Last updated: October 20, 2026
In April 2009, an 18-year-old college student in Chennai, who had been working on the sets of Prakash Raj's production, got a recommendation that changed his life. Prakash Raj introduced him to director Srivass and producer Gunnam Gangaraju, and that meeting led to a lead role opposite Genelia D'Souza in the thriller Katha, which released in December 2009 and won a Nandi Award. The young man was then known as Adith Arun.
For more than 17 years, Telugu and Tamil audiences have watched Thrigun (born Arun Eswaran, earlier credited as Adith Arun) grow from a boy-next-door romantic lead into a versatile character actor, antagonist and indie cinema regular. Now a housemate in Bigg Boss Telugu Season 10, he is showing viewers the outspoken, thoughtful person behind more than 35 films. You can see the full line-up in our Bigg Boss Telugu Season 10 contestants list.
Table of Contents
- Quick Bio
- Early Life and Family
- Education
- Career Journey
- Why Adith Arun Became Thrigun
- Recent Work (2024-2026)
- Bigg Boss Telugu 10 Journey
- Filmography
- Personal Life
- Lesser-Known Facts
- FAQs
- Sources
Quick Bio: Actor Thrigun
Early Life and Family Roots
A common assumption is that Thrigun is a Chennai actor who moved into Telugu cinema. According to what he said in an interview on the Rajeev Pasupuleti podcast, the picture is different. He was born Arun Eswaran on June 8, 1990, the only child of Tamil-speaking parents. His father worked for a bank under the central government, so the family moved between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Thrigun says he was born in Guntur and spent his early years in Musheerabad and Himayatnagar in Hyderabad, followed by Visakhapatnam.
The family lived in rented homes, and cinema was their weekend ritual. They often caught the first show at theatres near RTC Cross Roads in Hyderabad or Jagadamba Theatre in Visakhapatnam. His father was a big Chiranjeevi fan, while his mother liked family dramas. It was his mother who backed his interest in photography and acting when his father had doubts.
Education
Thrigun went to school in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam and did his Intermediate at the Asilmetta campus of Sri Chaitanya Junior College, where he says he scored 90 percent. Even so, he chose not to write the EAMCET engineering entrance exam. Since few undergraduate media courses existed in Andhra Pradesh then, he moved to Chennai and joined Madras Christian College (MCC) for Journalism and Media Studies, with Political Science and Economics as electives.
At MCC he studied alongside people who later became film technicians, including cinematographer George C. Williams and editor GK Prasanna. He left the degree in his second year after film offers arrived, but kept learning on his own and says he has read hundreds of books on literature, marketing and cinema.
Career Journey: Theatre, Short Films and a 17-Year Grind
Stage plays and a single-shot short film
Thrigun's acting base was built on stage. In Chennai he performed in more than 20 plays with groups such as The Madras Players and Boardwalkers. His break in campus circles came when a Telugu direction student at the L.V. Prasad Film Institute needed a Telugu-speaking actor for a diploma exercise: a short film shot in one uncut take on a single 16mm reel. Thrigun performed a roughly nine-and-a-half-minute take without a cut, and the project reportedly earned its maker a gold medal.
He then acted in around 40 short films, including Balaji Mohan's popular short Kadhalil Sodhappuvadhu Eppadi with Regina Cassandra, which crossed 8 million views on YouTube.
Inidhu Inidhu and the debut in Katha (2009)
When Prakash Raj announced auditions for Inidhu Inidhu, the Tamil remake of Happy Days, Thrigun almost skipped them. He auditioned on a friend's encouragement, was first selected for a supporting lead, and also worked as an assistant to director K. V. Guhan. His work ethic on set impressed Prakash Raj, who moved him to the main role of Siddharth.
Because Inidhu Inidhu released in 2010, his first release was the Telugu thriller Katha (December 17, 2009), directed by Srivass (Srinivas Raga) and produced by Gunnam Gangaraju. At 19, he appeared opposite Genelia D'Souza and Prakash Raj, and the film won a Nandi Award.
Setbacks and genre shifts
Early on, audiences often compared his looks and energy to actor Ram Pothineni, which he took sportingly. A large walking-journey film that he shot for around 140 days was shelved after the sudden death of its female lead, costing him two important years after Katha.
He kept working, and later earned praise as a village youth in Tungabhadra (2015), played Dhanush's cousin in Thangamagan (Nava Manmadhudu, 2015), and gained wider recognition as hacker Niranjan Iyer in PSV Garuda Vega (2017). Solo leads followed in 24 Kisses (2018), Chikati Gadilo Chithakotudu (2019), Dear Megha (2021) and WWW (2021).
Why Adith Arun Changed His Name to "Thrigun" (2022)
After around 16 films, mostly as an urban romantic lead, Thrigun felt typecast and approached filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma for a gritty role. He was cast as politician Konda Murali in Konda (2022). Varma suggested many screen names, but none felt right. Thrigun drew the name from the Bilvashtakam hymn, which his family tradition and his Isha Yoga practice had made familiar, and sent it to Varma late one night. Varma liked it, and the name was adopted in January 2022.
By his own count, he did around 17 films in 12 years as Adith Arun and about as many again in the four years after becoming Thrigun.
Recent Work: Line Man, Eesha and Chennai Love Story (2024-2026)
- Line Man (2024): A Kannada-Telugu social drama. Thrigun learned Kannada for the role and worked with veteran stage actor B. Jayashree.
- Udvegam (2024): A courtroom drama streaming on ETV Win.
