Muraleedharan Pillai, popularly known as Murali ( ml, മുരളി, 25 May 1954 – 6 August 2009) was an Indian film, stage and television actor and author. He mainly appeared in
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry ( Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam wa ...
films and a few
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, na ...
films and also many other movies. He won the
National Film Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Appa Mestry, a
communist
Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, ...
freedom fighter and professional weaver in the 2002 film ''
Neythukaran''. He was known for his powerful portrayal of character roles, lead roles and negative roles.
Murali started his film career playing villain roles and soon turned to character acting. He played the leading role in the 1992 film ''
Aadhaaram
''Aadhaaram'' is a 1992 Malayalam-language drama film directed by George Kithu, written by Lohithadas. The film stars Murali as Bapputty, who is trying to rebuild life after completing his prison sentence. The film also features Suresh Gopi, ...
'', which gave a "break" to his career. The film was well received at the box office and Murali ascended to the status of a star in Malayalam cinema, which he enjoyed for a few years during the 1990s.
Besides acting, he was the chairman of the
Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy
Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy is located in Thrissur city, of Kerala, in India. It was established on 26 April 1958, inaugurated by then Indian Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. The academy started a cultural centre at the Bahrain Keral ...
from 2006 until his death. He also authored five books, and was also a Sangeetha Nataka Academy award winner. He contested at the
1999 Lok Sabha polls as a
communist
Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, ...
candidate without success. He was also the Director of the
CPI(M) promoted television company ''Malayalam Communications Limited'', which runs Malayalam TV channels
Kairali TV, People TV and We TV. His last film was the 2009 Tamil film ''
Aadhavan
''Aadhavan'' () is a 2009 Indian Tamil-language action comedy film directed by K. S. Ravikumar and written by Ramesh Khanna. The film stars Suriya and Nayantara, with Vadivelu, Murali, B. Saroja Devi, Rahul Dev, Sayaji Shinde, Anand Babu in ...
''. He is one of the founders of the Malayalam film actors association AMMA.
Early life
Murali was born on 25 May 1954 as the first of five children to P. Krishna Pillai and K. Devaki Amma at
Kudavattoor,
Kollam
Kollam (), also known by its former name Quilon , is an ancient seaport and city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. The city ...
, Kerala, India. He has four siblings, Thulasi, Sheela, Harikumar and Sheeja. He did his schooling from Kudavattoor L. P. School and Thrikannamangalam S. K. V. High School. He passed the pre-degree from
M.G. College,
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...
and his Degree from
Devaswom Board College,
Sasthamkotta. He was an active member of the
Students Federation of India. He took an
LL.B degree from the
Kerala Law Academy Law College
Kerala Law Academy (KLA), also referred to as the Kerala Law Academy Law College, is a self financing law college in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. Founded in 1967, it is the first, and was for many years the only, self financing law inst ...
,
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...
. After studies, he worked for some years as Lower Division
Clerk in the Department of Health,
Government of Kerala
Government of Kerala is the subnational government of the Indian state of Kerala. The government is led by a chief minister, who selects all the other ministers. The chief minister and their most senior ministers belong to the supreme decisio ...
and as Upper Division Clerk in the office of
Kerala University. He was married to his first cousin Mini and has a daughter Karthika. His daughter married Sonoop R. Nair on 15 July 2016
Career
Film actor
Murali debuted in films with the lead role in ''
Njattadi'', directed by
Bharath Gopi. But the film was never released. He then got chance to act in ''Chidambaram'', directed by the National Award-winning filmmaker
Aravindan. He then acted in ''Meenamasathile Sooryan'' and ''
Panchagni'', directed by
Lenin Rajendran and
Hariharan, respectively. ''Panchagni'' got released first and it gave him the break in his acting career. He soon established himself as a powerful actor in the Malayalam film industry. ''
Aadhaaram
''Aadhaaram'' is a 1992 Malayalam-language drama film directed by George Kithu, written by Lohithadas. The film stars Murali as Bapputty, who is trying to rebuild life after completing his prison sentence. The film also features Suresh Gopi, ...
