Mohideen Abdul Khadar, known by his stage name Rajkiran, is an Indian actor, producer, and director who has worked in more than 30 Tamil films. Throughout his career, he has earned notable accolades including a Filmfare Award South and four Tamil Nadu State Film Awards. Renowned for his versatility and impactful performances, Rajkiran has been a prominent figure in Tamil cinema for decades.

Rajkiran was born on 16 March 1949 in Keelakarai into a Muslim family. He began his journey in the film industry by producing two films starring Ramarajan, where he also made a brief acting appearance. His major breakthrough came in 1991 with En Rasavin Manasile, directed by Kasthuri Raja, which he produced and starred in. The film was a commercial success and ran for over 25 weeks. He continued his success streak by directing, producing, and acting in Aranmanai Kili (1993) and Ellame En Rasathan (1995), both of which were also silver jubilee hits. However, some of his subsequent films like Manikkam (1996) and Pasamulla Pandiyare (1997) did not perform well at the box office.

After a brief hiatus, Rajkiran made a strong comeback with critically acclaimed films like Bala’s Nandha and Cheran’s Pandavar Bhoomi. His performances in films such as Sandakozhi (2005) and Thavamai Thavamirundhu (2005) earned him prestigious awards for Best Supporting Actor. He portrayed a memorable role in Muni (2007) as the titular ghost. In the following years, he appeared in notable films including Kaavalan (2011), Ponnar Shankar (2011), and Pa Paandi (2017), directed by Dhanush. Rajkiran also made his Malayalam film debut with Shylock (2020), starring Mammootty. His refusal to appear in a dhoti advertisement in 2015 also brought him into the media spotlight.