Asif Ali (born 4 February 1986) is an Indian
actor
An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...
and
producer, who predominantly works in the
Malayalam film industry
Malayalam cinema is an Indian film industry of Malayalam-language motion pictures. It is based in Kochi, Kerala, India. The films produced in Malayalam cinema are known for their cinematography and story-driven plots. In 1982, '' Elippathayam ...
. He started his film career with
Shyamaprasad
Shyamaprasad (born 7 November 1960) is an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter and actor from Kerala.
Career
Shyamaprasad was born on 7 November 1960 at Palakkad, as the younger son of O. Rajagopal and Santhakumari. He was named after Shyama Prasad ...
's 2009 Malayalam Language film, ''
Ritu''.
During the subsequent years Asif went on to act in critically and commercially successful films including the romantic thriller, ''
Apoorvaragam
''Apoorvaragam'' () is a 2010 Malayalam-language thriller film written by G. S. Anand and Najeem Koya, and directed by Sibi Malayil. The film stars Nishan, Asif Ali, Nithya Menon, Vinay Forrt, Abhilash and Hima. It released on 16 July 2010 ac ...
'', the road thriller film ''
Traffic
Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads) for travel and transportation.
Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffic ...
'', the romantic comedy film ''
Salt N' Pepper
''Salt N' Pepper'' is a 2011 Indian Malayalam-language romantic comedy film directed by Aashiq Abu and produced for Lucsam Creations. The film stars Lal, Asif Ali, Shwetha Menon, and Mythili in the lead roles, while Baburaj and Vijayaraghava ...
'' and the period drama movie ''
Ozhimuri
''Ozhimuri'' () is a List of Malayalam films of 2012, 2012 Cinema of India, Indian Malayalam cinema, Malayalam-language historical drama, period Drama film, drama film, directed by Madhupal and written by Jeyamohan and starring Lal (actor), Lal, ...
'', which got an official selection in the Indian Panorama section of the 43rd
International Film Festival of India
The International Film Festival of India (IFFI), founded in 1952, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. Held annually, currently in the state of Goa, on the western coast of the country, the festival aims at providing a common pla ...
. His 2013 film ''
Honey Bee
A honey bee (also spelled honeybee) is a eusocial flying insect within the genus ''Apis'' of the bee clade, all native to Afro-Eurasia. After bees spread naturally throughout Africa and Eurasia, humans became responsible for the current co ...
'' was one of the major hits in that year and his 2015 film ''
Nirnayakam
''Nirnaayakam'' is a 2015 Indian Malayalam-language drama film written by Bobby–Sanjay and directed by V. K. Prakash. The film features Asif Ali and Prem Prakash in Lead roles and Nedumudi Venu, Malavika Mohanan and Tisca Chopra in supporti ...
'' won the
National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues.
His success streak continued by starring in the 2016 romantic movie ''
Anuraga Karikkin Vellam'', the 2017 movie ''
Sunday Holiday
''Sunday Holiday'' is a 2017 Indian Malayalam-language comedy-drama film written and directed by Jis Joy. The film features an ensemble cast led by Asif Ali, Sreenivasan, Lal Jose, Aparna Balamurali, Asha Sarath, Dharmajan Bolgatty, Siddiq ...
'', the campus thriller ''
Btech
A Bachelor of Technology (Latin ''Baccalaureus Technologiae'', commonly abbreviated as B.Tech. or BTech; with honours as B.Tech. (Hons.)) is an undergraduate academic degree conferred after the completion of a three to five-year program of studi ...
'' (2018) and ''
Vijay Superum Pournamiyum
''Vijay Superum Pournamiyum'' () is a 2019 Indian Malayalam-language romantic comedy film, written and directed by Jis Joy, starring Asif Ali and Aishwarya Lekshmi, along with Balu Varghese, Siddique, Aju Varghese and Renji Panicker in supp ...
'' (2019), which produced a hat-trick of hits for him with Jis Joy.
He made his debut as a producer in the 2015 film ''
Kohinoor'' under his
production company
A production company, production house, production studio, or a production team is a studio that creates works in the fields of performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, comics, interactive arts, video games, websites, music, and ...
Adam's World of Imagination
Adam's World of Imagination is an Indian film production and distribution company established by Asif Ali and Sajin Jaffar.
The company's first project was '' Kohinoor'', directed by Vinay Govind, of '' Kili Poyi'' fame. This 2015 film fea ...
