Saranya PonvannanSaranya Ponvannan (born Sheela Christina) is an Indian actress who predominantly appears in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam and a few Kannada language films. She also acted in one Hindi movie Chup: Revenge of the Artist in 2022. Saranya made her acting debut in a lead role in Mani Ratnam's Nayakan (1987) and went on to play lead roles from 1987 to 1996. Following an eight-year sabbatical, she returned to films in 2003 as a character actor roles.
Jagannatha VarmaK. N. Jagannatha Varma (1 May 1939 – 20 December 2016) was an Indian actor who worked in Malayalam film and television industry. He was also a Kathakali artist. His son Manu Varma is also an artist and his son-in-law Viji Thampi is a film director. He acted in a number of Malayalam movies performing roles of a senior police officer, judge or a priest.
SreenivasanSreenivasan (2 May 1950 – 20 December 2025) was an Indian actor, screenwriter, film director and producer who predominantly worked in Malayalam cinema. He starred in over 225 films.
Murali (Malayalam actor)Muraleedharan Pillai (25 May 1954 – 6 August 2009), better known by his stage nameMurali, was an Indian film, stage and television actor and author. He mainly appeared in Malayalam films and a few Tamil films. He won the National Film Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Appa Mestry, a communist freedom fighter and professional weaver, in the 2002 film Neythukaran.PhilominaPhilomina (1926 – 2 January 2006) was an Indian actress, who worked in the Malayalam film industry. She acted in more than 750 films in her career. She played mostly character and comedy roles, besides that of mother and grandmother. She started acting on the stage. This experience stood her in good stead when she was offered her first film role.Thikkurissy Sukumaran NairThikkurissy Sukumaran Nair (16 October 1916 – 11 March 1997) was an Indian poet, playwright, script writer, lyricist, orator, film director and actor, though he is best known as an actor in Malayalam cinema. He is the recipient of Padma Shri from the Government of India, which the fourth highest civilian honour in India. In a career that spanned about 47 years, he acted in over 700 films. He is considered to be the "first superstar of Malayalam cinema".Mohan RajMohanarajan (13 November 1955 – 3 October 2024), professionally credited as Mohan Raj, also known as Keerikkadan Jose, was an Indian actor. He primarily worked in Malayalam, Telugu, and Tamil languages, and appeared in two Japanese films. Raj acted in over 300 films.
MammoottyMuhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail (born 7 September 1951), known professionally as Mammootty ([mɐmːuːʈːi]), is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in Malayalam-language films. With a career spanning over five decades, he has appeared in over 400 films, predominantly in lead roles, across Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, and English languages.
MamukkoyaMamukkoya (5 July 1946 – 26 April 2023) was an Indian actor known for his work predominantly in Malayalam cinema. He mostly appeared in comedic roles. His unique usage of Kozhikode dialect and style marked his presence in the industry. In a career spanning over four decades, Mamukkoya acted in more than 450 Malayalam films and was the first winner of the State award for best comedian in Malayalam cinema.
Parvathy JayaramAshwathy Kurup (born 7 April 1970), better known by her stage nameParvathy, is an Indian former actress, costume designer and classical dancer, who has appeared in Malayalam films. Parvathy was a popular actress in Malayalam cinema during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Her first film was directed by Lenin Rajendran, but was shelved and never released. She was introduced to the industry by actor-director Balachandra Menon through Vivahithare Ithile in 1986.
SukumariSukumari (6 October 1940 – 26 March 2013) was an Indian actress best known for her works in Malayalam and Tamil films. In a career spanning more than five decades, she appeared in more than 2,500 films predominantly in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, along with a few Hindi and one each in Sinhala, French, Italian, Bengali, Tulu, English and Kannada films. Sukumari began acting at the age of 10.
Venu NagavallyVenu Nagavally (16 April 1949 – 10 September 2010) was an Indian actor, screenwriter and director best known for his work in Malayalam film industry. The son of writer, commentator, and broadcaster Nagavally R. S. Kurup, Venu Nagavally made his film debut with Ulkkadal, where he played the role of an idealistic lover. He was considered a handsome lead in his early career, often appearing as a romantic youth.
Sathyan AnthikadSathyan 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 for 6 films. He is the recipient of several accolades including a National Film Award, five Kerala State Film Awards and three Filmfare Awards.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.