Priyadarshan
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Priyadarshan Soman Nair (born 30 January 1957) is an Indian film director and
screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...
. He has worked primarily in
Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...
and
Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
cinema since 1982, directing over 90 films in multiple Indian languages, with notable works in
Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
and
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...
. He has received several accolades, including three
National Film Awards The National Film Awards are awards for artistic and technical merit given for "Excellence within the Cinema of India, Indian film industry". Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India ...
, multiple
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 Cha ...
, and the
Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...
in 2012. Most of his Hindi films are remakes of Malayalam films, some of which Priyadarshan helmed both versions.


Career

Priyadarshan began his cinematic journey in the early 1980s, primarily working in
Malayalam cinema Malayalam cinema, also referred to as Mollywood, is a segment of Cinema of India, Indian cinema dedicated to producing films in the Malayalam, Malayalam language, primarily spoken in Kerala and the Lakshadweep islands. It encompasses both th ...
. He directed several notable films during this period, including ''
Mazha Peyyunnu Maddalam Kottunnu ''Mazha Peyyunnu Maddalam Kottunnu'' () is a 1986 Indian Malayalam-language comedy film directed by Priyadarshan and written by Sreenivasan from a story by Jagadish. It stars an ensemble cast led by Mohanlal, Mukesh, Sreenivasan, Jagathi Sreekum ...
'' (1986), ''
Thalavattam ''Thalavattam'' () is a 1986 Indian Malayalam-language drama film written and directed by Priyadarshan, starring Mohanlal, Lizy, M. G. Soman and Karthika. The film is very loosely based on the 1975 movie '' One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' w ...
'' (1986), ''
Vellanakalude Nadu ''Vellanakalude Nadu'' () is a 1988 Indian Malayalam-language political satire crime film directed by Priyadarshan, written by Sreenivasan and produced by Maniyanpilla Raju. The film stars Mohanlal, Shobhana, Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair, M. G. ...
'' (1988), '' Chithram'' (1988), ''
Vandanam ''Vandanam'' () is a 1989 Indian Malayalam-language film directed by Priyadarshan, written by V. R. Gopalakrishnan, and produced by P. K. R. Pillai. The film stars Mohanlal and Girija Shettar, while Mukesh and Nedumudi Venu appear in supporti ...
'' (1989), and ''
Kilukkam ''Kilukkam'' () is a 1991 Indian Malayalam-language comedy drama film directed by Priyadarshan and written by Venu Nagavalli. The story set in Ooty revolves around tourist guide Joji (Mohanlal) and photographer Nishchal (Jagathy Sreekumar). They ...
'' (1991). Throughout the 1990s, he continued directing successful films such as ''
Abhimanyu Abhimanyu (, ) is a character in the ancient Hindu epic ''Mahābhārata''. He was a young and valiant warrior of the Kuru lineage, born to Arjuna—the third Pandava brother—and Subhadra—a Yadava princess. He was also one of the few indivi ...
'' (1991), '' Mithunam'' (1993), ''
Thenmavin Kombath ''Thenmavin Kombath'' () is a 1994 Indian Malayalam-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Priyadarshan. It was produced and edited by N. Gopalakrishnan. The film stars Mohanlal, Shobana, and Nedumudi Venu, with Kaviyoor Ponnamm ...
'' (1994), '' Kaalapaani'' (1996), '' Chandralekha'' (1997), and '' Megham'' (1999). While working in Malayalam cinema, Priyadarshan also made his foray into
Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
with ''
Gardish ''Gardish'' () is a 1993 Indian Hindi-language action crime film written and directed by Priyadarshan, starring Jackie Shroff, Shammi Kapoor, Aishwarya, Dimple Kapadia and Amrish Puri. It is a remake of the 1989 Malayalam film '' Kireedam''. T ...
'' (1994) and '' Virasat'' (1997), both of which were critically acclaimed. In the 2000s, he gained widespread recognition in Bollywood for his Hindi adaptations of Malayalam films, particularly in the comedy genre. Some of his most notable Bollywood films include '' Hera Pheri'' (2000), '' Hungama'' (2003), '' Hulchul'' (2004), ''
Garam Masala Garam masala (Hindustani language, Hindustani: ''garam masālā'', ) is a Spice mix, blend of ground spices originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is common in Indian cuisine, Indian, Pakistani cuisine, Pakistani, Nepalese cuisine, Nepale ...
'' (2005), ''
Bhagam Bhag ''Bhagam Bhag'' (') is a 2006 Indian Hindi-language comedy film directed by Priyadarshan and written by Neeraj Vora. It was produced by Sunil Shetty and Dhilin Mehta. The film stars Akshay Kumar, Govinda and Paresh Rawal as the three leads alongs ...
'' (2006), ''
Chup Chup Ke ''Chup Chup Ke'' () is a 2006 Cinema of India, Indian Bollywood, Hindi-Hindi, language comedy drama film co-written and directed by Priyadarshan. The film stars Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Suniel Shetty, Neha Dhupia, Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Ya ...
'' (2006), ''
Dhol Dhol () can refer to any one of a number of similar types of double-headed drum widely used, with regional variations, throughout the Indian subcontinent. Its range of distribution in Indian subcontinent primarily includes northern areas such ...
'' (2007), ''
De Dana Dan ''De Dana Dan'' (''Hit Left and Right'') is a 2009 Indian Hindi-language comedy film directed by Priyadarshan. It is a partial adaptation of the Hollywood film '' Screwed''; some scenes were taken from the 2004 film '' Vettam'', directed by Priy ...
'' (2009), and ''
Bhool Bhulaiyaa ''Bhool Bhulaiyya'' () is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language Psychological Horror comedy film directed by Priyadarshan from a screenplay by Neeraj Vora and produced by T Series. It is a remake of the 1993 Malayalam-language film '' Manichitrathaz ...
'' (2008). In 2013, Priyadarshan announced that '' Rangrezz'' would be his last Hindi film for the time being, as he shifted his focus back to Malayalam cinema.


