Pratap Pothen (13 August 1952 – 15 July 2022) was an Indian actor and filmmaker who acted in about 100 films and directed 12 films. He 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 ...

, Tamil and

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...

as well as

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of North India, northern, Central India, centr ...

films. He also worked as a scriptwriter and producer for films.

Early life and career

Pratap was born in

Trivandrum 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 ...

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 C ...

on 13 August 1952. His father Kolathinkal Pothan was a businessman who died when Pratap was 15 years old. Pratap had five siblings, including an elder brother, Hari Pothan, who also worked as a film producer. Pratap was educated at the

Lawrence School, Lovedale The Lawrence School, Lovedale (formerly known as Lawrence Memorial Royal Military School), the namesake of its founder Brigadier-General Sir Henry Montgomery Lawrence KCB, is a co-educational boarding school located at Lovedale, which is a ...

Ooty Ooty (), officially known as Udhagamandalam (also known as Ootacamund (); abbreviated as Udhagai), is a city and a municipality in the Nilgiris district of the South Indian States and territories of India, state of Tamil Nadu. It is located ...

. Initially, he was interested in painting; however, once he joined college, he started acting in plays with the help of his friends, and gradually got more interested in acting than painting. After his graduation from the

Madras Christian College Madras Christian College (MCC) is a liberal arts and sciences college in Chennai, India. Founded in 1837, MCC is one of Asia's oldest extant colleges. The college is affiliated to the University of Madras but functions as an autonomous institu ...

, Pratap worked as a copywriter in an ad agency in

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the secon ...

. Later he also worked at Sistas ad agency and Hindustan Thomson.

Personal life

Pratap married actress Raadhika in 1985, but their marriage did not last long and they separated in 1986. In 1990, he married Amala Sathyanath, with whom he had a daughter, Keya. Pratap and Amala got divorced in 2012.

Film career

Pratap worked with The Madras Players. After seeing Pratap's performance in Shaw's play ''

Androcles and the Lion Androcles ( el, Ἀνδροκλῆς, alternatively spelled Androclus in Latin), is the main character of a common folktale about a man befriending a lion. The tale is included in the Aarne–Thompson classification system as type 156. The ...

,''

Bharathan Bharathan (14 November 1946 – 30 July 1998) was an Indian film maker, artist, and art director. Bharathan is noted for being the founder of a new school of film making in Malayalam cinema, along with Padmarajan and K. G. George, in ...

invited Pratap to appear in his Malayalam film '' Aaravam''. Pratap later starred in three more films: ''

Thakara ''Thakara'' is a 1979 Indian Malayalam-language drama film directed by Bharathan and written by Padmarajan. It stars Prathap Pothan, Surekha, Nedumudi Venu and K. G. Menon in pivotal roles. The film was a breakthrough in the career of Bharathan ...

'', ''

Lorry A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame constructi ...

'' and ''

Chamaram ''Chamaram'' is a 1980 Malayalam film written by John Paul Puthusery and directed by Bharathan, starring Nedumudi Venu, Zarina Wahab, Prathap Pothan and Ratheesh. The story is about the tumultuous affair between a student and his college le ...

''. He also acted in Tamil films such as '' Moodupani'', ''

Varumayin Niram Sivappu ''Varumaiyin Niram Sivappu'' () is a 1980 Indian Tamil-language satirical drama film written and directed by K. Balachander. The film stars Kamal Haasan and Sridevi, with Pratap Pothen, R. Dilip and S. Ve. Shekher in supporting roles. It r ...

'', ''

Nenjathai Killathe ''Nenjathai Killathe'' () is a 1980 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by Mahendran. The film stars Suhasini, Sarath Babu, Pratap and Mohan. It focuses on a girl who is torn between the man she loved, and the m ...

'', '' Panneer Pushpangal''. His debut as a director was in '' Meendum Oru Kaathal Kathai'', which he received a national award for. Prathap worked with

Kamal Haasan Kamal Haasan (born 7 November 1954) is an Indian actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, playback singer, television presenter and politician who works mainly in Tamil cinema and has also appeared in some Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi, Kannada and Bengali f ...

in '' Vettri Vizhaa'' (1989). The film is noteworthy for being the first Tamil movie to use a

steadicam Steadicam is a brand of camera stabilizer mounts for motion picture cameras invented by Garrett Brown and introduced in 1975 by Cinema Products Corporation. It was designed to isolate the camera from the camera operator's movement, keeping the ...

. Pratap created three more films in Malayalam '' Rithubhedam'', '' Daisy'', ''

Oru Yathramozhi ''Oru Yathramozhi'' () is a 1997 Indian Malayalam-language drama film directed by Prathap Pothan, based on a story by Priyadarshan and a screenplay by John Paul. It stars Sivaji Ganeshan and Mohanlal. It was produced by V. B. K. Menon and dist ...

''. His only Telugu film is ''

Chaitanya Chaitanya or Chaithanya may refer to Philosophy *Chaitanya (consciousness), Hindu philosophical concept People *Chaitanya (name) *Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1533), founder of Gaudiya Vaishnavism Media * ''Chaitanya'' (film), a 1991 Telugu film ...

'' and his only role in

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...

is in ''

Guru Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverentia ...

''. His notable roles in Malayalam cinema include ''Once Upon A Time There Was A Kallan'', ''

Ayalum Njanum Thammil ''Ayalum Njanum Thammil'' ('' en, Between Him and Me'') is a 2012 Indian Malayalam-language medical drama film directed by Lal Jose. The film produced by Prem Prakash was written by his sons Bobby and Sanjay. It stars Prithviraj Sukumaran, Pra ...