, which went on to be a success. Later he produced the 2016 film ''
Kavi Uddeshichath'' and distributed various films including ''
Vimaanam
''Vimaanam'' () is a 2017 Indian Malayalam-language drama film written and directed by debutant Pradeep M. Nair, and starring Prithviraj Sukumaran and Durga Krishna. The film was released on 22 December 2017.
This film is said to be loosely ba ...
'' and ''
Iblis
Iblis ( ar, إِبْلِيس, translit=Iblīs), alternatively known as Eblīs, is the leader of the devils () in Islam. According to the Quran, Iblis was thrown out of heaven, after he refused to prostrate himself before Adam. Regarding the o ...
''.
Early life and family
Asif Ali was born in Karikode, Thodupuzha,
Idukki,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
at 4 February 1986. He obtained graduation degree from the
Marian College, Kuttikkanam
Marian College is an autonomous educational institution in Kuttikkanam(Idukki), Kerala, India. It offers graduate and postgraduate courses. The Catholic Diocese of Kanjirapally established Marian College Kuttikkanam in 1995 to provide the studen ...
in
Business Administration
Business administration, also known as business management, is the administration of a commercial enterprise. It includes all aspects of overseeing and supervising the business operations of an organization. From the point of view of management ...
. While studying Ali modelled for ads and worked as a
video jockey
A video jockey (abbreviated VJ or sometimes veejay) is an announcer or host who introduces music videos and live performances on commercial music television channels such as MTV, VH1, MuchMusic and Channel V.
Origins
The term "video jockey" come ...
.
Personal life
Asif married Zama Mazrin in 2013. They have two children.
Acting career
He was selected by
Shyamaprasad
Shyamaprasad (born 7 November 1960) is an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter and actor from Kerala.
Career
Shyamaprasad was born on 7 November 1960 at Palakkad, as the younger son of O. Rajagopal and Santhakumari. He was named after Shyama Prasad ...
to play one of the lead roles in his film ''
Ritu'' and received positive reviews from critics and audiences. He was then approached by
Sathyan Anthikkad
Sathyan Anthikad is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and lyricist who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema. In a career spanning five decades he has directed more than 50 films, been the lyricist for 12 films and been the scriptwriter f ...
to play an important role in his film ''
Kadha Thudarunnu
''Kadha Thudarunnu'' () is a 2010 Malayalam-language drama film written and directed by Sathyan Anthikad. The film stars Jayaram, Mamta Mohandas, Baby Anikha and Asif Ali .Apoorvaragam
''Apoorvaragam'' () is a 2010 Malayalam-language thriller film written by G. S. Anand and Najeem Koya, and directed by Sibi Malayil. The film stars Nishan, Asif Ali, Nithya Menon, Vinay Forrt, Abhilash and Hima. It released on 16 July 2010 ac ...
'', directed by
Sibi Malayil
Sibi ( Sindhi: سيوي ur, ) is a city situated in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. The city is the headquarters of the district and tehsil of the same name.
Etymology
The origin of the town's name is attributed to Rani Sewi, a Hindu la ...
.
Since then, he had acted in the films ''
Best of Luck'' and ''
Traffic
Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads) for travel and transportation.
Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffic ...
''. His next film was ''
Ithu Nammude Katha
''Ithu Nammude Katha'' () is a 2011 Indian Malayalam-language film written and directed by Rajesh Kannankara, who debuts with this film. It stars Asif Ali, Nishan, Abhishek, Vineeth Kumar, Ananya, Amala Paul and Nimisha in the lead roles. The ...
'' written and directed by Rajesh Kannankara. In 2011 Ali signed to appear in
Aashiq Abu
Aashiq Abu (born 12 April 1978) is an Indian film director, producer, actor, and distributor, who works in Malayalam cinema.
He is best known for his films such as '' Daddy Cool'' (2009), ''Salt N' Pepper'' (2011), '' 22 Female Kottayam'' (201 ...
's second movie ''
Salt N' Pepper
''Salt N' Pepper'' is a 2011 Indian Malayalam-language romantic comedy film directed by Aashiq Abu and produced for Lucsam Creations. The film stars Lal, Asif Ali, Shwetha Menon, and Mythili in the lead roles, while Baburaj and Vijayaraghava ...
'' in which he played the role of Manu Raghav, a carefree youngster character who often puts himself into awkward situations trying to be over friendly.