Early life

Priyadarshan received his early education at the Government Model School in
Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the Capital city, capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 sq. km, making it the ...
, and later a
Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...
in
Philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
from
University College Thiruvananthapuram University College, Thiruvananthapuram, often abbreviated as UCT, is a public college situated in Palayam, Thiruvananthapuram, India. Established in 1866, it is one of the oldest colleges in Kerala. The college has been accorded "College with Pot ...
. His father, a college librarian, nurtured his love for literature, which led to a passion for storytelling. He was an avid reader in his teens, and during college, he began writing short plays and skits for
All India Radio All India Radio (AIR), also known as Akashvani (), is India's state-owned public broadcasting, public radio broadcaster. Founded in 1936, it operates under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Ministry of Information and Broa ...
. He was influenced by the films of director P. Venu. His friends during this time included
Mohanlal Mohanlal Viswanathan (; born 21 May 1960), known mononymously as Mohanlal, is an Indian actor and filmmaker who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema, Malayalam cinema besides also having sporadically appeared in Tamil cinema, Tamil, Hin ...
, M. G. Sreekumar, Suresh Kumar, Sanal Kumar,
Jagadish P. V. Jagadish Kumar, Born On (12 June 1955) mononymously as Jagadish, is an Indian actor, screenwriter, and television presenter. He has starred in over 400 Malayalam films and two Hindi films. He is best known for his comic and character rol ...
,
Maniyanpilla Raju Sudheer Kumar (born 20 April 1955), better known by his stage name Maniyanpilla Raju (Malayalam: മണിയൻപിള്ള രാജു), is an Indian actor and producer who works in Malayalam film industry.film industry The film industry or motion picture industry comprises the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking, i.e., film production company, production companies, film studios, cinematography, animation, film production, screenwriting, pre- ...
, and his friends followed him to
Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...
in search of opportunities. With Mohanlal's help, Priyadarshan worked as an assistant
scriptwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...
on a few films and began writing his own scripts, some of which became successful. Eventually, he returned to Kerala. Though he initially aspired to become a cricketer, an eye injury shifted his focus toward filmmaking.


Film career

Priyadarshan has been active in
Indian cinema The cinema of India, consisting of motion pictures made by the Indian film industry, has had a large effect on world cinema since the second half of the 20th century. Indian cinema is made up of various film industries, each focused on p ...
since 1984 as a director and screenwriter, directing over 95 films across Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, and Telugu.


1984–1987

In 1984, Priyadarshan made his directorial debut with ''
Poochakkoru Mookkuthi ''Poochakkoru Mookkuthi'' () is a 1984 Indian Malayalam-language screwball comedy film written and directed by Priyadarshan in his directorial debut. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Mohanlal, Shankar, Menaka, M. G. Soman, Nedu ...
'', a slapstick comedy produced by his friends Suresh Kumar and Sanal Kumar, with financial backing from Thiruvenkadam.
Mohanlal Mohanlal Viswanathan (; born 21 May 1960), known mononymously as Mohanlal, is an Indian actor and filmmaker who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema, Malayalam cinema besides also having sporadically appeared in Tamil cinema, Tamil, Hin ...
, who had become a well-known actor by then, starred alongside Shankar as the parallel lead. The film received critical acclaim and became a commercial success, running for 100 days in Kerala theaters. Following this success, Priyadarshan continued making comedies, directing '' Odaruthammava Aalariyam'' and '' Onnanam Kunnil Oradi Kunnil''. He then experimented with a family thriller, '' Parayanumvayya Parayathirikkanumvayya'', starring
Mammootty Muhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail (born 7 September 1951), known mononymously by the hypocorism Mammootty (), is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in Malayalam-language films. He has also appeared in Tamil, Telugu, ...
and Shankar. His first film without Mohanlal, '' Punnaram Cholli Cholli'', was followed by '' Boeing Boeing'' and ''
Aram + Aram = Kinnaram Aram may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Aram'' (film), 2002 French action drama * Aram, a fictional character in Japanese manga series '' MeruPuri'' * Aram Quartet, an Italian music group * ''Aram'' (Kural book), the first of the three ...
'', both of which were well received. However, '' Rakkuyilin Ragasadassil'', despite featuring hit songs, failed at the box office. He regained success with ''
Mazha Peyyunnu Maddalam Kottunnu ''Mazha Peyyunnu Maddalam Kottunnu'' () is a 1986 Indian Malayalam-language comedy film directed by Priyadarshan and written by Sreenivasan from a story by Jagadish. It stars an ensemble cast led by Mohanlal, Mukesh, Sreenivasan, Jagathi Sreekum ...
'', ''
Ayalvasi Oru Daridravasi ''Ayalvasi Oru Daridravasi'' () is a 1986 Indian Malayalam-language comedy film, directed by Priyadarshan starring an ensemble cast of Shankar, Menaka, Mukesh, Prem Nazir, Nedumudi Venu, Sukumari, Seema, and Innocent in the lead roles. Sreeni ...
'', and '' Dheem Tharikida Thom''. The family drama ''
Thalavattam ''Thalavattam'' () is a 1986 Indian Malayalam-language drama film written and directed by Priyadarshan, starring Mohanlal, Lizy, M. G. Soman and Karthika. The film is very loosely based on the 1975 movie '' One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' w ...
'' established him as a director capable of handling serious themes, further strengthening his position in the Malayalam film industry. During this period, Priyadarshan also directed a Tamil film, '' Chinnamanikkuyile'', which remained unreleased. Meanwhile, his Malayalam film '' Cheppu'' achieved commercial success. He then made '' Punnaram Cholli Cholli'', his first film without
Mohanlal Mohanlal Viswanathan (; born 21 May 1960), known mononymously as Mohanlal, is an Indian actor and filmmaker who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema, Malayalam cinema besides also having sporadically appeared in Tamil cinema, Tamil, Hin ...
, followed by '' Boeing Boeing'' and ''
Aram + Aram = Kinnaram Aram may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Aram'' (film), 2002 French action drama * Aram, a fictional character in Japanese manga series '' MeruPuri'' * Aram Quartet, an Italian music group * ''Aram'' (Kural book), the first of the three ...
.'' He was later criticised for '' Rakkuyilin Ragasadassil''. Despite hit songs, the film flopped. However, ''
Mazha Peyyunnu Maddalam Kottunnu ''Mazha Peyyunnu Maddalam Kottunnu'' () is a 1986 Indian Malayalam-language comedy film directed by Priyadarshan and written by Sreenivasan from a story by Jagadish. It stars an ensemble cast led by Mohanlal, Mukesh, Sreenivasan, Jagathi Sreekum ...
'', ''
Ayalvasi Oru Daridravasi ''Ayalvasi Oru Daridravasi'' () is a 1986 Indian Malayalam-language comedy film, directed by Priyadarshan starring an ensemble cast of Shankar, Menaka, Mukesh, Prem Nazir, Nedumudi Venu, Sukumari, Seema, and Innocent in the lead roles. Sreeni ...
'' and '' Dheem Tharikida Thom'' were successful. Priyadarshan gained recognition as a serious director with the successful family drama ''
Thalavattam ''Thalavattam'' () is a 1986 Indian Malayalam-language drama film written and directed by Priyadarshan, starring Mohanlal, Lizy, M. G. Soman and Karthika. The film is very loosely based on the 1975 movie '' One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' w ...
''. His
Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
film '' Chinnamanikkuyile'' remained unreleased, while his work in Malayalam continued with '' Cheppu'', which was a success.


