Ajay Kumar (born 31 August 1976), popularly known as Guinness Pakru, is an Indian actor. He has made an entry into the

Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

for being the shortest actor () to play a character in a full-length film. He played the lead role in ''

Athbhutha Dweepu ''Albhutha Dweepu'' () is a 2005 Indian Malayalam-language fantasy film directed by Vinayan. The plot is set on an otherworld island where all men are dwarfs and women are of normal height, and humans are considered monsters. The film stars Pri ...

'', a Malayalam movie directed by

Vinayan T. G. Vinayakumar (born 16 May 1957), professionally credited as Vinayan, is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, and lyricist, who works predominantly in Malayalam cinema and occasionally in Tamil cinema. Early life Vinayan is from ...

. The movie was later dubbed in

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, nativ ...

and Telugu versions. The film ''

'' starred him as

dwarf Dwarf or dwarves may refer to: Common uses *Dwarf (folklore), a being from Germanic mythology and folklore * Dwarf, a person or animal with dwarfism Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Dwarf (''Dungeons & Dragons''), a humanoid ...

prince Gajendra of the kingdom Vamanapuri on a fantasy island, where the men were cursed to be dwarfs and women were of normal height. Around 300 dwarves acted in that film. In 2013, Pakru made his directorial debut with the film '' Kutteem Kolum''.

Early life

He was born Ajay Kumar, as the eldest son, of Radhakrishna Pillai and Ambujakshiyamma, on 31 August 1976 at his father's home in Mulavana,

Kundara Kundara is a census town in Kerala and is part of the Kollam Metropolitan Area, India. Kundara is situated 13 km east of Kollam city, 14 km west of Kottarakkara, and 24 km north of Paravur. Kundara is significant for its histor ...

. His father was an auto driver and mother was an L.I.C agent who also worked at a telephone service agency on contract. Soon after his birth his family moved to

Kottayam Kottayam () is a municipal town in the Indian state of Kerala. Flanked by the Western Ghats on the east and the Vembanad Lake and paddy fields of Kuttanad on the west. It is the district headquarters of Kottayam district, located in south- ...

. Since his mother was often transferred they moved from one place to other and finally settled at Pandavam,

Aymanam Aymanam is a village in the Kottayam District of Kerala, India. It is about 4 km from the railway station in Kottayam along the road to Parippu, and 85 km from the Cochin International Airport. Aymanam is the setting for Arundhati Ro ...

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

. He has two younger sisters, Kavitha and Sangeetha. He studied at C.M.S L.P School, Chalukunnu until fourth grade and at C.M.S High School, Olassa until S.S.L.C. Then he joined Baselius College,

and completed his pre degree and graduation from there. He is a BA graduate in

economics Economics () is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work. Microeconomics analyzes ...

and has a diploma in

computer science Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to practical disciplines (includi ...

. He started his career as a mimicry artist and later moved to films. He worked as a mimicry artist in mimicry troupes like Mangalam Mimics,

Nadirsha Nadhirshah is an Indian film director, music composer, singer, lyricist, actor, mimicry artist, comedian, and television host, who works in Malayalam films, television and stage. He has done several supporting roles in Malayalam cinema. His area ...

's Cochin Universal and

Kottayam Nazeer Kottayam Nazeer is an Indian actor, impressionist, and an artist from Kerala. Kottayam Nazeer started his career as a stage artist . Recently he also started his career in painting. Family Nazeer is married to Haseena. They have two sons, Mo ...

's Cochin Discovery. By age 18 he had completed 1000 mimicry stages. He debuted through the children's film ''Ambili Ammavan'' (''The Moon'') in 1984. He now also acts in

TV serial In television and radio programming, a serial is a show that has a continuing plot that unfolds in a sequential episode-by-episode fashion. Serials typically follow main story arcs that span entire television seasons or even the complete run of ...

Personal life

Pakru married Gayathri Mohan in March 2006. They have a daughter, Deeptha Keerthi, born on 14 April 2009. Pakru once said that Deeptha Keerthi was actually his second daughter. Before her, there was a daughter who lived only for two weeks.

Transformation to director

Pakru became a director with the 2013 Malayalam movie '' Kutteem Kolum'', in which he also played the lead role in the movie. He may be the shortest director in filmdom. The film starred Aditya,

Sanusha Sanusha Santhosh is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Malayalam cinema. Early life She is from Pallikunnu, Kannur District, Kerala, she has studied at Sreepuram School, pallikunnu Kannur. After her graduation in B.Com. from S. N. ...