'', directed by George Kittu, was the first film to be released with Murali in a lead role. He acted in a variety of roles, ranging from lead roles to villain roles, and won accolades. Some of his other notable films include ''Nee Ethra Dhanya'', ''Dhanam'', ''The King'', ''Pathram'', ''Chakoram'', ''Veeralippattu'', ''Achan Kombathu Amma Varambathu'', ''Meenamasathile Sooryan'', ''Swarnam'', ''Kaarunyam'' and ''The Truth''"Amaram". Also worth-mentioning are his remarkable portrayals as a toddy tapper in Malayogam and as trade union leader in Varavelppu.
Murali acted in the longest TV commercial ever on Indian TV, spanning 150 seconds. This was for
Air Deccan
Air Deccan is an Indian regional airline currently operating from Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Ahmedabad ( ; Gujarati: Amdavad ) is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad di ...
in 2005.
Stage actor
Murali was actively involved with ''Natyagriham'', a drama venture started by actor
Narendra Prasad. Murali won critical acclaim for his portrayal of
Ravana
Ravana (; , , ) is a rakshasa king of the island of Lanka, and the chief antagonist of the Hindu epic '' Ramayana'' and its adaptations.
In the ''Ramayana'', Ravana is described to be the eldest son of sage Vishrava and rakshasi Kaikesi. He ...
in the Malayalam play ''Lanka Lakshmi'', which was based on C. N. Sreekantan Nair's novel of the same name. He was also associated with
G. Sankara Pillai in doing theatre plays.
Author
Murali authored five books. His book on
Kumaranasan, ''Abhinethavum Asan Kavithayum'' (''Actor and Asan's Poetry'') won him the Sangeetha Nataka Academy award. One of his other critically acclaimed books was ''Abhinyathinte Rasathanthram'' (''Chemistry of Acting'').
Politician
Murali was a member of
Communist Party of India (Marxist)
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (abbreviated as CPI(M)/CPIM/CPM) is a Marxist–Leninist communist political party in India. It is the largest communist party of India in terms of membership and electoral seats and one of the na ...
and has contested the 1999 Lok Sabha polls from the
Alappuzha
Alappuzha or Alleppey () is the administrative headquarters of Alappuzha district in state of Kerala, India. The Backwaters of Alappuzha are one of the most popular tourist attractions in India which attracts millions of domestic and interna ...
constituency as a
Left Democratic Front
The Left Democratic Front (LDF) is an alliance of left-wing political parties in the state of Kerala, India. It is the current ruling political alliance of Kerala, since 2016. It is one of the two major political alliances in Kerala, the ...
candidate, but lost to
V. M. Sudheeran of
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British E ...
.
Death
Murali died in
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...
on 6 August 2009 at the age of 55, due to acute diabetes which led to a
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...
at 8.20 PM IST. He was cremated with full state honours at his home in
Aruvikkara, which he had bought some years prior to his death.
Awards
National Film Awards
The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorat ...
:
* 2001 –
Best Actor
Best Actor is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actors in a film, television series, television film or play.
The term most often refers to the ...
– ''Neythukaaran''
Kerala State Film Awards
The Kerala State Film Awards are the film awards for a motion picture made in Kerala. The awards started in 1969 by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala and since 1998 the awards have been bestowed by Kerala State Ch ...
:
* 1992–
Best Actor
Best Actor is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actors in a film, television series, television film or play.
The term most often refers to the ...
– ''
Aadhaaram
''Aadhaaram'' is a 1992 Malayalam-language drama film directed by George Kithu, written by Lohithadas. The film stars Murali as Bapputty, who is trying to rebuild life after completing his prison sentence. The film also features Suresh Gopi, ...
''
* 1996 –
Best Actor
Best Actor is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actors in a film, television series, television film or play.
The term most often refers to the ...
