Vidhyashankar Neelamegham, known professionally as Vidhu, is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. He is known for frequently appearing in the works of director Karthik Subbaraj. Initially appearing as an extra in the film Petta (2019), he later took on significant roles in Jigarthanda DoubleX (2023) and Retro (2025). He landed his first leading film role in 29 (2026).
Early life Vidhu, whose real name is Vidhyashankar Neelamegham, is from Coimbatore. He studied at Sathyabama University in Chennai.
Career Vidhu initially worked as an engineer in Coimbatore for a year and a half to two years before moving to Chennai to pursue an acting career. Due to a lack of opportunities at the time, he returned to Coimbatore for a year and a half to work. However, he eventually decided to quit his job and pursue his goal of becoming an actor.
Vidhu claims that Karthik Subbaraj was the one who introduced him to the film industry. Vidhu first rose to prominence in the film Petta (2019), directed by Karthik, in which he played a minor role with limited screen time. Vidhu was only 29 when the film was released, but Karthik and Kaarthekeyen Santhanam encouraged him to seriously pursue an acting career. Subsequently, he continued to play supporting roles or villain in Karthik's films, including Jigarthanda DoubleX (2023) and Retro (2025).
In 2026, he played a supporting role in the film Neelira and a lead role in 29; both films were produced by Karthik Subbaraj. Among them, 29 was the first film in which he played the lead role. Also in 2026, he joined the cast of the film Manjanathi, directed by Mari Selvaraj, which began filming in September.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2006 Sillunu Oru Kaadhal Man talking on phone in restaurant Uncredited appearance in the song "Munbe Vaa"https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/meet-vidhu-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-age-retro-villain/articleshow/120928077.cms 2019 Petta Michael's friend 2020 Boomika Gowtham 2023 Jigarthanda DoubleX Shettani 2026 Vallamai Petrol thief Retro Michael Mirasu 2026 Neelira Muthappa 29 Sathya TBA Manjanathi
Television Year Title Role Notes 2021 Navarasa Castro Segment: "Peace"
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