, Laya, Munna, Suraj Venjaramoodu,

Vijayaraghavan Vijayaraghavan (born 20 December 1951) is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema. He is popular for his character roles. He is the son of popular drama and cinema artist N. N. Pillai. He got his break by playing the icon ...

and Ponnamma Babu. The camera was handled by Vinod Bharathi and music by Shaan Rahman.

Honours and awards

Pakru made an entry into the Guinness World Records for being the shortest lead actor (2 ft 6 in (76 cm)) to play a character in a full-length film. His accomplishment is cited on the 167th page of the 2008 edition of the ''

''. He was also presented with a

Kerala State Film Award 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 ...

best supporting actor

Tamil Nadu State Film Awards Tamil Nadu State Film Awards were given for excellence in Tamil cinema in India. They were given annually to honour the best talents and provide encouragement and incentive to the South Indian film industry by the Government of Tamil Nadu. The aw ...

for his performance in the film ''

Dishyum ''Dishyum'' is a 2006 Indian Tamil-language action-romance film directed by Sasi. Cinematography by Santonio Terzio. The film stars Jiiva, Sandhya, Guinness Pakru, Nassar, and Malavika Avinash. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by ...

'' in 2006. ;

* '' Guinness Book of Records'' (2008 edition) - shortest actor to play a lead character in a full-length movie * ''Guinness Book of Records'' (2013 edition) - shortest film director in the world to direct a full-length movie ; Kerala State Film Awards *

Kerala State Film Award – Special Mention The Kerala State Film Award – Special Mention is an award presented at the Kerala State Film Awards of India. Recipients See also * Kerala State Film Award – Special Jury Award The Kerala State Film Award – Special Jury Award is an ...

(2006) - ''

'' ;

Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize Recipients Here is a list of the award winners and the films for which they won. * The year mentioned refers to the year in which the films released. This is the list of Winners of Jury's Special Award See also * Tamil cinema * Cinema of Indi ...

(2006) - ''

'' *Movie Street Film Awards (2020)-Best Actor- Special Jury(Ilayaraja)

Filmography

As actor

;Malayalam * '' Ambili Ammavan'' (1986)....as Undapakru * ''

Ithaa Samayamaayi ''Itha Samayamayi'' is a 1987 Indian Malayalam film, directed by P. G. Vishwambharan. The film stars Jagathy Sreekumar, Ratheesh, Jayaram and Karamana Janardanan Nair in the lead roles. The film has musical score by Shyam. The film is loosely ...

'' (1987) * ''

Antharjanam Lalithambika Antharjanam (March 30, 1909 – February 6, 1987) was an Indian author and social reformer best known for her literary works in Malayalam language. She was influenced by Mahatma Gandhi and social reform movements among the Nambuthir ...

'' (1989)....Pakru * '' Joker'' (2000)....as Joker * ''

Basket A basket is a container that is traditionally constructed from stiff fibers and can be made from a range of materials, including wood splints, runners, and cane. While most baskets are made from plant materials, other materials such as horsehai ...

'' (2002) * '' Kunjikoonan'' (2002)....as Suhasini * ''

Meesha Madhavan ''Meesha Madhavan'' () is a 2002 Indian Malayalam-language action comedy film directed by Lal Jose and written by Ranjan Pramod. The film stars Dileep in the title role, while Kavya Madhavan, Indrajith Sukumaran, Jagathy Sreekumar and Cochin Ha ...

'' (2002) * ''Malsaram'' (2003)....as Induchoodan * ''

'' (2005)....as Prince Gajendran (

Kerala State Film Award (Special Jury Award) 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 ...

in 2005) * ''Manikyan'' (2005)....as Watchman * ''

Kilukkam Kilukilukkam ''Kilukkam Kilukilukkam'' () is a 2006 Indian Malayalam-language romantic comedy film directed by Sandhya Mohan and written by Udayakrishna-Siby K. Thomas. It is a sequel to the 1991 film '' Kilukkam''. The film stars a new cast of Kunchacko Bo ...