'', ''

22 Female Kottayam ''22 Female Kottayam'', also known as ''22FK'', is a 2012 Indian Malayalam-language thriller film directed by Aashiq Abu. Written by Syam Pushkaran and Abhilash S. Kumar. The film stars Fahadh Faasil and Rima Kallingal. It was set and filmed i ...

'', '' Idukki Gold'', ''

Ezra Ezra (; he, עֶזְרָא, '; fl. 480–440 BCE), also called Ezra the Scribe (, ') and Ezra the Priest in the Book of Ezra, was a Jewish scribe ('' sofer'') and priest ('' kohen''). In Greco-Latin Ezra is called Esdras ( grc-gre, Ἔσδρ� ...

'', '' Uyare'', and ''

Bangalore Days ''Bangalore Days'' is a 2014 Indian Malayalam-language coming of age romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Anjali Menon, and co-produced by Anwar Rasheed and Sophia Paul under the banner Anwar Rasheed Entertainments and Weekend Bl ...

''. He directed Tamil films including '' Jeeva'', '' Vettri Vizhaa'', ''

Seevalaperi Pandi ''Seevalaperi Pandi'' is a 1994 Indian Tamil-language biographical crime action film directed by Pratap Pothen and written by K. Rajeshwar. It is based on the life of the Indian criminal of the same name. The film was released on 24 June 199 ...

'' and ''

Lucky Man Lucky may refer to: *An adjective of luck Lucky may also refer to: Film and television * '' Lucky: No Time for Love'', a 2005 Hindi-language romance starring Salman Khan, Sneha Ullal, and Mithun Chakraborty * ''Lucky'', a 2005 short film by Av ...

''. In 2006, Pratap Pothan announced that he would direct Madhavan in a script written by

K. Rajeswar K. Rajeshwar is an Indian film director, who has worked in Tamil films. He was active primarily as a film maker and a writer in the 1990s collaborating in ventures which often included Pratap Pothan. Career Rajeshwar grew up in Mumbai and becam ...

. Pre-production works proved to be difficult and the film went through several changes of title and lead actress, before it was announced that the film would be called ''Oru Naal Podhuma'' and would feature

Rukmini Vijayakumar Rukmini Vijayakumar is an Indian dance choreographer, Bharatanatyam dancer, and actress from engaluru . Along with her performances on stage, she has appeared in films such as '' Ananda Thandavam'' (2009), ''Bhajarangi'' (2013), ''Kochadaiyaan ...

in the leading female role. The team had made plans to complete shooting for the film in Canada, though creative differences meant that the film was subsequently shelved. In the last few years, he was busy with his ad agency named "Green Apple" and focused on commercials for MRF Tyres and Nippo. He used to host ''Naalaya Iyakkunar'' on

Kalaignar TV Kalaignar is an Indian general entertainment satellite television channel based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The channel was launched on 15 September 2007 as Kalaignar in respect of former Chief minister of Tamil Nadu M. Karunanidhi. Malaysia ...

. The turn of the century saw him playing many gratifying roles in films like '' Priyasakhi'', '' Aayirathil Oruvan'' and ''

Ponmagal Vandhal ''Ponmagal Vandhal'' () is a 2020 Indian Tamil-language legal drama film written and directed by J. J. Fredrick in his directorial debut, and produced by Suriya under his banner 2D Entertainment. The film stars Jyothika leading an ensemble cas ...

''. As a filmmaker, in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam, he directed veterans like

Sivaji Ganesan Villupuram Chinnaiya Manrayar Ganesamoorthy, better known by his stage name Sivaji Ganesan, (1 October 1928 – 21 July 2001) was an Indian actor and producer. He was active in Tamil cinema during the latter half of the 20th century. Sivaji Gan ...

Mohanlal Mohanlal Viswanathan (born 21 May 1960), known mononymously as Mohanlal, is an Indian actor, film producer, playback singer, film distributor, and director who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema besides also having sporadically appe ...

Thilakan Palappurathu Kesavan Surendranatha Thilakan (15 July 1935 – 24 September 2012) was an Indian film and stage actor who appeared in over 200 Malayalam films. Thilakan was known for his elaborate method acting, realistic and spontaneous appearan ...

and

Nagarjuna Nāgārjuna . 150 – c. 250 CE (disputed)was an Indian Mahāyāna Buddhist thinker, scholar-saint and philosopher. He is widely considered one of the most important Buddhist philosophers.Garfield, Jay L. (1995), ''The Fundamental Wisdom of ...

Death

Pratap was found dead in his apartment in

Kilpauk Kilpauk is a semi residential area located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The distance from Chennai's city to Kilpauk is about 6 km. The region is situated off the Poonamallee High Road in the west. Adjacent areas of Kilpauk include Chet ...

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of ...

on 15 July 2022. He is believed to have died of natural causes.

Awards and nominations

Filmography

As actor

As director

As writer

*'' Solla Thudikuthu Manasu'' (1988)

Television

* ''Naalaya Iyakkunar'' (2019) (Kalaignar TV)

References

External links

*
Prathap Pothen at MSI
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pothen, Pratap K. 1952 births 2022 deaths 20th-century Indian male actors Filmfare Awards South winners 20th-century Indian film directors Male actors from Thiruvananthapuram Male actors in Malayalam cinema Male actors in Tamil cinema Indian male actors Madras Christian College alumni Tamil film directors Male actors in Telugu cinema 21st-century Indian male actors Malayalam film directors Tamil film producers Telugu film producers Film directors from Thiruvananthapuram Tamil screenwriters Malayalam screenwriters Screenwriters from Thiruvananthapuram Director whose film won the Best Debut Feature Film National Film Award South Indian International Movie Awards winners