1988–1998

In 1988, Priyadarshan directed multiple films that contributed to his growing recognition in Indian cinema. ''
Vellanakalude Nadu ''Vellanakalude Nadu'' () is a 1988 Indian Malayalam-language political satire crime film directed by Priyadarshan, written by Sreenivasan and produced by Maniyanpilla Raju. The film stars Mohanlal, Shobhana, Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair, M. G. ...
'', scripted by Sreenivasan and starring Mohanlal, tackled themes of corruption and land mafia, becoming a significant film in his career. He then directed ''
Aryan ''Aryan'' (), or ''Arya'' (borrowed from Sanskrit ''ārya''), Oxford English Dictionary Online 2024, s.v. ''Aryan'' (adj. & n.); ''Arya'' (n.)''.'' is a term originating from the ethno-cultural self-designation of the Indo-Iranians. It stood ...
'', an action film written by
T. Damodaran T. Damodaran (15 September 1935 – 28 March 2012) was a screenwriter who predominantly worked in Malayalam cinema. Life Damodaran wrote the screenplays of films such as ''Angadi (film), Angaadi'' (1980)'', Ahimsa (1981 film), Ahimsa'' (1981)' ...
, which depicted the
Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
underworld and achieved commercial success, running for over 150 days in theaters. That same year, '' Chithram'', a comedy-drama starring Mohanlal, was released. The film ran for 366 days in theaters, setting box office records at the time, later surpassed by his own film ''
Kilukkam ''Kilukkam'' () is a 1991 Indian Malayalam-language comedy drama film directed by Priyadarshan and written by Venu Nagavalli. The story set in Ooty revolves around tourist guide Joji (Mohanlal) and photographer Nishchal (Jagathy Sreekumar). They ...
'' in 1991. Priyadarshan's other releases in 1988 included '' Oru Muthassi Katha'' and ''
Mukunthetta Sumitra Vilikkunnu ''Mukunthetta Sumitra Vilikkunnu'' () is a 1988 Indian Malayalam-language romantic comedy film directed by Priyadarshan and written by Sreenivasan. It stars Mohanlal, Sreenivasan, and Ranjini. The story is based on the Marathi play ''Sasa Aani ...
''. However, he faced setbacks in 1990 with '' Kadathanadan Ambadi'' and ''
Akkare Akkare Akkare ''Akkareyakkareyakkare'', also known ''Akkare Akkare Akkare'' () is a 1990 Indian Malayalam-language buddy cop comedy film directed by Priyadarshan and written by Sreenivasan. It stars Mohanlal, Sreenivasan, M. G. Soman, Mukesh, Maniyanpilla ...
'', which did not perform well commercially. In 1991, ''
Kilukkam ''Kilukkam'' () is a 1991 Indian Malayalam-language comedy drama film directed by Priyadarshan and written by Venu Nagavalli. The story set in Ooty revolves around tourist guide Joji (Mohanlal) and photographer Nishchal (Jagathy Sreekumar). They ...
'', starring Mohanlal,
Jagathi Sreekumar Sreekumar Achary (born 5 January 1951), better known by his stage name Jagathy Sreekumar or simply Jagathy, is an Indian actor, director and playback singer, who has appeared in over 1500 Malayalam films in a career spanning almost four decades ...
, and
Revathi Asha Kelunni Nair (born 8 July 1966), better known by her stage name Revathi, is an Indian actress and director, known for her works predominantly in Tamil cinema, Tamil and Malayalam cinema - in addition to Telugu language, Telugu, Hindi and ...
, became a box office success, further cementing Priyadarshan's reputation. His subsequent films, ''
Abhimanyu Abhimanyu (, ) is a character in the ancient Hindu epic ''Mahābhārata''. He was a young and valiant warrior of the Kuru lineage, born to Arjuna—the third Pandava brother—and Subhadra—a Yadava princess. He was also one of the few indivi ...
'' (1991), '' Advaitham'' (1992), and ''
Thenmavin Kombath ''Thenmavin Kombath'' () is a 1994 Indian Malayalam-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Priyadarshan. It was produced and edited by N. Gopalakrishnan. The film stars Mohanlal, Shobana, and Nedumudi Venu, with Kaviyoor Ponnamm ...
u'' (1994), all ran for over 100 days in theaters. ''
Midhunam The Malayalam Calendar, or the Kollam Era (), is a sidereal solar calendar used in Kerala. The origin of the calendar has been dated to 825 CE, commemorating the establishment of Kollam. There are many theories regarding the origin of th ...
'' (1993) and ''
Minnaram ''Minnaram'' () is a 1994 Indian Malayalam-language romantic tragedy film written and directed by Priyadarshan from a story by Cheriyan Kalpakavadi. The film stars Mohanlal, Shobana, and Thilakan, in main lead roles, with Sankaradi, K. P. Um ...
'' (1994) also received positive responses from audiences. Priyadarshan expanded into Tamil cinema when he was invited by M. Karunanidhi to direct '' Gopura Vasalile'' for his son's production house. In 1991, he directed his first
Telugu film Telugu cinema, also known as Tollywood, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Telugu language, widely spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Based in Film Nagar, Hyderabad, Telug ...
, '' Nirnayam'', when actor
Nagarjuna Nāgārjuna (Sanskrit: नागार्जुन, ''Nāgārjuna''; ) was an Indian monk and Mahayana, Mahāyāna Buddhist Philosophy, philosopher of the Madhyamaka (Centrism, Middle Way) school. He is widely considered one of the most importa ...
approached him to remake the Malayalam film ''
Vandanam ''Vandanam'' () is a 1989 Indian Malayalam-language film directed by Priyadarshan, written by V. R. Gopalakrishnan, and produced by P. K. R. Pillai. The film stars Mohanlal and Girija Shettar, while Mukesh and Nedumudi Venu appear in supporti ...
''. He made his Bollywood debut in 1992 with '' Muskurahat'', a remake of ''Kilukkam'', though it failed at the box office. In 1993, Priyadarshan returned to Bollywood with ''
Gardish ''Gardish'' () is a 1993 Indian Hindi-language action crime film written and directed by Priyadarshan, starring Jackie Shroff, Shammi Kapoor, Aishwarya, Dimple Kapadia and Amrish Puri. It is a remake of the 1989 Malayalam film '' Kireedam''. T ...
'', an adaptation of the Malayalam film '' Kireedom'', written by
A. K. Lohithadas Ambazhathil Karunakaran Lohithadas (10 May 1955 – 28 June 2009) was an Indian screenwriter, playwright, film maker, and producer who worked in the Malayalam film industry. In a career spanning over two decades, his films have won a Nationa ...
. In 1994, he directed his second and, to date, last
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...
film, '' Gandeevam'', starring
Balakrishna Bala Krishna (). Present day Krishna worship is an amalgam of various elements. According to historical testimonies Krishna-Vasudeva worship already flourished in and around Mathura several centuries before Christ. A second important element is ...
. He gained national recognition in 1996 when he directed the Miss World pageant held in
Bangalore Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...
. That same year, he released '' Kalapani'', a period drama about India's independence struggle, scripted by
T. Damodaran T. Damodaran (15 September 1935 – 28 March 2012) was a screenwriter who predominantly worked in Malayalam cinema. Life Damodaran wrote the screenplays of films such as ''Angadi (film), Angaadi'' (1980)'', Ahimsa (1981 film), Ahimsa'' (1981)' ...
. The film, starring Mohanlal, Tabu,
Prabhu ''Prabhu'' means ''master'' or ''prince'' in Sanskrit and many of the Indian languages; it is a name sometimes applied to God. Surname Prabhu is a surname among Gaud saraswat Brahmins, saraswat Brahmins and other Brahmins across the Ko ...
, and
Amrish Puri Amrish Puri (22 June 1932 – 12 January 2005) was an Indian actor, who was one of the most notable and important figures in Cinema of India, Indian cinema and Theatre of India, theatre. He acted in more than 450 films, established himsel ...
, was originally made in Malayalam and later dubbed into Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi. ''Kalapani'' won multiple awards and was widely praised for its historical narrative and cinematography. In 1997, Priyadarshan directed two commercially successful films: '' Chandralekha'' in Malayalam and '' Virasat'' in Hindi, the latter being an adaptation of Bharathan's Tamil film ''
Thevar Magan ''Thevar Magan'' ( or ) is a 1992 Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language Drama (film and television), drama film directed by Bharathan, and written and produced by Kamal Haasan. It stars Sivaji Ganesan, Haasan, Revathi, Gautami and Nassar (acto ...
''. In 1998, he directed three Hindi films—''
Saat Rang Ke Sapne ''Saat Rang Ke Sapne'' () is a 1998 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Priyadarshan and produced by Amitabh Bachchan. It is a remake of Priyadarshan's own 1994 Malayalam film '' Thenmavin Kombath''. The film stars South Indian actor, Ar ...
'' (a remake of ''
Thenmavin Kombath ''Thenmavin Kombath'' () is a 1994 Indian Malayalam-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Priyadarshan. It was produced and edited by N. Gopalakrishnan. The film stars Mohanlal, Shobana, and Nedumudi Venu, with Kaviyoor Ponnamm ...
u''), '' Doli Saja Ke Rakhna'' (inspired by '' Aniyathi Pravu''), and '' Kabhi Na Kabhi''—all of which underperformed at the box office. In 1999, he collaborated with
Mammootty Muhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail (born 7 September 1951), known mononymously by the hypocorism Mammootty (), is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in Malayalam-language films. He has also appeared in Tamil, Telugu, ...
for '' Megham'', marking their first film together in several years.