'' (2006) * '' Athisayan'' (2007) * '' Mulla'' (2008)....Chandran * '' Twenty:20'' (2008)....as a worker in Tea shop * ''

Ee Pattanathil Bhootham ''Ee Pattanathil Bhootham'' () is a 2009 Indian Malayalam-language fantasy comedy film directed by Johny Antony, Johnny Antony. It stars Mammootty with Kavya Madhavan, Innocent (actor), Innocent, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Salim Kumar, Rajan P. Dev, ...

'' (2009)....as Balan * ''Sivapuram'' (2009) * ''

Puthiya Mukham ''Puthiya Mukham'' () is a 2009 Indian Malayalam-language action thriller film directed by Diphan and written by M. Sindhuraj. The film stars Prithviraj Sukumaran, Bala, Priyamani and Meera Nandan. It was shot at locations in Kochi, Thrissur, ...

'' (2009) * ''

Loudspeaker A loudspeaker (commonly referred to as a speaker or speaker driver) is an electroacoustic transducer that converts an electrical audio signal into a corresponding sound. A ''speaker system'', also often simply referred to as a "speaker" or ...

'' (2009)....as an agent * '' Bodyguard'' (2010)....as Kudamaloor Balaji * ''

My Big Father ''My Big Father'' is a Malayalam movie by Mahesh P. Sreenivasan (Assistant Director- Sajith Jagadnandan) starring Guinness Pakru, Jayaram and Kanika . It was released in December 2009. The movie was produced by P.A. Sebastian and was distribu ...

'' (2010)....as Kunjumon * ''

Swantham Bharya Zindabad ''Swantham Bharya Zindabad'' ( ml, സ്വന്തം ഭാര്യ സിന്ദാബാദ്‌) is a 2010 Malayalam film produced by Raaffi Mathirra under the banner Ifar International and directed by Biju Vattappara, starring Guinnes ...

'' (2010)....as Vettoor Sivankutty * ''

Note Out ''Note Out'' is a 2011 Malayalam comedy film directed by debutant Kutty Naduvil starring Nishan and Mithra Kurian in the lead roles. The music of the film has been composed by Vinu Thomas with lyrics penned by Anil Panachooran. The film released ...

'' (2011) * '' Payyans'' (2011) * ''

Venicile Vyapari ''Venicile Vyapari'', () is a 2011 Indian Malayalam-language Action-romantic comedy film directed by Shafi, starring Mammootty, Kavya Madhavan and Poonam Bajwa. The film's plot unfolds in Alappuzha, a town in Kerala popularly known as the '' ...

'' (2011)....as Kochukrishnan * '' Rathinirvedam'' (2011) * '' Killadi Raman'' (2011)....as Bada Bhai * ''Snake & Ladder'' (2012) * ''Perinoru Makan'' (2012)....as Murugan * '' My Fan Ramu'' (2013) * '' Housefull'' (2013)....as Dr. Shenayi * '' Kutteem Kolum'' (2013)....as Vinayakan * ''

Immanuel Immanuel ( he, עִמָּנוּאֵל, 'Īmmānū'ēl, meaning, "God is with us"; also romanized: , ; and or in Koine Greek of the New Testament) is a Hebrew name that appears in the Book of Isaiah (7:14) as a sign that God will protect the H ...

'' (2013)....as Kannadi Kavi Shivan * ''

Abhiyum Njanum ''Abhiyum Njanum'' (''Abhi and Me'') is a 2013 Indian Malayalam film directed by S. P. Mahesh. Archana Kavi and debutant Rohit Nair play the lead along with Lal. The film is a travel movie which revolves around two characters, Abirami (Archana) ...

'' (2013)....as Veerabhadran * ''

Ring Master ''Ring Master'' is a 2014 Indian Malayalam-language comedy film written and directed by Rafi, starring Dileep in the role of an animal trainer in circus. Keerthy Suresh, Honey Rose, Vijayaraghavan, Kalabhavan Shajohn, Suraj Venjaramoodu, and G ...

'' (2014)....as Achankunju * ''6'' (2015).....as Vedalam * ''

3 Wicketinu 365 Runs 3 (three) is a number, numeral (linguistics), numeral and numerical digit, digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cu ...

'' (2015) * ''

Punyalan Private Limited ''Punyalan Private Limited'' is a 2017 Indian Malayalam-language political satire film written, co-produced and directed by Ranjith Sankar. It is a sequel to the 2013 film '' Punyalan Agarbattis'' and stars Jayasurya, Aju Varghese, Vijayaraghava ...

