Comedian Yogi Babu is one of the busiest actors in the Tamil film industry today. The comedian, who played the role of an aspiring actor in his very first film Yogi, the title of which would later become a part of his name, has become a staple in Tamil cinema’s comedy scene. Yogi’s big break came in 2016, a year in which he signed 20 different films.
While body shaming jokes are a regular feature in the comedy scenes featuring Yogi Babu, he has managed to establish his own loyal set of fans in the post-Vadivelu, post-Vivek era in Tamil cinema.
Ahead of his upcoming release Cocktail, directed by Vijaya Murugan, which will directly release on OTT platform Zee5 on July 10, TNM takes a look at some of his best performances.
Maan Karate was Yogi’s first film as a comedian. Before this, he played blink and miss henchmen characters in a few films, including Ajith’s Veeram and Shah Rukh Khan’s Chennai Express. Although a brief role, Yogi Babu played Vavval, a character who tries to woo the film’s female lead played by Hansika. His rendition of the Thirukkural, “Aatalil aatal maavattal” will have you in splits.
This was Yogi Babu’s first big break as a performance artist, where the actor was more than just a comic relief. He played best friend to Vijay Sethupathi’s Gandhi Arumugam in this film. Yogi’s character has a serious arc in the film, and he managed to leave his mark as an actor who was capable of delivering beyond situational comedy. This film won Yogi Babu awards including the South Indian International Movie Awards for Best Comedian and Vikatan Awards for Best Male Comedian that year.
A high impact promo released by the filmmakers was Yogi Babu’s song from this film. Seen trying to woo Nayanthara's character in the “Kalyana Vayasu” song, Yogi Babu played Sekar, a grocery shop owner who gets entangled in a drug smuggling plot, to hilarious effect in this film. The scene inside the ambulance, when the family reveals their plan to him is one of the best moments in this film. The actor once again won the South Indian International Movie Award for Best Comedian and Vikatan Award for Best Male Comedian for his performance in this film.
Yogi Babu’s Anand in Pariyerum Perumal can be called his best so far. The actor played the lead character Pariyan's close friend in this film. Yogi Babu as a last bench student in a law college left an indelible mark in this film which changed the discourse on caste in Tamil cinema. He once again won a Vikatan Award for the film.
This comedy with Jayam Ravi gave Yogi Baby a very meaty role, appearing as he did alongside the film’s hero Jayam Ravi almost throughout its runtime. While the film had plenty of funny moments, Yogi elevated the humour with his perfect timing. The film received a good response from the audience.
Yogi Babu has done over 100 films during a short span of about four years, acting along with big stars in Tamil cinema like Ajith, Vijay and Rajinikanth. Last seen in Rajinikanth’s Darbar, he has a slew of films up for release like Kadaisi Vivasayi and Dagaalty to name a few.