2000–2016

In 2000, Priyadarshan directed ''Hera Pheri'', a Hindi adaptation of the Malayalam film ''
Ramji Rao Speaking ''Ramji Rao Speaking'' is a 1989 Indian Malayalam-language comedy-thriller film written and directed by the duo Siddique–Lal (in their directorial debut) and produced by Fazil, Swargachitra Appachan, and Ousepachan Vaalakuzhy. It stars Sai ...
'' (1989). The film, starring
Akshay Kumar Akshay Hari Om Bhatia (born Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia; 9 September 1967), known professionally as Akshay Kumar (), is an Indian actor and film producer working in Hindi cinema. Referred to in the media as "Khiladi Kumar", through his career span ...
,
Sunil Shetty Suniel Shetty (born Sunil V. Shetty; 11 August 1961) is an Indian actor, film producer, television host, and entrepreneur, primarily known for his work in Hindi cinema, with appearances in Tamil cinema, Tamil films. Nicknamed as Anna, Shetty ha ...
, Tabu, and
Paresh Rawal Paresh Rawal (born 30 May 1955) is an Indian actor, comedian, film producer and politician known for his works primarily in Hindi cinema, Hindi films. He has Paresh Rawal filmography, appeared in over 240 films and is the recipient of various L ...
, became a box office success and is regarded as a landmark in Hindi cinema. It also marked the beginning of a long-term collaboration between Priyadarshan and Akshay Kumar, while Paresh Rawal became a regular in many of his subsequent films. Following ''Hera Pheri'', Priyadarshan directed several Hindi films, including '' Yeh Teraa Ghar Yeh Meraa Ghar'', '' Hungama'', '' Hulchul'', ''
Garam Masala Garam masala (Hindustani language, Hindustani: ''garam masālā'', ) is a Spice mix, blend of ground spices originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is common in Indian cuisine, Indian, Pakistani cuisine, Pakistani, Nepalese cuisine, Nepale ...
'', and ''
Kyon Ki ''Kyon Ki'' () is a 2005 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film written and directed by Priyadarshan and produced by Sunil Manchanda and Mukesh Talreja. It is a remake of Priyadarshan's own 1986 Malayalam film ''Thalavattam'' (1986) which in t ...
''. In 2000, he also directed '' Raakilipattu'', a bilingual Malayalam-Tamil thriller (''
Snegithiye ''Snegithiye'' () is a 2000 Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language mystery film, mystery thriller film directed by Priyadarshan. The film notably features only female characters, played by Tabu (actress), Tabu, Jyothika, Sharbani Mukherjee and Is ...
'' in Tamil), starring Tabu and
Jyothika Jyothika Saravanan (; born 18 October 1978) is an Indian actress and producer who primarily works in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu films. She has received several accolades including a National Film Award, five Filmfare Awards South, four Tamil N ...
. Adapted from the
Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India **Marathi people (Uttar Pradesh), the Marathi people in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Mar ...
film ''
Bindhaast ''Bindhast'' () is a 1999 Indian Marathi-language thriller film directed by Chandrakant Kulkarni and produced by Matchindra Chate. The film is known for its all-women cast. The film was remade in Tamil as ''Snegithiye'' and in Malayalam as '' Ra ...
'', the film was notable for its all-female cast and received critical acclaim. While the Tamil version was released in 2000, the Malayalam version and a dubbed Hindi version (''Friendship'') were released in 2007. Priyadarshan's
English-language English is a West Germanic language that developed in early medieval England and has since become a English as a lingua franca, global lingua franca. The namesake of the language is the Angles (tribe), Angles, one of the Germanic peoples th ...
epic Epic commonly refers to: * Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation * Epic film, a genre of film defined by the spectacular presentation of human drama on a grandiose scale Epic(s) ...
period film titled '' The Last Revolutionary'', produced by
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
and based on the life of Indian freedom fighter
Chandrasekhar Azad Chandra Shekhar Sitaram Tiwari (23 July 1906 – 27 February 1931), popularly known as Chandra Shekhar Azad, was an Indian revolutionary who reorganised the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) under its new name of Hindustan Socialist Repub ...
, was planned for filming in 2001 but was eventually shelved. During this time,
Kamal Haasan Parthasarathy Srinivasan (born 7 November 1954), known professionally as Kamal Haasan, is an Indian actor, filmmaker and politician who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. Considered as one of the most accomplished actors of Indian Cinema, Haas ...
was working on ''
Anbe Sivam ''Anbe Sivam'' () is a 2003 Indian Tamil-language slice-of-life drama film directed by Sundar C and produced by Lakshmi Movie Makers. The film was written by Kamal Haasan, and Madhan provided the dialogues. ''Anbe Sivam'' stars Haasan, Mad ...
'' and approached Priyadarshan to direct it. Pre-production commenced, but Priyadarshan left the project due to creative differences, leading to
Sundar C Vinayagar Sundar Vel (born 21 January 1968), known professionally as Sundar C, is an Indian actor, filmmaker, and playback singer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. He has directed over 30 films and received the Kalaimamani#2009, Kalaim ...
. taking over as director. In 2001, Priyadarshan directed the comedy film ''
