugu film Style and then Muni. Lawrence is also known for his intricate hip-hop and westernised dance moves and has won 4 Filmfare Awards and 3 Nandi Awards for best choreography. In 2015, after the death of former Indian president A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Lawrence set up a charity trust in his name and donated 1 crore to it.[1][2]
Career
Lawrence had brain tumor when he was a child and rarely went to school.[3][4][5] He got cured after his mother went to a temple of Raghavendra Swami[6] and Lawrence strongly believes that it was Raghavendra Swami who cured him of his tumour.[7] He became an ardent devotee of the deity and added its name to his name.[4] He built the Raghavendra Swamy Brindavanam Temple at Thirumullaivayal on the Avadi-Ambattur route, which opened from 1 January 2010.[8]
He was working as a car cleaner for fight master Super Subbarayan.[4] Rajinikanth saw him dancing and helped him to join the Dancers Union.[4][9] Chiranjeevi offered him the job of choreographing the dances for Hitler. Pleased with Lawrence's work, Chiranjeevi asked him to choreograph dances for Master, his next film too.[4]
Lawrence first appeared in a song in Donga Police in 1991, also doing some dances with Prabhu Deva. He was a background dancer in the song Chikku Bukku Chikku Bukku Railey in Gentleman.[4] He also appeared in dance sequences in Muta Mesthri, Rakshana and Allari Priyudu.[4] Producer T V D Prasad offered him the role of a hero in his venture Speed Dancer.[4] That film was a flop.[3] After that he acted in 2 Tamil films as hero and those films also flopped.[3] Director K. Balachander invited him to act in his 100th film Parthale Paravasam.[9] He got his breakthrough with the Muni film series.
Lawrence is currently to do Chandramukhi2 with IRudhi Suttru heroin Ritika Singh.[10]
Social service
He did many social service activities in which he has aided many heart surgeries for babies.[11][12][13]
Filmography
Actor
| Film | Year | Language | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speed Dancer | 1999 | Telugu | ||
| Parthen Rasithen | 2000 | Tamil | Doss | |
| Unnai Kodu Ennai Tharuven | 2000 | Tamil | ||
| Parthale Paravasam | 2001 | Tamil | Azhagu | |
| Arpudham | 2002 | Tamil | Ashok Kumar | |
| Style | 2002 | Tamil | Rishaanth | |
| Thendral | 2004 | Tamil | Kumar | |
| Style | 2006 | Telugu | Raghava | |
| Muni | 2007 | Tamil | Ganesh | |
| Don | 2007 | Telugu | Raghava | |
| Pandi | 2008 | Tamil | Pandi | |
| Rajadhi Raja | 2009 | Tamil | Raja | |
| Irumbukkottai Murattu Singam | 2010 | Tamil | Singam, Singaram | |
| Muni 2: Kanchana | 2011 | Tamil | Raghava | |
| Muni 3: Kanchana 2 | 2015 | Tamil | Raghava, Shiva | |
| Motta Siva Ketta Siva | 2017 | Tamil | Siva | Post-production |
| Shivalinga | 2017 | Tamil | Filming |
Dancer
| Film | Song | Year | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gentleman | "Chikku Bukku Rayile" | 1993 | Tamil | |
| Uzhaippali | "Uzhaippali Illatha" | 1993 | Tamil | |
| Mutha Mestri | "Ee Pettakku" | 1993 | Telugu | |
| Chinna Madam | 1994 | Tamil | ||
| Amarkalam | "Maha Ganapathi" | 1999 | Telugu | |
| Unnai Kodu Ennai Tharuven | "Sollu Thalaiva" | 2000 | Tamil | |
| Kshemamga Velli Labhamga Randi | "Lovvuki Age" | 2000 | Telugu | |
| Chala Bagundi | "Yentabagundi Basu" | 2000 | Telugu | |
| Thirunelveli | "Yele Azhagamma" | 2000 | Tamil | |
| Asura | "Maha Ganapathi" | 2001 | Kannada | |
| Varushamellam Vasantham | "Naan Ready Neenga Readya" | 2002 | Tamil | |
| Roja Kootam | "Subbamma" | 2002 | Tamil | |
| Baba | "Maya Maya" | 2002 | Tamil | |
| Ninne Istapaddanu | "Krishna Zilla" | 2003 | Telugu | |
| Satyam | "Kuch Kuch" | 2003 | Telugu | |
| Thirumalai | "Thaamthakka Dheemthakka" | 2003 | Tamil | |
| Mass | "Mass" | 2004 | Telugu | |
| Pen Singam | "Adi Aadi Asaiyum Edupu" | 2010 | Tamil | |
| Kathai Thiraikathai Vasanam Iyakkam | "Live The Moment" | 2015 | Tamil |
As Director
| Year | Film | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Mass | Telugu | |
| 2006 | Style | Telugu | |
| 2007 | Muni | Tamil | |
| 2007 | Don | Telugu | Also music composer |
| 2011 | Muni 2: Kanchana | Tamil | |
| 2012 | Rebel | Telugu | Also music |
| 2015 | Muni 3: Kanchana 2 | Tamil Movie |
Television
- Masthaana Masthaana Part 2 (2009)
Awards
- Filmfare Award for Best Dance Choreographer – South – Annayya – Telugu (2000)
- Filmfare Award for Best Dance Choreographer – South – Paarthale Paravasam – Tamil (2001)
- Filmfare Award for Best Dance Choreographer – South – Indra – Telugu (2002)
- Filmfare Award for Best Dance Choreographer – South – Style – Telugu (2006)
- Nandi Award for Best Choreographer – Annayya (2000)
- Nandi Award for Best Choreographer – Indra – Telugu (2002)
- Nandi Award for Best Choreographer – Style – Telugu (2006)
- Manidha Neyam Award – (2015)
- Extraordinary Performance (Male) – Kanchana 2 (2015)
References
- ↑ "Lawrence donates 1cr".
- ↑ "Raghava Lawrence launches Abdul Kalam Trust, donates Rs 1 cr". Hindustan Times. August 4, 2015.
- 1 2 3 "Raghava Lawrence – Telugu Cinema interview – Telugu film director". Idlebrain.com. 16 January 2006. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Rediff on the Net, Movies: India rubber". Rediff.com. 25 April 1998. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
- ↑ TeluguCinema.Com – TC Exclusive: Interview with choreographer-director Lawrence. telugucinema.com. 11 February 2005
- ↑ Sashidhar AS (30 August 2012). "Lawrence had a disability during childhood – Times of India". Articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
- ↑ "Friday Review Chennai / Religion : Landmark at Thirumullaivayil". The Hindu. 26 February 2010. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
- ↑ Expresso, Team. "Rajini's spiritual suggestion". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
- 1 2 "Metro Plus Kochi / Music : My First Break – Raghava Lawrence". The Hindu. 8 November 2008. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
- ↑ "Ritika Singh to pair up with Lawrence for Chandramukhi 2". indiatoday.intoday.in. June 25, 2016.
- ↑ "Raghava Lawrence helped a child in heart surgery".
- ↑ "Page 1 of Raghava Lawrence Helped 128th Heart Surgery , Raghava Lawrence Helped 128th Heart Surgery Photos".
- ↑ "Raghava Lawrence helped a child in heart surgery, 128th heart surgery done by Raghava Lawrence - Serials online SunTv VijayTv Polimer RajTv News". 15 March 2016.