List of Famous people born in Chennai, India

Rashmika Mandanna is an Indian film actress and model who works predominantly in Telugu and Kannada-language films. She is popularly dubbed by the media and Kannada film industry as the 'Karnataka Crush'. Mandanna is one among very few actresses to have a film gross ₹1 billion in such a short span, and among the most popular and highest-paid actresses in Telugu and Kannada cinema.

Subramanian Swamy is an Indian politician, economist and statistician, who serves as a nominated Member of Parliament in Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament. Before joining politics, he was a professor of Mathematical Economics at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. He is known for his Hindu nationalist views. Swamy was a member of the Planning Commission of India and was a Cabinet Minister in the Chandra Shekhar government. Between 1994 and 1996, Swamy was Chairman of the Commission on Labour Standards and International Trade under former Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao. Swamy was a long-time member of the Janata Party, serving as its president until 2013 when he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Srinivasa Iyer Ramaswamy, better known as Cho Ramaswamy, was an Indian actor, comedian, character actor, editor, political satirist, playwright, dialogue writer, film director and lawyer in Tamil Nadu.

Viswanathan Shanta was an Indian oncologist and the chairperson of Adyar Cancer Institute, Chennai. She was best known for her efforts towards making quality and affordable cancer treatment accessible to all patients in her country. She dedicated herself to the mission of organizing care for cancer patients, study of the disease, research on its prevention and cure, spreading awareness about the disease, and developing specialists and scientists in various subspecialties of oncology. Her work won her several awards, including the Magsaysay Award, Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award given by the Government of India.

Pasupathy is an Indian film actor. He appeared in critically acclaimed roles in many noted films in Tamil cinema, playing supporting, antagonistic, comedic as well as protagonistic roles. His performance in E (2006) earned him a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor and a Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also won an ITFA Best Supporting Actor Award for his role in Kuselan (2008). He has also appeared in Malayalam, Telugu, and Kannada films.

Seema is an Indian film and television actress. She has performed in approximately 250 films in Malayalam, 20 in Tamil, seven in Telugu, four in Kannada and one in Hindi.

Radha Burnier was born in Adyar, India. She was president of the Theosophical Society Adyar from 1980 until her death in 2013. She was General Secretary of the Indian Section of the Society between 1960 and 1978, and was previously an actress in Indian films and Jean Renoir's The River.

Lewellyn Anthony Gonsalvez is an Indian film editor from Tamil Nadu. He was introduced to cinema through the popular film director Gautham Menon by the blockbuster film Kaakha Kaakha. He continued this collaboration with Gautham by Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu, Pachaikili Muthucharam, Vaaranam Aayiram, Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa, Neethaane En Ponvasantham, Yennai Arindhaal and Achcham Yenbadhu Madamaiyada. Following the huge success of these films, director Shankar has collaborated with him through Enthiran. He has worked in over sixty Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi films. He had a release in Kannada language, which was the simultaneously produced version of the Tamil film Vana Yuddham, which he edited. He is the editor for India's most expensive feature film 2.0. He is also an inspiration for many young editors.

John Walsh was a British scientist and Secretary to the Governor of Bengal.

Thalaivasal Vijay is an Indian film, television actor and dubbing artist. He has acted predominantly in Tamil and Malayalam films and television shows.