'' (2017)....as Bank Manager * ''

Ilayaraja Ilaiyaraaja (born R. Gnanathesikan, 3 June 1943) is an Indian musician, composer, arranger, conductor, orchestrator, instrumentalist, lyricist and singer, popular for his works in Indian Cinema, prominently in Tamil films. Reputed to be one of ...

'' (2019) *''

Fancy Dress A costume party (American English) or fancy dress party (other varieties of English) is a type of party, common in contemporary Western culture, in which many of the guests are dressed in costume, usually depicting a fictional or stock char ...

'' (2019) * ''

Mr. Pavanayi 99.99 ''Mister'', usually written in its contracted form ''Mr.'' or ''Mr'', is a commonly used English honorific for men without a higher honorific, or professional title, or any of various designations of office. The title 'Mr' derived from earlier ...

'' (2019) *'' Veerapakru'' (2020) ;Tamil * ''

'' (2006) ....as Amitabh ( Tamil Nadu State Film Award (Special Prizes)) * ''

Arputha Theevu ''Albhutha Dweepu'' () is a 2005 Indian Malayalam-language fantasy film directed by Vinayan. The plot is set on an otherworld island where all men are dwarfs and women are of normal height, and humans are considered monsters. The film stars Prit ...

'' (2007)....as Kajendran * '' Thalai Ezhuthu'' (2009).... as Kirthik * ''

Kaavalan ''Kaavalan'' () is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language romantic action comedy film written and directed by Siddique. A remake of the Malayalam film ''Bodyguard'', the film stars Vijay, Asin and Mithra Kurian with Rajkiran, Roja Selvamani and Vadi ...

'' (2011) * ''

7aum Arivu ''7aum Arivu'' (; ) is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language science fiction martial arts film written and directed by A. R. Murugadoss, featuring Suriya, Johnny Trí Nguyễn and Shruti Haasan. In the film, a medical student enlists the help of a cir ...

'' (2011) * ''Ariyaan'' (2012)

As director

* ''

Kuttiyum Kolum Kuttiyum kolum ( en, stick and cane) is a traditional game played in Kerala, India. It is similar to an ancient game found all over the Indian Subcontinent with different names, such as Gilli-danda in North India. A similar game by the name of ...

'' (2013)

As producer

*''Fancy Dress (2019)

Television

;Serials * ''Savari Girigiri'' (Surya TV) *''Tom and Jerry'' (Asianet) * ''Vallabhan C/O Vallabhan'' * ''

Cinemala ''Cinemala'' () is a Malayalam television parody series that aired on Asianet. Broadcast The first episode aired on Asianet, a Malayalam news television network, on 20 August 1993. It was the first show aired on Asianet. The program was br ...

'' (Asianet) * ''Five Star Thattukada'' (Asianet) *'' Ente Maathavu'' (Surya TV) *'' Erivum Puliyum '' (Zee Keralam) ;Shows * ''Chirikum Pattanam'' (Kairali TV) * ''Comedy Festival'' (Mazhavil Manorama) * ''Pokeeri Peekiri'' (

Asianet Plus Asianet is an Indian Malayalam language general entertainment pay television channel owned by Disney Star (formerly ''Star India''), a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company India. Asianet and its channels are operated by Asianet Star Communicat ...

) * ''Kuttykalavara'' (Flowers TV) * ''Komedy Circus'' (Mazhavil Manorama) * ''Comedy Utsavam'' (Flowers) * '' Thakarppan Comedy'' (

Mazhavil Manorama Mazhavil Manorama is an Indian Free-to-air Malayalam general entertainment television channel operated and owned by Malayala Manorama Television (MMTV), the publisher of the widely circulated ''Malayalam Manorama'' daily, and the Malayalam wom ...

) *''Midumidukki'' ( Flowers TV channel) *Top Singer (Flowers TV) *Music Ulsavam (Flowers TV) *Comedy masters (Amrita TV) *Comedy Utsavam 3 (Flowers TV)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pakru, Guinness 1976 births 20th-century Indian male actors 21st-century Indian male actors Living people Actors with dwarfism Male actors from Kottayam Male actors in Malayalam cinema Male actors in Malayalam television Male actors in Tamil cinema Indian male film actors Indian male television actors Kerala State Film Award winners