Emerging actor and filmmaker Ken Karunaas is now on the winning streak after the blockbuster success of his film ‘Youth’. The coming-of-age comedy has so far collected around Rs 72 crore worldwide and has become one of the highest grossing Tamil films of 2026. The film revolves around the hilarious and emotional experiences of a carefree 10th grader as he discovers the true nature of love and life through friendships and breakups. Apart from directing the film, Ken Karunaas also played the lead role. A young talent who has worked before DhanushThe ‘Asuran’ son is now garnering praise for creating a film that had a strong connection with the youngsters and family audiences.
Ken Karunaas shares his happiness over the massive response to ‘Youth’
Speaking about the success of ‘Youth’ in a chat with Variety India, Ken Karunaas admitted that he still finds the film’s box office performance unbelievable. He said: “Honestly … it still feels a little unreal. When we were making ‘Youth,’ we were just a bunch of guys trying to tell a story that we lived and believed in. There was no calculation.” He further added, “To reach so many people is awesome in the nicest way. I feel grateful more than anything. Thankful to God, the audience, my team…and cinema itself for being so kind to me.”
Real-life emotions and family ties became the strength of “The Young.”
According to Ken Karunaas, the story of ‘Youth’ is inspired by real emotions and moments experienced by many young people. He explained that the film is not based on a specific true story, but on familiar feelings and situations of everyday life. Ken added that he had good on-screen chemistry with his film parents Suraj Venjaramoodu and Devadarshini, who contributed a lot to the film. Ken said he met his parents to get to know them as people. Fans especially related to the emotional family scenes, which became one of the highlights of the film.
Ken Karunaas said the success of young directors is an honest story
During the interaction, Ken Karunaas also spoke about why so many young directors are finding success in Southern cinema today. He said that audiences are now smart and can quickly connect with true stories. “We’re not afraid to tell rooted stories anymore. We’re not trying to copy anything. We’re being ourselves, and I think that’s working,” he said. The young filmmaker also revealed his learning experience while assisting Dhanush in films like ‘Vaathi’, ‘Thiruchitrambalam’ and ‘Raayan’.He said that Dhanush taught him the importance of clarity, discipline and confident instincts. Despite the huge success of ‘Youth’, Ken said he celebrated quietly by spending time at home with his family.
