Malayalam cinema sees a strong tradition of actors transitioning into directing, leveraging their deep character understanding. From Sreenivasan’s satirical classics to Prithviraj Sukumaran’s blockbusters and Vineeth Sreenivasan’s feel-good hits, these artists bring unique visions. Basil Joseph, Soubin Shahir, and even Mohanlal have also successfully ventured behind the camera, enriching the industry with diverse storytelling.
Malayalam cinema has long seen actors step behind the camera and take up direction. This trend is quite effective as actors who deeply understand characters often bring that vision into filmmaking. Here let’s look at some of the Malayalam actors who later turned to filmmakers.
Sreenivasan’s legacy as director
Sreenivasan remains one of the most celebrated actor-directors in Malayalam cinema. Known for his sharp writing and satire, he made his directorial debut with ‘Vadakkunokkiyanthram’.
The film explored themes of male ego and relationships, and went on to become a classic. Sreenivasan’s classic humor style combined with a hard hitting theme, was evident in ‘Vadakkunokkiyanthram’. Also the climax shot of this comedy-drama film is really unique and groundbreaking.Sreenivasan later directed the family drama ‘Chinthavishtayaya Shyamala’, which won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Popular Film. There is also an unreleased movie titled ‘Kotharan Oru Malayala Cinema’ that the actor was reportedly working on.
Veteran filmmakers with social themes
Venu Nagavally is another prominent name who made a successful transition. Having acted in over 200 films, he went on to direct 12 movies. His works, including Aye Auto, Lal Salam, and Sarvakalashala, were known for their strong social themes and engaging narratives. Majority of his films had the legendary actor Mohanlal in the lead.
New-age stars turn filmmakers
Prithviraj Sukumaran represents the modern wave of actor-directors. He made a blockbuster debut with Lucifer, starring Mohanlal. In his second directorial venture, Prithviraj Sukumaran proved his talent in executing comedy with ‘Bro Daddy’ that received good reviews. Although Prithviraj Sukumaran’s ‘L2: Empuraan’ faced criticism, it showed his versatility in handling big-canvas films.Similarly, Vineeth Sreenivasan has carved his own niche. Starting with Malarvadi Arts Club, he delivered hits like ‘Thattathin Marayathu’, ‘Thira’, ‘Varshangalkku Shesham’, and many more. Although Vineeth was known mostly for romantic, feel-good dramas, with his brother Dhyan Sreenivasan starrer ‘Thira’, he proved he also knows how to thrill audiences.
Basil Joseph to Mohanlal
Several other actors have also explored direction successfully. Basil Joseph delivered the superhero hit ‘Minnal Murali’, and ‘Godha’. Soubin Shahir impressed with the Dulquer Salmaan starrer ‘Parava’.Mohanlal stepped into direction with ‘Barroz: Guardian of D’Gama’s Treasure’, while Joju George is set to debut with ‘Pani’.Unfortunately Mohanlal’s ‘Barroz’ received mixed reviews from the audiences and turned out to be a flop. About stepping into filmmaking, Mohanlal had earlier mentioned in his blog, “It was not a planned decision but a result of a pursuit for various levels of creative realisation.”Earlier in an exclusive chat with ETimes, director Priyadarshan told us, “Mohanlal said he wanted to do something different from what he has been offered so far. He was suddenly fascinated by the concept of this project (‘Barroz’). He has said that when he wants to direct a film, he has to be excited about the project and this movie has him more excited than any other so far.”Filmmakers like Madhupal and Prathap Pothen have also contributed with films like ‘Thalappavu’ and ‘Megham’. Go to Source