Kakkakuyil ''Kakkakuyil'' () is a 2001 Indian Malayalam-language heist comedy film written and directed by Priyadarshan and produced by Lissy. It stars Mohanlal and Mukesh. The film features songs composed by M.G Sreekumar (credited as Deepan Chatterji ...
'', reuniting Mohanlal and
Mukesh Mukesh is an epithet for the Hindu god Shiva, and literally means "conqueror of the Muka demon". It is commonly used as a male given name in India. People with the name Mukesh include: * Mukesh (singer) (1923–1976), Indian playback singer from ...
, a successful duo from the 1980s and 1990s. The film became a box-office hit. However, his next two Malayalam films, '' Kilichundan Mampazham'' (2003) and ''
Vettam ''Vettam'' () is a 2004 Indian Malayalam-language screwball comedy film directed by Priyadarshan and written by Udayakrishna-Siby K. Thomas and Priyadarshan. It was produced by Menaka, Keerthy Suresh, and Revathy Sureshkumar through Revathy Ka ...
'' (2004), had only an average performance at the box office, prompting him to shift focus toward Bollywood. In Hindi cinema, Priyadarshan maintained his success with films such as ''
Chup Chup Ke ''Chup Chup Ke'' () is a 2006 Cinema of India, Indian Bollywood, Hindi-Hindi, language comedy drama film co-written and directed by Priyadarshan. The film stars Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Suniel Shetty, Neha Dhupia, Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Ya ...
'', ''
Bhagam Bhag ''Bhagam Bhag'' (') is a 2006 Indian Hindi-language comedy film directed by Priyadarshan and written by Neeraj Vora. It was produced by Sunil Shetty and Dhilin Mehta. The film stars Akshay Kumar, Govinda and Paresh Rawal as the three leads alongs ...
'', '' Malamaal Weekly'', ''
Dhol Dhol () can refer to any one of a number of similar types of double-headed drum widely used, with regional variations, throughout the Indian subcontinent. Its range of distribution in Indian subcontinent primarily includes northern areas such ...
'', ''
Bhool Bhulaiyaa ''Bhool Bhulaiyya'' () is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language Psychological Horror comedy film directed by Priyadarshan from a screenplay by Neeraj Vora and produced by T Series. It is a remake of the 1993 Malayalam-language film '' Manichitrathaz ...
'', ''
De Dana Dan ''De Dana Dan'' (''Hit Left and Right'') is a 2009 Indian Hindi-language comedy film directed by Priyadarshan. It is a partial adaptation of the Hollywood film '' Screwed''; some scenes were taken from the 2004 film '' Vettam'', directed by Priy ...
'', and '' Mere Baap Pehle Aap''. However, subsequent films like '' Billu'', ''
Bumm Bumm Bole ''Bumm Bumm Bole'' () is a 2010 Hindi film directed by Priyadarshan. The film stars Darsheel Safary, Atul Kulkarni, Rituparna Sengupta and newcomer Ziyah Vastani. The film is inspired by the 1997 Iranian film '' Children of Heaven''. The film ...
'', '' Khatta Meeta'', '' Aakrosh'', and ''
Tezz ''Tezz'' () is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film directed by Priyadarshan. It stars Ajay Devgn, Anil Kapoor, Kangana Ranaut, Zayed Khan, Sameera Reddy and Boman Irani. Malayalam cinema, Malayalam actor Mohanlal appears in an Came ...
'' did not meet expectations at the box office. His 2013 film '' Rangrezz'' also failed commercially. Priyadarshan released ''
Kanchivaram ''Kanchivaram'' is a 2008 Indian Tamil-language period drama film written and directed by Priyadarshan. The film stars Prakash Raj and Shriya Reddy and has music by M. G. Sreekumar, cinematography by Tirru, editing by Arun Kumar, and ar ...
'', a film about weavers in Kanchipuram.
Prakash Raj Prakash Raj (born Prakash Rai; 26 March 1965) is an Indian actor, film director, producer, television presenter, and politician. Known for his works in Telugu language, Telugu, Tamil language, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, English language, Engl ...
won the
National Film Award for Best Actor The National Film Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role is an honour presented annually at the National Film Awards of India instituted since 1967 to actors who have delivered the best performance in a leading role within the Indian film indus ...
in 2008 for his performance. ''
Kanchivaram ''Kanchivaram'' is a 2008 Indian Tamil-language period drama film written and directed by Priyadarshan. The film stars Prakash Raj and Shriya Reddy and has music by M. G. Sreekumar, cinematography by Tirru, editing by Arun Kumar, and ar ...
'' also won awards at film festivals. Returning to Malayalam cinema, Priyadarshan directed '' Arabeem Ottakom P. Madhavan Nayarum in Oru Marubhoomikkadha'', starring Mohanlal. However, his subsequent films '' Geethaanjali'' (2013) and '' Aamayum Muyalum'' (2014) were box-office failures. In late 2015, Priyadarshan announced a crime thriller in
Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...
with
Mohanlal Mohanlal Viswanathan (; born 21 May 1960), known mononymously as Mohanlal, is an Indian actor and filmmaker who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema, Malayalam cinema besides also having sporadically appeared in Tamil cinema, Tamil, Hin ...
. The production was confirmed, and the title '' Oppam'' was announced in December 2015. Due to weather constraints in
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
, another big-budget Mohanlal film was delayed, allowing Priyadarshan to begin work on ''Oppam''. The screenplay and dialogues, written by Priyadarshan based on a story by Govind Vijayan, received positive reviews and became a blockbuster, breaking records and becoming the highest-grossing Malayalam film of the year within 16 days of release.


