Known by his stage name Attakathi Dinesh and born as Dinesh Ravi, he is one of the leading stars in Tamil cinema. He forayed into the acting industry by playing minor roles but made his breakthrough with the film Attakathi (2012). His maverick acting skills, garnered him praises from veteran actor Kamal Haasan and well-known media portals such as Times Of India, IANS and Rediff. With his phenomenal acting skills, he has carved his name in Tamil movie industry with brilliant performances in his films.

Early Life
Hailing from Vellore, Tamil Nadu, Dinesh Ravi did his schooling from Dhanalakshmi Higher Secondary school, Washermenpet, Chennai. After graduation, he realised his penchant for acting, and started trying for projects in the film industry since 2010.

Movie Career
Attakathi Dinesh debuted in 2006 with the movie E, after which he notched minor roles in films like Aadukalam and Mouna Guru. However, owing to his exemplary acting skills he got a breakthrough in the Tamil romantic comedy film Attakathi (2012), written and directed by Pa. Ranjith, a former assistant ofVenkat Prabhu and a revered filmmaker in the Tamil movie industry. In Attakathi,, Dinesh played the role of a semi urban teenager Dinakaran, co-staring with Nandita and Aishwarya Rajesh. Notching 100 million, the movie not only performed well commercially but also earned positive reviews. Thereafter, Dinesh Ravi came to be known as Attakathi Dinesh. Having been nominated for Best Actor for 7th annual Vijay awards, 6th Edison Awards, Chennai Times Film Awards and clinching Best Actor for Jaya TV Awards and Vikatan Awards, he was deemed to be a promising actor thereafter. Media portals such as Times Of India, Rediff, IANS, Sify praised the actor for his phenomenal performance. The critics also stated that the movie’s flaws could be overlooked owing to the actor’s sheer acting skills. The maverick actor, Kamal Hasan stated,”Attakathi Dinesh is the next Kamal Haasan of the industry”.

After the box office success of Attakathi, Dinesh Ravi appeared in cameo appearances in Ethir Neechal and Pannaiyarum Padminiyum. In 2014, he appeared in a lead role in the movie Cuckoo directed by Raju Murugan and produced by Fox Star Studios. Playing the role of a visually challenged man, he was praised for his riveting performance. In the movie, he shared a warm love story with his co-star Malavika Nair. The soundtrack of the movie, composed by Santhosh Narayanan, was life affirming. Not only did Attakathi Dinesh surprise the audiences with his role, but also got the critics to state that the film belonged only to him. Along with the setting and characters of the film, it was also appreciated for being technically well made. With the characters portraying vulnerability and defiance simultaneously, this movie upped the ante of modern love stories. The movie also performed fairly well at the box office. His other 2014 movie, Thirudan Police directed by Caarthick Raju was about a son taking revenge for his father's death. The film was remade in Telugu as Sapthagiri Express. He co-starred with Ishywarya Rajesh and Bala Saravanan who endeavored to make the film worth watching, but the plot of the average revenge drama got marred by comedy. . In 2015, his movie Tamizhuku En Ondrai Azhuthavum directed by Ramprakash Rayappa, starred Nakul, Attakathi Dinesh, Bindu Madhavi and Aishwarya Dutta. The film was about imminent deadly bomb destruction assailing the city. The story’s social thriller keeps one on the edge of the seat and Dinesh’s role as Mukil earned positive reviews.

Subsequent to this, Dinesh was seen in Visaranai in 2016, a docu-drama crime-thriller film, written and directed by Vetrimaaran. It was based on the novel Lock Up by M. Chandrakumar. The plot of the film revolves around police brutality and corruption, in which innocent men are falsely accused for a crime, and find no way to escape. The movie saw Dinesh as one of the leads in the role of Pandi Ravi, a labourer with Anandhi, along with Aadukalam Murugadoss and Samuthirakani, who played other significant characters. Their intense performances made the film a compelling watch. Not only was it critically acclaimed but also was a huge box office success. Moreover, it was nominated for Oscars and premiered at 72nd Venice Festival. Having won Amnesty International Italia Award and Best Feature Film in Tamil, Best Supporting Actor and Best Editing for 63rd National Film Awards, the film’s success knew no bounds. His other 2016 release was Oru Naal Koothu directed by Nelson S.VM. starring Dinesh, Mia George, Nivetha Pethuraj and Riythvika. With his role as Rajkumar, Dinesh earned positive reviews from the critics. Dinesh had also played a supporting role alongside South Superstar Rajinikanth in the movie Kabali as Jeeva, which was directed by Pa. Ranjith. The film revolves around the gang war between Kabaleeswaran (played by Rajinikanth) and Tony Lee (portrayed by Winston Chao). However, Dinesh also played a pivotal role. Though the film earned mixed reviews, it performed incredibly well at the box office. The actor was also is a part of movies like Vaaraayo Vennilaave, Ulkuthu, Merlin and Annanukku Jai.