He played cameo roles in ''
Doctor Love'', ''
Indian Rupee
The Indian rupee ( symbol: ₹; code: INR) is the official currency in the republic of India. The rupee is subdivided into 100 ''paise'' (singular: ''paisa''), though as of 2022, coins of denomination of 1 rupee are the lowest value in use wh ...
'', ''
Mallu Singh
''Mallu Singh'' () is a 2012 Indian Malayalam-language action comedy film written by Sethu and directed by Vysakh. The film stars Unni Mukundan, Kunchacko Boban, Biju Menon Manoj K. Jayan and Samvrutha Sunil. The film is credited as 50th film o ...
'' and ''
Ustad Hotel
''Ustad Hotel'' is a 2012 Indian Malayalam-language drama film directed by Anwar Rasheed, written by Anjali Menon and produced by Listin Stephen. The film stars Dulquer Salmaan,Thilakan and Nithya Menen with Siddique, Mamukkoya, and Lena in s ...
.'' In 2013 he appeared In
Jean Paul Lal
Jean Paul Lal, better known by his stage name Lal Jr., is an Indian film director and actor who mainly works in the Malayalam film industry. He is the son of actor-director Lal. His directorial debut movie was ''Honey Bee'' starring Asif Ali wh ...
's directorial debut, ''
Honey Bee
A honey bee (also spelled honeybee) is a eusocial flying insect within the genus ''Apis'' of the bee clade, all native to Afro-Eurasia. After bees spread naturally throughout Africa and Eurasia, humans became responsible for the current co ...
'' where he played the role of Sebastian which he followed with debutant
Jis Joy
Jis Joy is an Indian dubbing artist, film writer, director, and lyricist who works in the Malayalam film industry. He made his directorial debut with the Malayalam film ''Bicycle Thieves''.
Career
Jis Joy started his film career as a dubbing ...
's ''
Bicycle Thieves
''Bicycle Thieves'' ( it, Ladri di biciclette; sometimes known in the United States as ''The Bicycle Thief'') is a 1948 Italian neorealist drama film directed by Vittorio De Sica. It follows the story of a poor father searching in post- World ...
''. Ali sang four lines of the song "Aayiram Kannumaai", which was originally featured in
Fazil's ''
Nokkethadhoorathu Kannum Nattu
''Nokkethadhoorathu Kannum Nattu'' () is a 1984 Indian Malayalam-language drama film written and directed by Fazil, and starring Mohanlal, Nadhiya, Padmini. The film features original songs composed by Jerry Amaldev and background score by Jo ...
.''His next releases were ''
Pakida
''Pakida'' () is a 2014 Indian Malayalam-language road movie directed by Sunil Karyattukara, written by Rajesh Rajendran and Sreejith N., and starring Asif Ali and Biju Menon, with Malavika Nair, Shine Tom Chacko, Aju Varghese, Vishnu Raghav, ...
,
Mosayile Kuthira Meenukal
''Mosayile Kuthira Meenukal'' (Horse Fish of Mosa) is a 2014 Indian Malayalam-language adventure film directed by Ajith Pillai. Produced by Niyas Ismail under the banner of Frames Inevitable, it stars Asif Ali and Sunny Wayne along with Swath ...
'' and ''
Hi I'm Tony
''Hi I'm Tony'' is a 2014 Indian Malayalam-language psychological thriller film directed by Lal Jr. The film stars Lal in the title role alongside Asif Ali and Miya playing the lead pair. Biju Menon and Lena also play significant roles in th ...
''. He played the role of Shabab in ''
Sapthamashree Thaskaraha
''Sapthamashree Thaskaraha'' ( ''Seven Good Thieves'') is a 2014 Malayalam-language heist comedy film directed and written by Anil Radhakrishnan Menon. The film features an ensemble cast of Prithviraj Sukumaran, Asif Ali, Nedumudi Venu, Sudhee ...
'' and had a cameo role in ''
Vellimoonga
''Vellimoonga'' () is a 2014 Indian Malayalam-language political satire film directed by Jibu Jacob and written by Joji Thomas. It stars Biju Menon in the lead role with Aju Varghese, Nikki Galrani, Tini Tom, K. P. A. C. Lalitha, Sasi Kalinga, S ...
''.