2018–present

In early 2018, Priyadarshan began pre-production on '' Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham'', a
Malayalam-language Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...
historical period film set in the 16th century. The film, starring Mohanlal, is based on the battle exploits of Kunjali Marakkar IV—the naval chieftain of the
Zamorin of Calicut The Samoothiri (Anglicised as Zamorin; Malayalam: , , Arabic: ''Sāmuri'', Portuguese: ''Samorim'', Dutch: ''Samorijn'', Chinese: ''Shamitihsi''Ma Huan's Ying-yai Sheng-lan: 'The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores' 433 Translated and Edi ...
who organized the first naval defense of the Indian coast by safeguarding
Calicut Kozhikode (), also known as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. Known as the City of Spices, Kozhikode is listed among the City of Literature, UNESCO's Cities of Literature. It is the nineteenth large ...
from Portuguese invasion for almost a century. The film was released on December 2, 2021, and while it received mixed reviews, it failed at the box office due to its high production costs. Before the release of ''Marakkar'', Priyadarshan directed a spiritual sequel to his 2003 Hindi film '' Hungama'', titled ''
Hungama 2 ''Hungama 2'' is a 2021 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film directed by Priyadarshan and jointly produced by Ratan Jain, Ganesh Jain, Chetan Jain and Armaan Ventures. It is the spiritual sequel of Priyadarshan's own 2003 film ''Hungama ...
''. Released directly on 23 July 2021 on
Disney+ Hotstar Disney+ Hotstar, also known as JioHotstar or simply Hotstar, is an Indian subscription video-on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Disney Star. The brand was introduced as Hotstar for a streaming service carrying content from Di ...
, the film received negative reviews. It was loosely based on Priyadarshan's 1994 Malayalam film ''
Minnaram ''Minnaram'' () is a 1994 Indian Malayalam-language romantic tragedy film written and directed by Priyadarshan from a story by Cheriyan Kalpakavadi. The film stars Mohanlal, Shobana, and Thilakan, in main lead roles, with Sankaradi, K. P. Um ...
''. In 2023, Priyadarshan produced and directed '' Corona Papers'', a Malayalam film starring
Shane Nigam Shane Nigam is an Indian actor who appears in Malayalam films. Having made his debut in the 2010 film Thanthonni, he performed as a supporting character in various successful drama films '' Parava'' (2017), '' Kumbalangi Nights'' (2019), and ' ...
. The film, an official remake of the Tamil film ''
8 Thottakkal ''8 Thottakkal'' () is a 2017 Indian Tamil-language crime thriller film written and directed by Sri Ganesh in his directoral debut. Produced by Vellapandian, the film stars his son Vetri, alongside an ensemble cast including Aparna Balamurali, ...
'' (inspired by Akira Kurosawa's 1949 ''Stray Dog''), was released on April 6, 2023. It received positive reviews and was a moderate success at the box office. In the same year, Priyadarshan directed the Tamil film '' Appatha'', starring Urvashi in the lead role. Released directly on 29 July 2023 on
JioCinema JioCinema was an Indian subscription video-on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Viacom18. The service was merged with Disney+ Hotstar on 14 February 2025, to form JioHotstar. In April 2022, the service was brought under Relianc ...
, the film was celebrated as Urvashi's 700th project and was showcased at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Film Festival. In 2024, Priyadarshan announced the release of ''Bhooth Bangla'', a horror-comedy film starring Akshay Kumar, marking their long-awaited collaboration after 14 years. Priyadarshan is also reportedly directing two Hindi films in 2024, including a remake of his Malayalam film ''Oppam'', featuring
Saif Ali Khan Saif Ali Khan (; born Sajid Ali Khan Pataudi; 16 August 1970) is an Indian actor and film producer who primarily works in Hindi cinema, Hindi films. The titular head of the Pataudi family since 2011, he is the son of actress Sharmila Tagore a ...
.


Other work

Priyadarshan has also directed numerous advertisement films for brands such as
Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a cola soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, with consumers drinking more than 1.8 billion company beverage servings ...
,
American Express American Express Company or Amex is an American bank holding company and multinational financial services corporation that specializes in payment card industry, payment cards. It is headquartered at 200 Vesey Street, also known as American Expr ...
,
Nokia Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational corporation, multinational telecommunications industry, telecommunications, technology company, information technology, and consumer electronics corporation, originally established as a pulp mill in 1 ...
,
Parker Pens The Parker Pen Company is a manufacturer of luxury writing pens, founded in 1888 by George Safford Parker in Janesville, Wisconsin, United States. In 2011, the Parker factory at Newhaven, East Sussex, England, was closed, and its production tran ...
, Asian Paints, Kinley, and Max New York Life Insurance.