- Eesha (2025): A horror thriller that reunited him with his Katha director Srinivas Raga after 16 years, with Hebah Patel and Akhil Raj.
- Mr. Work From Home (2026): A family comedy released in May 2026.
- Chennai Love Story (2026): Directed by Ravi Namburi with music by Mani Sharma. Thrigun plays Ajay alongside Kiran Abbavaram and Gouri G. Kishan.
Upcoming: He is reported to play the antagonist in Mysskin's Train opposite Vijay Sethupathi, and to headline the action drama Janga with Varalaxmi Sarathkumar.
Bigg Boss Telugu Season 10 Journey
In September 2026, Thrigun entered the Bigg Boss Telugu Season 10 house, hosted by Nagarjuna Akkineni, as the second contestant on launch night. Explaining his decision to do a reality show after 35+ films, he said in a pre-entry interview that most young heroes come from well-funded backgrounds, while a middle-class actor has to take bigger risks to reach household audiences.
Key moments
- Direct approach: From the first week he came across as a vocal contender, including in nomination debates with Rohit Naidu Patnam.
- Sundeep Kishan reunion: Actor Sundeep Kishan, his co-star from Manasuku Nachindi (2018), visited the house as a guest. Thrigun said Sundeep's smart career choices helped him, while his own impulsive choices delayed his breakthrough.
- Status: As of October 2026 he remains in the house alongside Auto Ram Prasad, Nihar Mukesh Gowda, Varshini Sounderajan and Temper Vamsi.
Follow the show with our Bigg Boss Telugu Season 10 live voting poll. The season streams on Disney+ Hotstar and airs on Star Maa.
Filmography (Selected)
Web series and television
- 2017: Mana Mugguri Love Story (Rishi, YuppTV)
- 2021: 11th Hour (Peter D'Cruz, Aha)
- 2026: Bigg Boss Telugu Season 10 (contestant, Star Maa / Disney+ Hotstar)
Personal Life: Wife Niveditha, His Mother's Loss and Daughter Yuki
The 2023 wedding
When wedding photos surfaced in September 2023, some portals called it a secret marriage. Thrigun later explained in an interview with Filmy Focus that Niveditha, an architect and a distant relative, was introduced by his mother while helping with a house he was building. The families agreed, and a large celebration was planned in Hyderabad. About three months before the date, his mother passed away suddenly. Thrigun wanted to cancel, but on his father's and elders' advice the wedding went ahead as a quiet, private ceremony.
A farm life and daughter Yuki
After his mother's death, Thrigun says he went through deep grief and questioned the pace of the film industry. He sold his Hyderabad apartment, spent some months in real estate, and later moved with Niveditha to a farm to stay close to his retired father. When not shooting, he spends his mornings working on it.
In late 2025, while he was shooting Janga, the couple welcomed a daughter, Yuki. He has said the name carries the idea of someone who has returned across ages and also nods to Japanese haiku. He has shared that he feels his late mother is reborn in his daughter.
7 Lesser-Known Facts About Thrigun
- A shirt torn for a Genelia film: As a schoolboy in Visakhapatnam, he fought a first-day crowd for a ticket to Boys (2003) and tore his shirt. Years later he debuted opposite that film's heroine, Genelia D'Souza.
- 1,200 scripts: After becoming Thrigun, he ran an open-door policy for new directors and says he heard around 1,200 stories in 18 months.
- Many debut directors: He has worked with roughly 20 first-time directors.
- A name coincidence: In Chennai Love Story, the female lead he loves is called Nivi, the same nickname as his wife.
- Five languages: He speaks Telugu, Tamil, English, Hindi and Kannada.
- Theatre habits: He credits his stage days, which included sweeping the stage before rehearsals, for keeping him grounded.
- Local designers: For his wedding he chose outfits from independent Hyderabad designers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the real name of Bigg Boss Telugu 10 contestant Thrigun?
His birth name is Arun Eswaran. He debuted as Adith Arun in 2009 and changed his screen name to Thrigun in January 2022, around the release of Konda.
Is Thrigun a Tamilian or a Telugu boy?
His parents are Tamil-speaking, but he says he was born in Guntur and raised in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam, moving to Chennai for college.
Who is Thrigun's wife, and does he have children?
He married architect Niveditha (Nivi) in a private ceremony in 2023. They have a daughter, Yuki, born in late 2025.
Why was Adith Arun compared to Ram Pothineni?
Early in his career, viewers noticed a resemblance in looks and energy between the two. Thrigun has said he took it as a compliment.
What are Thrigun's best movies?
Notable films include Katha (2009), Inidhu Inidhu (2010), Tungabhadra (2015), Thangamagan (2015), PSV Garuda Vega (2017), 24 Kisses (2018), WWW (2021), Konda (2022), Line Man (2024), Eesha (2025) and Chennai Love Story (2026).
Conclusion
Few Bigg Boss Telugu 10 contestants bring Thrigun's depth of industry experience. From a schoolboy in a ticket queue to a lead opposite Genelia D'Souza, and now films with Dhanush and, soon, Vijay Sethupathi, his 17-year journey is a story of persistence. Whether or not he lifts the trophy, the show is introducing his work to a much larger audience.
Sources
This profile is based on interviews given by the actor, including the Rajeev Pasupuleti podcast, a Filmy Focus interview and a pre-entry TV9 interview, along with official Bigg Boss Telugu broadcast information. Facts such as house status change often, so we update this page regularly. For corrections, contact us through our contact page.
Further reading: Madras Christian College.