– ''Kaanakkinavu''
* 1998 –
Best Actor
Best Actor is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actors in a film, television series, television film or play.
The term most often refers to the ...
– ''Thalolam''
* 2001 –
Best Actor
Best Actor is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actors in a film, television series, television film or play.
The term most often refers to the ...
– ''Neythukaaran''
* 1991 –
Second Best Actor – ''Amaram''
* 2007 –
Second Best Actor – ''Veeralipattu'', ''Pranayakalam''
Kerala state TV Awards
*2008–
Kerala State Television Award for Best Actor – Aranazhikaneram
Filmfare Awards
The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Hindi-language film industry of India.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were first introduced by th ...
:
* 1992 –
Best Actor
Best Actor is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actors in a film, television series, television film or play.
The term most often refers to the ...
– ''Aadharam''
Other awards:
* Madras Film Fans Award
* Kerala Film Critics Award
* Shivaram Award
* Best columnist award: for his feature "Vyazhaporul" in the ''
Malayala Manorama
''Malayala Manorama'' is a morning newspaper in Malayalam published from Kottayam, Kerala, India by the Malayala Manorama Company Limited. Currently headed by Mammen Mathew; it was first published as a weekly on 22 March 1888, and currently has ...
'' newspaper
Filmography
As Actor
Malayalam
Tamil
Telugu
Hindi
Story
* ''
Ennu Nadhante Nimmi'' (1986)
Television career
*Aranazhika Neram (Amrita TV)
*Sakunam ( DD Malayalam)
Posthumous recognition
The Bharat Murali Cultural Centre was established at his birthplace, Kudavattoor. It presents the annual Bharat Murali Award to distinguished contributors to Malayalam cinema.
* 1st (2010) -
K. P. A. C. Lalitha
Maheshwari Amma, better known by her stage name K. P. A. C. Lalitha, was an Indian film and stage actress who worked primarily in Malyalam. She started her acting career with K. P. A. C., a theatre collective in Kayamkulam, Kerala. In a caree ...
, actress;
Kuttyedathi, actress
* 2nd (2011) -
Manoj K. Jayan
Manoj Kadampoothramadom Jayan also known as Manoj K.Jayan is an Indian actor of Malayalam and Tamil films. He has also done a few Telugu and Kannada films and has also acted in a Bollywood film. Manoj has won three Kerala State Film Award for S ...
, actor
* 3rd (2012) -
Kaviyoor Ponnamma
Kaviyoor Ponnamma is an Indian actress who appears in Malayalam films and television. She began her career performing in theatre dramas before foraying into cinema. She has also acted in TV serials and commercials and has playback singing cred ...
, actress
* 7th (2016) -
Surabhi Lakshmi
Surabhi C. M., also known as Surabhi Lakshmi is an Indian film, television, and stage actress who appears in Malayalam films and television. She won the National Film Award for Best Actress in 2016 for portraying the role of a struggling middle ...
, actress;
Indrans
Indrans is an Indian actor and former costume designer, who appears in Malayalam films.His mentor was Shiyas M S, a law college student. He started his film career as a costume designer and actor in 1981 and got a breakthrough in 1994 with the ...
, actor
* 9th (2020) -
Vijith Nambiar, director
References
*
*
External links
*
Murali at MSI
{{DEFAULTSORT:Murali
Best Actor National Film Award winners
Politicians from Kollam
2009 deaths
Kerala State Film Award winners
People from Kollam district
Male actors from Kollam
1954 births
Indian actor-politicians
Male actors in Malayalam cinema
Indian male film actors
Male actors in Tamil cinema
Filmfare Awards South winners
Communist Party of India (Marxist) politicians from Kerala
Male actors in Malayalam television
Indian male television actors
20th-century Indian male actors
21st-century Indian male actors
20th-century Indian politicians
21st-century Indian politicians
Malayalam film producers
Film producers from Thiruvananthapuram
Malayalam screenwriters
Screenwriters from Thiruvananthapuram
20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights
20th-century Indian screenwriters