In 2015 he appeared In ''
Nirnayakam
''Nirnaayakam'' is a 2015 Indian Malayalam-language drama film written by Bobby–Sanjay and directed by V. K. Prakash. The film features Asif Ali and Prem Prakash in Lead roles and Nedumudi Venu, Malavika Mohanan and Tisca Chopra in supporti ...
'', ''
Kohinoor'' and ''
Rajamma @ Yahoo''. His movie ''
Anuraga Karikkin Vellam'' went on to become one of the Superhit of 2016. He reunited with
Jean Paul Lal
Jean Paul Lal, better known by his stage name Lal Jr., is an Indian film director and actor who mainly works in the Malayalam film industry. He is the son of actor-director Lal. His directorial debut movie was ''Honey Bee'' starring Asif Ali wh ...
for ''
Honey Bee 2
''Honey Bee 2: Celebrations'' (also known as ''Honey Bee 2'') is a 2017 Indian Malayalam comedy film written and directed by Lal Jr. It is a sequel to the 2013 film ''Honey Bee'' and features Asif Ali, Bhavana, Baburaj, Sreenath Bhasi, Balu ...
''. Sequel of 2013 Box office success
Honey Bee
A honey bee (also spelled honeybee) is a eusocial flying insect within the genus ''Apis'' of the bee clade, all native to Afro-Eurasia. After bees spread naturally throughout Africa and Eurasia, humans became responsible for the current co ...
. Then he appeared in Mahesh Naryanan's
''
Take Off''. The film was shot in various parts of
Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
and released to widespread critical acclaim. In 2018, his major releases were ''
B Tech'', ''
Iblis
Iblis ( ar, إِبْلِيس, translit=Iblīs), alternatively known as Eblīs, is the leader of the devils () in Islam. According to the Quran, Iblis was thrown out of heaven, after he refused to prostrate himself before Adam. Regarding the o ...
'' and ''
Mandharam
''Mandharam'' is an Indian Malayalam-language romance film directed by Vijesh Vijay and scripted by M. Sajas, with Asif Ali in the lead role. The film was produced by Monisha Rajeev and Tinu Thomas under the banner of Magic Mountain Cinemas.
...
''. ''B Tech'' became a financial success, running for 100 days in Kerala.
He started the year 2019 with ''
Vijay Superum Pournamiyum
''Vijay Superum Pournamiyum'' () is a 2019 Indian Malayalam-language romantic comedy film, written and directed by Jis Joy, starring Asif Ali and Aishwarya Lekshmi, along with Balu Varghese, Siddique, Aju Varghese and Renji Panicker in supp ...
'', which became a successful venture at box office. He played a critical role in the movie ''
Uyare
''Uyare'' () is a 2019 Indian Malayalam-language thriller film directed by Manu Ashokan (in his directorial debut), written by Bobby & Sanjay and produced by the sister-trio Shenuga, Shegna, and Sherga. The film stars Parvathy Thiruvothu, As ...
'', which had Parvathy and Tovino Thomas playing other characters. He played another critical role in the film ''
Virus
A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism. Viruses infect all life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea.
Since Dmitri Ivanovsky's 1 ...
'', based on a true story that occurred in
Calicut
Kozhikode (), also known in English as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. It has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making it the second la ...
. He later acted in Nissam Basheer's directorial debut ''
Kettyolaanu Ente Malakha
''Kettyolaanu Ente Malakha'' () is a 2019 Indian Malayalam-language romantic drama film directed by Nissam Basheer (in his directorial debut), written by Aji Peter Thankam, and produced by Magic Frames. It stars Asif Ali and Veena Nandakumar ...
'', which was a box office success and gained critical acclaim. Director
Lal Jose
Lal Jose is an Indian director
Director may refer to:
Literature
* ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine
* ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker
* ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty
Music
* Direc ...
appraised it to be his career's best.
In 2021 His Major Releases were
Ellam Sheriyakum and
Kunjeldho
''Kunjeldho'' is a 2021 Indian Malayalam-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Mathukkutty.The movie is produced by Suvin K Varkey and Prasobh Krishna for their studio Little Big Films. Asif Ali plays the leading role in this fi ...
.
Filmography
As an actor
As producer
As playback singer
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ali, Asif
Living people
21st-century Indian male actors
Indian male film actors
Indian male voice actors
Male actors from Kerala
Male actors in Malayalam cinema
People from Idukki district
1986 births
Film producers from Kerala
Malayalam film producers