Frequent collaborators

Priyadarshan has frequently collaborated with actors. This includes:


Malayalam

*
Mohanlal Mohanlal Viswanathan (; born 21 May 1960), known mononymously as Mohanlal, is an Indian actor and filmmaker who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema, Malayalam cinema besides also having sporadically appeared in Tamil cinema, Tamil, Hin ...
*
Mammootty Muhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail (born 7 September 1951), known mononymously by the hypocorism Mammootty (), is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in Malayalam-language films. He has also appeared in Tamil, Telugu, ...
* Shankar *
Kuthiravattam Pappu Padmadalakshan, better known by his stage name Kuthiravattam Pappu (24 December 1936 – 25 February 2000), was a popular Indian stage and film actor. His repertoire of acting was based on his unique style and use of the '' Kozhikodan'' dialect, ...
*
Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair (16 October 191611 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 fr ...
*
Sankaradi Paravoor memana Kanakku Chembakaraman Parameswaran Chandrashekara Menon, better known by his screen name Sankaradi (14 July 1924 – 8 October 2001), was an Indian actor. He was a veteran Malayalam comedian and character artist, who had over 70 ...
*
M. G. Soman M. G. Soman (28 October 1941 – 12 December 1997) was an Indian actor and former Indian Air Force officer who appeared in Malayalam films. He was one among the leading star actors doing hero roles in Malayalam Cinema during the late 1970s and ...
*
Thilakan Palappurathu Keshavan 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 appeara ...
*
Jagathy Sreekumar Sreekumar Achary (born 5 January 1951), better known by his stage name Jagathy Sreekumar or simply Jagathy, is an Indian actor, director and playback singer, who has appeared in over 1500 Malayalam films in a career spanning almost four deca ...
*
Innocent Innocence is a lack of guilt, with respect to any kind of crime, or wrongdoing. In a legal context, innocence is prior to the sense of legal guilt and is a primal emotion connected with the sense of self. It is often confused as being the op ...
*
Nedumudi Venu Kesavan Venugopal (22 May 1948 – 11 October 2021), better known by his stage name Nedumudi Venu, was an Indian actor and screenwriter from Kerala, who predominantly worked in Malayalam cinema. He acted in more than 500 films, primarily in M ...
*
Sreenivasan Sreenivasan (born 6 April 1956) is an Indian actor, screenwriter, director, dubbing artist and producer who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema. Sreenivasan has starred in over 225 films. Sreenivasan wrote the screenplays of films such a ...
*
Sukumari Sukumari Amma (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 has appeared in more than 2500 films predominantly in Malayalam, T ...
*
Kaviyoor Ponnamma Kaviyoor Ponnamma (10 September 1945 – 20 September 2024) was an Indian actress who appeared in Malayalam films and television. She began her career performing in theatre dramas before foraying into cinema. She also acted in TV serials and c ...
*
Shobana Shobana Chandrakumar Pillai (born 21 March 1970); known mononymously as Shobana, is an Indian actress and Bharatanatyam dancer, who works predominantly in Malayalam films, in addition to Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, English and Kannada films. She is ...
*
KPAC Lalitha Maheshwari Amma, better known by her stage name K. P. A. C. Lalitha (10 March 1947 – 22 February 2022), was an Indian film and stage actress who worked primarily in the Malayalam film industry. Considered one of the greatest actresses in the ...
*
Revathi Asha Kelunni Nair (born 8 July 1966), better known by her stage name Revathi, is an Indian actress and director, known for her works predominantly in Tamil cinema, Tamil and Malayalam cinema - in addition to Telugu language, Telugu, Hindi and ...
* Lissy *
Cochin Haneefa Cochin Haneefa (22 April 1951 – 2 February 2010) was an Indian actor, film director, and screenwriter. He started his career in the 1970s mainly portraying villainous roles, before going on to become one of the most popular comedians of Malay ...
*
Maniyanpilla Raju Sudheer Kumar (born 20 April 1955), better known by his stage name Maniyanpilla Raju (Malayalam: മണിയൻപിള്ള രാജു), is an Indian actor and producer who works in Malayalam film industry.Mukesh Mukesh is an epithet for the Hindu god Shiva, and literally means "conqueror of the Muka demon". It is commonly used as a male given name in India. People with the name Mukesh include: * Mukesh (singer) (1923–1976), Indian playback singer from ...
* Nandu * Jagadeesh * C. I. Paul *
Vineeth Vineeth Radhakrishnan (born 23 August 1969) is an Indian actor, Bharatanatyam dancer, voice artist and choreographer who primarily works in Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu language films. He has also appeared in a few Hindi and Kannada films. He h ...
*
K.B. Ganesh Kumar Keezhoote Balakrishna Ganesh Kumar (born 25 May 1966) is an Indian actor, television host, and politician who is serving as the Second Vijayan ministry, Minister for Transport of Kerala since December 2023 and previously from 2001 to 2003. He h ...
*
Mammukoya Mamukkoya (5 July 1946 – 26 April 2023) was an Indian actor known for his work predominately 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 c ...


