Ashok

12 Dec, 1981 | Thanjavur, Tamilnadu

Actor

Biography

Ashok Kumar Balakrishnan is a South Indian actor and Bharatanatyam performer. Personal Life He was born on 12 December in Thiruvaiyaru, Thanjavur District, Tamil Nadu. But he was brought up in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He did his schooling in Fatima High School (Vidyavihar) and Vani Vidyalaya (Mulund, Mumbai). He has completed his SSC in 1997 from Vani Vidyalaya. He has graduated with majors in sociology, psychology & Hindi literature from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai. Career He learnt Bharatanatyam at the age of four and he's also trained in western contemporary Jazz Ballet. He has performed at various stage shows across India and toured all over U.S. and Europe for dance projects. He has acted as well as choreographed for several Indo-German and Indo-French Dance/Theatre Projects. He has won several awards and honours, including the coveted Nritya Mayur award for excellence in dance. He has been actively involved in a lot of plays/stage and dance/theatre projects. He has been actively involved in stage productions like the musical "Evita" directed by Mr. Alyque Padamsee, "Love is the Best Remedy" by Mr. Jean Jacques Bellot, "Katha " - in Hindi directed by Mr. Ravi Mishra of Ekjute Productions, for which Ashok won the Best Actor Award during the IPTA, Manch and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's/Bhavan's Kala Kendra Theatre Festivals. He also directed the play "Cryptic Death" for the Thespo Theatre Festival. He has choreographed several stage shows before venturing into acting. He also worked as an assistant dance choreographer with Mr. Raju Khan (Ms. Saroj Khan's Son). Ashok had a formal training in acting in Kishore Namit Kapoor's Acting Institute (Mumbai) too. He also got trained in film stunts, fights and gymnastics. Cinema has been a passion since his childhood and acting was not new to him, in fact he played the role of Little Krishna (Dancing on the Kaliya Snake..Lifting the Govardhana Mountain, etc.) in Ramanand Sagar's teleserial Sri Krishna, for which he won the "Best Child Actor Award" from Uptron. It was telecasted in Doordarshan in 1994-95. His debut movie in Tamil was Murugaa, directed by R.T. Nesan. His second movie Pidichirukku, directed by Kanagu, was released in 2008. He also did a cameo for a song in a Malayalam movie titled Mulla, directed by Lal Jose. In his next flick Vaanam Partha Seemayilae, produced by Pyramid Saimira Group, Ashok plays the role of "Karuppan"- a rugged/rustic villager; who is so full of zeal and enthusiasm but his energy is channelised in the wrong directions and he is misunderstood. And it's only later when he realises his responsibilities in life and his true essence of his character reaches the people. Ashok and 'Veyil' Priyanka were paired together for the first time in this movie.