Hindi

* Tabu *
Paresh Rawal Paresh Rawal (born 30 May 1955) is an Indian actor, comedian, film producer and politician known for his works primarily in Hindi cinema, Hindi films. He has Paresh Rawal filmography, appeared in over 240 films and is the recipient of various L ...
*
Pooja Batra Pooja Batra Shah (born 27 October 1975) is an Indian-American actress, model and beauty pageant titleholder. She primarily works in Hindi films. She won the runner-up title at the Femina Miss India contest in 1993 and was crowned Femina Miss ...
*
Amrish Puri Amrish Puri (22 June 1932 – 12 January 2005) was an Indian actor, who was one of the most notable and important figures in Cinema of India, Indian cinema and Theatre of India, theatre. He acted in more than 450 films, established himsel ...
*
Johny Lever John Prakash Rao Janumala, better known by his stage name Johnny Lever (born on 14 August 1957) is an Indian actor and comedian who is known for his works in Hindi cinema. He is one of the most recognised comedic actors in India and is widely r ...
*
Asrani Govardhan Asrani (born 1 January 1941), known popularly by mononym Asrani, is an Indian actor and director whose Bollywood career has spanned over five decades. He has acted in over 350 Hindi films. Asrani has played the lead roles, character ...
*
Akshay Kumar Akshay Hari Om Bhatia (born Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia; 9 September 1967), known professionally as Akshay Kumar (), is an Indian actor and film producer working in Hindi cinema. Referred to in the media as "Khiladi Kumar", through his career span ...
*
Anil Kapoor Anil Kapoor (born 24 December 1956) is an Indian actor and producer who works primarily in Hindi cinema, Hindi films, in addition to Indian television and international films. In a career spanning over 40 years as an actor and since 2005 as a ...
*
Akshaye Khanna Akshaye Khanna (born 28 March 1975) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films. Khanna is known for his versatility, which has secured him numerous accolades including two Filmfare Awards. Born to actor Vinod Khanna, he made his acting deb ...
*
Kareena Kapoor Kareena Kapoor Khan (; ; born 21 September 1980) is an Indian actress. A prolific leading lady of Hindi cinema since 2000, she is noted for her roles in a range of film genres—from romantic comedies to crime dramas. Kapoor is the recipient ...
*
Om Puri Om Prakash Puri, (18 October 1950 – 6 January 2017) was an Indian actor who appeared in mainstream commercial Hindi films as well as Urdu, Malayalam, Bengali, Kannada, English, Punjabi, Gujarati, Telugu, and Marathi films, as well as ind ...
*
Tinnu Anand Tinu Anand (born Virender Raj Anand) is an Indian actor, director, writer and producer in Hindi cinema and a few Telugu and Tamil films. Personal life He is the son of veteran writer Inder Raj Anand, brother of producer Bittu Anand and unc ...
*
Shakti Kapoor Shakti Kapoor (born Sunil Kapoor; 3 September 1952) is an Indian actor and comedian who appears in Bollywood films. Known for his villainous and comic roles in Hindi films, he has featured in over 700 films. In the 1980s and 1990s, Kapoor team ...
*
Rajpal Yadav Rajpal Naurang Yadav (born 16 March 1971) is an Indian actor and comedian. His breakthrough came in Ram Gopal Varma's ''Jungle'' (2000) with a negative role. Although Yadav has gained widespread recognition for his slapstick comic performances ...
* Manoj Joshi *
Sharat Saxena Sharat Saxena (born 17 August 1950) is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi films along with Telugu, Malayalam and Tamil films. He has acted in more than 250 Bollywood films. Saxena started his career in the early 1970s and has mainly played ...
*
Arbaaz Khan Arbaaz Salim Abdul Rashid Khan (born 4 August 1967) is an Indian actor and film producer who primarily works in Bollywood, Hindi cinema, in addition to Telugu cinema, Telugu, Urdu and Malayalam, Malayalam cinema. Since his debut in 1996, he ha ...
*
Jackie Shroff Jaikishan Kakubhai Shroff (born 1 February 1957), known by his screen name Jackie Shroff, is an Indian actor and former model from Mumbai, Maharashtra, who primarily works in the Hindi film industry. In a career spanning over four decades, he ...
*
Suniel Shetty Suniel Shetty (born Sunil V. Shetty; 11 August 1961) is an Indian actor, film producer, television host, and entrepreneur, primarily known for his work in Hindi cinema, with appearances in Tamil films. Nicknamed as Anna, Shetty has appeared in ...
*
Ajay Devgn Vishal Veeru Devgan (born 2 April 1969), known professionally as Ajay Devgn, is an Indian actor, film director, and producer. One of the most prolific actors of Hindi cinema, Devgn has appeared in over Ajay Devgn filmography, 100 films and ha ...


Filmography


Personal life

He married actress Lissy on 13 December 1990. They have two children, actress Kalyani and Sidharth. The couple divorced on 1 September 2016, after 26 years of marriage.


Awards and honours

Priyadarshan has received numerous awards from both the State and Central governments, as well as from various film organizations. He has won the prestigious
National Film Award The National Film Awards are awards for artistic and technical merit given for "Excellence within the Cinema of India, Indian film industry". Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India ...
three times and has been recognized for his exceptional contributions to Indian cinema.


National Film Awards

* 2007: Best Feature Film – ''Kanchivaram'' (Golden Lotus) * 2007: Best Feature Film (Producer) – ''Kanchivaram'' (Golden Lotus) * 2019: Best Director – ''Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea'' (Golden Lotus) * 2019: Best Feature Film – ''Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea'' (Golden Lotus) * 1996: Best Art Direction – ''Kalapani'' (Sabu Cyril) * 1996: Best Cinematography – ''Kalapani'' (Santosh Sivan)


Civilian Awards

* 2012:
Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...
(India's fourth-highest civilian award)


Kerala State Film Awards

* 1994: Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value – ''Thenmavin Kombathu'' * 1995: Second Best Film – ''Kaalapani''


Kerala Film Critics Association Awards

* 1991: Best Popular Film – ''Kilukkam'' * 2016: Best Film – ''Oppam'' * 2016: Best Director – ''Oppam''


Filmfare Awards

* 1997: Best Film (Critics) – ''Virasat'' * 2009: Best Director (Tamil) – ''Kanchivaram''


Other Awards and Honours


Special Recognitions

* 2008 – Special Honour Jury Award – for Outstanding contributions to Indian Cinema * 2008 – Special Jury Award at Chennai & Jaipur International Film Festival – 'Sila Samayangalil', an art movie on AIDS awareness. * 2010 – Jaihind Rajat Mudra Award * 2016 – Asiavision Award for Best Director – '' Oppam'' * 2019 – ''
Kishore Kumar Kishore Kumar (born Abhas Kumar Ganguly; ; 4 August 1929 – 13 October 1987) was an Indian playback singer, musician and actor. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest, most influential and dynamic singers in the history of modern India ...
'' Award by the
Government of Madhya Pradesh The Government of Madhya Pradesh (abbreviated as MP) or Madhya Pradesh Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and its 55 districts. It consists of an executive, led by the governor of Madhya Prade ...
* 2022 –
Honorary doctorate An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad hon ...
( D.Litt) –
Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science (HITS), formerly Hindustan College of Engineering, is a private deemed university headquartered in Chennai, India. It was founded in 1985 by K.C.G. Verghese and was conferred the "University Statu ...
.


Academic and Institutional Recognitions

* 2013: Excellence Award – Hindustan University, Chennai * 2011-2014: Chairman – Kerala State Chalachithra Academy * 2011-2014: Director – International Film Festival of Kerala


Government Appointments

* 2019: Chairperson – Feature Films Jury, 50th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) * 2016: Central Jury Chairperson – 64th National Awards (President's Award for 2016) ;Sports and Social Contributions: * Columnist – Malayala Manorama Newspaper (for international cricket matches in Kerala) * Chairperson – Committee of Ceremonies, 35th National Games (2015) * Director – Rising Star Outreach of India (2014–2019)


References


External links

* * *
Exclusive biography of #Priyadarshan and on his life.
{{Authority control Film directors from Thiruvananthapuram Malayalam film directors Tamil film directors Film producers from Thiruvananthapuram Hindi-language film directors Kerala State Film Award winners Living people 1957 births Filmfare Awards South winners Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts 21st-century Indian people Malayalam screenwriters 20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights Screenwriters from Thiruvananthapuram Directors who won the Best Feature Film National Film Award Kerala Film Critics Awards winners IIFA Utsavam winners